Conventional U.S. cattle-production systems are designed to provide consumers with a
consistent supply of high-quality, grain-fed beef, which is preferred in current mainstream
U.S. beef markets (both domestic and export). In grain-fed beef production systems, beef
calves (steers and heifers) typically are reared on pastures with their dams until they are fiveto
eight-months old. After weaning, calves either are placed in feedlots immediately for grain
finishing (as “calf-feds”) or grown for a period of time on forage-based diets, until they are 12
to 18-months old, before placement in feedlots for finishing (as “yearlings” or “long-yearlings”).
Grain-finished cattle produced in the United States normally are harvested between 12 and 24
months of age. Calf-feds typically are 12- to 16-months old at harvest, depending upon length of
the finishing period, whereas most cattle fed as yearlings or long-yearlings are harvested between
16 and 24 months of age.