Net protein contribution of beef feedlots from 2006 to 2017.

Feedlot efficiency increases as technologies are adopted and new feed ingredients, especially byproducts, become available and incorporated into diets. Byproduct availability increased in response to the renewable fuels standard of 2005, creating substantial amounts of feedstuffs best used by ruminants. Cereal grains have been partially replaced with human-inedible byproducts, as they provide comparable levels of energy in cattle diets.

Effects of diet type on nutrient utilization and energy balance in drylot heifers1.

Feeding cattle in intensified settings allows cow-calf producers to decrease their reliance on grazed forage and utilize alternative feedstuffs. During times of intense management, diet type may alter energy utilization. Fourteen pregnant MARC III heifers (405 ± 44 kg BW) were used in a 180 d experiment to determine effects of diet type on nutrient and energy utilization.

Limit feeding as a strategy to increase energy efficiency in intensified cow-calf production systems.

Two experiments were conducted to measure efficiency of energy use in limit-fed cows. In Exp. 1, 32 pregnant, crossbred cows were used to examine the effects of dietary energy concentration and intake level on energy utilization and digestion.

Evaluation of net protein contribution, methane production, and net returns from beef production as duration of confinement increases in the cow-calf sector1.

Intensification of cow-calf production may provide a sustainable solution for meeting increasing beef demand in the face of diminishing resources. However, intensification with its greater reliance on cereal grains potentially decreases the upcycling of human-inedible protein into beef. A previously described model was used to evaluate cow-calf intensification on beef's ability to meet human protein requirements.

Estimation of human-edible protein conversion efficiency, net protein contribution, and enteric methane production from beef production in the United States.

A model was developed to estimate beef's contribution toward meeting human protein requirements using a summative model of net protein contribution () and methane production. NPC was calculated by multiplying the ratio of human-edible protein () in beef to the HeP in feedstuffs by the protein quality ratio (). PQR describes the change in biological value of HeP that occurs when plant-derived HeP is converted to beef.