Agricultural News
Alltech Researcher Maurice Boland Explains How to Push the Limits of Your Beef Cattle's Efficiency
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 11:33:26 CDT
According to Alltech's European Research Director Dr. Maurice Boland, there is always room for improvement when talking about maximizing the efficiency of our beef cattle. At the recent Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, KY, Boland discussed this thought - explaining how nutrition at the beginning stage of an animal's lifecycle, can play a key role in its efficiency.
"If we look at a steer, we can take the animal when it's in utero, shortly after conception," he said, "and impose some nutritional programs there that can be either beneficial or detrimental to the subsequent life of the animal."
Boland cites research that shows if you feed your mama cows a high-energy diet in the last term og pregnancy, you can achieve a higher growth rate for the calf. He says genetics can also influence a calf's growth rate.
"We're trying to feed animals so that they have the best chance of optimizing their genetic potential," Boland said. "By doing that, we're trying to enhance their efficiency and ultimately produce better quality meat, that will be more nutritious for the consumer."
Listen to Dr. Boland explain how nutrition management can increase your herd's efficiencies, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...