Effects of Silage-Based Diets and Cattle Efficiency Type on Performance, Profitability, and Predicted CH4 Emission of Backgrounding Steers

Mohammad Khakbazan,Hushton C Block,Jeff J Colyn,John Huang,John A Basarab,Vern S Baron,Chinyere Ekine-Dzivenu,Changxi Li

doi:10.3390/agriculture12020277

Mohammad Khakbazan, Hushton C Block + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020277

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Abstract

Feed costs are the largest expense in commercial beef production. Increasing cattle (Bos taurus) feed efficiency should reduce feed costs and increase beef profitability. This study used data from two years of a backgrounding trial conducted in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. The evaluation looked at economic and predicted CH4 emission impacts of diet quality and cattle efficiency type in backgrounding systems. The hypothesis was that diet quality from use of barley (Hordeum vulgare c.v. Canmore) or triticale (xTriticosecale c.v. Bunker) silage-based diets and cattle efficiency type defined by residual feed intake would interact to affect profitability and CH4 emissions. Effects of diet and cattle efficiency type on profitability and CO2e emissions were assessed using statistical and stochastic risk simulation. The profitability of beef backgrounding was affected by cattle efficiency type and diet quality with higher quality barley silage also lowering CO2e emissions. The difference in certainty equivalent (CAD~30 steer−1) of efficient steers on barley silage and inefficient steers on barley silage or efficient or inefficient steers on triticale silage supports a beef backgrounding producer focus on diet quality and cattle efficiency type. This study did not address potential agronomic differences, including yield, which could provide nuance to forage choice.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilFeed costs are the single largest expense in most commercial beef production [1,2], and feeding and management through the winter comprise up to two-thirds of the total cost of primary beef production in Canada [3]
With the predicted pen average Residual feed intake (RFI) values used in assigning steers to pens based on RFI quartiles having no relationship (p = 0.67) to observed pen average RFI, deviation (p < 0.05) from the isopleth, and a low concordance correlation coefficient of −0.054 due to a low precision coefficient of −0.077, subsequent analyses are based on regression on observed pen average RFI to describe cattle efficiency type, instead of predicted RFI quartile
This study used data collected over two years, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018, and showed that the profitability of beef backgrounding was affected independently by cattle efficiency type and diet quality but not with their interactions, with higher quality barley silage lowering CO2 e emissions

Summary

Introduction

Introduction published maps and institutional affilFeed costs are the single largest expense in most commercial beef production [1,2], and feeding and management through the winter comprise up to two-thirds of the total cost of primary beef production in Canada [3]. Residual feed intake (RFI) [4] is the difference between actual feed intake and expected intake given the observed weight and gain [5]. It is a measure of feed efficiency that is independent of body size, production, and growth traits [6,7]. This increases its utility for comparisons across production levels and production phases for the selection of more efficient cattle types [7,8]. The moderate repeatability [5] and moderate heritability [7,9,10] of RFI should allow for the selection of more efficient cattle [11,12]

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