By Tom Gubbins

With the GFC now getting further behind us and Asia recovering well, marbling beef product is gaining in demand, and mid- to long-term feed prices are on the rise.

Angus cattle are the breed of choice and within the breed, bloodlines with high marbling are in higher demand. 

Feed costs are also low at the moment, adding to the profit margins in feeding for longer.  Angus cattle are not descended from draft animals, they were founded on meat quality, so we need to continue to maintain and build on this quality product reputation. 

As cattle get older they express more marbling. 

Angus cattle grow faster than they did in the past, therefore they are slaughtered younger.  This is working against the increase in genetic marbling at a given age, so we need to place a lot of selection pressure on marbling.

At Te Mania Angus we have kept this in mind while making our breeding decisions and phenotypical marbling in our client herds (Team Te Mania) is still increasing, while improving growth and other desirable traits.

Marbling is a great way for cattle producers to differentiate themselves from the pack.  As you differentiate, you have to change your traditional selling methods. 

To be financially rewarded for producing a more specific product with a smaller market, you have to build strong relationship with players in the next level of the industry. 

A relationship that allows you to demonstrate the quality of your product, build an appreciation of that product and then reward you. 

Once you have differentiated yourself from the mainstream commodity producer, you are more like a secondary industry, value adding business, than a primary producer.

If marbling has a genetic limit, we don't appear to have reached it as yet in the Angus breed, and the higher it gets the greater the customer satisfaction gets, whether a feedlotter, processor, wholesaler, chef or consumer. 

As long as we practice balanced selection, where we select for all other important traits such as reproductive and growth performance, improving marbling is not likely to cause problems.

Genetically we can increase marbling independently of subcutaneous fat despite there being a moderate relationship between the two fat deposits.

Subcutaneous fat has many side effects of which some are positive and some are negative depending on your environment and attitude.

Recent findings by the Beef CRC maternal trials show increased genetic fat increases genetic reproduction rate (percentage of calves born) while increasing genetically the amount of food required for weight gain (Net Feed Intake). 

We can address reproduction rate issues with P8 and Rib fat EBVs in conjunction with fertility traits. 

Unfortunately the cost of this is your cow and its offspring will be less efficient all their lives, and have lower retail beef yield. 

The alternative is to subtly reduce genetically subcutaneous fat, and, if required, modify the environment before and during joining to increase animal intake and phenotypical fat.

Again this is supported by CRC research which suggests you can improve reproduction by increasing fat genetically or environmentally. 

You can then enjoy all the positive genetic correlations, with lower subcutaneous fat.

Findings from the Trangie research herd show in the same trials reducing net feed intake (increasing feed efficiency) also reduces methane production. 

Genetically-reduced fat reduces NFI, which reduces methane. This may be drawing a long bow, but agriculture has plenty of long bows drawn on it.

This all happens genetically with very small correlation between subcutaneous fat and marbling.