321: We’re Selecting the Wrong Traits — And It’s Hurting Cow Efficiency with Travis Mulliniks

The beef industry has made major strides in performance but are we sacrificing cow efficiency in the process? Lauren is joined by Travis Mulliniks, beef professor at Oregon State University, to break down how decades of selecting for growth, milk production, and output traits are impacting the cow calf sector. From larger cows to higher milk production, Travis explains why more isn’t always better and how these changes can increase costs, reduce reproductive performance, and hurt overall system efficiency. They also discuss practical ways to improve efficiency, including better alignment between genetics and environment, grazing management, and simple tools like implants that are often underutilized. With strong markets today, this episode highlights why now is the time to make long-term changes that will matter over the next decade.Links:Oregon State - https://anrs.oregonstate.edu/users/travis-mulliniksResearch: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-MulliniksNominate or request to be a guest - forms.gle/fRkvzRenh7mqkDXV7 CattleUSA Insurance - https://info.cattleusainsurance.com/l/1102253/2025-06-04/288f5m⁠CattleUSA Website - https://www.cattleusa.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cattleusamediaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/cattleusa.media/Subscribe to our newsletter - https://www.cattleusadrive.com/premiumCattleUSA Media - https://www.cattleusamedia.com/Lauren’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_laurenmoylan/Lauren’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ShowboatmediacoThe Next Generation Podcast Website - https://www.thenextgenag.com/Key Takeaways:Increased milk production doesn’t always improve performanceLarger cows come with higher input costsEfficiency gains post-weaning don’t always benefit cow-calf operationsReproductive performance can decline with higher milk cowsGrazing and nutrition management are critical to efficiencyGenetic selection should match the environmentImplants are a highly underutilized toolNow is the time to make long-term herd changesChapters:00:00 Introduction + Travis Mulliniks 02:30 Selecting for milk, size, and output traits 07:00 Weaning weight and efficiency 11:30 Bigger cows, higher inputs, and reproduction issues 15:30 Identifying inefficiencies19:30 Grazing, nutrition, and managing within your environment 22:30 The most underused tool: Implants 24:30 What needs to change for the next 10–15 yearscow efficiency cattle, cow calf efficiency, beef cattle efficiency, cattle genetics traits, milk production cattle, beef cow milk production, cattle milk EPD, cattle EPD selection, cow herd management, beef cow size, large cow cost cattle, cattle reproduction efficiency, cattle breeding performance, calving distribution cattle, late bred cows, cattle fertility issues, cow calf profitability, cattle production costs, feed cost cattle, hay cost cattle, grazing management cattle, cattle nutrition management, range cattle nutrition, livestock efficiency beef, beef production efficiency, cattle industry trends, beef cattle research, Oregon State beef research, Travis Mulliniks research, cattle implants benefits, calf implants cattle, weaning weight cattle, cattle growth traits, carcass weight cattle, feedlot efficiency cattle, cow calf vs feedlot efficiency, beef supply chain efficiency, livestock management strategies, cattle herd improvement, genetic selection cattle, sustainable cattle production