Welcome to the efficiency breeders
McDonnell Angus dates back to the 1960’s as one of the founding new generations of Performance Breeders. It was a new discipline-based method to measure a select cattle. Simply “to measure cattle for traits of economic importance for the cow-calf, feeder, and packer segment with emphasis on the cow.”
From this McDonnell’s started Midland Bull Test and a few years later McDonnell Angus.
In 2008 we invested very heavy in a feed intake system developed by GrowSafe which today is Vytelle and joined a group of like kind breeders who saw tremendous economic values for rancher, and feeders in identifying and developing a program with a baseline of genetics designed and selected for efficiency with the cow-being the starting point. We have traveled from Canada to Texas, and from West Virginia to California looking at these programs and herds. We study them every year and if we find a bull that fits our spec’s we try to own them.
Since selecting for just feed conversion or Average Daily Gain increase cattle’s feed intake, McDonnell and others started incorporating Residual Feed Intake (RFI). Including RFI in the selection panel has allowed us to develop cattle with cows that produce at the same weaning weight level truly are not only lower intake on the range but still very efficient in the feedlot.
Starting in 2010 we fed the first set of RFI sired steers (200 head) on grass at Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma then moved them to Decatur feeders in Kansas where they set a new record for feed conversion. This was followed by 3 years of progeny testing for feed intake at Simplot Feeders in Grandview, Idaho. Semen was provided to local ranchers on both efficiency sires and popular Angus sires to compare progress of selecting for efficiency and economic differences. All steers were parentage tested for sire verification and then measured through GrowSafe technology for feed intake and feed conversion.
The most recent test in 2019 at Simplot. There were 188 steers, all from one ranch, with 16 sires represented including 2 Simmental sires. Three of the sires were McDonnell efficiency sires, and rated 1st, 2nd, & 4th for feed/conversion. The three McDonnell efficiency sires also rated 1st, 2nd, & 3rd for low feed intake and 1st, 2nd, 3rd for RFI.
SIMPLOT 2019 STEER RESULTs
Final wt. ADG F/C DMI
Average of 12 Comparison Sires 1510 lbs. 4.21 6.10 25.6
McDonnell Top Sires 1520 lbs. 4.26 5.11 21.71
Our Top efficiency sire consumed 19% less feed, same body weight steers with a 19% improvement in feed conversion costs.That’s the importance of including RFI and even DMI in your efficiency selection Panel/Index/Toolbox. Research continues to show there is a 90% correlation in RFI to how the male calves do and what daughters will do.
In 2022, two different sets of steers were finished in Nebraska with one set at North Platte, Nebraska closing out with a $.88 cost of gain in June of 2022. Through all these years we have balanced feed conversion in the feedlot with RFI to reduce intake in the cowherd and kept the same level of genetic pressure for Maternal integrity-stressing fertility, feet, udder and teat integrity, and longevity.
The McDonnell Beef Country Breeder Sales includes our fall calving cows we run with Travis & Breann Heaton, McKenzie, North Dakota. Our spring calving cows are north of Columbus with Brian Barragree. We also were fortunate in 2021 during the drought in North Dakota to move our younger cows to RockCreek Cattle Co. of Penokee, Kansas, where they run them for us.
We also have three co-op herds with Deep Creek Angus, Potlatch, Idaho with spring calving cows. And Marda Farms of Lodi, Wisconsin and Steve & Kim Crowe of Valentine, Nebraska both are fall calving cows. The Deep Creek and Crowe cattle are exclusively bred to known efficiency sires. Also, MJB Angus of Lodge Grass, Montana a partnership herd, and Steve and Amy Williams will have their summer and fall bulls in the sale.
Guest breeders are Frosty Creek Angus, Terry and LaVonne Frost of Roundup, Montana who use a high percentage of efficiency sires along with partnering with us on some Herd bulls at times.
Welcome to the efficiency breeders
From this McDonnell’s started Midland Bull Test and a few years later McDonnell Angus.
In 2008 we invested very heavy in a feed intake system developed by GrowSafe which today is Vytelle and joined a group of like kind breeders who saw tremendous economic values for rancher, and feeders in identifying and developing a program with a baseline of genetics designed and selected for efficiency with the cow-being the starting point. We have traveled from Canada to Texas, and from West Virginia to California looking at these programs and herds. We study them every year and if we find a bull that fits our spec’s we try to own them.
Since selecting for just feed conversion or Average Daily Gain increase cattle’s feed intake, McDonnell and others started incorporating Residual Feed Intake (RFI). Including RFI in the selection panel has allowed us to develop cattle with cows that produce at the same weaning weight level truly are not only lower intake on the range but still very efficient in the feedlot.
Starting in 2010 we fed the first set of RFI sired steers (200 head) on grass at Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma then moved them to Decatur feeders in Kansas where they set a new record for feed conversion. This was followed by 3 years of progeny testing for feed intake at Simplot Feeders in Grandview, Idaho. Semen was provided to local ranchers on both efficiency sires and popular Angus sires to compare progress of selecting for efficiency and economic differences. All steers were parentage tested for sire verification and then measured through GrowSafe technology for feed intake and feed conversion.
The most recent test in 2019 at Simplot. There were 188 steers, all from one ranch, with 16 sires represented including 2 Simmental sires. Three of the sires were McDonnell efficiency sires, and rated 1st, 2nd, & 4th for feed/conversion. The three McDonnell efficiency sires also rated 1st, 2nd, & 3rd for low feed intake and 1st, 2nd, 3rd for RFI.
SIMPLOT 2019 STEER RESULTS
Final wt. ADG F/C DMI
Average of 12 Comparison Sires 1510 lbs. 4.21 6.10 25.64
McDonnell Top Sires 1520 lbs. 4.26 5.11 21.71
Our Top efficiency sire consumed 19% less feed, same body weight steers with a 19% improvement in feed conversion costs.That’s the importance of including RFI and even DMI in your efficiency selection Panel/Index/Toolbox. Research continues to show there is a 90% correlation in RFI to how the male calves do and what daughters will do.
In 2022, two different sets of steers were finished in Nebraska with one set at North Platte, Nebraska closing out with a $.88 cost of gain in June of 2022. Through all these years we have balanced feed conversion in the feedlot with RFI to reduce intake in the cowherd and kept the same level of genetic pressure for Maternal integrity-stressing fertility, feet, udder and teat integrity, and longevity.
The McDonnell Beef Country Breeder Sales includes our fall calving cows we run with Travis & Breann Heaton, McKenzie, North Dakota. Our spring calving cows are north of Columbus with Brian Barragree. We also were fortunate in 2021 during the drought in North Dakota to move our younger cows to RockCreek Cattle Co. of Penokee, Kansas, where they run them for us.
We also have three co-op herds with Deep Creek Angus, Potlatch, Idaho with spring calving cows. And Marda Farms of Lodi, Wisconsin and Steve & Kim Crowe of Valentine, Nebraska both are fall calving cows. The Deep Creek and Crowe cattle are exclusively bred to known efficiency sires. Also, MJB Angus of Lodge Grass, Montana a partnership herd, and Steve and Amy Williams will have their summer and fall bulls in the sale.
Guest breeders are Frosty Creek Angus, Terry and LaVonne Frost of Roundup, Montana who use a high percentage of efficiency sires along with partnering with us on some Herd bulls at times.