The "GOLDEN EGG" - Feed Efficiency??

[EAT BEEF]

a very good link from Midland Bull Test Station. two pretty large groups of bulls of various breeds which came off test in January and March of this year. and some very interesting reading which discusses a lot of the topics on this thread.

ROB

http://www.midlandbulltest.com/efficiencyresults.php

That is interesting I wonder how much their condition going into test had to do with the results?

I had a steer that I gave my now sister inlaw for ffa. He was tiny because his mother had little milk,he gained just looking at feed and won the rate of gain contest by a wide margin.Other steers were feed way harder than him.I know this an extreme case,but I wonder how much of this if any contributes to the feed efficieny test and how much is genetic.THe horny bulls also don't seem to gain as much as the lazy bulls.I would like to see feed efficeny tests for steers in sire groups.

 

[ROB]

That is interesting I wonder how much their condition going into test had to do with the results?

green springs braunvieh rfi test indexed bulls in smaller groups, relative to weight coming in, and i think location of origin to some extent. there was also a couple week conditioning phase the bulls went through prior to going on test. from the information on this website, i can't tell if any of the bulls were grouped- looks like they were indexed only according to breed.

ROB

 

[milkmaid]

EAT BEEF -- it's called compensatory growth. Calves that have been held back (compared to their contemporaries) will outgain their contemporaries when all are put on the same feed later. Seems to me animals going into test ought to be all the same age and weight, to eliminate the compensatory growth factor.

 

[Frankie]

EAT BEEF -- it's called compensatory growth. Calves that have been held back (compared to their contemporaries) will outgain their contemporaries when all are put on the same feed later. Seems to me animals going into test ought to be all the same age and weight, to eliminate the compensatory growth factor.

All the bull tests I'm familiar with test bulls in contemporary groups. In Angus, that's bulls born within a 90 day window. Our test station uses a 60 day window for Angus. Most bull tests have a formula to choose the "winner" of the test. Ours uses the ADG and the Adj yearling weight indexes. If you hold a calf back, you may get a high ADG, but you're not likely to have a high yearling weight. Or if you feed him heavily, you're more likely to have the higher YW, but your ADG may suffer. Some other tests use marbling, REA, EPDs, WDA to identify the "best" bull on a test.

 

[KNERSIE]

EAT BEEF -- it's called compensatory growth. Calves that have been held back (compared to their contemporaries) will outgain their contemporaries when all are put on the same feed later. Seems to me animals going into test ought to be all the same age and weight, to eliminate the compensatory growth factor.

That is partly the reason there is a adaption period, to make the playing field more even as well as to get then used to the hotter feed ration.

 

[EAT BEEF]

Thank you for the definition milkmaid you must think I'm really stupid

I just think if you were to test Individual groups from the same herd you would get more meaningful results.It seems to me like compareing weaning ratio's from different herds.I guess the more we know about it the more we should consider it in a balenced manner,instead of running after it like a cat in heat.

 

[milkmaid]

EAT BEEF -- no, I didn't think that nor mean to come across that way. My apologies if I did.

Frankie/Harley -- good to hear they have some means of leveling the playing field, though I'd still think that a 90 day window is a lot. And what if someone's sending bulls to test in the spring, and some of them have been well fed during the winter, and others have only been given enough to survive? Shouldn't they not only have a strict window of age, but also of weight?

 

[EAT BEEF]

EAT BEEF -- no, I didn't think that nor mean to come across that way. My apologies if I did

I was just messing with you a little no need for apologies.

 

[milkmaid]

OK. Wasn't sure how to interpret that and figured I'd better err on the side of caution.

 

[Frankie]

EAT BEEF -- no, I didn't think that nor mean to come across that way. My apologies if I did.

Frankie/Harley -- good to hear they have some means of leveling the playing field, though I'd still think that a 90 day window is a lot. And what if someone's sending bulls to test in the spring, and some of them have been well fed during the winter, and others have only been given enough to survive? Shouldn't they not only have a strict window of age, but also of weight?

I think a 90 day window is a lot, too. I'd like to use 30 days. But finding enough bulls to keep a test station running that fall into a 60 day window is kinda tough. Each breeder manages his bulls the way that he thinks best. We've found that a bull weighing less than 700-750 lbs doesn't seem to be able to handle the hot feed at our test very well. Our fall born bulls generally go on test lighter than the spring born bulls. But those going on test at 8-900 lbs tend to not gain (ADG) especially well. Of course, you see the really exceptionally ones that go on test at 900 lbs and gain 5 lbs a day for 112 days. I'm sure there are other breeders who would disagree with me and have their own formula.

When a bull is put on test, it doesn't change the contemporary group. If we send two bulls raised and weaned together to test, they are the contemporary group, not the entire test group.

 

[ffamom]

Animals harvested last month.... Both had the same sire & simbrahs (I know two is not enough, but it is a starting point.)

The steer was 15 months and the bull was one day shy of 12 months at harvesting. Steer weighted 1350 lbs and the bull 1250 (ADG 4 lbs at bull test). Both were within 10 lbs at weaning.

Both ended up being choice yield grade 1. Total cost to feed out the bull was $320 and the steer $900 (show feed). Bull had a lot larger framed dam that existed on and maintain her weight on a fertilized pasture. Steer had a moderate framed dam that also existed on pasture (lots of rain last year with pretty good grasses.)

We only have between 10-20 animals to harvest each year and sell on the hoof to local families for beef. In a taste test, family members couldn't tell the difference between the bull and steer. Family that bought the bull hasn't complained either about the quality of their beef and have sent more customers our way.

This year we are taking better data to determine how frame size effects our profits. If we can raise a pen full of market ready animals for $320 in 12 months that are YG 1 Choice and their mommas cost isn't that much more , then I wouldn't have to coach(my second job.)

 

[EAT BEEF]

When a bull is put on test, it doesn't change the contemporary group. If we send two bulls raised and weaned together to test, they are the contemporary group, not the entire test group.

Yes this is more meaningful to me,maybe I didn't read the midland test enough but I couldn't tell which ranch bulls came from or who the sire was.