SW Center Feed Efficiency Project
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
As I write this, we still have vacant slots for heifers to enter the Residual Feed Intake (RFI) Project at the SW Center’s GrowSafe pens. Our target is 80 heifers that you plan to breed in the spring. Heifers will be delivered to the Center near Mt. Vernon the week of January 4 and they’ll go home by March 10. This will be an interesting project for you to follow whether you have heifers in it or not.
The main purpose is to evaluate differences in heifers feed intake and utilization. Wouldn’t you like to own cows, steers and bulls that perform equal to or better than others on the same or less feed?
Dr. Justin Sexten wrote an article recently referring to research at the University of California, Davis. He wrote they studied cattle movement and eating preferences on high and low (RFI) cattle. The low RFI (good) ate 12 percent less feed. He said the theory behind this was the low cattle consumed greater amounts of energy dense grains relative to roughage or they exercised less.
Even though the theory sounded correct, there were no differences between efficient and inefficient cattle for diet preference or lying activity. Previous work does support that limit feeding provides for more efficient gains. The California work then compared the efficiency differences when they limit fed the two groups the maintenance requirement on the inefficient cattle declines by 18 percent with a 32 percent decrease for the efficient or low RFI cattle.
Justin did make an astute observation that applies for a lot of traits in cattle, building efficiency into a herd is not a short-term process. However, we will be interested in this project and other work around the state including the University’s herds in Columbia, Spickard and the Southwest Center. Green Springs continues to offer GrowSafe testing at Nevada and there’s work on one in the Salem area. That I’m aware of. ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livetock Specialist, University of Missouri