BREEDING cattle that may utilise feed extra effectively permits producers higher alternative to offset the price of feed in a industrial cattle program.
As noted in tonight’s separate article, feed value is the best prices incurred inside a industrial breeding program. Usually these prices aren’t a lot seen as line gadgets, however are manifested in restrictions on manufacturing, fertility or market compliance.
Many producers usually contemplate offsetting the decrease ranges of manufacturing which might be a results of feed prices, by deciding on for greater progress charges. Nonetheless, the affect of choice for greater progress and its affect on the feed effectivity of a breeding herd is one thing that many producers have but to really contemplate.
A latest paper written by Robert Herd, Hutton Oddy, Paul Arthur and Matt McDonagh has been printed within the CSIRO Journal of Animal Manufacturing Science.
This paper outlines analysis carried out with Angus cattle chosen primarily based on progress charges over 5 generations. The trial cattle got here from three completely different traces: A quick progress to yearling age (Excessive Line), gradual progress to yearling age (Low Line) and from an unselected management line.
Single trait choice
Over the 5 generations, the cattle within the mission had been chosen for the only trait of progress charge on pasture. Because of this course of, there was a 34 p.c distinction in yearling weight between the Quick (Excessive) and Sluggish (Low) traces.
The experiment described on this latest paper was carried out over sequential years, the place steers and heifers had been measured for feedlot efficiency over a 70-day interval and following slaughter had been assessed for carcase and consuming high quality traits.
Outcomes
The outcomes of the experiment supply some attention-grabbing insights into the affect choice for a single trait comparable to progress charge had on feedlot efficiency.
The steers from the Excessive Line the place 42pc heavier than the Low line steers after they had been entered into the feeding interval. These steers grew 49pc sooner and on the finish of 70 days had been 43pc heavier.
Whereas on the floor this does seem to supply some encouragement to producers wanting to realize sooner progress, there have been another outcomes value noting.
The quantity of feed the Excessive Line steers consumed over the 70-day interval was greater per day (51pc higher than the low line steers). Extra considerably, the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR – a measure of each day feed consumption divided by common each day acquire), was no completely different between the 2 traces.
In sensible phrases this meant that whereas the Excessive Line (quick progress) steers can be anticipated to achieve 100kg in a shorter time than the gradual progress steers (86 days vs 129 days), each traces would eat about the identical quantity of feed to placed on this quantity of weight.
Feed consumption vs feed effectivity
The experiment demonstrated that whereas choice for progress charge on pasture did obtain constant modifications in feed consumption and progress charge of steers in a feedlot ending program, whereas the quick group of cattle (Excessive Line) had been greater than 40pc heavier on the finish of the feeding interval, their feed consumption was proportionally greater, and there was no enchancment within the feed conversion ratio of these animals.
Because the paper famous “In different phrases, after greater than 5 generations of genetic choice, the superior progress was pushed by elevated feed consumption moderately than elevated effectivity of feed use.”
The worth of this work for producers is in demonstrating that focussing on a single trait could not really obtain the outcomes that had been meant.
Sooner-growing cattle could also be of worth in a feedlot program. Nonetheless, it’s probably this worth can be captured by way of both sooner throughput or having extra cattle shifting by way of the feedlot infrastructure. On a feed value, it’s probably the advantages can be extra marginal.
Efficiency data
In deciding on for each elevated progress and higher feed effectivity, producers ought to entry and contemplate efficiency data (EBVs) and significantly contemplate the accuracies offered with this information.
It’s potential to alter the genetics of a herd to realize each a extra feed environment friendly herd in addition to capturing greater progress, which could have a constructive affect inside the breeding herd and within the efficiency of sale progeny.
Alastair Rayner is the Normal Supervisor of Extension & Operations with Cibo Labs and Principal of RaynerAg. Alastair has over 28 years’ expertise advising beef producers & graziers throughout Australia. He might be contacted right here or by way of his web site www.raynerag.com.au
Trending Merchandise
