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Rod Hill, University of Idaho (UI), andGordon Carstens, Texas A&M University(TAMU), the practice is essential to keepingU.S. beef competitive.
the greatest effect on your net income perbeef cow, be prepared to have your universeturned upside down. The most recentStandardized Performance Analysis (SPA)data from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexicoindicate that grazing and feed costs per cowhave a greater effect on net income per cowthan weaning weight and pounds of calfweaned per cow exposed.
For researchers like Hill and Carstens, this isn’t new information. They have watched, @ UI researcher Rod Hill says the U.S. beef industry lags behind in feed efficiency studies.
with growing interest, feed efficiencyresearch being done in Australia and Canada.
Hill, who participated in feed efficiency Legislature through the Texas Beef Initiative, research in Australia prior to accepting his current position, says the U.S. beef industry two of several institutions across the country quality of their product in a sustainable contributing their research results to the U.S.
been at it for over 10 years,” he says.“They net feed efficiency data bank. Others include trials with up to 169 steers of the same breed have created enough of a database for the Angus breed association in Australia to now report estimated breeding values for net feed Neb.; University of Missouri; University of the animals — all were of the same breed Illinois; University of Florida; and West and from the same commercial herd — there emerged from this research. The first fact is consumption rates of feed between efficient that feed efficiency traits are moderately heritable. In other words, animals that have a The nine steers that displayed the lowest tendency to be more efficient feeders are Australia and Canada findings that the feed net feed intake (NFI) ate 17% less feed than likely to pass that trait on to their progeny.
intake of efficient feeders can be dramatically the nine animals that displayed the highest lower than that of inefficient feeders. Hill NFI.“In terms of profitability, that’s a found in a study that the difference in feed significant difference,” Carstens says.“If we independent trait.“This means that net feed efficiency shouldn’t interfere with existing EPDs (expected progeny differences),” Hill feeders and the least efficient ones. In an on- through selection, we can save about $25 per says.“There is no reason why it should not animal in feed costs to put 600 pounds of intake of each animal in a grouping of 50 purebred Angus steers, feed intake for equal weight gain ranged from 20.94 pounds (lb.) per day for the most efficient feeder to 29.76 The obvious question to arise from results challenge U.S. researchers now face is to lb. per day for the least efficient.
gather enough net feed efficiency data from February 2006 ■ ANGUSJournal ■ 205
Efficiency Makes a Difference CONTINUED FROM PAGE 205 is,“What allows some cattle to maintain displayed by each individual animal.
themselves on less feed than other cattle correct stall, a computer chip in the gate despite the fact that they all share the same recognizes the passive radio signal emitted by equipped with multiple feedbunks, as data As for the actual physiological mechanism mechanism on the gate. The animal can then can be recorded for individuals regardless of that controls feed efficiency in cattle, Hill push the gate open and reach its feed. When points out that researchers in Australia have it leaves, the gate closes and locks, preventing isolated an insulin-like growth factor in cattle any other animals from accessing the feed.
does not impose social disruptions in typical that has a direct link to feed efficiency.
access to its own stall, an accurate account of monitoring systems. A typical 70-animal pen substance, which is produced in the liver, what it eats is possible. The limitations of the is equipped with nine GrowSafe feedbunks.
system are the labor involved in weighing the breakdown. This has major significance for deposition in livestock. The implication is that domestic animals could be managed to be more metabolically efficient, producing efficiency testing firsthand come away with a more muscle tissue for an equivalent food have led to the development of two feeding new respect for the feed efficiency quotient.
systems that are capable of measuring feed He notes that beef researchers in Australia Ranch Inc. of King Hill, Idaho, is an Angus individual animals — the Pinpointer system seedstock producer who provided Hill with 50 steers for a net feed efficiency study. He feeding trial databases and levels of IGF-1 in found the preliminary data eye-opening.
the blood. This has allowed them to start Canada. The systems have overcome some of With a 30% difference in intake between his using IGF-1 blood tests to help determine the limitations inherent in the early Calan most feed-efficient steers and his least feed- gate systems. Both technologies continuously efficient steers, the feed cost difference tests could eventually be used in the U.S. to help determine net feed efficiency in cattle, without disrupting typical feeding behaviors.
“If you can identify a sire group that will researchers in this country have a great deal They monitor the frequency and duration of produce calves that get to their weight on individual feeding events each day, as well as way less feed, you are going to make more Australians and Canadians found necessary to develop their blood test criteria.
one of the first Angus seedstock producers to recognize the importance of feed efficiency feed-delivery systems. The Pinpointer’s feed to the U.S. cattle industry. Three years ago, storage bin sits above the feedbunk. When he, along with Carstens and several other advantages of being latecomers to the feed the bunk is empty, more feed is metered in producers, traveled to Olds, Alta., Canada, to efficiency race is that U.S. researchers have a from the storage bin. This works well for see firsthand the GrowSafe system at Olds selection of proven monitoring technology pellet diets, but is limited when forages and GrowSafe system is designed the same as a device for monitoring individual feed intake the tour was the realization that cost of in cattle was the Calan gate system. Hill used accommodate a broader range of feedstuffs, important role in global beef markets and feeding pens with gates to control access, in “You can’t put a corn silage-based diet that feed efficiency was a key to remaining through the Pinpointer system,” Carstens Each animal involved in the project has a says.“With the GrowSafe, the feed truck just “The world wants our beef, and that is a transponder that functions as an electronic dumps it into the bunker and you are set to plus,” he says.“Now, if we can develop the key and hangs around the animal’s neck, he ability to move from 6 pounds of feed to put feedbunk continuously weigh the contents, feed to get 1 pound of weight gain using just allowing the computer to extrapolate feed genetics, we will definitely be ahead of the intake, while antennae, also in the feed- intake bunks, activate RFID ear tags to link He notes that the beef industry in the U.S.
has been slow to embrace feed efficiency in feeding events and meal intakes. All data is have been working on it for years,” Bruner special software program is used to translate 206 ■ ANGUSJournal ■ February 2006

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