SG_USA_September_2019

RESIDUAL FEED INTAKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

Cedar Crest Farms Selling: JAMES SANDLIN CEDAR PLAINS FARMS HERD Unionville, Tenn. Registered Santa Gertrudis with Papers • 10 Open Heifers • 10 Pairs with Spring Calves (3-10 years old) • 20 Bred and Open Females Mostly Cedar Crest Farm and Cosgrove breeding.

average daily weight. That specific data collection allows us to nail average daily gain like never before.” When used in conjunction, the GrowSafe technology enables producers to collect data for a set time period – 35 valid days is the current industry standard for dry matter intake (DMI), and 49 total days of average daily weight gain allows a producer to get a standardized RFI calculation. In addition to identifying animals performing more effi- ciently (negative RFI) or less efficiently (positive RFI) than the group average, the daily data can be used to help improve the management of individual animals by monitor- ing health when an animal is flagged for reduced intake. RFI is a moderately heritable trait with a heritability range of 26-58 percent. Using RFI as a genetic selection tool results in progeny that consume less feed for the same level of produc- tion. Additionally, RFI is independent of growth, body size and other performance traits, so selecting animals with low RFI will lead to reduced feed intake and improved feed efficiency with- out compromising body size, carcass quality or growth. “Producers should not be selecting for efficiency at the expense of other traits that drive value,” Nelson says. “We recommend selecting for all the traits they would normally select for, and then identifying the most efficient animals within that group to fine-tune their selection.” It’s important to note that feed-to-gain ratios have histori- cally been used to identify feed efficient animals, resulting in larger animals that often had even greater maintenance requirements. Selecting for residual feed intake is now the industry standard to produce more feed efficient cattle that reduce costs and increase profit.

For further details, please contact CHARLES SANDLIN SUSAN SANDLIN 256-773-4077 (office) 615-916-1048

SANTA GERTRUDIS IS › Superior in highly heritable, profitable, functional and adaptive traits. › Adds profitable heterosis to any production system. › Fertility, stayability, calving ease and early breed-back = more profit. › Efficient feeders that grade and perform in challenging environments = more profit. › First Bos indicus -influenced breed to offer GE-EPDs. › First beef breed to implement “single-step” methodology. › 30 years of data collection = comprehensive genetic evaluation. › 11,000+ genotypes in SGBI data set – one of the largest for a Bos indicus -influenced breed. › Feed-out and carcass studies validate profitable feeding and carcass performance. DATA DRIVEN PROFIT PROVEN

S A N T A G E R T R U D I S

SANTA GERTRUDIS The Data Driven, Profit Proven choice for today’s beef industry.

Santa Gertrudis Breeders International 361-592-9357 | sgbi@santagertrudis.com santagertrudis.com | Find us on

B R E E D E R S I N T E R N A T I O N A L

26

SANTA GERTRUDIS USA