November 11, 2019

 

Research compares conventional and 'natural' beef production

 

 

How much of a premium do producers need to cover the extra cost of backgrounding cattle without growth-enhancing technologies and can they offset some of that cost or improve carcass quality with other strategies? Canadian Cattlemen reports.

 

The two-and-a-half-year backgrounding project is one of several feeding research projects at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence south of Saskatoon, Sask. Researchers are studying forage backgrounding calves using conventional and non-conventional (natural) beef production systems. Dr. Bart Lardner, Dr. John McKinnon and graduate student Janelle Smith are conducting the study. Kathy Larson is analysing the finances of the systems. The study is now in its second year.

 

Lardner, who is with the department of animal and poultry science, says this type of research is needed because of the challenges and changes to technology coming to the industry.

 

It is well-established that using technologies such as implants or ionophores is more efficient and cost-effective, whether in a feedlot or backgrounding study, Lardner says. But there are some in the beef industry who want to look at alternatives.

 

If producers choose to not use growth-enhancing technologies, they must be prepared to keep animals longer. That means more feed and labour to produce the same product at higher cost. They would therefore need to be paid more for the product.

 

"When we began, there was a lot of interest in looking at natural feed production systems and moving away from conventional systems that use growth-promoting technology — without realising the economic impact of such a transition," adds McKinnon.

 

The researchers asked what premium would be needed if producers forego technology that improves growth and feed efficiency such as implants, ionophores and some medications commonly given.

 

"The first time we put in our application for a grant to look at this question, it was rejected because granting agencies thought we were promoting one production system over another," shares McKinnon. "So we applied again, a year later, emphasising the economic aspects of the research, and added a twist. We proposed looking to see if we could enhance performance and quality of the animal by using extended backgrounding on grass prior to finishing."

 

"We've been following a set of steers from weaning through slaughter, under three different management systems," says Smith. Each year, researchers purchased a group of 240 black calves that had never received any growth-promoting technology. These steers were divided into heavy, medium and lightweight calves at weaning, and each group was further split into conventional or non-conventional management. The non-conventional groups had no growth-promoting technology.

 

At weaning, the heavy steers went directly into a finish programme on full feed to slaughter weight, Smith explains. Medium steers went on a winter backgrounding program on a high-forage diet, preparing for spring feedlot entry to be fed to slaughter.

 

"The light calves were on an extended backgrounding programme — winter backgrounding and then grass through summer, for fall feedlot entry," she explains.

 

"We've completed year one and have taken the first year's groups to slaughter. We are now doing the same thing, with new groups of cattle, in year two," adds Smith.

 

Cattle in the conventional group are given the same growth-promoting technologies that are found within a conventional feedlot system, such as antibiotic treatment to control liver abscess, implants, ionophores and antibiotics on arrival. McKinnon says that while they do not have much data yet, it is enough to say those cattle gained faster, were heavier and spent less time in the feedlot than their non-conventional counterparts.

 

"That was an expected result, so now we are figuring out what the extra days on feed cost for the non-conventional groups, and what the loss of efficiency would be in terms of premium needed — looking at those differences between the two groups," McKinnon explains.

 

There has been similar work done in the United States, but there has not been much research under Western Canadian conditions.

 

"There's been talk of premiums available for 'natural' cattle in Western Canada, but this study might give producers more information to allow them to make informed decisions about how they want to market their cattle," says Smith.

 

"A buyer might tell producers, 'Don't use growth-promoting technology in your calves and yearlings and we'll give you a $5-per-hundredweight premium," says McKinnon.

 

Whether the premium offered by the buyer will actually cover their extra costs is the question.

 

"Another part of our project is looking at including the use of an annual forage to potentially extend the grazing season," says Smith. "We planted Hazlet fall rye for late-season grazing for the light group of cattle — the grasser steers." The team is also studying high-quality pasture options such as perennial mixes of crested wheatgrass and alfalfa followed by meadow bromegrass and cicer milkvetch pastures.

 

Unfortunately, both 2018 and 2019 were dry, and Smith says their plan to extend the grazing season had not panned out as expected.

 

"We have seen that if you are using conventional technology, performance parameters like average daily gain, feed efficiency, rate of weight gain, etc. will be greater. But on the other hand we also need to be able to track carcass quality of these animals — particularly yield grade and quality grade," McKinnon says.