Genetics & Nutrition: The Perfect Pairing

Phenotype is what puts pounds on calves, beef in bellies and dollars in bank accounts. While significant genetic progress has never been more attainable, optimizing an environment to fully take advantage of that careful genetic selection remains a challenge for many producers. Achieving the most consistently profitable phenotype boils down to two overarching questions producers need to be asking: What am I selecting for? And how do I give those genetics the best chance at becoming actual traits?

Over the course of decades, Nichols Farms in Bridgewater, Iowa, has developed a reputation for embracing the best technologies and producing some of the most reliable genetics in the beef industry. The family-owned operation markets 500 to 600 Angus, Simmental, South Devon and composite bulls annually – as well as semen and embryos – to customers all over the world. Between 50,000 and 60,000 calves are sired by Nichols bulls every year. They were one of the early pioneers of using ultrasound to collect carcass data, maintain meticulous records of animal performance both on their ranch and from their customers, and have invested heavily in genomic testing since the technology became available.

“Our philosophy is mainly based on economics and focused on the commercial producers being able to produce cattle that will be profitable in their operations. And we look at a lot of different genetic factors to do that,” says Ross Havens, marketing coordinator at Nichols Farms. “We’ve always looked at both maternal and feedlot traits, but as we’ve gotten more defined, we’re really looking at feed efficiency and health traits in our genetics.”

When it comes right down to it, feed efficiency and good health are the rainbows just about every producer is chasing, whether it’s for mama cows on pasture or heavyweight steers in the feedlot. But all that work selecting and breeding for those traits does little good if they’re not in an environment designed to help those genetics shine. A lot of that, Havens says, comes down to nutrition.

As an example, Havens points to an observational study Nichols Farms conducted in the early 2000s to determine how animal nutrition company ADM’s AminoGain product would affect average daily gain (ADG) when added to a creep feed ration. The product seemed to work in that environment, so Havens and his team decided to keep feeding it to their bull calves into adulthood. ADG numbers continued to improve, but there was more to it.

Genetic progress can only go so far without implementing a nutrition plan that magnifies those genetic strengths. Image by Paige Wallace Photography.

“That first year, we increased rib-eye area on every animal in the bull barn by 1 square inch,” Havens recalls.

Had the herd’s genetics improved that much year over year? No.

“It just shows that we weren’t feeding them to their potential,” says Havens. “It showed us that if you’re going to do the genetic work, you might have different nutrition requirements for those animals.”

For the past 10 years, Nichols Farms has been collecting phenotypes related to health and immunity. They’ve recorded animals that got sick, paying particular attention to how close to high-stress times like weaning and shipping they developed symptoms of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). These phenotypes have been collected on almost 7,000 Nichols animals, which has helped them develop an expected progeny difference (EPD) for resistance to BRD.

Whether it’s selecting for disease resistance, weight gain or marbling, producers need to be aware of how to maximize cattle’s genetic potential.

“Look at how fast the industry has made genetic progress since genomics came out. It’s incredible,” says Brian Fieser, a field nutritionist with ADM. “We already weren’t keeping up nutritionally with the genetic progress that was being made. When that genetic progress takes place even more rapidly, the nutrition aspect becomes a bigger factor.

“If we know our cattle have the genetic capacity to generate that immune response, we want to make sure they have the nutrient requirements to have that capability,” Fieser continues. “It would be like taking cattle with the capacity to marble like crazy and not put any grain into them. Then why do we even have cattle that can marble like crazy? If you have those kinds of genetics, don’t short them on the nutrition. Don’t rob them of the nutrition we know they need to express those genetics.”

Both Havens and Fieser stress the importance of really understanding what kind of cattle are on your place when formulating a nutrition plan. A solid relationship with a trusted nutritionist can make a huge difference. And when your genetics are on one end of a bell curve or the other, they need to be handled differently than those in the middle.

“There is a major challenge of trying to manage massive numbers of cattle,” Fieser concedes. “How do we deal with that top 10 percent of the population that aren’t getting fed properly? We’re capable of breeding them now, but if we’re not going to maximize it at the very end, we’re not doing those cattle or that genetic progress justice.”

“We can’t feed on averages anymore,” says Havens. “We’ve got to know where our genetic base is and feed it to its potential. You’ve got to have the right management, the right nutrition to make sure those genetics are working to their potential, whether you’re measuring for carcass traits, performance, maternal – that animal has to be healthy and have the right resources to stay healthy or to get back to being healthy.”