Page 18 - MWC 3-30-2023s

Where Do Beefmasters
Where Do Beefmasters The Midwest Cattleman · March 30, 2023 · P18

Fit in the Industry?
Fit in the Industry?

that are able to get bred and
By Lance W. Bauer, calve regularly every year
PhD-Beefmaster will help the most. Maternal
Breeders United
Director of Breed traits like these are one area
Improvement where Beefmaster females
excel, because of heterosis.
Heterosis has a larger
With the current state of impact on lowly heritable
the cattle industry now is a traits such as: fertility, ma-
good time to evaluate where ternal ability, and longevity.
Beefmasters fit as a breed. The way in which the Beef-
The recent USDA report on master was developed cre-
cattle numbers indicates that ated a breed that has 63%
the cow numbers are at the retained heterosis compared
lowest level they have been to 43% retained heterosis
since 1962. There is also in other composite breeds.
indication that the drought This makes Beefmaster fe-
that has been affecting the males ideal from a maternal
western part of the country and reproductive standpoint.
will ease up this year and re- Maternal and reproductive
building of the US cow herd efficiency will be extremely
may start. This means that important as the US cattle in-
heifers and cows will proba- dustry focuses on rebuilding. Photo by Jeremy Denison - County-Line Beefmasters
bly start demanding a pre- Beefmaster and Beefmaster
mium price. As the herd re- cross females are extremely
builds where do Beefmasters productive cows that can add PROPER HAY STORAGE
fit into the rebuilding process money to a producer’s bottom continued from page 9
and how do Beefmasters help line year after year. have about twice as much size and type for your opera-
improve the cattle herd in The number of heifers in exposed surface for the same tion and consider investing in
the US? feedyards is beginning to amount of hay. the most efficient type. Place
As rebuilding happens slowly decline, the most re-
one of the focuses will be on cent USDA report on cow In a 5-foot bale, more than rings on an elevated surface
sustainability, it has been numbers shows that cow 30% of the bale is in the outer in a well-drained area.
Open rings, the least effi-
6 inches, the part most apt to
a key focus in the industry numbers are low, and there
for several years and there are signs that the drought spoil. More than 26% is in the cient, may waste up to 20%.
next 6 inches. Just over 20% Only 3.5% of hay goes unused
is even indication that con- in the western half of the US
sumers are willing to pay for may start to subside. All of is in the well-protected 12- in cone feeders, the most effi-
inch center core, according to cient, and 6.1% goes to waste
sustainable products. Beef- these are indicators that the
master cattle fit the mold for US cattle industry may start MU Extension livestock spe- in bale rings, according to
cialist Jim Humphrey.
MU studies.
sustainable cattle, they are going into a cow herd re-
There is less waste when
Consider how and where
efficient on many levels and building stage, and Beefmas- you feed. Feed cows in a well- feeding square bales rather
different aspects of produc- ters are ideal for this. Beef-
tion, from feed efficiency to master females fit the build drained area and feed hay than large bales in an open
that has been stored outside ring. Large, round unrolled
maternal efficiency Beefmas- of sustainable efficient cattle
ters excel. Maternal efficien- that will benefit the US cat- first. bales fed in rings have 45%
Feed more often and limit waste and are the least effi-
cy will be the key to rebuild- tle industry. cow access to hay to avoid cient, according to research
ing the US cow herd, females waste, says McCorkill. The done at MU in 1973.
hay buffet should not be open Hay quality also plays a
all hours. Make cows clean crucial role in the amount of
their plate before you serve waste, says McCorkill. When
them more hay. higher-quality, more palat-
MU and Michigan State able hay is offered, the herd
studies show that as much will clean it up better regard-
as 40% of hay goes to waste less of the type of hay ring
when producers feed three used. A Missouri trial sug-
or more days’ worth of hay gested there was no statis-
at a time. Daily unrolled hay tical difference in hay waste
bales waste 12% of the sup- between the varying bale
ply, and cradle feeders waste ring types when alfalfa bale-
14.6%. age was the roughage used.
Hay rings reduce waste, MU Extension
but not all hay rings are cre-
ated equal. Choose the right