Beyond average daily gain: The true path to cattle profitability

Cattle producers often turn to average daily gain, feed conversion or reproduction when targeting improved efficiency but while they all have a place, a focus on feed efficiency traits is critical as it zeroes in on both the cost of feed and the value of gain.

Jason Osterstock, Chief Science Officer at Vytelle, joins Sarah Muirhead to explore how data-driven approaches are transforming herd management decisions. Rather than relying solely on conventional measures like average daily gain or feed conversion, forward-thinking producers are harnessing sophisticated analytics to identify animals with superior efficiency traits. These insights enable more strategic breeding decisions that compound benefits across generations.

What makes this evolution particularly exciting is its accessibility. Technologies that were once reserved for only the largest operations are now available to producers of all sizes through user-friendly platforms and mobile devices. This democratization of data science allows the entire industry to advance toward more sustainable production methods. Vytelle exemplifies this approach with its integrated technology platform designed to help cattle producers deliver more protein with fewer inputs, ensuring that meat and milk remain competitive food choices for future generations amid growing sustainability concerns.

Want to learn more about optimizing your herd's efficiency? Visit vytelle.com to discover how their technology solutions can transform your operation. 

Subscribe to Feedstuffs in Focus wherever you get your podcasts to hear more conversations about the big issues affecting the livestock, poultry, grain and animal feed industries.

Episode Transcript

Sarah Muirhead (00:06):
Cattle producers often turn to average daily
gain, feed conversion orreproduction when targeting
improved efficiency.
While all those things have aplace, a focus on feed
efficiency traits can becritical, as it zeroes in on
both the cost of feed and thevalue of gain.
Welcome to Feedstuffs in Focus,our podcast taking a look at

(00:28):
the big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries.
I'm your host, sarah Muirhead.
This episode has been sponsoredby Vytelle.
Vytelle's integrated technologyplatform helps cattle producers
sustainably deliver moreprotein with fewer inputs,
helping to ensure meat and milkare viable, competitive food

(00:50):
choices for future generations.
Learn more about Vitali and itstechnology at vitalicom.
Joining us today to discuss howcattle producers can optimize
their herds is Jason Osterstock,chief Science Officer with
Vytelle.
So, jason, Vytelle is aprecision livestock company

(01:10):
reshaping how cattle producersoptimize their herds.
Explain to us what does thatmean in terms of you know, in
practical terms, and why is thatimportant for the cattle
industry today?

Jason Osterstock (01:21):
Yeah, vitalitelli's really focused on
tackling some of the mostcomplex challenges that face
cattle producers, specificallythinking about feed efficiency,
reproductive optimization andsustainability.
Our approach is to try to usetechnology that's really at the
intersection between that techand practical application to
empower producers to make betterdecisions and make better use

(01:44):
of data to enhance their herds.

Sarah Muirhead (01:46):
So, with over 320,000 genetic evaluations from
29 breeds and plans toincorporate genomic data into
predictions, how is Vytelleadvancing the accuracy and the
application of genetic data incattle breeding?

Jason Osterstock (02:02):
Yeah, one of the most important things for
any cattle breeder is to be ableto make the right decision,
picking the right animals tobuild the next generation.
So part of our role is to makesure that we provide the highest
accuracy EPDs as possible forthe traits that we evaluate to
help make those better decisions.
So some of the things thatwe're doing is we run a genetic
evaluation every week for drymatter intake, average daily

(02:24):
gain and feed efficiency.
We've recently enhanced thatevaluation model to increase the
heritability of the underlyingtraits and we're also starting
to incorporate genomic data sothat we can deliver genomically
enhanced EPDs for those traitsof interest related to feed
efficiency to again help driveup the accuracy and make better
selection decisions.

Sarah Muirhead (02:45):
Methane monitoring.
It has to be a key focus.
I mean it is a key focusglobally.
Can you elaborate on Vytellemethane monitoring system and
how that fits into the broadersustainability efforts that are
going on in that cattle?

Jason Osterstock (03:00):
industry.
Yeah, you've really hit thenail on the head a very
important topic for our industryto address.
As Vytelle experience andhistory in understanding feed
intake, we have a greatappreciation for how feed intake
drives methane production and,as we look at the industry

(03:25):
overall, we felt like there weresome gaps, particularly around
cost-effective, scalablesolutions to measure methane and
do so while also measuring feedintake, because we can't
understand one without the other.
So we're currently in theprocess of doing some field
testing on a new methane sensorthat'll be integrated with our
VitaliSense feed intake nodes,allow us to phenotype animals
for feed intake and methaneright side by side and
ultimately help us understandmethane and sustainability, but
in the context of actual,profitable cattle production.

Sarah Muirhead (03:49):
Oh, that's fascinating.
So you think genetics and breedinfluences that whole methane
production?

Jason Osterstock (03:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
We know that enteric methaneemissions from cattle.
They are heritable, they arecontrolled by genetics and,
interestingly, genetics is goingto be one of the most powerful
ways that we continue to helpour global cattle herd address
concerns around sustainabilitybecause genetic change is
permanent.
If we have a feed additive or avaccine, as soon as that's

(04:16):
removed from the system, thebenefit goes away, but with
genetics those genes are alwaysthere for generations to come.

Sarah Muirhead (04:22):
For producers who are interested in improving
their herds.
What steps can they take to getinvolved in Vytelle services?

Jason Osterstock (04:30):
Well, one of the things we pride ourselves on
is being easy to do businesswith, being very accessible to
our customers, and particularlyfor those that want to start to
use some of the technologies,whether it be phenotyping for
feed intake or methane, orthinking about in vitro
fertilization.
You can go to our website atvitalecom All of our field
representatives are listed thereand certainly keep track of our

(04:52):
social media channels, wherewe'll have lots of exciting
announcements throughout theyear highlighting some of our
new products.

Sarah Muirhead (04:57):
What excites you the most about the upcoming
enhancements and developmentsplanned for 2025?
And you know how can you, howshould your customers be
prepared for those you said tomonitor and to follow the
announcements.
Anything else they should bedoing?

Jason Osterstock (05:12):
Yeah, well, it's a little bit like picking
your favorite child, trying tochoose what I'm most excited
about.
But you know, I think the thingfor me that I'm most excited
about is, as we look at all ofthese different things that
we're doing to whether it'sphenotyping and improving
accuracy of our EPDs, improvingefficiency of our IVF programs,
thinking about how we managerecipients differently as we

(05:33):
analyze all of those things usedtogether, there's actually real
synergy.
It's not simply an additiverelationship, and so we're
really excited about gettingtowards the end of this year and
having some of these newproducts in place reducing the
cost for live calf through IVFby about $100 a piece.
Accelerating genetic progresswe're going to increase genetic
progress by 50% with thatgenomic data.

(05:55):
So a lot of things going on,and I think my ask of the
customers and those prospectivetechnology users is to be very
open-minded.
These aren't unproventechnologies.
This is all very wellestablished and a really
exciting time to be in the beefindustry.

Sarah Muirhead (06:11):
Final thoughts to leave our audience with today
.

Jason Osterstock (06:14):
Yeah, I think what I just highlighted.
Keep an open mind.
We've got complex challenges,but Vytelle really empowering
producers with the righttechnologies that are ready for
prime time, so to speak,providing good data to help make
great decisions, and that'struly a win-win relationship.

Sarah Muirhead (06:31):
Very good.
Thank you so much for joiningus here today.

Jason Osterstock (06:33):
My pleasure, thank you.

Sarah Muirhead (06:35):
This episode has been sponsored by Vitali.
Vitali's integrated technologyplatform helps cattle producers
sustainably deliver more proteinwith fewer inputs, helping to
ensure meat and milk are viable,competitive food choices for
future generations.
Learn more about Vitali and itstechnology at vitalicom.

(06:56):
I'm Sarah Muirhead and you'vebeen listening to Feedstuffs In
Focus.
If you would like to hear moreconversations about some of the
big issues affecting thelivestock, poultry, grain and
animal feed industries,subscribe to this podcast on
your favorite podcast channel.
Until next time, have a greatday day and thank you for
listening.