News Update
June 12, 2009

AngusSource® Cattle Excel Against Regional Averages

A summary of AngusSource® fed cattle proves the program does more than just source-and-age verify.
The genetic component helps point out higher-quality cattle, says Sara Snider, AngusSource director.

Nearly 50 lots of AngusSource-tagged calves were tracked through Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB)-licensed feedyards. The analysis showed the program calves graded and gained better.

“We know that the Angus breed has a higher propensity to marble, and by comparing these cattle to the regional average we were able to quantify the benefits beyond just source-and-age premiums,” she says.

Fourteen participating yards in Kansas and Nebraska shared performance and carcass information on the groups comprised of 71% steers, 19% heifers and 10% mixed lots. When set against the two-state average in the Professional Cattle Consultants* database, the AngusSource cattle had the quality advantage by more than 23 percentage points.

They graded 79.7% USDA Choice and Prime, compared to 56.1% for the rest of the region. Additionally, they had nearly twice the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) acceptance at 30.9%, over the 16.2% average.

“These numbers tell us AngusSource is identifying cattle with a greater potential to meet the brand’s specifications,” says Paul Dykstra, beef cattle specialist for CAB. “Hopefully feeders will recognize that and manage the cattle accordingly.”

The data also shattered the myth that quality must be achieved independent of performance, he says.

Although the Angus-influence cattle came in 17 pounds (lb.) lighter, they ended up with 36-lb. heavier outweights, at 1,258 lb. versus 1,222 lb.

The program cattle gained an additional 36 pounds with only twelve more days on feed,” Dykstra says.

This weight advantage is the result of slightly higher average daily gains (ADG) on the AngusSource groups. They posted a 3.17-lb. ADG, compared to 3.06 lb. for the region. The tagged cattle did give up some on feed conversion, at 6.67 lb. of feed per lb. of gain, compared to the 6.53 regional average.

Twenty lots of AngusSource fed through natural programs provide supporting evidence. Those cattle went 86.4% Choice and Prime, with nearly 38% CAB acceptance.

Applying 2006-2008 USDA carcass values to the two groups shows the AngusSource cattle were worth about $1,150.15 per head dressed, which is higher than the regional average of $1,096.14 per head.

Adjusting the cattle to a common purchase weight and using a current price slide of 6¢, Dykstra concludes the breakeven purchase price as feeder calves would be $104.40 per cwt. for the source-, age- and genetic-verified calves. That’s compared to the $102.01 per cwt. regional average breakeven. Of course, as placement weight increases, the performance measures would be somewhat affected, but those could not be re-calculated.
“This data says feeders could have paid $16.59 more for the AngusSource cattle,” he says.

*Professional Cattle Consultants (PCC), Weatherford, Okla., is a leading feedlot management data gathering and analysis company, helping feedlot clients make decisions and track their progress for more than 30 years. Its vast database includes half a billion closeouts with both feedlot performance and carcass records.

— Release provided by CAB.

Meeting to Address Application of DNA Technology in Beef Cattle

The use of DNA technology in beef cattle will be addressed at a June 22 conference at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Neb.

Producers, Extension personnel and others who attend the free meeting will learn about the history of DNA technology in beef production, its current status and where it is headed, said Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension beef genetics specialist.

For example, DNA technology currently is used to test whether animals carry genetic defects, Spangler said. DNA also can be used to get a glimpse of an animal’s genetic potential, he said.

Speakers at the meeting include Spangler; Darrh Bullock, Extension beef genetics specialist at the University of Kentucky; Alison Van Eenennaam, animal genomics and biotechnology extension specialist at the University of California-Davis; John Pollak, National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium (NBCEC) director at Cornell University; and Mark Thallman, MARC research scientist.

Multistate collaborative research on the use of DNA technology in beef cattle will be discussed at the meeting, Spangler said.

The meeting will begin at noon with a lunch and end at 5 p.m. Attendees are asked to contact Spangler at 402-472-6489 to RSVP for the lunch.

The meeting is collaboratively sponsored by UNL Extension, UC-Davis Extension, University of Kentucky Extension and the NBCEC.

— Provided by the High Plains Journal.

Eco-friendly and economic benefits of conventional beef production

The Growth Enhancement Technology Information Team (GET IT) is introducing a marketing program focused on the economic and environmental benefits of conventional beef production.

The campaign will provide beef producers with facts about the “eco-friendly and eco-nomical” benefits of conventional beef production — facts producers can share with family, friends and neighbors who might not be familiar with the benefits of modern beef production systems.

“U.S. consumers are facing rising food costs in a tight economy and the continued pressure to purchase sustainable products,” says Paul Parker, GET IT chairman. “GET IT believes beef producers have a great opportunity to be proactive and positive with messages about beef’s affordability and environmental and economic sustainability.”

Conventional beef production is environmentally friendly — one of the key campaign messages is conventional beef production is environmentally friendly compared to grass-only or natural beef-production systems.

“It may seem counterintuitive that conventional beef production has less environmental impact than grass-only, natural or organic beef production,” Parke says. “But cattle finished on grain-based rations using growth-enhancing technologies are more land efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

An Iowa State University (ISU) study comparing conventional, grain-fed beef production to grass-only, natural beef production showed conventional beef production decreases the amount of land required to produce a pound of beef by two-thirds1. More than five acre-days are needed to produce a pound of beef from natural grass-fed cattle compared to just 1.7 acre-days for conventionally raised, grain-fed beef using growth-enhancing technologies1.

In addition, conventional beef production results in a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per pound of beef compared to grass-fed, natural beef production1.

“There always will be a niche market for organic and natural beef. Grass-fed beef is environmentally friendly but not as much as conventional beef production, and it’s certainly not as sustainable because of higher production costs and use of land resources,” Parker adds. “GET IT supports consumer choice at the meat counter but wants people to know beef from grain-fed cattle receiving growth-enhancing technologies is the best environmental choice.”

Conventional beef production makes beef more affordable, increases consumer demand A recent analysis by ISU agricultural economists shows if conventional beef production practices were replaced by “natural-only” practices, retail beef prices would increase by about 11%, causing consumer demand to decrease by 8.6 %2.

“Conventional grain-fed beef production utilizing growth-enhancing technologies makes beef more economical for both producers and consumers,” Parker notes. “Increased demand is great news for beef producers and we are pleased that beef technologies are resulting in equally great news for consumers at the meat case.”

The GET IT campaign runs through end of the year and includes both print and electronic advertising in major beef-industry publications, electronic newsletters and web sites, thanks to GET IT media partner BEEF. Special-edition newsletters and videos also will be developed.

Producers and consumers can learn more about the “eco-friendly and economical” benefits of conventional beef production by visiting www.beeftechnologies.com/eco.

— Provided by the Nebraska Rural Radio Association.

— Compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.