1. What are the physical differences between Bos Indicus and Bos Taurus cattle? Bos Indicus have long ears, hump backs, looser/ lighter colored skin, very short hair, are more tolerant of heat, and resistant to insects because their skin secretes a natural oil that acts as an insecticide.
Bos Taurus have horns, scurs, or are polled. They are wider and taller with short necks, and have more muscle and fat. They have shorter ears, and longer hair with skin that is tighter and lots of different colors. 2. List the reasons why Bos Indicus cattle were introduced to the United States.
Bos Indicus was introduced into the United States because in the 1930’s producers became interested in Bos Indicus Cattle mostly in the south and west states. Bos Indicus were originally from India. They were more favorable than Bos Taurus breeds because they were more heat tolerant and were insect resistance due to the fact their skin secreted a natural oil that acted as an insecticide. They were also cross breed with many of the British breeds to create more desirable traits in cattle.…show more content… Compare and contrast how cow calf producers raise cattle in the grain belt vs. other parts of the country.
In the grain belt cattle are raised to eat high feed grains such as concentrates and roughages. Due to the fact that we don’t have large areas to open graze cattle because of the large amount of fields of corn and beans. They are also sometimes put in either Hoop or Monoslope buildings that are heated in the winter and cooler in the summer. These buildings help keep track of cattle and also keep the rain and snow out to prevent muddy grounds. Calves are feed either by creep feeders and are sometimes put into huts for health reasons.
In other states such as the southern and western states they are put out on huge feedlots and/or free grazers. The calves are also raised to either go to backgrounding or straight to the feedlot and when old enough they go to
