Frankie wrote:
It's expensive to measure indivdual feed conversion. Our test station isn't set up for that. I don't think feedlots measure "conversion" or "efficiency". They do keep track of ADG.
I've heard that its expensive to measure individual FCR in the USA, I just don't understand why its so expensive. By far the biggest cost of any growth test is the feed, the infrastructure isn't all that expensive nor is the technology needed to record each bulls intake. Every bull test centre here measures individual feed intake and individual FCR are calculated. At the end of the test the bull gets branded with his merit rating on the left shoulder. The merit of the bull is a combination of the ADG, the FCR and the WW index of the individual bull when compared to the 10 year rolling average of the test centre per breed. Obviously minimum breed standards for ultrasound scan data and other breed characteristics apply.
Feedlots here do measure convertion or efficiency, but obviously per pen and not individual FCR, they will sometimes try and keep a specific farm's calves together if the group is big enough to get an idea who's calves do better in their feedlot.
Don't curl your lip at a bull's "ability to eat..". There are lots of bulls of various breeds that don't eat well or convert well. That's why we test.
This is true, not all cattle handle the hotter ration well and not all cattle are good eaters in a feedlot situation, that doesn't neccesarily mean that the one who's not a good eater doesn't have a use in a grass based operation, but that is just impossible to measure accurately.
The argument was never if angus are any good or not, my response was to the comment that herefords just don't perform in the feedlot.
For what its worth, herefords outgain the angus here and do it at a better FCR. Limousin has the better overall FCR, with hereford second. Simmental outgain the other breeds, but at a poorer FCR. Angus would still be overall 3rd here. At the test centre where I test I don't see any 6lb per day ADG bulls, but 5+ is not a rarity. The angus tested here are just about all USA genetics where the herefords is a pretty good mix between English, Canadian, USA and SA. I am not going to post what is considered intellectual property of the ARC on a public forum so I won't post all the breed's 10 year figures, but for those interested I'll tell you in a pm where your breed stands here in the Western Cape.
To conclude, ADG alone isn't giving you the full picture, ADG, FCR and ultrasound together with the on farm performance before and after the test will tell you more what your bull is worth in your situation.
