** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A POTENTIAL STRATEGY TO REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF BEEF PRODUCTION IS PRECISION FEEDING, WHICH IS DEFINED AS A FEEDING METHOD THAT UTILIZES NET ENERGY EQUATIONS TO CALCULATE THE QUANTITY OF FEED REQUIRED TO FULFILL MAINTENANCE AND DESIRED PERFORMANCE LEVELS (GALYEAN, 1990). GENERALLY, AS ANIMALS INCREASE ENERGY CONSUMPTION FEED EFFICIENCY IS IMPROVED; HOWEVER, PREVIOUS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MAXIMUM FEED INTAKE DOES NOT EQUAL MAXIMUM FEED EFFICIENCY (GILL ET AL., 1986). ADDITIONALLY, PRECISION FEEDING FOR DIFFERENT STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE NUTRIENT LOSS, BOTH IN MINIMIZING MANURE OUTPUT AND REDUCTIONS IN VOLATILE NITROGEN EXCRETION (DRIEDGER AND LOERCH, 1999). THIS STRATEGY IS WELL DESIGNED FOR SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED FEEDLOT PRODUCERS AS THEY TYPICALLY HAVE SMALLER PEN SIZES, WHICH CAN HELP LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF WITHIN PEN VARIABILITY THAT IS OBSERVED IN LARGER FEEDLOT OPERATIONS. THIS IS ALIGNED WITH THE PRIORITY AREAS K, L, AND N FROM THE SMALL- AND MEDIUM SIZED FARM PROGRAM RFA. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO EXAMINE INCREASING FEEDING LEVELS USING COMMON FEEDLOT RATIONS FOR SOUTH DAKOTA AND KANSAS TO DETERMINE:ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND FEED EFFICIENCYENTERIC METHANE PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT EXCRETIONEXAMINE HOW PRECISION FEEDING IMPACTS THE ECONOMIC RETURNS TO PRODUCERSTHE KEY OUTCOME OF THIS PROPOSAL IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC DIETARY STRATEGIES USING FEED INGREDIENTS COMMON TO EACH REGION FOR SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED PRODUCERS THAT IMPROVE THEIR ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND POSITIONS THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUTURE CARBON CREDIT PROGRAMS THROUGH AN EASY AND PRODUCER FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.