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  • Obituary of a Fleckvieh legend (2011-2023): Wobbler

    At the age of almost 12 years, we have bid farewell to our beloved Wobbler. He remains very much in demand. However, he leaves behind a large quantity of semen, allowing his genetics to continue being passed on. Due to his character and excellent condition, until the end, Wobbler was very popular in the Rottmoos stable. The entire team, therefore, found it very difficult to say goodbye to him.
  • FeedExcel from CRV: More milk from less feed with less methane

    - Source: Holstein International, magazine June 2023 - Cows that efficiently convert feed into lots of milk, that also have high longevity and strong scores for health: These are the cows that dairy farmers like to see on their farms. Feed costs are high, land is expensive, and material is costly.
  • Dutch dairy farmer Willem Alders: “Differences in feed efficiency are very interesting from a financial perspective”

    For Dutch dairy farmer Willem Alders, the feed balance (milk income minus feed costs) is an important economic index. The results of six years of measuring the feed intake of individual cows for CRV opened his eyes to the differences between cows. “The animals with the lowest scores make little or no contribution to the total feed balance, whilst the animals with the best scores produce even more than expected,” he concludes.
  • “My cows have to use every kilo of feed efficiently.”

    For years, the efficient conversion of feed into milk has been a main aim in farm management for livestock farmer Pierre Litjens. Since the introduction of the breeding value feed efficiency, he has also included this trait in breeding. “The genetic differences between cows are even greater than I expected,” he says.
  • Delta Lokke challenges Ricky's

    Thanks to their Ricky cow family, Willem Booij and Wendie Ottens were already used to anything unusual. Nevertheless, with plenty of milk and a protein level of three-tenths above the barn average, Delta Lokke easily manages to attract the attention in the Double W Holsteins' barn.
  • Milking robot data making inroads in breeding value estimation

    As from April, milking robot data will play a greater role in calculating breeding values. From April, the Animal Evaluation Unit of Cooperation CRV will use these data to estimate the breeding value milking speed and to calculate a new trait: udder balance. Even more breeding value news: from now on CRV will adjust the base annually.