GENETIC VARIATION IN FEED INTAKE AND EFFICIENCY OF MATURE BEEF COWS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH POSTWEANING MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Providing feed to animals is a major cost to beef production, and so improving the efficiency with which feed is utilised is an important goal to cattle breeders. In many beef production systems, a large proportion of the feed used is consumed by the cow breeding herd, while young growing animals consume feed which is often of higher value. A review of the literature showed that genetic variation in feed efficiency of younger animals exists, but there is little information available on the relationships of feed intake and efficiency measured postweaning with these traits in mature breeding cows (Archer et al. 1999). This paper reports results from a study examining feed intake and efficiency traits of beef cows and their relationship to similar measurements taken post-weaning.