Washington County
Agriculture Program
Beef Production
Although cattle herds can be found in every county in the state, the greatest
concentration of beef cattle production is in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest
Arkansas. This region accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total herd numbers.
Washington County is the largest in terms of cattle numbers with 120,000 head.
These areas provide good pasture growth for native and improved grasses, thanks
to the combination of timely rainfall and soil type. Also, this area produces
the hay needed for feeding cattle during the winter months when pastures are
dormant.
Raising cattle lends itself well to other agriculture enterprises. Poultry
production and beef cattle fit well together on the same operation. Poultry
production, especially broilers, requires a small amount of land for production
facilities and the production of the valuable litter can be utilized for
fertilizer to produce forage for the cattle. These enterprises compliment each
other in labor requirements.
The county produces a wide diversity of breeds of cattle. These include
traditional English breeds: Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn; the Exotic: Charolais,
Limousin, Simmental, etc and U.S. breeds: Santa Gertrudis, Beefmaster, etc.
There is no perfect breed for the county. Selection of breed is based on
personal preference, environmental conditions, adaptability, longevity,
reproductive efficiency, milking ability, size, ability to gain weight and other
traits that fit personal preferences. All of these breeds, as well as commercial
-type cattle, thrive in the Washington County climate. Commercial cattle are
mixtures of two or more of pure breeds of cattle. Each breed in the combination
is selected for certain traits.
Cattle production continues to be an important enterprise in the county.
Improvements in the production of cattle, pastures and marketing ensures that
this enterprise continues to be a major part of Washington County agriculture.
Systems of Beef Cattle Production
Systems of commercial beef cattle production may be divided into three
general categories: (1) the cow-calf segment which produces weaned feeder calves
for further grazing and or feeding, (2) the backgrounding or stocker phase of
production in which body weight is added to recently weaned calves, resulting in
feedlot-ready yearlings and (3) the finishing phase of production in which
cattle are fattened for processing.
The cow-calf and backgrounding categories are the best suited for Washington
County conditions. Both calf and yearling production utilize forages as the
primary feed. The climate, soil and terrain in the county are well suited for
forage production. Many cattle producers view their cattle enterprise as a way
to market forage, their greatest resource.
If more information on beef cattle production in Washington county is desired
contact the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Washington
County 2536 McConnell Rd. Fayetteville, AR 72704 .
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