FEED EFFICIENCY

Red Doc Farm is one of the only cattle operations in the country currently offering an actual cost of gain on each individual bull. Our calculations are generated off our actual average feed cost “per pound as fed” at $180/ton. The COG (cost of gain) calculations are based off Grow Safe generated average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and days on feed extrapolated over a 200 day feeding period.

What is the value of efficiency?

Producing cattle that can be successful from the mountain tops, river valleys, calving pastures, feedyards and variable climates and conditions can be challenging. Developing a pathway for success is paramount and providing information on each animal has become a necessity. But the simple true is you can’t manage what you don’t measure” and at Red Doc we believe in measuring our genetics for performance.

We’ve been measuring cattle, for Feed Efficiency since 2017, with the Vytelle “Sense” – Grow Safe technology to help us increase genetic potential in RFI, to correspond with our other trait management.

Why measure?

• Feed costs account for approximately 70% of production costs

• It is possible to reduce feed costs by 10-15%

• Residual Feed intake (RFI) has been shown to be 35-40% heritable

• We can back up our claim to providing “DATA Driven” results and back those results up.

• Breeding Sires are selected for Low RFI.

• Replacement Heifers are selected out of our annual calf crop. Years of efficiency focused breeding has provided us with pedigrees that are saturated in generations of efficiency.

RFI is an important part of our genetic selection…. Creating more efficient animals with better predictability. RFI is the measured difference between what an animal was expected to intake for a given level of production for maintenance and growth, and the actual feed consumed. Low RFI cattle are efficient because they eat less than expected. While high RFI cattle are inefficient because they eat more than expected. Low RFI cattle can reduce...

Feed intake by 12% or more

Methane production by up to 30%

NPK by up to 17%

Red Doc Farm is one of the only cattle operations in the country currently offering an actual cost of gain on each individual bull. Our calculations are generated off our actual average feed cost “per pound as fed” at $253.43/ton. The COG (cost of gain) calculations are based off Grow Safe generated average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and days on feed extrapolated over a 200-day feeding period.

Red Doc is creating Genetics that meet the challenge of a growing global protein demand. Selecting genetics using Vytelle Sense and Insight Technology that are efficient and are environmentally sustainable. Finally, they are committed to producing genetics the provide greater economic returns for their customers. Sires like Red Doc En Vivo 8343 exemplify this effort. Genetics that provide Industry leading residual feeding intake and average daily gain in the Vytelle Insight Database while providing choice beef in a sustainable manner. In the end it’s about driving profitability, predictability, and sustainability.