121 The impact of changing consumer preferences on production and management practices at cow-calf level

Abstract

Abstract Changes in cow-calf operations and management need to be deliberate and focus on consumer preferences that are substantive and enduring. For the sake of argument these preference changes could include: 1) continued erosion of the image of the cattle industry; 2) growth in demand of high quality grade beef, likely branded, and available at an affordable price; 3) production systems that yield improvements in cattle health, have a lesser environmental impact, and demonstrate prudent animal care and well-being; 4) Specification systems that may or may not include stipulations such as grass fed or non-implanted. At the ranch level there will be continued pressure to pursue rapid, efficient growth, marbling, structural soundness, and immunocompetence via genetic selection. A major step to reduce health problems is to reduce co-mingling. To achieve this goal breeding programs will change to improve the genetic and phenotypic uniformity and possibly the heterosis of the calf crop on each ranch. The National calving season needs to be more uniformly distributed throughout the year. New, more relevant cattle performance metrics will be developed. Calves that fit a branded production stream will have more value. Production streams that require Verified processes will be inequitably distributed across herd size because of associated costs, forcing smaller herds to either coop, vertically integrate, or accept generic cattle prices. Because of the diversity of environments and corresponding compatible bio-types of cows, identifying the profitable combination of specific branded systems with the genetics, calving season, labor, resource management and nutrition program of the ranch is very complicated. It will be increasingly necessary to put incremental response assessments in the context of the greater production-product system. Successful adaptors will place a much greater reliance on strong technical support in the areas of genetics, nutrition, growth, animal handling, documentation, and branded production streams.