Feed conversion is a major economic factor in commercial poultry and pig production but
hasn’t been utilized by the dairy industry despite estimates that feed costs represent up to
60 percent of production costs on North American farms. Global livestock genetics company
STgenetics® realized the potential impact feed conversion could have on the profitability of
dairy operations and the sustainability of the entire dairy industry, so it launched an intensive
research project to develop a direct feed conversion index that can be reliably used by dairy
farmers. The company invested significant financial and manpower resources to identify
cattle that optimize growth and production on the least feed.
More than five years and several thousand
females later the project produced some
unexpected results: Feed conversion is not
correlated with any other genetic trait or global
genetic index, such as the Net Merit and GTPI.
More importantly, the project also yielded the
EcoFeed™ Index, the first and only direct index
available in the dairy industry to record genetic
gains for feed conversion.
In recent years, an indirect index of feed
efficiency has been developed and published in
the United States. This model of indirect
estimation suggests that the level of production
as well as the weight of the females is directly
proportional to their feed consumption.
Research by STgenetics® found that feed conversion is not correlated with weight or even
production. To date, only the use of bulls with designation can project real and
direct genetic gains for feed conversion for the next generation. Feed efficient animals use
fewer natural resources and are an integral part of an environmentally friendly and sustainable
livestock operation.
Among the bulls identified as
superior for feed conversion are
CHARISMATIC, DELTA, RUBICON,
DETOUR and MISSOURI. These sires
earned EcoFeed™ designation
because their daughters achieved
superior performance in converting
each unit of feed consumed into
more production and development
units than the breed average. Each
EcoFeed™ designated sire has
progeny that have been tested for
feed conversion and, through their
performance, has confirmed the
sire’s ability to transmit superior
feed conversion to his offspring.
The heritability of feed conversion
has been estimated at 21 percent,
which makes it possible for dairy
producers to anticipate significant
genetic gains for their next
generation.
Research findings have identified
extreme feed conversion
transmission ability by sires that can
result in daughters for which daily
feed intake can vary by 13 pounds
(as fed) for equivalent production
and growth performance. In general,
EcoFeed™ designated bulls are
expected to produce daughters that
will grow and produce on par with
their peers while consuming 24 cents
less feed per day. For a herd of 250 animals, this savings amounts to
$21,900 annually.
EcoFeed™ is the next genetic revolution in the dairy industry and has the potential to
continue the industry’s evolution that began with STgenetics’ breakthrough SexedULTRA™
semen sorting process and SexedULTRA 4M™ high fertility semen, the only sexed semen that
achieves conception rates comparable to conventional semen. The EcoFeed™ Index and
SexedULTRA 4M™ semen can increase producers' profit margins by maximizing production in
an environmentally sustainable way.