Recent industry targets specify carcass weights of 650 to 850 pounds, although there currently are no discounts from 600 to 900 pounds, or 550 to 950 on some price grids. But one of the major packers, IBP (now owned by Tyson), says their ideal target is 600 to 735 pounds, in order to balance portion size and thickness. Using an average dressing percent of 63.5, that equates to live weights of 945 to 1155 pounds, which would be frame scores of 2 to 4 for steers and 3 to 5 for heifers. For that to happen, we'd have to downsize considerably. Targets for ideals have a place, but it's unlikely that the average size of cattle will be reduced that much, at least very soon.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONCEPTION RATE
Montana researchers, using a computer simulation, analyzed results from yearling heifers and found that production and income were not affected much by differences in conception rate (CR, probability of conceiving per estrous cycle). Compared to CR of 0.7, weaning weight per cow exposed (WWCE) was only 19 pounds lighter for CR of 0.4 and Gross Margin (GM) was only 5% less. However, for mature cows, WWCE was 81 pounds lighter (for CR 0.4 compared to 0.7) and GM was reduced by 17%. In heifers, reduced calf income was pretty much offset by more income from selling open yearling heifers. But open heifers are just like stockers, they gain a good deal of weight up until they're sold. You usually don't get much gain out of a mature cow. Also, low CR heifers often tend to be low CR as mature cows. If you're saving heifers, keep enough to be able to save the early conceivers. Odds are, they'll make better cows.
NOTES FROM THE ANIMAL WELFARE FRONT
An overwhelming majority of Germany's lower House of Parliament has voted to give animals constitutional rights. The Consumer Affairs Minister did say that "People remain the most important". Let's hope so. Israeli scientists have created genetically-modified, featherless chickens, said to grow faster in hot weather and be leaner than the feathered kind. Animal rightists object, saying this will have a traumatic effect on the chickens and that "This is scientists tampering with our food again just to make it even cheaper". Well, we certainly can't have science that tries to cheapen the cost of food. However, in an effort to "combat photographers on a mission to expose the supposed evils of farming", the Missouri House has banned taking pictures of farm animals in barns or other areas where they are housed. The battle goes on.
SEXED SEMEN - ARE WE GETTING CLOSER?
Accelerated Genetics, Baraboo, WI, reports a trial where 1200 heifers were inseminated with sex-sorted semen, resulting in 86% female fetuses. However, current sorting technology produces only 5 to 6 straws an hour on a $300,000 machine, and those are "low-dose" straws containing 7% to 8% of a standard number of sperm. All this adds up to semen costs of $40 to $60 a straw. Also, conception rates in this study were 15% lower than with standard-dose, unsexed semen. At this point, the company thinks the technology might be used by "high-end registered herds, expansion herds that want to grow from within, and herds extremely concerned with biosecurity". Looks like everybody else will have to wait awhile.
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