Andy Schuepbach wants to produce more beef with less feed.
The owner of Lilybrook Herefords near Claresholm, Alta., participates in the Canadian Hereford Association residual feed intake (RFI) research project, and he believes collecting that information along with other data points such as birth, weaning and yearling weights has improved his herd.
If he can reduce the amount each cow consumes, the savings on feed will cover the cost of testing.
“It is expensive to test, but it is one of those things that can make a huge difference on the bottom line,” he said in an interview at the Calgary Bull Sale.
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All his sales entries had been tested for RFI.
The Hereford association has been measuring bulls for this trait for about five years. Yearlings are put on feed at Cattleland Feedyards at Strathmore, Alta., and Olds College and then measured to see how much they gained compared to how much they ate.
More than 1,500 bulls have been assessed using the Grow Safe feeding system to measure individual feed consumption and other pieces of data.
Lilybrook placed 115 bulls on test last year, and this year 135 yearlings went into the program.
“We always try to get as many bulls in there as we can. I believe in it,” he said.
“Those bulls that are high on RFI gain that much quicker.”
A high number means the bulls require less feed to gain weight, while a lower ranking means they are less efficient.
Schuepbach, a former Hereford association board member who sat on the breed improvement committee, said this kind of information provides scientific evidence on feed intake and weight gain.
“As a breed, we always said we were feed efficient, so you’ve got to prove it,” he said.
Schuepbach said a diligent record keeper retains ownership of his steers and sends them to Kasko Feedyards at Coaldale, Alta., where he receives close-out data on his animals’ performance as well as carcass data.
His records tell him that his cattle are improving.
RFI is a heritable trait, but more research is needed to assess how well offspring perform.
He selects for a full range of traits beyond feed efficiency.
“If you balance all the traits, I don’t think there is a negative to it.”
