High Feed Costs Increase Beef Genetic Selection Importance
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“We like using Cox Concrete troughs because our bulls don’t tear them up and that is a savings on our feed costs.”
Rafter G Rodeo Co. Mesquite Championship Rodeo Ranch Terrell, Texas
Concrete feed and water troughs Cox Concrete Products Same Company – More Products P. O. Box 1570, Mt. Pleasant, TX 75456-1570 20 The Cattleman March 2013 1-800-458-3072 www.coxconcrete.com 903-572-5902
NE WAY PRODUCERS CAN IDENTIFY the cattle in their herd with the greatest short- and long-
term profi t potential is through the use of genomics. Investing in geneti- cally superior animals, selecting for economically relevant traits and not investing valuable resources in cattle that don’t possess the genetic capacity to contribute to herd prof- itability are all important steps to help manage feed costs and assure genetic progress for future profi t- ability. For beef producers using Angus
genetics, both genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (GE- EPDs) powered by High-Density 50K (HD 50K) and GeneMax™ from Certifi ed Angus Beef can help pro- vide greater insight into the genetic potential of breeding cattle. With the help of genomic infor-
mation, producers have the oppor- tunity to more accurately identify superior heifers earlier in life — rather than delaying decisions re- garding which females to retain for breeding and replacement inventory and incurring the additional devel- opment costs, says Kent Andersen, Ph.D., associate director, technical services, Pfi zer Animal Genetics. Dr. Andersen says producers can
help reduce feed expenses by us- ing these tools early in an animal’s life. Managing high feed and input costs impacts profi tability each and every day. To learn more, visit www.pfi z- eranimalgenetics.com.