Skip to main content

Table 5 Responses to selection for the example beef cattle production system in Table 1

From: Methods and consequences of including reduction in greenhouse gas emission in beef cattle multiple-trait selection

Performance measure

Performance level

After selection

 Young animal pasture feed intake (PFA), MJ

12,740

 Young animal feedlot feed intake (FFA), MJ

10,987

 Young animal total feed intake, MJ

23,728

 Cow pasture feed intake (CFA), MJ

31,328

 Total feed intake (TFA), MJ

55,056

 Young animal GHG emission at pasture (PGA), kg CO2-e

932

 Young animal GHG emission in feedlot (FGA), kg CO2-e

33

 Young animal total GHG emission, kg CO2-e

965

 Cow GHG emission at pasture (CGA), kg CO2-e

2262

 Total GHG emission (TGA), kg CO2 equiv.

3228

Effects of selection

Before selection (XB)

After selection (XA)

% Change

Total product, kg

172

171

− 0.64

Total feed intake, MJ

55,851

55,056

− 1.42

Total GHG emission, kg CO2-e

3279

3228

− 1.58

$Net returna

398

422

6.14

Product per unit of feed, kg/MJ

0.003097159

0.003121866

0.80

GHG per unit of product, kg CO2-e/kg

18.9

18.7

− 0.95

GHG per unit of feed, kg CO2-e/MJ

0.058726425

0.058631001

− 0.16

$Net return per unit of feeda, $/MJ

0.007126103

0.007672676

7.67

$Net return per unit of GHGa, $/kg CO2-e

0.12134407

0.130863803

7.85

  1. Characteristics of the production system are in Table 1
  2. Methods for assessing effects are in Table 2
  3. All quantities are assessed over 12 months unless indicated
  4. aAssessed using total feed, before and after selection, over the period of limited feed