Article in Hereford America

[greenwillowherefords]

by Tom Granzow was interesting.

Concerning efficiency, in Kansas feedlot, ADG for Hereford steers was 3.59, yard average was 3.29. (I was frankly a little disappointed in such a low average for the Herefords, as most other studies I've been familiar with had them better than that.) Feed conversion was the big difference with Herefords hitting finished weight with a conversion of 4.85 pounds of feed per pound of gain, and the yard average being 6.16, a 21% savings in feed consumed.

This was in the March issue.

 

[Herefordcross]

We only average about 2.2 tons per bred hereford cow last winter with the herefords, given that we do feed about 5lb. of 16% feed per day per head. Our Angus averaged around 2.8 tons of hay last winter on grain also.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We have entered our bull (Macho) on ASA's carcass evaluation program. They plan on using him on Angus heifers in Montana, with the offspring going to Illinois U for a feed efficiency evaluation, than on to the carcass evaluation. Hopefully we will get lots of new info on him. More & more are looking at feed efficiency.

 

[purecountry]

And we should be. Doesn't matter what breed, color or origin, less pounds of feed and more pounds of gain = wider profit margin.

 

[Frankie]

We have entered our bull (Macho) on ASA's carcass evaluation program. They plan on using him on Angus heifers in Montana, with the offspring going to Illinois U for a feed efficiency evaluation, than on to the carcass evaluation. Hopefully we will get lots of new info on him. More & more are looking at feed efficiency.

I guess I'm confused here. Why are you breeding a Simmental bull to Angus heifers to prove his feed efficiency and carcass value? Wouldn't that skew the information? Seems it would be better to breed him to Simmental heifers :?:

I agree that feed efficiency is important. That's why we've been performance testing our bulls for years.

 

[VanC]

We have entered our bull (Macho) on ASA's carcass evaluation program. They plan on using him on Angus heifers in Montana, with the offspring going to Illinois U for a feed efficiency evaluation, than on to the carcass evaluation. Hopefully we will get lots of new info on him. More & more are looking at feed efficiency.

If you mean the University of Illinois they will be right down the road from me. Have an excellent animal science program there. I'll look in on them for you. ;-)

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

VanC - thanks that will be great - of course we're talking a year from this fall.
Frankie, ASA has been using Purebred & commercial Angus herds proving calving ease in their carcass evaluation program by breeding to their heifers. Macho is a calving ease bull, so that's where he will be used - on Angus heifers (at least that's what I was told - so far).
And ASA is also promoting the crossing of the top British breed with the top Continental breed - SimAngus (now an ASA trademark name).