Aggressive selection of production traits in cows can yield noticeable environmental, herd quality and health returns over time.
Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University State Extension beef nutrition specialist, wrote in a letter to Extension Agents called Cow-Calf Corner recent research showed cows that are better able to maintain body condition and produce more milk energy at the same time, have lower maintenance and energy requirements.
GROWTH, CARCASS WEIGHTS RISING
Beck said it commonly was thought that cows with greater genetic capacity for growth, milk and mature weight have greater maintenance energy requirements.
To measure this, Amanda Holder, a graduate student at the OSU Range Cow Research Center examined the effects of diet type on greenhouse gas emissions and Dry Matter Intake estimation, Beck said. She used 42 Angus cows with a wide range in DMI Expected Progeny Difference (-1.36 to 2.29) and were fed either grass hay only or a mixed diet of 35% hay and 65% concentrate feeds.
She found that intake of the mixed ration and the long-stem hay were correlated, but cow weight gain while consuming hay was not correlated with cow weight gain while consuming the concentrate-based diet, Beck said. As intake of both diets increased, CO2 and methane production increased.
Daily greenhouse gas emissions increased with increasing feed intake and were lower when cows consumed hay compared to emissions during the period when cows consumed the mixed diet, Beck said.
BETTER COWS YIELD BETTER RESULTS
A study by OSU graduate student Emma Briggs investigated hay voluntary intake and its relationship to recovered energy (cow weight gain and milk production) and maintenance energy requirements during the dry period in Angus cows, Beck said. Twenty-four mature fall-calving cows were fed individually in amounts to ensure minimal weight and body condition change.
After calves were weaned, a voluntary feed intake study was conducted to determine the influence of total recovered energy during lactation and lactation maintenance energy requirement on voluntary intake of a low-quality grass hay diet, Beck said. The energy required for maintenance declined as net energy recovery increased, but there was no relationship between the amount of daily milk energy produced to post-weaning voluntary forage intake.
However, increasing weight loss during lactation was associated with greater post-weaning feed intake, suggesting cows that are better able to maintain body condition while producing more milk energy have lower maintenance needs, Beck said.
Around 74% of the maintenance energy required to produce beef is used by the cowherd, so about 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions from beef production are from the cowherd, Beck said. Cow efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions were important to consumers and government regulators; thus, they are important for our industry.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $157.47 to $158.85 per cwt, compared with last week’s range of $150.00 to $159.50. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $246.75 to $250.61 per cwt, versus $245.58 to $251.79.
The USDA choice cutout Tuesday was down $1.61 per cwt at $284.53 while select was off $1.27 at $258.33. The choice/select spread narrowed to $26.20 from $26.54 with 86 loads of fabricated product and 42 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains was unchanged at $1.95 to $2.10 a bushel over the Mar corn contract. Bids in Kansas were steady at $0.85 over the Mar, which settled at $6.55.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Monday was $181.01 per cwt up $0.64. This compares with Tuesday’s Jan contract settlement of $184.30 per cwt, up $0.67.