Characterizing Change in the Beef Industry

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Characterizing Change in the Beef Industry

• Justin W. Waggoner, Ph.D.
• Beef Systems Specialist
• Kansas State University
• Garden City, KS

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Change
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Discussion

• Changes in the cattle feeding industry from feed
  yard closeout data
• Mature animal size
• Animal Performance
• Implications of these changes on nutrition and
  management of the nations cowherd

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Data Collected from 1990-2009(9,373,819 cattle)
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K-State Focus on Feedlots

• Previous K-State faculty
• Chris Reinhardt, Ron Hale, Gerry Kuhl, Larry
  Corah,
• Jack Riley, Calvin Drake
• Participating yards
• Brookover Ranch Feed Yard
• Decatur County Feed Yard
• DM M Feed Yard
• Fairleigh Feed Yard
• Hoxie Feed Yard
• HyPlains Feed Yard
• Kearney County Feeders
• Poky Feeders
• Pratt Feeders
• Supreme Cattle Feeders

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K-State Focus on FeedlotsMarket Weights
(1990-2009)
1990 2009 Change Steers, lbs 1187 1343
156 13.18 Heifers, lbs 1041 1218 177 17.00
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K-State Focus on FeedlotsAverage Daily Gain
(1990-2009)
1990 2009 Change Steers, lbs/d 3.09 3.54
0.45 14.47 Heifers, lbs/d 2.76 3.21 0.45 16.35
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K-State Focus on FeedlotsDays on feed (1990-2009)
1990 2009 Change Steers,d 143.3 155.0
11.8 8.20 Heifers, d 137.6 152.6 15.0 10.9
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K-State Focus on FeedlotsFeed Conversion
(1990-2009)
1990 2009 Change Steers, FG 6.51 6.07 -
0.44 6.69 Heifers, FG 6.75 6.35 - 0.40 5.93
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Todays Fed Cattle

• 1990 Vs. 2009
• Fed Cattle (steers and heifers)
• 15 larger at slaughter
• Spend 13.4 more days on feed
• Gain weight 15 faster
• 6.31 more efficient
• 0.42 less lbs feed/lb gain

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Driving forces Economics(Cost of gain)
1990 2009 Change Steers, /cwt.
gain 49.92 78.83 28.91 Heifers, /cwt.
gain 52.08 83.54 31.47
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Driving Forces the rest of the story

• Technologies
• Ionophores
• Implants
• Improved cattle management (nutrition, health
  etc.) and technology use
• Genetics
• Grid marketing practices
• Branded beef programs

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Commercial Beef Production, lbs beef/cow
1990 2009 Change Beef Prod. Lbs/cow 697 819 17.
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NASS, 2009 K. C. Dhuyvetter, 2010
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Weaning Weight Trends
Weaber and Fennewald, 2009
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Yearling Weight Trends
Weaber and Fennewald, 2009
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Mature Weights of Cows by Sire Breed
Breed 5-year-old weight, lbs
Hereford 1,419 Angus 1,410 Red
Angus 1,409 Simmental 1,404 Gelbvieh 1,323 Limo
usin 1,391 Charolais 1,371
50 lbs Difference in Average Bodyweight!
U.S. MARC, Germplasm Evaluation Program, 2009
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Mature Cow Weights

• How has the selection for heavier weaning and
  yearling weights influenced the mature size of
  the nations cow herd?
• Questions
• Magnitude of change?
• Implications of change?

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How big is Todays Cowherd?

• Common logic
• Mature cow weight weight of finished
  offspring
• Meat Animal Research Center
• Germplasm evaluation program
• 37,000 cows
• Mature Cow Weight correlated with hot carcass
  weight of progeny (0.81)
• Progeny hot carcass weight 0.599 (mature cow
  weight)

Nephawe et al., 2004
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Mature Cow Weights(Focus on Feedlots)
Estimated Mature Cow Weight Based on Steer Market
Weight
Market Carcass Mature Year Wt., Wt.(62
DP)1 Cow Wt.,
1990 1186.8 735.8 1228 2009 1343.2 832.8 1390
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Difference
1Carcass weight market weight 0.62 2Mature
cow weight carcass weight/ 0.599
K-State Focus on Feedlots Nephawe et al., 2004
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Mature Cow Weights(Federally Inspected Slaughter)
Estimated Mature Cow Weight Based on live
slaughter weights (Steers and Heifers)
FI Live Carcass Mature Year Wt., lbs Wt.(62
DP)1, lbs Cow Wt., lbs
1990 1140 706.8 1179 2009 1296 806.1 1346 167
Difference
1Carcass weight market weight 0.62 2Mature
cow weight carcass weight/ 0.599
NASS, 2009 Nephawe et al., 2004
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Effect of Cow Body Weight on Maintenance Energy
Requirements
9 increase
Beef NRC, 2000
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Effect of Cow Body Weight on Dry Matter Intake
Beef NRC, 2000
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Estimated Dry Matter Intake (Annual Basis)
Cow Wt, lbs Annual dry matter intake, lbs1
1200 9225 1400 10263 1038
Difference
1based on 30 days per month
11 increase in annual dry matter intake!
Beef NRC, 2000
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Beef Cow Calf System Efficiency

• Goal
• Convert forage into lbs of weaned calf
• Measure of efficiency
• feed consumed (cow) per lb of weaned calf

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Feed Consumed (cow) per lb calfAnnual Basis
Annual Cow Wt, lbs DM Intake, lbs
500 550 600 650
Calf Weight, lbs
1200 9225 18.5 16.8 15.4 14.2 1400 10263 20.5 18.
7 17.1 15.8
1400 lb cow has to wean at least 50 lbs more calf
!
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Is there optimum ?

• Tough question period..
• Factors
• Environment
• Available forage resources
• Reproduction
• Marketing strategy
• Sell at weaning/ retain ownership

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Bottom Line

• 1990-2009
• Fed cattle
• Harvested at larger weights
• Gain weight 15 faster
• Require 0.42 less lbs feed/lb gain
• Increased commercial beef production per cow by
  17.5

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Consequence

• Mature weight of the nations cowherd has
  increased
• 1990 1203 lbs (1179-1228 lbs)
• 2009 1368 lbs (1346-1390 lbs)

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Have we changed?