US cattle producers are growing out future breeding heifers in feedlots as a part of strategy to maximise genetic potential.
Visiting Quincey Cattle Company in Chiefland, Florida, during the recent Alltech Lienert Australia beef study tour, the group learnt US producers were highly focused on animal health and in particular fertility rates.
About 8000 of the 14,000 cattle fed by Quincey in north central Florida are heifers, reflecting the close relationship US cow calf operators have with feedlots.
The Quincey operation is the largest feedlot in the US's most southern state, and has built a significant following backgrounding and custom feeding heifers for eventual return to the breeder.
The aim is to grow the heifers to about 340kg liveweight at 12 months, ready for joining to low birthrate bulls.
Fifth generation rancher Don Quincey said Florida's tropical, high rainfall climate made it a challenging environment for calf calf operators.
"The well being of cattle in our care is the top priority at Quincey Cattle Company," Mr Quincey said.
"All preconditioning cattle and developing replacement animals are kept on grass pastures, not dirt lots.
"It serves many purposes, safeguarding natural habitats, encouraging biodiversity in the landscape, all while providing adequate space and a more natural environment for the cattle."
The heifers are typically fed a moderate energy grower ration containing dried distillers grains, cotton seed hulls, bakery waste, sorghum silage, and high moisture corn.
In addition to essential vitamins and minerals and Alltech's ruminant specific starch digesting enzyme Amaize is added to the ration through a micro dosing machine.
Alltech Lienert Australia nutrition specialist Toby Doak said the benefit of growing out heifers in a feedyard was that the future breeders were better placed to achieve their genetic potential.
"They are put in a position where they are more likely to produce a healthy calf that will also express high fertility when they make it to maturity," Mr Doak said.
"In addition to having a very well designed ration that incorporates plenty of locally produced commodities and by-products, the Quincy operation pays particular attention to the use of vitamins and minerals as an important way of maximising fertility.
Mr Doak said the Alltech Bioplex mineral combination used at Quincy was presented in a form as close to nature as possible, bound to amino acids and a range of peptides.
"The zinc, manganese, copper, iron and cobalt are co-factors in enzymes critical to the animal's defence system, growth and reproduction," he said.
"They are easily absorbed and readily metabolised to optimise animal performance. The attention to detail at Quincey in growing cattle to their potential is very impressive."
In addition to growing out heifers, Quincey also sources feeder cattle from across Florida and other states.
The ranch also developed an on-farm retail butcher shop during the Covid pandemic as part of a popular 'Florida Raised' program reflecting the strong demand for locally produced beef. The program requires animals to be 'bred, fed and processed' in Florida.
- Mark Phelps travelled to the US as a guest of Alltech Lienert Australia.
