Feed efficiency in SireMatch

<p>Feed efficiency<br />in SireMatch</p>

Fast genetic progress
Reliable breeding value
Easy to use

Breeding for feed efficiency

Breeding for feed efficiency has never been so easy. After introducing a breeding value for feed efficiency in December 2020, CRV now takes the next step by introducing it in breeding programme SireMatch in October 2021. Farmers can include feed efficiency in their breeding goal and generate fast genetic progress. CRV is the first cattle breeding organization that introduced feed efficiency in a breeding programme.

CRV Feed efficiency > 104 = + 200 kg milk

The breeding value feed efficiency helps farmers to select bulls that will result in daughters that produce more milk with the same amount of feed during their lifetime production. The calculation is simple: 104 indicates 2% more milk per kg dry matter intake. So if 100 cows produce on average 10,000 kg milk per cow this means +200 kg extra milk per cow.

Fast genetic progress

SireMatch is more than just a mating programme. This breeding management programme helps to get maximum progress in your herd with minimum effort. Based on your breeding goal and the pedigrees, breeding values and performance of your cattle, the mating program generates the best mating propositions. This approach excludes the risk of inbreeding.

Your personal breeding goal used by SireMatch to form mating advice can be directly incorporated into HerdOptimizer Go, the CRV tool for genomic testing of heifers and cows. This application supports you with clear reports on the breeding values of your animals and objective advice to underpin your selection strategy.

With SireMatch, HerdOptimizer Go and the feed efficiency breeding value we deliver you the complete package to take the next step in creating an efficiency herd.

Reliability

CRV collects feed intake data from over 2,000 lactating cows on a daily basis using bins. And we also measure daily milk production, body weight, water intake, health traits etc. This is combined with data collected from 8,000 Dutch and Flemish cows. In the proof run of August 2021 we see bulls that score high on feed efficiency. Genomic bulls have a reliability of 50% on feed efficiency and daughter proven 70 to 85%.