will Feed Efficiency

do for you?

If you finish your cattle, you will save money and your bottom line will improve (in fact this is the single most important factor whether you make money, yes even more important than grid premiums). Days on feed, conversion, and quality pounds is where you make money feeding cattle. Also note, even if you sell your calves at the stockyards, somebody is feeding them and tracking them.

If you retain females, this is where the most money can be saved in feed costs each year. We have also found that daughters out of the best converting bulls stay fleshier, are more fertile (probably because they are fleshier) and last longer. It is common sense, they convert grass to pounds easier so they are healthier, therefore last longer.

How to read the sale book for efficiency?

A special note is that industry average for conversion is around 6.5 to 1.

AT BYERGO ANGUS - THE SALE BULLS AVERAGED 4.9 to 1. We have 0 bulls that are below industry average, we credit this to generations of selecting sires that convert well. It’s genetic! Each sale bull that has been feed efficiency tested has a chart with the following information:

Conversion is the pounds eaten to pound gained. Lower is better. 6.5 to 1 is industry average.

BYERGO BULLS AVERAGED 4.9 to 1.

Conversion ratio is a ratio compared to the other animals they were weaned with. (You can only compare feed efficiency within groups of cattle that have been together their whole life). The higher the ratio the better they did within their contemporary group. 100 is average. Anything above 100 is above average and on up.

Cost of gain is how much it costs to put on a pound. The lower the better.

Dollar saved is the savings to put on 600 lbs vs industry average.