Efficient Beef Produccion

Beef Cattle, Improving Production Efficiency and Meat Quality,
By Sharon Durham, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff.
This scientific research was started because of the high demand ofcattle beef in the US. A US citizen consumes about 63 pounds of it per person each year, and it is highly demanded as well in the whole world. There is the need to produce beef of better quality andbeing more efficient on it.
The animals on observation for this study were heifers, 50 percent Red Angus, 25 percent Charolais, and 25 percent Tarentaise. They were divided into two groups and werefed differently to see what the difference was. The first group, the control group, was fed according to industrial guidelines. The second group, the restricted group was fed depending on their weight,and was practically 80 percent of feed consumed by their control counterparts for 140 days. This first step was until the animals got 1 year. On this first observation, the controlled group had a 91percent pregnancy rate and 87 percent for the restricted group. The results observed that year were not significant for the research, but for the second generation of the group of restricted heifers,it was observed that they were withstanding the restriction with more efficiency. This brings to what is reducing costs. The third generation of the same restricted heifers showed even better results.They had a greater rate of survival and therefore a maximum production, which is measured by weight of calf at weaning. Basically, the third-generation feed-restricted calves are lighter at birthand at weaning than those calves from cows fed at the industry standard, but the feed-restricted cows themselves are slightly fatter and heavier at the calves' weaning.
A higher production efficiencyand meat quality can be obtained with time, making the animal get used to it, and pass it on through its genes to future generations.
For me, this article was great, simple and straight forward and...