How Many Lbs of Feed to Raise a Beef Cow

[Update] A new study has found that Canada's beef manufacture has dramatically reduced its water footprint over the past several decades, and that trend is expected to continue. Learn more than at The Canadian Beef Water Footprint in Shrinking, published December xiv, 2017

Nosotros recently received an email asking: " I've read that it takes sixteen lbs of plant material and 5000 gallons of water to make a pound of beef. How far from the truth is this? "

And then we calculated simply how much feed and water beef cattle exercise utilize before they're harvested.

Feed

In terms of plant material, because water content is higher in some feeds than in others, feed use is measured on a dry out matter basis. Feed conversion (pounds of feed consumed per pound of live animal gain) varies with the blazon of feed an creature is fed, how information technology is processed, etc. Current feed to gain ratios in a feedlot animal are most 6lbs of feed per 1lb of live weight gain.

For example, if an animal enters the feedlot at 500lbs and finishes at 1400lbs live weight (which volition produce an 868lb carcass with 512lb of edible beefiness), that animal needs to gain 900lbs. At a 6:1 conversion, that's 5400lbs of total feed used.

5400lbs feed ÷ 512lbs beef  =
10.6 lbs feed per pound of edible beef .

In western Canada, much of the feed used for feedlot cattle is either barley that didn't make the course for brewing, or sometimes wheat that didn't make the grade for bread milling, or grain that spoiled in storage. For instance, you hear a lot nearly the rail shipping backlog leaving lots of grain on the farm. Given final year'southward bumper ingather, a lot of that grain was stored on the ground and spoiled. Spoiled grain is no longer skillful for beer or staff of life, simply it'due south fine for cattle. Feeding it to cattle means that grain doesn't go to waste.

Back in the 1950'south, feed conversion ratios were nearly eleven:i, significant that it took almost twice as much feed to produce a pound of beef. Genetic selection and innovations keep to amend feed conversion in cattle.

Water

Based on average daily consumption numbers bachelor hither, a beef animal that reaches slaughter weight at 21 months would probably potable virtually 18,600 liters (4,091 gallons) of h2o. That brute produces around 512 lbs of edible beef.

4,091 gallons ÷ 512lb beef  =
8 gallons of water per pound of edible beef .*

Many cattle go to slaughter at earlier ages, in which case that water use number would exist lower.

Cows apply water, but they don't utilise it up. Water cycles. Simply a very pocket-sized fraction of the h2o consumed is retained in the trunk. Well-nigh of the water that cattle potable continues to bicycle in the environment.

*Note that water used during processing was not included, nor h2o used for irrigation to grow feed (some parts of the country use irrigation, some don't), considering accurate data is currently unavailable. All the same, we do know that both irrigation systems and packing plants have get much more efficient in water use.

Progress

Information technology is safe to say that as an industry, we're doing a lot better at using h2o than we used to. Back in the 1950'due south, cattle were closer to three years of historic period at slaughter, would have drank closer to 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons), and produced a much smaller carcass (250 lb edible beefiness). Information technology would have taken 44 gallons per pound of edible beefiness, instead of the viii gallons per pound today. (That'due south all the same a far weep from 5,000 gallons per pound!)

Canada'south beef industry produces more beef now, using a lot less water and feed than we used to. That's proficient for subcontract economics, and helps continue beef affordable for consumers. At the same time, improvements in feed efficiency also mean that we're producing less greenhouse gas and manure per pound of beef. That's expert for the environs.

[Update] A new study has establish that Canada's beef industry has dramatically reduced its water footprint over the past several decades, and that trend is expected to proceed. Learn more at The Canadian Beef Water Footprint in Shrinking, published Dec 14, 2017

To larn more, visit:

Questioning the beef industry's water utilise

Optimizing Feedlot Feed Efficiency

Environmental Footprint of Beef Product

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Source: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/cattle-feed-water-use-2014/

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