Genetic improvement of feed efficiency of beef cattle: what lessons can be learnt from other species?

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. S. Pitchford
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Marker Test ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
Selection For

About half of the feed in beef production systems is used to maintain the breeding herd. Of the remaining 50%, about 20% is used by the breeding cow for pregnancy and lactation and 30% is used by the growing calf. There seems little opportunity to improve efficiency of production (lactation and growth) but reasonable opportunity to increase maintenance efficiency. The mean heritability of net feed efficiency from 35 estimates across 7 species/types was 0.25 ± 0.02. Unfortunately, the genetic correlation between net feed efficiency in young bulls and mature cows is likely to be significantly less than 1, thus responding slowly to selection.While it seems clear that improvements in maintenance efficiency can be made, they may come at a cost. In poultry and mice, increased net feed efficiency has been associated with increased fatness but in pigs and beef cattle there is some evidence of the reverse. While a number of studies have predicted that selection for efficiency may result in lower proportions of crucial, metabolically active visceral organ tissues, there are few studies to support this.Poultry and mouse studies both clearly show that increased net feed efficiency is associated with decreased heat production. This decrease is due to both decreased cost of digestion (heat loss) and decreased activity. In poultry, this decreased heat loss resulted in the more efficient line being more affected by high temperatures. Also, it is possible that at low temperatures, the differences in efficiency may not exist. At this stage it is not clear if the decreased activity is an adaptive advantage or disadvantage. In mice and possibly also pigs and poultry, increased net feed efficiency has been associated with a decreased reproductive rate measured as litter size or egg number. This should definitely be of concern when embarking on selection for improved net feed efficiency in the beef industry. It is recommended that since feed intake is both difficult and expensive to measure, a gene or marker test should be developed, and correlated effects on a range of production traits be carefully evaluated.

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

Feed Additives for Fattening Cattle

1986 ◽  
Vol 1986 ◽  
pp. 112-112
Author(s):  
M. Kay ◽  
P.J. Broadbent ◽  
E.A. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soya Bean ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Bean Meal ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Soya Bean Meal ◽  
Daily Gain

Feed additives are widely used in beef production systems. Two trials were made to measure the effect of feed additives on the daily gain and feed efficiency of fattening beef cattle. In the first trial 48 Friesians and 48 weaned suckled calves weighing about 390 kg were fed individually on grass silage ad libitum together with 4 kg (Friesians) and 3 kg (weaned calves) bruised barley daily. The treatments were control (C), no additive; Avotan 150 mg/d (A); Flavomycin 45 mg/d (F) and Romensin 200 mg/d (R). Minerals and vitamins were given daily on the silage. In the second trial there were 240 Friesian and Exotic x Friesian bulls. They were housed on slats in groups of 15 and offered a mixture of bruised barley and soya bean meal ad libitum. The treatments were control, no additive; Flavomycin 50 mg/d, Romensin 210 mg/d and Salinomycin 150 mg/d. In trial 1 the steers were implanted with Ralgro and the heifers with Finaplix. No implants were used in the second trial. All the animals were weighed regularly and feed intake was recorded continuously. They were slaughtered when they achieved the required conformation and fat cover.

Beef Cattle Production and Trade

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Beef Cattle Production ◽  
Australian Experience

Beef Cattle Production and Trade covers all aspects of the beef industry from paddock to plate. It is an international text with an emphasis on Australian beef production, written by experts in the field. The book begins with an overview of the historical evolution of world beef consumption and introductory chapters on carcass and meat quality, market preparation and world beef production. North America, Brazil, China, South-East Asia and Japan are discussed in separate chapters, followed by Australian beef production, including feed lotting and live export. The remaining chapters summarise R&D, emphasising the Australian experience, and look at different production systems and aspects of animal husbandry such as health, reproduction, grazing, feeding and finishing, genetics and breeding, production efficiency, environmental management and business management. The final chapter examines various case studies in northern and southern Australia, covering feed demand and supply, supplements, pasture management, heifer and weaner management, and management of internal and external parasites.

scholarly journals Reducing the period of data collection for intake and gain to improve response to selection for feed efficiency in beef cattle

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 854-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Mark Thallman ◽  
Larry A Kuehn ◽  
Warren M Snelling ◽  
Kelli J Retallick ◽  
Jennifer M Bormann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Response To Selection ◽  
Selection For

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

scholarly journals Economic effects of alternate growth path, time of calving and breed type combinations across southern Australian beef cattle environments: industry-wide effects

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 542 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Beef Cattle Production ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Fast Growth Rate ◽  
Subsequent Identification

The ‘Regional Combinations’ project and its biophysical outcomes, and the subsequent identification of the most profitable beef cattle production systems across different environments in southern Australia, have been described in several other papers in this special edition. In this paper, the economic calculations reported for each of the individual beef enterprises representative of the various state sites are aggregated up to the level of the Australian cattle and beef industry and then projected forward over several years into the future. To do this, an existing model of the world beef market is used. The analyses suggest that both the fast-growth-rate technology and the time-of-calving technology have the potential to generate significant economic benefits for the southern Australia cattle and beef industries. The cumulative present values of each technology are around $70 million over a 15-year time horizon at a 7% real discount rate.

scholarly journals 177 Strategies to improve the efficiency of beef cattle production

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 183-183
Author(s):  
Tim A McAllister ◽  
John Basarab ◽  
Leluo Guan
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Hybrid Vigor ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Livestock Species ◽  
Functional Efficiency

Abstract Globally there are approximately 1 billion beef cattle raised in both intensive and extensive production systems and of the principal livestock species, beef cattle are known to have the poorest feed efficiency. As a result of low feed efficiency, cattle also have a larger environmental footprint per kg of product produced. However, these metrics fail to consider that beef cattle produce high quality protein from feeds that are largely unsuitable for other livestock species. Even in Canada’s intensive beef production system, forages account for more than 80% of feed, with high grain diets only being fed for 3 to 4 months during finishing. Strategies to improve the efficiency of beef cattle are focusing on the genetics of the host, the functional efficiency of the gastrointestinal microbiome and the structure and composition of the feed. Maintenance of hybrid vigor is central to matching the optimal biological type of animal to a variety of management practices and environments. Genotyping can play a key role in ensuring hybrid vigor is maintained so that populations can adapt to changing environmental conditions brought about by influences such as climate change. The central role of microbiome-host interactions in the efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract is becoming increasingly apparent. Microbial markers and gene expression patterns within the intestinal microbiome are being used to identify efficient hosts and to alter the microbiome in a manner that enhances fibre digestion. Finally, feed types and feed processing are being optimized to maximize the value that can be derived from both forages and concentrates. This multi-faceted approach to improving efficiency is coupled with strategies that reduce disease and improve host health. Strategies to improve the efficiency of cattle production are a perquisite for the sustainable intensification that is needed to satisfy the future demand for beef.

Weaner survival is heritable in Australian Merinos and current breeding objectives are potentially leading to a decline in survival

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
S. F. Walkom ◽  
A. N. Thompson ◽  
E. Bowen ◽  
D. J. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Weaning Weight ◽  
Australian Sheep ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Fleece Weight ◽  
The Relationship

There is little evidence to show that mortality rates during the period after weaning are improving over time in Australian sheep. The average mortality rate of Merino lambs during the post-weaning period has been estimated to be 5.2%. The present study explored the potential for producers to breed for improved survival rates during the post-weaning period and the potential impact this would have on key production traits. A total of 122526 weaner survival (mortality) records were obtained from 18 Merino flocks, between 1989 and 2014, encompassing a wide variety of Australian Merino sheep types and production systems. The heritability of weaner survival from a sire model was estimated to be 0.07 ± 0.01 and was significantly greater than zero. The survival of lambs post-weaning was significantly influenced by weaning weight, with higher survival rates observed in the heavier lambs. The phenotypic relationship with weight indicates that selection for heavier weaning and post-weaning weights, and in turn larger growth rates, will improve survival rates. There is genetic variation in weaner survival not explained by the relationship with weaning weight. Weight-corrected weaner survival was antagonistically genetically correlated with fleece weight. Due to these antagonistic genetic relationships selection based on popular MERINOSELECT indexes is leading to a very small reduction in the survival rate of lambs after weaning through to the post-weaning stage. To prevent a decline in weaner survival, producers are advised to record weaner survival and include it in their breeding objective.

Feed intake and efficiency in beef cattle: overview of recent Australian research and challenges for the future

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Arthur ◽  
J. A. Archer ◽  
R. M. Herd
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Random Regression ◽  
Individual Animal ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
The Future ◽  
Feed Utilisation ◽  
Selection For

In the last 10 years, there have been 3 major research and development projects in Australia on the efficiency of feed utilisation by beef cattle. The primary objective of these projects has been to examine individual animal variation in feed efficiency and its exploitation for genetic improvement in beef cattle. The results of these projects indicate that genetic variation in feed efficiency exists in Australian beef herds, that feed efficiency is moderately heritable and that the potential exists to reduce the cost of beef production through selection for efficient cattle. These results have been further developed for industry application through the generation of BREEDPLAN estimated breeding values for net (or residual) feed intake (a feed efficiency trait) for Angus and Hereford–Polled Hereford breeds. Although economic analyses have indicated substantial benefit from selection for feed efficiency, the high initial cost of identifying animals which are superior for feed efficiency is a barrier to rapid adoption of the technology. Developing cost-effective methods of implementing the feed efficiency technology is thus an on-going research activity. Challenges for the future include: the development and use of more sophisticated statistical analyses procedures (such as random regression) for feed intake and efficiency evaluation; development of accurate methods of assessing individual animal feed intake at pasture; the adoption of a whole-production system approach to feed utilisation; and better integration of the disciplines of genetics and nutrition. The outcomes from research in the efficiency of feed utilisation in beef cattle have wider applications, not only in other livestock species, but also in human energetics, such as the control of obesity.

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