You Can Have Your Feed Efficiency and Eat it, Too! | Page 6

Feed Efficiency & THE

Commercial BEEF PRODUCER

Up to now , there has been little incentive for cow-calf producers to select for feed efficiency because there hasn ’ t been a good way to monetize it .
That ’ s certainly true if you sell your calves into a commodity market . But just like proper health management on the ranch , there are potential premiums for cattle with a genetic ability to convert feed to gain more efficiently while still producing high-grading carcasses .
According to Dr . Bob Weaber , professor and head of the Eastern Kansas Research and Extension Centers with Kansas State University , the heritability of feed efficiency is around 0.3 to 0.4 . That makes it moderately heritable , much the same as the production traits of weaning weight , yearling weight and carcass characteristics .
Given the remarkable improvements the beef business has made in increasing upper two-thirds Choice and Prime carcasses , it ’ s clear the same genetic strides can be made in feed efficiency . But you can ’ t capture that value if you sell your calves at weaning .
Fortunately , there are value-added programs that allow cow-calf producers to capture the carcass value they ’ ve bred into their herd . The benefits of feed efficiency flow to all cattle , whether they ’ re marketed conventionally or are in value-added programs , says Jerry Wulf , a Morris , Minn ., cattle feeder , cow-calf producer and seedstock geneticssupplier . That ’ s because , in today ’ s marketing environment for cattle feeders , feed efficiency is the number one driver for potential profitability .
However , when feeding cattle for value-added programs that don ’ t allow production technologies , genetics , specifically better feed efficiency genetics , is the only lever to pull , he says .
So how can a cow-calf producer make money by selecting for feed efficiency ? One way , according to Wulf , is to become part of a value-added program that rewards more efficient cattle that also produce the upper twothirds Choice and Prime beef that consumers demand .
The other is to work with feedyards in producing the type of cattle they demand and will pay up for . “ Work with a genetics supplier who is measuring individual feed intake and producing bulls with the genetic potential to increase the feed efficiency of your calves ,” he says .
“ And if you aren ’ t owning the cattle all the way to harvest , work with a feedyard and start building a history on your calves and how they perform . Track improvements from year to year so that you ’ re able to capture that value .”
That can be best achieved with crossbreeding , says Dr . Kee Jim , CEO of Feedlot Health Management Services . There ’ s no question the genetics exist to produce Yield 1 and 2 cattle that marble well . “ Generally , that ’ s most easily achieved through crossbreeding ( a Continental breed such as Limousin or Lim-Flex on British-based cows ) to get the maximum combination of a balance between gain , feed efficiency and carcass .”
According to the North American Limousin Foundation , the Limousin and Lim-Flex marbling EPD value has improved 0.25 to 0.35 over the past five years . What ’ s more , Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle have achieved this improvement while still maintaining a significant lead on ribeye and backfat EPDs . That gives Limousin and Lim-Flex actual retail and cutability advantages . And that ’ s a win-win all around .