Genomic testing, the future of the Feeder
April 20, 2023

The U.S. cattle producer has been dedicated to significantly increase beef quality because of consumer demand. Programs like Certified Angus Beef and others have made great strides to increase the value of beef. But what is the true driving force behind the quality improvement in today’s cattle?
There are many factors that play into the carcass attributes of beef, including health, feed, management practices, vaccine protocol, and more. But there is one aspect that plays a monumental role in quality that lies deeper than all the aforementioned factors, and that is genetics. Producers work hard to ensure their cattle thrive through implementation of proper management practices. Along with good management practices, genetic selection and testing will develop cattle that meet the needs of the next generation.
What does this mean for the cattle feeding industry? A recent survey provided to the U.S. Beef Industry by Tom Brink, CEO, Red Angus Association of America, showed that feedlot managers are looking for change in the feeder cattle market. The study put a strong emphasis on the fact that the current market shows a substantial preference for hide color. When asked if hide color significantly affects the price paid for U.S. feeder cattle, 95% of respondents answered that they agreed or strongly agreed.
Managers are looking for change regarding the attributes that affect the prices of feeder cattle. The desired change can be seen through respondents’ answers to the following question, “black-hided feeder cattle are superior to non-black cattle of equal weight, sex and health history.” A majority (75%) said they disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement. So, if hide color is not what most managers view as important, what is? Feedlot managers, buyers, auction barn operators, and industry experts said through this survey that they are looking for more “objective” measures as a “key price-determining factor.” The paper states that “they want to go on more than an 1/8 inch deep” and continues by stating that genetic/genomic data can do just that.
Earlier, we asked what the driving force behind improved beef quality was; the answer is higher-quality genetics within our cattle through selection and management practices. There is no better way to take a deeper look at cattle’s quality potential than with genomics. Kenny Stauffer, Director of Commercial Bovine for Neogen®, states “our nation’s cattle feeders see the true value in having the ability to manage risk through knowing how the cattle will perform in the yard and their grid potential before they even arrive.” Cattle feeders are striving to keep the continual growth for higher quality within the industry and they are willing to change their ways to keep making improvements. This can be seen in the fact that 88% of respondents to the survey answered that they agreed or strongly agreed that genetic/genomic information would be preferable to aspects like hide color in determining pricing.
The change desired in determining feeder cattle value can be met through genomic testing. With genomic testing you gain information that is not superficial and measures the true genetic merit of individual cattle. With the ability to measure an animal’s individual performance and carcass traits with Igenity® Beef and Igenity® Feeder, producers and feeders can strive for continual quality improvement. Feeders are striving to rank cattle based on more objective information to make these changes. As one cattle feeder stated, “no one cares about the color of the hide when they’re eating a steak.” With the ability to better predict how cattle will grade and perform, we can make monumental advances in the industry and keep pushing toward improvement.
Category: Genomics, Beef, Igenity® Profiles