Latest News Releases | Keeping The Beef Cow Competitive | 'Pioneer' keen to push boundaries | Long-term, genetic gain the main aim
Keeping The Beef Cow Competitive
by Andrew McFarlane - presented during a Beef field day at the Todhunters in Cleardale, Rakaia Gorge, May 2004
- progress made in 27 years ( based on information from Australasian Angus Breedplan EBV'S)
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Calf weight +30 kg (+14%)
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Cow weight +52kg (+12%)
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Efficience calf weight
cow weight +1%
- Post weaning growth (200 days - 600 days)
Daily growth 66g/head/day (+12%)
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Calving percentage (+2%)
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Days to calving (-0.7%)
- Meat characteristics
EMA IMF Retail Meat Yield Rib Fat
1.3 sq cm +0.5% +0.5% -0.1mm
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- Comparison against other livestock
National Lambing % Lamb Carcase Productivity /ewe
27.4% 23.5% +57%
Milk solids /cow +30%
Q. Is beef cow progress high enough?
A. No - Why?
- Lack of culling for productive traits because:
- A herd calving at 80% culls its "average cow(being empty) after three calves
- A herd calving at 90% culls its "average" cow after 7 calves
- A herd calving at 95% culls its "average" cow after 13 calves
Are we buying bulls from cows that have got in calf every year of their life? - Constitution and longevity
- Every cow culled for a physical problem(feet, udder, etc) takes the place of a production trait cull
- Buy bulls from long lived sound dams.
- Sire and Dam selection
- Have our studs been making sufficient progress in production traits?
- Are you buying bulls based on sound production traits or looks?
- Buy higher quality bulls and mate them to more cows
Low capacity bulls costing $3000, mated to 30 cows and lasting 2 years
Costs $50 per/cow/year
High capacity bulls costing $6000 mated to 70 cows and lasting 4 yearsCosts $21/cow/year
- How are we selecting for more efficient cows?
Are the best looking and heaviest cows being retained or those producing the highest proportion of body weight?
e.g. 260kg calf from a 450 kg cow = 58% of body weight
180kg calf from 500 kg cow = 36% of body weight
Answer: Cull first calvers based on percentage of body weight weaned.
Yes
Refer Steve Morris Australian Meat Research Centres
We can only improve this efficiency factor via stud herds.
- Lack of culling for productive traits because:
- Beef cow traits critical to farming profits on hill country
- Cows have a huge live weight "flex" (ability to store energy as fat, and utilise that in winter)
As ewes have become more productive, our ability to usse them in controlled weight loss situations over winter has declined.
European cross deer also have less ability to utilise body weight in winter - Ability to convert poor quality feed into meat
Unparalleled by any other stock class - Ability to control with one wire, in large herds
A major capital cost saving
Significantly under-utilised management tool - Don't need crutching, shearing dipping etc.
We are wasting a beef cow's natural competitive advantage by not utilising its- liveweight flex
- ability to convert roughage
- via a one wire fence!
Feed not eaten is profit lost.
- Cows have a huge live weight "flex" (ability to store energy as fat, and utilise that in winter)
- Converting grass to profit
Beef cows will never produce mat from grass as efficiently as finishing animals on high producing pastures. Breed cows that will perform on lower quality feed, not high quality feed.- Beef cow profits
Calving Percentage 92 85
Cow Lw(weaning) 470kg 550kg
Calf weight 235kg 200kg
Calf value $388 $304
Sales: Calf $357 $304
Meat 108 92
Cull cow(0.15)
Meat $69 $78
31 37
Replacement heifer(0.17) ($110) ($110)
Meat (36) (42)
---------------------------------
$316 $272
103 87
feed eaten 3131 kg DM 3657 kg DM
Profit/kgDM 10c 7.4c
Conversion ratio grass/meat 30.1 42.1
- Finishing profits
Option 1. High LWG till slaughter(works)
Buy calf 235 kg
Grow @0.9kg LWG/day x 365 days 563 kg
@54% kill out 304 kg CW
Value in $388
Value out @ $2.70/kg $820
Less 2% deaths ($16)
Margin $416
Feed eaten 3430 kg DM
Profit/kg DM 12.1c
Conversion ratio into grass:meat 19.1
Option 2. high LWG to FSB live sale
Buy calf 235 kg
Grow @ 0.9kg LWG/day x 25 days 460 kg LW
Value in $446
Value out 460 kg @$1.70 $782
Less deaths 2% ($16)
Margin $320
Feed eaten 2150 kg
Profit/kgDM 14.9c
Conversion ratio grass: meat 19.1
Option 3. low LWG to store steer
Buy calf 235 kg
Grow @0.4kgLWG/dayx365 days 381 kg
Value in $388
Value out $533
Less Deaths ($10)
Margin $315
Feed eaten 2080kg
Profit/kgDM 6.5c
Conversion ratio grass: meat 30.1
- Conclusions:
- Efficient beef cows stack up well in profitability against finishing stock, but will not, and should not compete for profit against a high growth steer.
- When utilising poor quality feed, even poorer efficiency beef cows compete with finishing steers
- By definition, beef cows will never convert grass to meat as efficiently as steers or bulls on good grass, buy are very competitive on poorer grass.
- Beef cow profits
- Take Home Messages
The result is in your control- Make your cows more efficient
Better cow culling
Better bull selection
Better utilisation of feed
Don't breed big soft cows(workers are required)
Use terminal sires where not breeding for the FSB market
- Organise your livestock system to suit the country
Cows won't compete with high performance ewes and finishing cattle on good pastures
They outperform, and are complimentary, on poorer quality feed.
- Make your cows more efficient