Residual feed intake

[regenwether]

I'm a little green to the world of EPD's. WW, BW, Milk is the extent of EPD's I really look and relate to. I ran across a term the other day. Residual Feed Intake. What caught my eye was: Bale less hay...Pasture more cows...Feed more efficiently. In today's high imput enviroment lowering your costs is important.

A seedstock ad read: Purchasing seedstock with a proven RFI numbers has the potential to put more dollars in your pocket than any other measure trait. Research has shown that a 5% improvment in feed comversion has and economic impact four times greater that a 5% improvement in AVG.

Does any of the major breeds list this trait as an EPD??

Cows with a good RFI number= the same as those "easy keepers" cows?

Please forward any links related to this subject.

Thank you

Ron

 

[dun]

Seasrch on here for RFI, tons of posts on the subject

 

[BRG]

I'm a little green to the world of EPD's. WW, BW, Milk is the extent of EPD's I really look and relate to. I ran across a term the other day. Residual Feed Intake. What caught my eye was: Bale less hay...Pasture more cows...Feed more efficiently. In today's high imput enviroment lowering your costs is important.

A seedstock ad read: Purchasing seedstock with a proven RFI numbers has the potential to put more dollars in your pocket than any other measure trait. Research has shown that a 5% improvment in feed comversion has and economic impact four times greater that a 5% improvement in AVG.

Does any of the major breeds list this trait as an EPD??

Cows with a good RFI number= the same as those "easy keepers" cows?

Please forward any links related to this subject.

Thank you

Ron

RFI Is a big deal, but you have to remember, this is another form of single trait selection that can get you into trouble.

 

[3waycross]

I'm a little green to the world of EPD's. WW, BW, Milk is the extent of EPD's I really look and relate to. I ran across a term the other day. Residual Feed Intake. What caught my eye was: Bale less hay...Pasture more cows...Feed more efficiently. In today's high imput enviroment lowering your costs is important.

A seedstock ad read: Purchasing seedstock with a proven RFI numbers has the potential to put more dollars in your pocket than any other measure trait. Research has shown that a 5% improvment in feed comversion has and economic impact four times greater that a 5% improvement in AVG.

Does any of the major breeds list this trait as an EPD??

Cows with a good RFI number= the same as those "easy keepers" cows?

Please forward any links related to this subject.

Thank you

Ron

RFI Is a big deal, but you have to remember, this is another form of single trait selection that can get you into trouble.

No kidding!!!!!!!!!!! I saw a bull, at a Major seedstock producers place last fall, who had won the test. He was slabsided and about a frame score 8. They bought him in the sale , sight unseen. He was probably one of the sorriest owners of a pair of nuts I have ever seen. Believe me when I say they were not happy.

 

[dun]

He was probably one of the sorriest owners of a pair of nuts I have ever seen.

You must not have seen any hollywood characters lately

 

[3waycross]

He was probably one of the sorriest owners of a pair of nuts I have ever seen.

You must not have seen any hollywood characters lately

There's a whole bunch of them that should be de-nutted also........the commie ba---rds :cowboy:

 

[dun]

He was probably one of the sorriest owners of a pair of nuts I have ever seen.

You must not have seen any hollywood characters lately

There's a whole bunch of them that should be de-nutted also........the commie ba---rds :cowboy:

Figured I could get you a little spun up with that

 

[Baldie Maker]

With RFI are we really selecting for cattle that do more with less or cattle with less of an appetite? If indeed RFI is selecting for cattle that eat less than how does that work for on the maternal side, those cattle may not eat enough to stay in the proper BCS. I'm not extremely knowledgeable about the subject, but I think I like the angus epd of residual average daily gain better, where all animals are feed the same ration and those that convert better then are highlighted.

 

[smnherf]

Both RFI and RADG both have their pitfalls. They both utilize much of the same data but it appears RADG also uses BF in there model. A pretty good article can be found here. If you look at the chart, a pretty high gaining, high F/G individual would have been missed using RADG but RFI would have had it ranked #1.

http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/Docs_cows/IBC41.pdf

My recommendation is not to use the RFI figure alone. Just like not using YW, REA or BW as a stand alone selection tool. Look for bulls that have a negative RFI number, an above ADG figure and rank high in the F/G ratio and that is the bull to buy.

Not all high RFI bulls are slab sided pencil gutted either. Heres one that exceled on test and his offspring have done well too.



One thing that I have learned though is that the fastest gaining cattle arent the most efficient either. He is usually just a big pig that is eating a significant amoount more feed that his contemporaries.

Brian

 

[whitecow]

Both RFI and RADG both have their pitfalls. They both utilize much of the same data but it appears RADG also uses BF in there model. A pretty good article can be found here. If you look at the chart, a pretty high gaining, high F/G individual would have been missed using RADG but RFI would have had it ranked #1.

http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/Docs_cows/IBC41.pdf

My recommendation is not to use the RFI figure alone. Just like not using YW, REA or BW as a stand alone selection tool. Look for bulls that have a negative RFI number, an above ADG figure and rank high in the F/G ratio and that is the bull to buy.

Not all high RFI bulls are slab sided pencil gutted either. Heres one that exceled on test and his offspring have done well too.



One thing that I have learned though is that the fastest gaining cattle arent the most efficient either. He is usually just a big pig that is eating a significant amoount more feed that his contemporaries.

Brian

Brian,

Is this the bull that I saw a post about a couple of years ago who had a F:G of something like 1.8:1? If so, have any of his offspring come close to that?

-Brian

 

[smnherf]

yes, same bull. I am just getting some data back on his offspring. They are the leading F/G group that I have had. But I don't want it to turn into a discussion on him. I want people to learn abut RFI.