Improvements in feed efficiency have always been a key way for cattle feeders to increase their returns. Because feed efficiency depends on both intake and gains, there is the perennial question about which component deserves more attention. It depends, says Marshall Streeter of Roche Animal Nutrition and Health. Feed costs and fed cattle prices will both affect the comparative benefits of emphasizing higher gains or lower intake when improving feed efficiency. However, producers will usually see a greater payoff if they concentrate on improving gains.