The Practice of Raising Beef

Complete outline with automation opportunities at each stage

1. Genetics 2. Breeding 3. Calving 4. Grazing 5. Health 6. Feeding 7. Water 8. Marketing
1

Herd Establishment & Genetics

Traditional Practice

  • • Purchase foundation herd (cows and bulls)
  • • Select for desired traits (marbling, frame size, temperament)
  • • Maintain breeding records manually
  • • Visual assessment of conformation

Automation Opportunities

Task Traditional Automated
Genetic record keeping 2-3 hrs/week 15 min/week
Performance tracking 4-5 hrs/week 30 min/week
Breeding decisions Expert judgment AI-assisted

2027-2029 Outlook

  • 2027: Digital pedigree and performance tracking standard
  • 2028: AI-recommended breeding pairs based on genomic data
  • 2029: Predictive offspring performance modeling commercially available
2

Breeding & Reproduction

Traditional Practice

  • • Bull breeding or artificial insemination (AI)
  • • Heat detection via visual observation (twice daily)
  • • Pregnancy checking via veterinarian
  • • Calving observation (round-the-clock during season)

Automation Opportunities

Task Traditional Automated
Heat detection 2-4 hrs/day Alerts only
Breeding timing Guesswork 90%+ accuracy
Pregnancy monitoring Vet visits Continuous
Calving alerts 24/7 watch Alerts only

85-95%

AI-optimized conception rates (vs 60-70%)

21+ days

Saved with early pregnancy detection

6-12 hrs

Calving onset detection before delivery

3

Calving & Calf Management

Traditional Practice

  • • Monitor pregnant cows closely near due dates
  • • Assist difficult births manually
  • • Tag and record newborns
  • • Monitor calf health visually
  • • Treat scours, pneumonia reactively

Automation Opportunities

Task Traditional Automated
Pre-calving monitoring 4-6 hrs/day 30 min review
Calf health monitoring 2-3 hrs/day Alert-based
Growth tracking Weekly weighing Continuous
Treatment records Manual entry Auto-logged
4

Grazing Management (Regenerative Focus)

Traditional Practice

  • • Set stocking (same pasture)
  • • Rotational grazing (move every few days/weeks)
  • • Visual pasture assessment
  • • Physical fence maintenance

Regenerative Practice

  • • High-density, short-duration grazing
  • • 60-90+ day rest periods
  • • Mimics natural bison movement
  • • Builds soil carbon, improves water retention

Automation

  • Pasture moves: 2-4 hrs → Button press
  • Fence maintenance: 5-10 hrs/wk → Eliminated
  • Pasture assessment: 4-6 hrs/wk → Continuous
  • Grazing optimization: Experience → AI-recommended

Carbon Sequestration Reality Check

The carbon sequestration potential of regenerative grazing is frequently overstated. Based on peer-reviewed meta-analyses:

Scenario Sequestration Rate Duration
Realistic range (most pastures) 0.2-0.5 tons C/acre/year 15-25 years until saturation
Optimal conditions (AMP grazing) 0.4-0.9 tons C/acre/year Variable
Cropland-to-pasture conversion Up to 3.2 tons C/acre/year First 3-5 years only

Bottom line: Regenerative grazing provides real soil health benefits (water infiltration, microbial diversity, erosion prevention), but should not be promoted primarily as a climate solution.

5

Health Management

Traditional Practice

  • • Visual observation for sick animals
  • • Regular veterinary visits
  • • Reactive treatment after symptoms appear
  • • Manual vaccination and treatment records

Automation Opportunities

  • Sick animal detection: 2-4 hrs/day → Alerts only
  • Temperature monitoring: Individual checks → Continuous IR sensors
  • Treatment tracking: Manual records → Auto-logged
  • Vet consultation: In-person visits → Telemedicine + data

Health Detection Capabilities (Current)

Allflex SenseHub

Detects illness 2-3 days before visual symptoms

Current Accuracy

85-92%

Target by 2029

98%+

6

Feeding & Nutrition

Traditional Practice

  • • Hay/silage during winter or drought
  • • Supplement during breeding/lactation
  • • Manual feeding schedules
  • • Visual body condition scoring

Automation

  • Feed distribution: 1-2 hrs/day → Automated
  • Body condition scoring: Visual estimates → AI camera analysis
  • Nutrition optimization: Experience-based → AI-calculated
  • Mineral supplementation: Manual → Smart feeders
7

Water Management

Traditional Practice

  • • Check water troughs daily
  • • Manual tank filling
  • • Break ice in winter
  • • Repair pumps and lines

Automation

  • Water level monitoring: 1-2 hrs/day → Alerts only (IoT sensors)
  • Trough filling: Manual → Float valves + smart pumps
  • Freeze prevention: Daily checks → Heated waterers
  • Water quality: Periodic testing → Continuous sensors
8

Marketing & Sales

Traditional Practice

  • • Sell at auction (commodity pricing)
  • • Direct sales at farm gate
  • • Limited traceability
  • • Price-taker mentality

Tech-Enabled Practice

  • • Premium direct-to-consumer channels
  • • Full traceability (birth to plate)
  • • Verified regenerative/carbon-negative claims
  • • Carbon credit revenue diversification

Grass-fed premium

20-50%

over commodity

Regenerative verified

+10-30%

additional premium

Direct-to-consumer

2-3x

auction price (more labor)

2027-2029 Outlook

  • 2027: Blockchain traceability becoming buyer expectation
  • 2028: Carbon-negative certification premium emerging
  • 2029: Integrated farm-to-consumer platforms with verification