Feed intake measurement of cattle in the Tullimba R&D Feedlot - Angus

Summary

The Tullimba feedlot facility has installed Growsafe feeders that allows the estimation of the feed use efficiency (RFI) of beef cattle on ad lib feedlot rations. Individual cattle have their feed intakes and liveweights measured over a period of at least 70 days. These phenotypic measurements form part of the Beef Information Nucleus (BIN) program of research.



B.SBP.0127

​During the 2013-14 season five completed Angus cohorts with a total of 542 were tested for feed intake and weight gain at the Tullimba feedlot.  Cattle generally performed well averaging around 1.7 kg/day weight gain during the 80 day measurement period. Retrieval of valid daily feed intake data was greater than 82% allowing robust estimates of RFI and EBVs. Feed intake and live weight data from manual weighing was reported to the breeder group fortnightly and supplied to BREEDPLAN at the end of each test period.



B.SBP.0133

This report covers the RV9 to RV13 groups of Angus steers in cohort 3 which were in the Tullimba residual feed intake (RFI) test facility during the period 23/10/2014 to 01/04/2015.
A summary of cattle performance by group is as follows:
RV9: 114 Angus steers had their first full feed date on 23/10/2014 and finished in the feedlot on 4/01/2015 (72 trial days). They generally performed well and averaged around 16.3 kg/day feed intake with an average weight gain of 1.47 kg/day (range 0.96 - 2.03 kg/day) during their 72 day test period, after adaptation to the feeders.
RV10: 57 Angus steers had their first full feed date on 7/01/2015 and finished in the feedlot on 30/03/2015 (74 trial days). They generally performed well and averaged around 14.2 kg/day feed intake with an average weight gain of 1.53 kg/day (range 1.15 - 2.07 kg/day) during their 74 day test period, after adaptation to the feeders.
RV11: 76 Angus steers had their first full feed date at Tullimba on 19/01/2015 and finished in the feedlot on 13/04/2015 (75 trial days). They generally performed well and averaged around 13.2 kg/day feed intake with an average weight gain of 1.47 kg/day (range 0.80 - 2.01 kg/day) during their 75 day test period, after adaptation to the feeders.
RV12: 250 Angus steers had their first full feed date at Tullimba on 4/03/2015 and finished in the feedlot on 24/05/2015 (82 trial days). This group generally performed well and averaged around 14.6 kg/day feed intake with an average weight gain of 1.54 kg/day (range -0.40 - 2.41 kg/day) during their 82 day test period, after adaptation to the feeders
RV13: 97 Angus steers had their first full feed date at Tullimba on 1/04/2015 and finished in the feedlot on 14/06/2015 (75 trial days). RV13 generally performed well and averaged around 12.9 kg/day feed intake with an average weight gain of 1.54 kg/day (range 0.53 - 2.18 kg/day) during their 75 day test period, after adaptation to the feeders.