How Many Pounds of Grain Are Needed to Produce One Pound of Beef?

[Update] A new study has plant that Canada's beef industry has dramatically reduced its water footprint over the past several decades, and that tendency is expected to continue. Learn more at The Canadian Beef Water Footprint in Shrinking, published December 14, 2017

We recently received an e-mail asking: " I've read that it takes 16 lbs of constitute material and 5000 gallons of water to make a pound of beef. How far from the truth is this? "

Then we calculated just how much feed and water beefiness cattle do utilize before they're harvested.

Feed

In terms of institute material, because water content is higher in some feeds than in others, feed use is measured on a dry affair basis. Feed conversion (pounds of feed consumed per pound of live brute proceeds) varies with the type of feed an fauna is fed, how it is processed, etc. Current feed to gain ratios in a feedlot animal are about 6lbs of feed per 1lb of live weight gain.

For example, if an animal enters the feedlot at 500lbs and finishes at 1400lbs alive weight (which will produce an 868lb carcass with 512lb of edible beef), that animal needs to gain 900lbs. At a vi:1 conversion, that'due south 5400lbs of full feed used.

5400lbs feed ÷ 512lbs beef  =
10.half dozen lbs feed per pound of edible beefiness .

In western Canada, much of the feed used for feedlot cattle is either barley that didn't brand the grade for brewing, or sometimes wheat that didn't brand the grade for bread milling, or grain that spoiled in storage. For instance, y'all hear a lot about the track shipping excess leaving lots of grain on the subcontract. Given final year's bumper crop, a lot of that grain was stored on the ground and spoiled. Spoiled grain is no longer good for beer or bread, but it's fine for cattle. Feeding it to cattle means that grain doesn't become to waste.

Back in the 1950's, feed conversion ratios were nearly 11:1, significant that information technology took nearly twice as much feed to produce a pound of beef. Genetic pick and innovations continue to amend feed conversion in cattle.

Water

Based on average daily consumption numbers available here, a beef animal that reaches slaughter weight at 21 months would probably drinkable well-nigh xviii,600 liters (iv,091 gallons) of h2o. That animal produces around 512 lbs of edible beef.

4,091 gallons ÷ 512lb beefiness  =
8 gallons of water per pound of edible beef .*

Many cattle become to slaughter at earlier ages, in which instance that water use number would be lower.

Cows apply h2o, but they don't use it up. Water cycles. Simply a very small fraction of the water consumed is retained in the trunk. Nigh of the water that cattle drink continues to cycle in the environment.

*Note that water used during processing was non included, nor water used for irrigation to grow feed (some parts of the country use irrigation, some don't), because accurate data is currently unavailable. Even so, nosotros exercise know that both irrigation systems and packing plants accept become much more efficient in water use.

Progress

It is rubber to say that as an manufacture, we're doing a lot better at using h2o than we used to. Back in the 1950'due south, cattle were closer to 3 years of age at slaughter, would have drank closer to 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons), and produced a much smaller carcass (250 lb edible beef). It would have taken 44 gallons per pound of edible beef, instead of the viii gallons per pound today. (That's even so a far cry from 5,000 gallons per pound!)

Canada's beef manufacture produces more beef now, using a lot less water and feed than we used to. That'due south good for farm economic science, and helps keep beef affordable for consumers. At the same time, improvements in feed efficiency also mean that nosotros're producing less greenhouse gas and manure per pound of beef. That's good for the environment.

[Update] A new study has constitute that Canada's beefiness industry has dramatically reduced its water footprint over the past several decades, and that trend is expected to continue. Learn more than at The Canadian Beef Water Footprint in Shrinking, published Dec 14, 2017

To learn more, visit:

Questioning the beef manufacture's water use

Optimizing Feedlot Feed Efficiency

Environmental Footprint of Beef Production

Click here to subscribe to the BCRC Web log and receive electronic mail notifications when new content is posted.

The sharing or reprinting of this BCRC Web log article is welcome and encouraged. Please provide acknowledgement to the Beef Cattle Research Quango, list the website address, world wide web.BeefResearch.ca, and let the states know y'all chose to share the article by emailing usa at info@beefresearch.ca.

We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. Contact the states direct or generate public discussion by posting your thoughts below.

howarddentrecheigh75.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/cattle-feed-water-use-2014/