Genetic Program Adds $100 Per Calf for Cattle Producers

Livestock operators can leverage long-term genetic feedback loops to boost productivity and meet high-end beef market standards.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Agriculture

A Hereford calf stands in a vast, sunlit high-desert pasture with distant mountain foothills and weathered fence posts in the background. — Simplot Livestock's long-term genetic breeding program is helping cattle producers increase feeder-calf profitability by over $100 per head. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe aggressive genetic selection in livestock farming produces better quality food for consumers?

Simplot Livestock is refining its genetic selection and crossbreeding program to drive gains in cattle productivity and calf value. The approach uses longitudinal data collection across its supply chain to adjust breeding weights and improve market-ready beef quality.

Why it matters

The program demonstrates how operators can integrate DNA-based sire verification and performance feedback loops to increase feeder-calf profitability by over $100 per head. For livestock producers, this illustrates a shift toward data-driven crossbreeding models designed to meet specific high-end beef program standards.

Simplot Livestock has realized a 6 percent rise in average daily gain and a 3 percent increase in dry matter intake over the last decade. Its current genetic program adds more than $100 in value per calf compared to standard market benchmarks.

The players

Simplot Livestock

A division of the large-scale J.R. Simplot Company agricultural conglomerate with operations spanning land and cattle production.

Randall Raymond

A representative for Simplot Livestock who outlined the company's long-term genetic selection strategy.

The details

The program utilizes a 22-year data loop connecting cow-calf, feedyard, and packing plant performance. By pairing Angus and Hereford genetics for maternal lines and Charolais for terminal lines, the firm creates distinct calf types while using individual animal DNA profiles to verify sire performance. Economic weights are adjusted iteratively when performance targets for growth and marbling are missed.

2004: Simplot launched its targeted crossbreeding strategy.
2016-2026: Average daily gain increased 6 percent while dry matter intake rose 3 percent.
2026-10-30
Randall Raymond presented the firm's findings at the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium.

Market Landscape

This program aligns with the Beef Improvement Federation's industry-wide genetic evaluation standards for tracking cattle productivity. It marks a shift in how large-scale producers move beyond traditional breeding toward precision-based, data-backed supply chain management.

Producers should examine whether their current genetic tracking and sire verification provide actionable data for terminal market goals. Monitoring feed conversion metrics against long-term averages remains essential for maintaining profitability in branded-beef segments.

The takeaway

Integrating DNA profiling into daily breeding operations creates a direct feedback loop that stabilizes quality for premium market programs. Producers should track the economic weights of individual traits to align herd output with the specific requirements of USDA Prime and Choice labels.