Improve Cow Herd Efficiency

Authors

Lee Leachman

Date of this Version

11-2015

Citation

24th Range Beef Cow Symposium, Nov. 17-19, 2015, Loveland, Colo.

Comments

Copyright 2015 Lee Leachman.

Abstract

MAYBE YOU SHOULD ONLY SELECT FOR COW HERD FEED EFFICIENCY?

• RFI – residual feed intake: do they eat more or less than other cattle weighing and gaining the same. Use to reduce maintenance energy.
• RADG – residual average daily gain: do they gain more or less than other cattle eating the same amount. Use to find the cattle that gain more.
• Feed to Gain – conversion in the feedlot: how many pounds of dry matter / pound of gain. Use to find the ones with the lowest cost of gain in the feedlot.
• Feed Intake – how much do they eat per day. Use to find the ones that cost less per day.
• Are any of these traits what you want?
• No, don’t single trait select for efficiency, or any other single trait.
• I want PROFIT – specifically: PROFIT per ACRE.