Posts Tagged feed efficiency

feed intake measurement

FEED EFFICIENCY REVEALS HUGE DIFFERENCES

Posted by in category Efficiency

CRV introduced the feed efficiency breeding value in December. Willem Alders has been conducting feed trials for CRV for several years. He sees huge differences, also between similar cows.

In August 2017, the dairy farm run by the Alders family became the first CRV test site to measure the feed intake of individual animals. ‘We welcome new developments and this farm has a long relationship with CRV’ explains Willem Alders (29), who has a herd of 200 dairy cows and cows in calf and 90 head of young stock in Overloon, North Brabant. He was initially sceptical. ‘The concept of f…

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Dairy farmer Willem Alders about feed costs

‘Difference in feed conversion financially interesting’

Posted by in category better life, Efficiency

The income over feed costs is a key financial factor for Willem Alders. Feed intake data really opened his eyes to the individual differences between cows. ‘The poorest performing animals add little or nothing to the total income over feed costs. However, the best performing animals contribute more to the profit than expected’, he states.

Willem Alders had expected there would be differences, but such a large variation in feed conversion rates between individual cows came as a big surprise to the dairy farmer. The Alders family from Overloon started registering the feed intak…

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April indexrun: new additions to the NVI

Posted by in category Article, Efficiency, Health, Index run

Traits including production, longevity and fertility were already part of the NVI merit index. GES will be expanding this formula from April to incorporate hoof health and feed efficiency. In addition, a parallel version of the NVI will be published.
Alongside the NVI for dairy breeds, the GES will now publish NVI calculations for dual-purpose breeds. The breeding value for longevity has also been revised, resulting in more stable breeding values and greater reliability.

Read all about the changes in the April indexrun in >>this article<<.

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