Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
April 19, 2005
New Elora Facility Opens Doors to Community
A new facility at the Elora Beef Research Centre is helping a University of Guelph professor in his quest to find a genetic combination for beef cattle that will produce better-tasting meat and make life easier for farmers. The community will have a chance to tour the new beef feedlot barn during its grand opening April 26.
A public open house will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. and will include demonstrations, a walking tour and short presentations on various research initiatives. The 22,464-square-foot barn is unique in Canada, said Prof. Steve Miller, Animal and Poultry Science. It has equipment valued at more than $2 million, including a feedlot that can monitor feed intake of nearly 200 cattle and a handling unit for ultrasound, blood testing and body composition measurements.
Animals housed in the barn wear tiny ear tags that transmit information to a central computer, allowing researchers to monitor when the animals are eating, how much and with whom. Animals’ efficiency in converting feed energy into beef — and the quality of that beef — has a genetic component, Miller said. “We’re helping the industry identify the genetics to produce a higher-quality product more efficiently.”
For more information or directions to the Elora Research Station, contact Miller at (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56378, or by e-mail at miller@uoguelph.ca.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rebecca Kendall, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982.
