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This chapter explores how feed efficiency can be incorporated into dairy cow selection indices in an optimal way. It also discusses why feed efficiency is important in today’s production environments, the impact it has on greenhouse gas emissions and how farmers have already been improving it for decades. The chapter emphasises the other non-feed traits that already contribute to feed efficiency and how the overall matrix of feed efficiency has a range of solutions depending on the values of the components and the resources available at each farm. Thus, optimal feed efficiency in dairy cows is achieved by much more than just measuring feed intake. The win-win is that improved feed efficiency is associated with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Why feed efficiency as a target for breeding?
- 3 Effects on environment
- 4 Contribution to beef
- 5 Dairy dam feed intake and beef feed intake in a single analysis?
- 6 Recording feed intake
- 7 Advances in genomic selection relevant to feed efficiency traits
- 8 Conclusion and future trends in research
- 9 Where to look for further information
- 10 References