Improving 'feed efficiency' in cattle
<p><span word="Animal">Animal</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="producers">producers</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>, <span word="grains">grains</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="risen">risen</span> <span word="sharply">sharply</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drought">drought</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="wildfires">wildfires</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="burned">burned</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="hectares">hectares</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="rangeland">rangeland</span>.</p><p><span word="Jack">Jack</span> <span word="Field">Field</span> <span word="raises">raises</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="northwestern">northwestern</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="save">save</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="plans">plans</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="truck">truck</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="herd">herd</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cows">cows</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="stubble">stubble</span>. <span word="Crop">Crop</span> <span word="stubble">stubble</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="crops">crops</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="harvested">harvested</span>.</p><p><span word="Moving">Moving</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="costs">costs</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="feeding">feeding</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="hay">hay</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="profit">profit</span>.</p><p><span word="Tim">Tim</span> <span word="DelCurto">DelCurto</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="beef">beef</span> <span word="scientist">scientist</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Oregon">Oregon</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="University">University</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="ranchers">ranchers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feedlot">feedlot</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="grass">grass</span>-<span word="seed">seed</span> <span word="straw">straw</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="distillers">distillers</span> <span word="grains">grains</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="grains">grains</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="ethanol">ethanol</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="production">production</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="cannery">cannery</span> <span word="waste">waste</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="items">items</span> <span word="rejected">rejected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="vegetable">vegetable</span> <span word="processors">processors</span> -- <span word="like">like</span> <span word="misshapen">misshapen</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="beans">beans</span>, <span word="carrots">carrots</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="fries">fries</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="unique">unique</span> <span word="attributes">attributes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="beef">beef</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> -- <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sheep">sheep</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="fit">fit</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="too">too</span> -- <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="virtually">virtually</span> <span word="digest">digest</span> <span word="anything">anything</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="rising">rising</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="agricultural">agricultural</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="universities">universities</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="call">call</span> "<span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span>." <span word="The">The</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Idaho">Idaho</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="barn">barn</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="sensors">sensors</span> <span word="measure">measure</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="cow">cow</span> <span word="eats">eats</span>.</p>
页:
[1]