Extent of the Problem and the Need for the Research

Recently (June 26, 2018), a disturbing headline hit the national news, “Farmers in America are killing themselves in staggering numbers” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-farmers-rising-suicide-rates-plummeting-incomes/. This article quoted Chris Hurt of Purdue who said, “Think about trying to live today on the income you had 15 years ago.” The article further stated that finances are the major reason for the increase in this rural tragedy. Costs of production continue to rise while the price for agricultural commodities decline. Although the challenges facing agricultural commodities may be less extreme for beef cattle production than for large scale crop and dairy production, there has still been considerable volatility in the prices received for weaned calves. In a comparison of calf price data from the National Ag Statistics Service for the period from 2011 to 2018, the difference in gross weaned calf market value from the highest market price (2015) to the lowest market price (2011) was $760. For the median value market price over this time span, the difference was $565.

In the midst of declining market power, beef cattle production on western rangeland needs to embrace efficiency of production. Optimal beef cattle production is not necessarily the same as maximal cattle production. Astute producers realize that cows need to produce a calf every year without heavily subsidizing this production with purchased inputs. Yet they also have learned that strategic additions to the management system are necessary to avoid biological insults to the ranching operation.

In addition to managing financial and labor inputs in rangeland ranching operations, it is important to define and characterize the “optimal” cow herd upon which calf production relies. Cow size in the U.S. has been getting larger for at least the last 20 to 30 years and it has been a matter of investigation for cows grazing rangeland in recent research (Scasta et al., 2015; Williams et al., 2018a).

A quest to find “adapted” cows to fit rangeland environments has been a focus for scientists in the West for many years. Earlier efforts sought to identify ideal breed compositions to match differing environments (Kress and Nelson, 1988). Today, we continue to pursue the “holy grail” of an ideal, efficient cow to match western environments. As a rancher stated in a recent presentation made at the 2015 Range Beef Cow Symposium (Olsen, 2015), “The area of production efficiency, and specifically feed efficiency, has plenty of room for improvement in the nation’s cow herd.” Beef producer focus groups were conducted throughout Idaho by the Beef Program of Distinction in 2015. A pertinent finding was, “Recognition that increasing cow size has corresponding feed needs but the amount of available grazing and pasture land is constant. The University of Idaho was encouraged to look at ways that cattle can become more feed efficient.”

Our goal is to characterize beef cattle that effectively use rangeland and forage based systems in the West. We will also seek to expand understanding of how to enhance the ability of these cows to utilize lower quality and variable forage that often prevails on rangeland. For example, environmental conditions interact with cow biological type in how they use and access rangeland (Sprinkle et al., 2000; VanWagoner et al., 2006; Wyfels et al., 2018).

Should we fail to continue with this research, the economic benefits of an “ideal cow” and the strategic inputs necessary to manage her may not be conveyed to beef producers in the West. Cows may continue to be inappropriately paired to the highly variable conditions that exist throughout this region. Inefficiencies in livestock production may continue to be perpetuated, adding to the economic stress brought about by a highly competitive market. Additionally, producers will not have access to information regarding management strategies to minimize environmental impacts in areas populated with threatened or endangered species.

Need for a Multiple Institution Approach

The expanse of knowledge gained through research for the critical need identified above is best accomplished through a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional approach, and a myriad of contributing factors must be studied. Mechanisms of adaptation by beef cattle in the Western range landscape include both behavioral and physiological modifications. Cattle change behavior to maintain homeothermy, access preferred forages, acknowledge social dominance and interaction, engage in exploratory activity, and fit their daily activity to the grazing environment. Livestock also have unique physiological responses that introduces variation into the utilization of native rangeland and introduced forages.

Participating scientists and Extension specialists in this project have skills in determining forage intake of grazing animals, strategic supplementation, animal physiology, animal behavior, genetics and epistatic effects of selection, statistical models and inferences, rangeland management, nutrient acquisition and utilization, laboratory forage and plant-wax (e.g., alkane) analyses. With this multistate research group, we are able to interact with each other in a symbiotic way to better investigate livestock grazing nutrition and efficiency in a variety of grazing environments. Since the inception of this project over 30 years ago, participation has included many Western States. Currently, we have participants from California, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. We believe that the challenges that are shared among the Western states are best addressed by combining the expertise and resources from all the states.

National Priorities

W-2012's goals are aligned with the USDA 2014-2018 Strategic Plan's Goals 1and 2: 1) Assist rural communities to create prosperity so they are self-sustaining, re-populating, and economically thriving. 2) Ensure our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while enhancing our water resources. We also align with the USDA-NIFA 2014-2018 Strategic Plan's Science Goal 1: Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education and extension programs. Specifically, priorities addressed by the project include the NIFA Sub-Goal 1.1 (Advance our Nation’s ability to achieve global food security and fight hunger), Sub-Goal 1.2 (Advance the development and delivery of science for agricultural, forest, and range systems adapted to climate variability and to mitigate climate impacts), Sub-Goal 1.3 (Optimize the production of goods and services from working lands while protecting the Nation’s natural resource base and environment), and Sub-Goal 1.7 (Ensure the development of human capital, communities, and a diverse workforce through research, education, extension and engagement programs in food and agricultural sciences to support a sustainable agriculture system). Our primary stakeholders are farmers, ranchers, and state and federal land managers in states represented by scientists participating in the project, but there is broad applicability of our work nation-wide. Our secondary stakeholders are the consumers of animal products that benefit from the reduced prices associated with efficient animal production systems. Our tertiary stakeholders are the citizens of communities whose economies are improved by profitable and sustainable animal industries and that benefit from the multiplier effects these industries have on community economies.

Probable Impacts

Further research to cow size efficiency and feed efficiency (residual feed intake) may assist in identifying cattle that not only eat less (Herd et al., 1998) but also use rangeland more sustainably. As part of our research on forage and pasture utilization, strategies will be developed to assist producers in mediating the negative effects brought about highly variable forage quality. Thus, optimal beef production can be developed that will improve financial solvency of western range livestock production.