Feed Efficiency in the Beef Industry provides a thorough and concise overview of feed efficiency in beef cattle. It frames the great importance of feed efficiency to the industry and details the latest findings of the many scientific disciplines that intersect and aim to improve efficient and sustainable production of nutritious beef. The vast majority of production costs are directly tied to feed. With increased demand for grains to feed a rapidly increasing world population and to supply a new demand for alternative fuels, feed costs continue to increase. In recent years, the negative environmental impacts of inefficient feeding have also been realized; as such feed efficiency is an important factor in both economic viability and environmental sustainability of cattle production. Feed Efficiency in the Beef Industry covers a broad range of topics ranging from economic evaluation of feed efficiency to the physiological and genetic bases of efficient conversion of feed to high quality beef. Chapters also look at how a fuller understanding of feed efficiency is leading to new selective breeding efforts to develop more efficient cattle. With wide-ranging coverage from leading international researchers, Feed Efficiency will be a valuable resource for producers who wish to understand the complexities, challenges, and opportunities to reduce their cost of production, for students studying the topic and for researchers and professionals working in the beef industry.

Feed Efficiency in the Beef Industry provides a thorough and concise overview of feed efficiency in beef cattle. It frames the great importance of feed efficiency to the industry and details the latest findings of the many scientific disciplines that intersect and aim to improve efficient and sustainable production of nutritious beef. The vast majority of production costs are directly tied to feed. With increased demand for grains to feed a rapidly increasing world population and to supply a new demand for alternative fuels, feed costs continue to increase. In recent years, the negative environmental impacts of inefficient feeding have also been realized; as such feed efficiency is an important factor in both economic viability and environmental sustainability of cattle production. Feed Efficiency in the Beef Industry covers a broad range of topics ranging from economic evaluation of feed efficiency to the physiological and genetic bases of efficient conversion of feed to high quality beef. Chapters also look at how a fuller understanding of feed efficiency is leading to new selective breeding efforts to develop more efficient cattle. With wide-ranging coverage from leading international researchers, Feed Efficiency will be a valuable resource for producers who wish to understand the complexities, challenges, and opportunities to reduce their cost of production, for students studying the topic and for researchers and professionals working in the beef industry.

There is increasing interest in the biology of domestic animals ranging from genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, nutritional physiology, and systems biology. This book touches on all of these, with a particular focus on topics such as domestic animals as comparative models to humans, molecular regulation of growth, metabolic efficiency, reproduction, and the impact of stress on growth and development. The book concludes with a discussion on the current and future directions for researchers.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate animal performance and actual feed efficiency and how they relate to model predictions through feed allocation models. In addition, ultrasound measures, scrotal circumference, and molecular value predictions (MVP) were compiled to correlate for associations with efficiency. Six hundred forty-eight growing bulls comprised of Angus, Hereford, and percentage Simmental were placed on intake trials. Data was collected for intake, weight change, and animal performance at either 14-28 d intervals. Feed intake was also predicted with 2 biological simulation models: a) Cornell Value Discovery System and b) NRC update 2000 level 2. Observed residual feed intake (oRFI) was estimated using observed feed intake in a linear statistical model. Observed feed conversion ratio (oFCR) was estimated as observed feed intake divided by average daily gain. Observed partial efficiency of growth (oPEG) was calculated as ADG divided by the difference between dry matter intake and intake for maintenance from published standards. Observed relative growth rate (oRGR) and observed kleiber ratio (oKR) was also determined as the difference between the log of final BW and initial BW over the number of days on test and as the ratio of ADG to metabolic body weight, respectively. Each model also held a prediction for the various feed efficiency measures using feed allocation estimates and projected weight gains in their determinations. Data on feed efficiency measures on all 648 bulls, ultrasound measures and scrotal circumferences on 346 bulls, and hair samples on sixty-six half-blood Simmental bulls for a DNA analysis for MVP were collected and compiled. All data was correlated to determine relationships between feed efficiency measures, both observed and model predicted, as well as ultrasound, scrotal measures, and MVP data as they link to efficiency. Observed feed conversion ratio showed a high correlation both the CVDS FCR (cFCR, 0.769; P0.10) and the NRC FCR (nFCR, 0.847; P