Advances in dairy cattle breeding to incorporate feed conversion efficiency in national genetic evaluations

Publication date: 23/12/2019
Extent: 18 pages

Contributions by: Mike Coffey, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), UK

Chapter synopsis: Genomic selection is often cited as being particularly effective for difficult to measure and/or expensive traits since recording can be specifically organised in nucleus herds and the benefits of that recording can be distributed to others through genomic breeding values on genotyped animals that do not yet (or may never) have phenotypes. This scenario is particularly relevant for feed intake and methane emissions in dairy cows and will be explored in more detail in this chapter. Industry structural changes either needed to record feed intake or caused by recording feed intake will be explored and suggestions made as to the eventual outcome.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0058.11