Innovations for the Future: Identifying and Leveraging Efficiency in Beef Cattle Production Systems Evan Whitley Center for Advanced Agricultural Systems and Technology The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
What is Efficiency?
Real World Examples Earned Run Average= # of EARNED runs allowed per nine innings Earned runs Innings pitched X 9 3.4 ERA Who do you want on your team? 9.7 ERA
32.4 MPG Real World Examples Miles per Gallon= Distance traveled in a vehicle powered by one gallon of fuel Distance (miles) Consumed Fuel (gallons) What automobile to buy? 18.7 MPG
29.38% ROE Real World Examples Return on Equity = Efficiency (RoR) of a firm at generating profits from shareholder equity Net Income ($) Shareholder Equity ($) APPLE (AAPL) 37.89% ROE What company to invest in? MICROSOFT (MSFT)
What about the BEEF Industry? Which AUE is more EFFICIENT?
Why is it Important? Operational Industry Societal
Importance to Individual Operations Feed costs make up between 30%-50% of total costs for cow/calf operations (USDA 2014-2015) and 75% of the total cost of beef production (Basarab et al., 2002)
Importance to the Beef Industry $ Per Cwt. 190 SLAUGHTER STEER PRICES Southern Plains, Weekly 170 150 130 110 90 JAN APR JUL OCT Avg. 2010-14 2015 2016 Data Source: USDA-AMS Livestock Marketing Information Center C-P-52 10/18/16
Importance to Society as a Whole http://reports.thomsonreuters.com/9billionbowls/
What about the BEEF Industry? Which AUE is more EFFICIENT?
Measuring Efficiency Maintenance Efficiency Production Efficiency
Maintenance Efficiency Primary relevance is to the cow-herd Targets females that can subsist on lowinputs and wean an acceptable calf
Production Efficiency Primary relevance is to post-weaning growth (i.e. finishing phase) Targets animals that consume less feed and produce maximum output (i.e. beef)
Traditional Methods of Measurement Feed to Gain (F:G)- Simply the amount of feed consumed (%DM) to result in one pound of weight gain. Ex. 6:1 (Lower value is better) Gain to Feed (G:F)- Simply the amount of weight gain achieved per unit of feed consumed (% DM). Ex..17 (Higher value is better)
Competing for Market Share Beef 6:1 Pork 3.4:1 Chicken 2:1 Fish 1.2:1
Traditional Methods of Measuring Feed Intake Metabolism Crate
Traditional Methods of Measuring Feed Intake PinPointer System
Traditional Methods of Measuring Feed Intake Calan Gate System
Newer Methods of Measuring Feed Intake Smart Feed Intake System
Methods of Measuring Animal Weight Stationary/Portable Chutes
Methods of Measuring Animal Weight Platform Scales
Methods of Measuring Animal Weight Walk-Over Scales
Efficiency w/out Weight Residual Feed Intake (RFI): is the difference between an individual animals actual feed intake and its predicted (Nem & Neg req.) intake compared to contemporaries. 30 Actual intake (lb) 25 20 Animal #1 Actual = 25.3 lbs. Predicted = 22.4 Difference = +2.9 Animal #2 Actual = 18.7 lbs. Predicted = 22.9 Difference = -4.2 15 15 20 25 30 Predicted intake (lb)
Efficiency w/out Intake Residual Average Daily Gain (R-ADG): is the difference between an individual animals actual weight gain and its predicted (Nem & Neg req., flesh) weight gain compared to contemporaries.
Summary Points Traditional metrics (F:G & G:F) are relatively easily and most commonly applied to pens or groups. Common methods to ascertain individual efficiency are: Very Labor intensive and expensive Lack socialization and normal behavior expression Requires training animals to utilize Newer methods are promising but still need more discussion RFI vs R-ADG or maybe both Index vs. actual value Counter intuitive (RFI) Selecting for GROWTH may not be the same as selecting for EFFICIENCY A 1% improvement in feed efficiency has the same economic impact as a 3% increase in rate of gain (Weaber, 2012).
Lloyd Noble 1896-1950
The land must continue to provide for our food, clothing and shelter, long after the oil is gone - Lloyd Noble
Agriculture Plant Biology Forage Improvement
GrowSafe Platform
1 load cell = 88,473,600 samples each day Midland = 98 load cells Unprocessed data GrowSafe Processor Code Compresses to 86,400 samples each day Logged data GrowSafe Data Acquisition Software Processes to ~500 data points/day User raw data GrowSafe Server Software Analyses collected data Distills to recommendation Replace part Look at animal #035
What makes the System GO!
GrowSafe Types/Units Pen Phase GrowSafe Intake GrowSafe Beef
Diagnostic Management Tool Marketing
Research Tool water intake vs. heat index
Research Tool feed intake vs. heat index
Research Tool Chute BW vs. GSB BW
GrowSafe Types/Units Pasture Phase
Daily BW on Pasture 700 650 600 Early Phase 1 - Oswalt Late Phase 2 - RR Phase 3 Oswalt Phase 4 - Decatur 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 11/17/2012 12/17/2012 1/16/2013 2/15/2013 3/17/2013 4/16/2013 5/16/2013 6/15/2013 Weight (kg) 7/15/2013 8/14/2013 9/13/2013 10/13/2013? Date
Daily BW on Pasture Potential 700 650 600 Early Phase 1 - Oswalt Late Phase 2 - RR Phase 3 Oswalt Phase 4 - Decatur 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 11/17/2012 12/17/2012 1/16/2013 2/15/2013 3/17/2013 4/16/2013 5/16/2013 6/15/2013 7/15/2013 8/14/2013 9/13/2013 10/13/2013 Weight (kg) Low RFI Avg RFI Date
Forage Mass & Quality
GrowSafe Types/Units Portable Mineral
NF Oswalt Ranch 541 acres 61 head 763 acres 86 head
Attendance at GrowSafe Mineral Units (6-25-15) (40 days) # Head 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Total Turn Out= 147 hd. Total Attendance= 137 hd. (93.2%) 67.3% (99 hd.) ~ every 7 days 18.4% (27 hd.) ~ every 3 days 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Observations (# Wts. Taken)
Mineral Intake Summary 50 45 40 25000 Pasture Number 5 Pasture 6 of Animal Visits Mineral Consumed per Day 20000 Pasture 5 Pasture 6 35 Individual EIDs Seen 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 5/16/2015 5/18/2015 5/20/2015 5/22/2015 5/24/2015 5/26/2015 5/28/2015 5/30/2015 6/1/2015 6/3/2015 6/5/2015 6/7/2015 6/9/2015 6/11/2015 6/13/2015 6/15/2015 6/17/2015 6/19/2015 6/21/2015 6/23/2015 6/25/2015 6/27/2015 6/29/2015 Mineral Consumed (g) 15000 10000 5000 0
Next Steps/Interests Continue to pursue Weight Response by Forage Management Strategy Individual weight response to supplement on summer perennial pasture (BG) Market Optimization algorithms development Predictive Break-evens Preconditioning Stocker operators Heat watch estrus as compared to GSB behavior data RFI s impact on production efficiency (concentrate vs forage) Creep feeding strategies that work
As I look around at the strides that have been made in our research laboratories, as I look at the things undreamed of a few years ago the only degree to which we have reached the end of the road of opportunity is the degree to which we have exhausted the imaginative capacity of the human mind. - Lloyd Noble Jan. 22, 1948