A new way to measure Feed Efficiency - Residual Feed Intake

Improving the feed efficiency of a beef cattle herd can mean big savings for producers.  On average, it costs $50 less over 112 days to feed an efficient bull compared to an inefficient one. An efficient bull will pass on superior genetics for feed efficiency to his progeny, which will be realized as feed savings for calves in the feedlot and for replacement heifers entering the cowherd.

Residual Feed Intake (RFI) or 'net feed efficiency' is defined as the difference between an animal's actual feed intake and its expected feed requirements for maintenance and growth. RFI is the variation in feed intake that remains after the requirements for maintenance and growth have been met.

Efficient animals eat less than expected and have a negative or low RFI, while inefficient animals eat more than expected and have a positive or high RFI.  Just like a golf score you are looking for the lowest number or the animals with negative RFI numbers. 

Research in Alberta and Australia shows that selection for low RFI can have significant results:

• lower maintenance requirements of the cow herd by 9 to10 per cent
• reduce feed intake by 10 to 12 per cent
• have no effect on average daily gain or mature size
• improve feed conversion ratio by 9 to 15 per cent
• slow gain in empty body fat by 4 per cent, but still grade well
• lower weights of liver, stomach and intestines
• have no effect on distribution of 9 wholesale cuts
• improve calf-weight-per-cow feed intake by 15 per cent
• lower methane emissions by 25 to 30 per cent
• reduce manure nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium production by 15 to 17 per cent
• efficient growing animals are efficient as adult cattle
• progeny of efficient beef cattle are also more efficient than those of less efficient cattle

For more information about RFI research conducted in Canada CLICK HERE

Measuring Feed Efficiency

In 1963 RFI was first proposed by US researchers (koch etal).   To calculate RFI requires the measurement of actual individual animal feed intake. The concept of RFI offered huge potential but on a commercial scale lay dormant until GrowSafe developed fully automated feed intake measurement systems reliable and practical enough to be used in a typical livestock production environment.

The data required to measure RFI is individual animal intake, average daily gain and average on-test metabolic body weight. Animals are measured in a GrowSafe equipped station for a period of about 70 days.  Average daily gain and average body weight are both computed from body weight data of animals measured during the on-test period. Average daily gain is computed as the change in body weight per day during the intake test period. 

A GrowSafe feed intake system electronically monitors the feed bunk each second of the day recording all cattle feeding activity at the bunk.  Data records cannot be changed or altered.  Good or bad, GrowSafe numbers don't lie. A GrowSafe System  is an advanced data acquisition system that:

GrowSafe Equipped Measurement Centers

If you want proof of performance, the "hard facts" on your cattle, or you want to purchase cattle with all the right numbers, visit these next generation performance testing centers.  They will drive the results right to your bottom line.