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Predicting food intake in dairy heifers from part-lactation records

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

G Simm ,
P Persaud ,
H Parkinson  and
B J McGuirk
G Simm
Affiliation:
The Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3Jg
P Persaud
Affiliation:
The Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3Jg
H Parkinson
Affiliation:
The Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3Jg
B J McGuirk
Affiliation:
Bays Leap Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE150JW
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Extract

Food accounts for 80-90% of the variable costs in dairying in the UK. In contrast to genetic improvement programmes in most other species, no account has been taken of food intake or gross efficiency In dairy breeding programmes, In the UK or elsewhere. This Is largely due to the expense and impracticality of recording food Intake in conventional dairy bull progeny testing schemes, Involving thousands of cows In many different herds. However, several studies show positive correlated responses in efficiency, following selection on milk or milk solids yield (Gibson, 1986; Korver, 1988; Persaud, Simm, Parkinson and Hill, 1990).

Recently nucleus breeding programmes based on sib testing and the use of multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) have been proposed as an alternative to national progeny testing schemes for dairy cattle Improvement (Nicholas and Smith, 1983).

Type
Nutrition and Management of Dairy Cows
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1990 , March 1990 , pp. 47
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1990

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References

Gibson, J.P. 1986. Efficiency and performance of genetically high and low milk-producing British Friesian and Jersey cattle. Animal Production 42: 161–182.Google Scholar
Gibson, J.P. 1987. Part lactation predictors of complete lactation milk energy yield, food Intake and food conversion efficiency. Livestock Production Science 17: 323–335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korver, S. 1988. Genetic aspects of feed intake and feed efficiency: A review. Livestock Production Science, 20: 1–13.Google Scholar
Persaud, P., Simm, G, Parkinson, H. and Hill, W.G. 1990. British Society of Animal Production. Winter Meeting.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tyrell, H.F. and Reid, J.T. 1965. Prediction of the energy valua of cows' milk, Journal of Dairy Sci. 48: 1215–1223.Google Scholar