Genex Teams with Profit Maker Bulls

SHAWANO, Wis. - To further identify and provide cattle genetics that will make a substantial positive economic impact on farms and ranches, Genex Cooperative, Inc. has teamed with Profit Maker Bulls. Genex, a leading cattle genetics cooperative based in Shawano, Wis., and Profit Maker Bulls, a bull development facility located near Ogallala, Neb., will work together to evaluate the genetic differences in feed efficiency between various Genex sires.

"Profit Maker Bulls has embarked on the use of the Grow Safe Feed Intake Measurement System to help evaluate the most expensive portion of beef systems today - feed costs," explains Chad Ellingson, Genex beef sire procurement manager. "We believe utilizing the Grow Safe System to identify high feed efficiency sires will be beneficial to our cooperative's membership."

The Grow Safe System requires measuring the average weight, amount of gain and quantity of feed consumed by individual cattle during a 73-day test period. After 72 days, the quantity of feed each animal should have eaten for his weight and gain is calculated and compared to the actual quantity eaten. If the animal ate less than expected, he is efficient. If he ate more than expected, he is inefficient. The animal scientists call these differences between expected and actual feed consumption Residual Feed Intake or RFI.

Each year, several Genex sires will be evaluated by having progeny tested through the Grow Safe System. Profit Maker Bulls will breed cattle using both elite, high accuracy Genex sires and promising Genex young sires thus ensuring a useful benchmark comparison for the young sires.

Genex's Ellingson will determine the sires to be evaluated and will work closely with Profit Maker Bulls general manager, Dave Bittner, to evaluate the progeny test data.

"In the future, cattle producers will rely on feed intake data along other traits, such as growth traits and physical traits, to obtain the truly superior animal," comments Ellingson. "Both Profit Maker Bulls and Genex are focused on giving their profit-minded customers this opportunity."

For more information on the joint efforts between Genex and Profit Maker Bulls, view the video clip from American Rancher television. CLICK HERE.

Genex is a subsidiary of Cooperative resources International (CRI). CRI, a member-owned holding cooperative, is comprised of three subsidiaries: Central Livestock Association, AgSource Cooperative Services and Genex. The CRI Mission Statement summarizes the goal of CRI: "To provide products and services as effectively as possible to maximize the profitability of members and customers worldwide while maintaining a strong cooperative."

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