Feed conversion testing brings greater profits

Performance testing of a beef cattle herd entails the weighing of animals at sure ages to find out their genetic worth. Data obtained via such assessments present farmers with an goal choice help to establish the best-performing animals of their herds for use as dad and mom for the following technology.

This improves the genetic benefit of their herds. In a broader sense, the target of efficiency testing is to enhance the organic and financial effectivity of beef manufacturing of a selected herd, breed, and finally the nationwide herd.

Since the continual choice of higher cattle by all breeders finally results in an enchancment within the nationwide herd, the Animal Improvement Institute on the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) runs the South African National Beef Cattle Improvement Scheme to formulate such assessments, that are then carried out by the ARC and personal take a look at centres across the nation.

Tests can be found for 5 phases of the animal’s life, every including a further choice criterion to present the breeder an entire image.

Phase A evaluates the cow herd, taking weaning weights of their calves into consideration to find out mothering talents. Ease of calving (birthweight), fertility (age at first calving and inter-calving interval) and cow effectivity are additionally evaluated.

Phase B seems to be at post-weaning weight acquire to measure the adaptability and post-weaning progress of calves.

Phase C is a standardised take a look at through which bull calves’ post-weaning progress is examined at central testing centres. Post-weaning progress fee and particular person feed conversion ratios are evaluated beneath intensive circumstances.

The Phase D farm progress assessments are the place bull calves of the identical breed are examined for post-weaning progress and effectivity.

Phase E is the ultimate evaluation and entails a carcass analysis, the place the qualitative and quantitative carcass traits of the progeny of a sire are evaluated following a progress take a look at.

Phase D for greater revenue
While every part of testing is essential, Lukas Eksteen, who farms cattle on the family-owned Bufland farm in Mookgophong, Limpopo, has seen first-hand the advantages of implementing Phase D testing.

“Profitability of an animal is determined by feed conversion. A 10% improvement in feed conversion can lead to a 43% improvement in profit. But if your growth improves by 10%, your profit only increases by 14%. So while growth is a factor, feed conversion is a bigger one in determining the profitability of a livestock operation.”

He explains that as a result of farming livestock requires lots of capital and provides a low return on funding, specializing in good genetics is all of the extra essential.

“There are all the time bulls that aren’t performing as they need to. You wouldn’t essentially know that until you examined them, as a result of visually they appear good. But typically they appear good as a result of they eat an excessive amount of, and that further feed prices cash.

“We have a feedlot on the farm and are therefore especially focused on the feed that goes in, and the meat that comes out. The feed conversion figure needs to be as favourable as possible for the economics of the herd, and the feedlot, to work. Since 90% of all cattle go through a feedlot before they reach the market, it is in every cattle farmer’s best interest to ensure they are breeding with genetics that will give them the best conversion of feed into beef, and thus the best prices for their weaners.”

With this in thoughts, the Eksteen household determined to erect a Phase D bull testing centre on the farm in 2014.

“The testing centre gives us another selection method to ensure we can move forward with the best genetics. Since the centre is a capital-intensive operation, we decided to do it on a scale that would allow other farmers to use the facilities as well,” says Eksteen.

He notes {that a} bull’s calf is the ultimate indication of how good that bull actually is. “[The bull’s] calves finally have to carry out within the feedlot, and Phase D testing provides you figures that present precisely how nicely they carry out. This provides you certainty about your determination when choosing bulls as a result of, usually, two bulls will look the identical, however differ on efficiency figures. It additionally eliminates the chance of constructing selections based mostly on sentiment or love for a selected animal.

“With the data in hand, we can focus on more efficient animals a lot earlier on in the process. We don’t have to wait for a whole growth cycle to see whether the bull performs. This means that we save on opportunity costs because we aren’t wasting space, feed and time on inefficient animals.”

The testing course of
Bulls entered into Phase D have to arrive on the take a look at centre at the least six weeks earlier than the testing begins. They are inspected for any apparent causes to cull them earlier than they obtain their first spherical of vaccines. The bulls spend two weeks collectively with a view to socialise and decide dominancy.

On days -22 and -21 of the take a look at, the bulls are weighed on empty stomachs and sorted into their teams, by age and weight, for the take a look at.

On day -1 and 0, the bulls are weighed as soon as once more on empty stomachs to set the beginning weight, and to finalise the teams. The ultimate spherical of vaccinations can even happen at this stage. The take a look at then continues for 84 days, and the bulls’ progress is monitored by weighing them each 14 days. A publication is then despatched to all of the individuals and stakeholders in order that they will preserve monitor of their bulls.

The bulls are fed a ration that consists of 96,4% pure sources of protein, power and roughage; the core ingredient is maize silage. Bufland’s goal common each day acquire (ADG) is 1,5kg/animal.

Eksteen says that weight acquire does differ from breed to breed, however farmers mustn’t settle for bulls that add lower than 1,2kg/day.

“Our feed is formulated for weight gain of 1,5kg/ day. We can push for 2kg, but this would be detrimental to the animals, as that amount of pellets is not good for the rumen. They also need to be able to go back to the veld after the test phase and back to a normal grass diet, which would be problematic if they had become used to such a high concentration of pellets. It is also unnecessary, since the desired data can be achieved from [an ADG of] 1,5kg, and any more feed just ends up costing the farmer more.”

He notes that farmers ought to see a constant enhance within the feed conversion fee to know that they’re choosing the appropriate breeding inventory.

The take a look at outcomes present a large number of figures, and Eksteen warns in opposition to ‘fatal fixation’.

“A farmer can typically get so targeted on enhancing one trait that others fall by the wayside.

“It is due to this fact essential to intention for a stability throughout the figures, slightly than extraordinarily excessive numbers in any [one] space.

“I all the time intention for weaners that aren’t too heavy, because it places much less pressure on the cow.

“However, try to be common to above-average weaners. I intention for common to above-average progress, and above-average feed conversion.

“We’ve also noticed there is more value in a longer animal, not necessarily a higher animal, as the length has an impact on the slaughter percentage. There hasn’t been a lot of research on this, but it’s clear from the animals that are selected as high performers that they are longer.”

Eksteen says a further good thing about acquiring good figures from the assessments is that weaners from these bulls are in larger demand by feedlots, since they’re assured of animals that carry out.

“On the flip side, it’s important that any bulls that don’t perform well aren’t sold as second-class bulls, but rather culled. Otherwise, the weaker bulls re-enter the national herd and end up weakening the gene pool.”

Email Lukas Eksteen at [email protected].