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Research to focus on improving cattle efficiency

The CEO of the American Angus Association says it is using a recently awarded grant to focus on feed efficiency. Mark McCully says, “We are measuring methane to get at feed efficiency on grass and how it relates to production traits.”

He says the research, which is funded by the Bezos Earth Fund, has come under scrutiny from some members of the Association.  But he says the project isn’t about climate change. “It was never intended to be us going into that realm of in this whole debate around climate change,” he says.  “That’s not what our members want us to do.”

He says producers want data to help raise better cattle – and that’s where this research is focused. “We’re simply using methane as energy loss to understand which cattle are more efficient,’ he says.  “And there’s a lot of this research going on in dairy and in beef cattle throughout the country.”

McCully says historically, research has enabled the industry to continue to advance by selecting genetics that improve efficiency in many areas. “But, where we really have struggled is to get at any sort of measurement of feed efficiency on grass,” he says.  “Because measuring all of that is really hard. And so that’s where some of these very unique ways of going at this research, I think, are important.”

He says the research could eventually be used to develop a new selection tool or be incorporated into the current Feed Efficiency EPD, but it does not commit the Association to publishing a new EPD.  In addition, the American Angus Board of Directors will have the final decision on what selection tools, if any, would be included.

AUDIO: Mark McCully, American Angus Board

John Dickinson serves on the American Angus Board and is chairman of the Angus Genetics Inc. board, AGI is the American Angus Association’s genetics subsidiary. He says the research is an investment in the future of the industry.  “Methane emission research, if that’s showing that a cow can be more productive,” he says. “I think we can really put out some nice females, some nice Angus females going forward.”

He tells Brownfield some members of the board had similar concerns to those expressed by members initially, but the grant was thoroughly vetted before AGI accepted it. “To make sure that our breed and our membership is protected with how the data is handled,” he says.  “Who owns the data, and if there’s a potential of any kind of narrative being controlled past the research project, that we have full capacity for that.”

He says by participating in the project, AGI ensures it has a seat at the table when the research is conducted, validated, and results are released.

AUDIO: John Dickinson, Angus Genetics, Inc.

McCully says the Bezos Earth Fund/Global Methane Hub has no authority to influence or alter the direction or use of the research. 

The funds are distributed by the University of New England, which serves as the project coordinator.