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Feed Consumption, Daily Gain and Feed Required Per Unit of Gain in Beef Calves¹

Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331

Abstract

Data for daily gain, daily feed consumed and feed required per unit of gain from 290 calves born over a 5-year period were analyzed by least squares to determine the effects of year, sex, line and inbreeding of calf. Product-moment correlations and path co-efficients were calculated to determine the relationships among the three dependent variables studied.

The following conclusions appear to be warranted:

1. Bulls eat no more per unit of body weight than heifers but they make greater daily gains; consequently, bulls require much less feed to make a unit of gain than heifers.
   
2. Lines differ in daily gain, daily feed consumed and in feed required per unit of gain.
   
3. Much of the variation in feed required per unit of gain is accounted for by variations in daily gain and daily feed consumed. Likewise, much of the variation in daily gain is accounted for by variations in daily feed consumed and feed required per unit of gain.
   
4. Variations in daily feed consumed are partly under genetic control as shown by the heritability estimate of 0.38±.15.
   

¹ Technical Paper Number 2882, Oregon Agriculture Experiment Station, Corvallis.

² Professor of Animal Science, Director of the Genetics Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

³ Present address: Bar M Ranch, Old Military Road, Covington, La.