50. Finding Ways to Increase 'Feed Efficiency' in Cattle




Animal feed1 is the biggest cost2 for most3 cattle producers4. In the United States, the cost of hay5, grain6 and other feed has risen sharply 7 because of8 a drought9.

At the same time10, wildfires11 this year burned12 more than 1 million hectares of North American rangeland. Jack Field raises cattle14 in the northwestern state of Washington. To save money15, he made plans to transport his small herd of cows16 300 kilometers away17 to feed18 on crop stubble. Crop stubble is what remains20 after crops have been21 harvested22.

Moving his cattle from farm to farm23 costs money and time. But he says, if he can avoid24 feeding them hay, he can still25 make a profit26.Tim DelCurto is a beef27 scientist at Oregon State University. He is working with ranchers and feedlot28 owners29 to help them find lower cost ways30 to feed cattle.

He says cattle can eat things like31 grass-seed straw32 and distillers33 grains. These grains are left over34 from ethanol fuel35 production. He says cattle can also eat vegetables rejected by36 vegetable processing factories37 like green beans38, and carrots39.
Tim DelCurto says beef cattle can digest40 almost anything41.

 The rising42 cost of feed has led43 agricultural research44 universities to give greater attention to what experts45 call "feed efficiency." The University of Idaho has a cattle barn46 where sensors measure exactly47 how much food each48 cow eats.
Professor Rod Hill says just because49 animals are growing50 at the same rate51 does not mean52 they eat the same amount53 of food. In fact54, the difference in how efficiently their bodies turn feed into meat55, fat56, bone57 and skin58 might be surprising59.

Rod Hill says ranchers can use selective breeding60 to get the same growth61 with less feed. But he says not to focus too much on one thing, like reducing fat. He says that, while62 leaner63 beef cattle are more efficient, they produce less profitable64 meat.For VOA Learning English, I'm Carolyn Presutti. 
Vocabulary

 1. Animal feed = alimentação animal
2. Cost = custo
3. Most = maioria
4. cattle producers = produtores de gado
5. hay = feno
6. grain = grãos
7. has risen sharply = tem subido abruptamente
8. because of = por causa de
9. drought = seca
10. At the same time = ao mesmo tempo
11. Wildfires = incêndios florestais
12. Burned = queimaram
13. Rangeland = pastagem
14. raises cattle = cria gado
15. save money = economizar dinheiro
16. small herd of cows = pequeno rebanho de vacas
17. kilometers away = quilometros de distancia
18. feed = alimentar
19. crop stubble = restos de colheita
20. remains = permanence
21. have been = tem sido
22. harvested = colhido
23. from farm to farm = de fazenda a fazenda
24. if he can avoid = se ele puder evitar
25. still = ainda
26. make a profit = fazer um lucro
27. beef = carne de boi
28. feedlot = confinamento
29. owners = donos, proprietaries
30. lower cost ways = formas de baixo custo
31. things like = coisas como
32. grass-seed straw = grama de semente de palha
33. distillers = destiladores
34. left over = sobras
35. fuel = combustível
36. rejected by = rejeitado por
37. factories = fábricas
38. beans = feijões
39. carrots = cenouras
40. digest = digerir
41. almost anything = quase qualquer coisa
42. rising = crescent
43. has led = tem levado, tem conduzido
44. agricultural research = pesquisa agrícola
45. experts = especialista
46. barn = estábulo
47. measure exactly = medem exatamente
48. each = cada
49. just because = simplesmente porque
50. growing = crescendo
51. rate = taxa, índice
52. does not mean = não significa
53. amount = quantidade
54. . In fact = na verdade
55. turn feed into meat = transformam alimento em carne
56. fat = gordura
57. bone = osso
58. skin = pele
59. might be surprising = pode ser surpreendente
60. breeding = criação
61. growth = crescimento
62. while = enquanto
63. leaner = mais magra
64. less profitable = menos lucrative