Focus on Feed Efficiency at Dorchester Event
UK - The Beef Feed Efficiency Programme’s first commercial beef unit will be showcased at an event in Dorset on 6 July. The four-year Defra and AHDB-funded project aims to demonstrate how feed efficiency traits can be measured and selected for in beef cattle, illustrating how the most efficient cattle eat less than others but grow at the same rate.
19 June 2017
2 minute read
The on-farm event will focus on driving efficiencies in beef production and speakers will explain how nutrition, genetics and health all influence the feed efficiency of beef cattle.
The day will be hosted at Bookham Farm, owned by Andy Foot, which is the first commercial beef unit to install specialised feed recording equipment as part of the project. So far, over 250 cattle have been through the unit since it was set up in July 2016. In total, 950 cattle have been recorded as part of the programme, including the initial phase of feed recording which was carried out at a specialised unit at Scotland’s Rural College.
At the event AHDB Beef & Lamb Senior Food Service Manager Hugh Judd will cook a range of thin cut steaks, demonstrating how the organisation is helping improve total carcase utilisation through new product development. He will also give an overview of AHDB Beef & Lamb’s new consumer campaign, Raise the Steaks, and the latest Beef Muscle Guide.
Mary Vickers, AHDB Beef & Lamb Senior Scientist, said: “This event will be a great opportunity for beef producers to gain a better understanding of feed efficiency. Those who attend will receive practical advice which will enable them to implement changes that will improve the feed efficiency of cattle on their own farm.
“There will also be an update on the Beef Feed Efficiency Programme and the chance to learn about the recording equipment that has been installed on Andy’s farm to record the feed intake of individual cattle.”
The Beef Feed Efficiency Programme is part of AHDB’s wider Farm Excellence Platform, which inspires industry to improve performance and succeed through farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.
Improving the efficiency of meat production and driving greater on-farm uptake of genetic potential are key priorities in the AHDB Beef & Lamb 2017-2020 “Inspiring Success” strategy.
For further information on the Beef Feed Efficiency Programme, please click here.
For more information and to book your place, call 01904 771212 or email [email protected].
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