433: Data Connectivity Could Put More Value in Your Cattle with Brett Spader

Today on the Cattle USA Daily Podcast, Brett Spader joins Lauren to talk about how better use of data and technology could change the way value moves through the beef industry. From genetics and EPDs to feedlot performance, harvest records and red meat yield, Brett explains why getting more information back through the supply chain could help producers make better decisions and ultimately get rewarded for the value they are already creating. Brett also breaks down what breed associations can look like in a more data driven industry, how technology can make decision-making easier for producers, and why even small improvements in efficiency can add up to meaningful profitability. The conversation looks at what the next generation of cattle producers needs from technology and where the beef industry can go from here.

Links:

American International Charolois Association: https://charolaisusa.com/Connect with Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-spader-30207b13b/

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Key Takeaways:

• Breed associations have evolved from recording pedigrees to developing tools that help producers improve profitability
• Connecting commercial, feedlot and harvest data can make genetic selection tools more reliable and useful
• Data connectivity can help producers understand how cattle perform beyond the ranch and identify opportunities for improvement
• Red meat yield could become an increasingly important way to measure efficiency and value throughout the beef chain
• Small efficiency improvements across multiple points in the supply chain can add up to meaningful profitability
• Technology should make producers’ lives easier and provide a clear return through more money, saved time or better decisions
• Younger producers are already using technology and AI to combine traditional genetic tools with new decision-making resources

• Information only becomes valuable when producers can turn it into relevant insights and act on it
• The future of cattle genetics will depend on getting better information back, using it effectively and rewarding producers for the value they create

Chapters:

01:03 Brett’s Background in Beef & Technology
04:17 How Breed Associations Are Evolving
08:40 Creating More Value for Producers
10:30 Why Data Connectivity Matters
13:50 The Future of Cattle Data & Technology
15:00 The Hidden Cost of Excess Fat
17:00 Red Meat Yield & Efficiency
18:46 Connecting Data Across the Beef Chain
23:50 Making Technology Pay
24:34 Sorting Through New Technology
27:24 Making Technology Easier to Adopt
30:00 AI, EPDs & the Next Generation
33:06 The Future of Data Connectivity
35:36 One Step Forward for the Beef Industry

Brett Spader, Cattle USA Daily, American International Charolais Association, Charolais cattle, cattle data, data connectivity, cattle genetics, beef cattle genetics, cattle technology, agricultural technology, EPDs, genomic testing, Terminal Sire Index, genetic selection, genetic profitability, red meat yield, carcass data, harvest data, feedlot data, commercial cattle, seedstock cattle