October 13, 2006

New DNA test the star of the show at Australian beef conference

With the high cost of grains feed the talk of the town, news of a news of a DNA test that can identify cattle that would put on the most weight with the least feed has became the star of the show at Beefex, the Australian lot feeders national conference held from Oct 10-12 in Queensland's Gold Coast.

The DNA test is the work of CSIRO Livestock Industries and its commercial arm, Genetioc Solutions, which identified four genetic markers that influence the feed intake efficiency of cattle.

Other issues, such as waste management, animal welfare and alternative feed sources were also discussed in the conference. The biennial event brings together lot feeders and their associated industries and suppliers from all over Australia for two days of conferencing, networking and information exchange.