Wire services make it interesting to see where UC Cooperative Extension experts might end up. This one's a little mysterious. If anyone can shed some light, please post a comment.

The Columbia Tribune in Missouri ran a McClatchy story yesterday that quoted UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Glenn Nader. (McClatchy owns the Sacramento Bee, the Fresno Bee and other papers, but I couldn't find this story on any other Web site.)

The article is about efforts to get cattle to put on pounds while eating less. My first thought was the same as the article's writer, who said the premise "sounds like something out of a dieter’s nightmare." Anyhow, looking to spend less on cattle feed, producers are seeking animals with proven "feed efficiency."

The story said that researchers at UC Davis have found that some steers beat average feed efficiency by nearly 30 percent, though others have found improvements closer to 10 percent. Breeding bulls are now being marketed for their efficiency, not just their size and pedigree.

"We started realizing that there’s also the issue of how much feed does it take to get all those pounds, and maybe big isn’t better," Nader is quoted in the article.

Major cattle-feeding operations are installing electronic systems to monitor how much each animal eats and how much weight it gains, the story says. That information feeds into breeding programs aimed at producing more efficient cattle in subsequent generations.

During this joyous season, I would like to personally wish all my loyal blog readers poor "feed efficiency" as you celebrate the upcoming holidays and enter the New Year.

Next week, UC ANR will be closed. I will be back with more updates on the past, present and future of UC ANR news on Jan. 2.