Lean beef production systems for a growing world
Abstract
Anabolic implants are used routinely in U.S. beef finishing systems with over 95% of all cattle finished for beef meat production being implanted at least once during the finishing period. Anabolic implants increase average daily gain (ADG) by 16 to 20% over the non-implanted control for an¬abolic implants. This translates to 0.21 to 0.26 kg/d increase in gain over non-implanted controls. Feed efficiency, reported as feed to gain, is also improved with implanting by 9 to 14% over non-implanted controls. These improve¬ments in feed efficiency translate to a reduction in the amount of feed required per unit gain of 0.19-0.42 kg. Anabolic implants are one of the most cost ef¬fective technologies that can be utilized in beef cattle finishing systems. Estimates are that the use of anabolic implants, on average, returns $143 (US dollars) per steer depending on beef and grain prices. Utilization of two combination implants during the finishing phase can return up to $233 per steer. The elimination of growth-promoting technologies would significant¬ly reduce beef production and increase the number of cattle required to produce equivalent amounts of beef. This would equate to greater feedstuffs and land mass required to feed an increased number of cattle with greater methane output and reduced efficiency.Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Published
2016-01-06
How to Cite
Duckett, Susan K., B. M. Koch, and John G. Andrae. 2016. “Lean Beef Production Systems for a Growing World”. Archivos Latinoamericanos De Producción Animal 24 (2). https://ojs.alpa.uy/index.php/ojs_files/article/view/2525.
Issue
Section
Invited papers