Study Links Three Genes With Grazing Efficiency
URUGUAY – Efficient beef production can be achieved through grazing if farmers select for three specific genes in cattle and focus on residual feed intake (RFI), a study has found.
1 October 2013
1 minute read
This is the conclusion of a University of Wisconsin-Madison report that found a ‘strong association’ between neuropeptide Y, Leptin and IGF-1 with residual feed intake in Angus cattle.
The three genes can help in the understanding of potential candidate genes that can influence residual feed intake traits, especially in grazing beef systems.
Currently, 65 per cent of costs on US and Uruguayan beef farms come from feed. Any efficiency increase is of great importance to the industry as it will optimise beef production and drop methane release.
The study is titled “Association of SNP of neuropeptide Y, leptin, and IGF-1 genes with residual feed intake in confinement and under grazing condition in Angus cattle.” It can be found at journalofanimalscience.org.
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