2020-113: Evaluation of animal variability in fibre digestion and strategies to improve forage use in beef cattle

Increasing fiber digestibility can help reduce costs and increase beef sustainability. Even in feedlots, forages still account for 80% of the total feed. Earlier research projects have shown that cattle which had the highest ability to digest fibre also ate more, which could then in turn increase their average daily gain.

This research project, led by the Beef Industry Research Chair Dr. Gabriel Riberio, will compare the growth performance of weaned cales with a higher ability to digest fibre. Calves with the highest and lowest fibre digestibility will be compared by evaluating their rumens. They will attempt to find biological markers, before confirming their hypothesis with a larger study.