It might not be a highly heritable trait, but Te Mania Angus are pushing for gradual improvements in feed efficiency in their Angus genetics.
Story by Kate Dowler, The Weekly Times June 5, 2024.
Western District Angus breeders, Te Mania, are pushing their breeding direction towards a lower methane footprint.
This comes the industry increasingly focusses on its environmental footprint, and as a major processor, Thomas Food International, recently outlined the pressure it was facing from its customers and governments over the emissions in its supply chain, primarily methane produced by livestock.
Last week, Te Mania Angus hosted a field day at their Merrang property, Hexham, showing producers its new feed efficiency facility.
The project will see 110 animals at a time tested on 16 Vytelle units which monitor each animal’s consumption of feed and the weight it puts on – or its feed conversion efficiency and linked this to its genetic profile.
Te Mania’s Edward Gubbins, who manages the Merrang site, said net feed efficiency was linked with methane output – having an 83 per cent correlation – so the better the animal was at converting feed to growth, the lower its methane output.
Te Mania’s strategy was to breed animals that reduced a client’s environmental footprint of their herd.
“We are quite excited about that, although it is very early stages,” Mr Gubbins said.
Pictured above – Margaret Hallyburton, President of the Western Victorian Angus Region attended a field day at Te Mania Angus last week. Pictured with Tamás Pable, Net Feed Intake Manager at Te Mania Angus.
