The Feed Saved ABV is published in the Good Bulls Guide spreadsheets and other ABV lists distributed by DataGene. It is also incorporated in all three of the new breeding indices (Balanced Performance Index, Health Weighted Index and Type Weighted Index), so farmers who make bull selections using one of the indices will be including feed saved in their breeding decisions. The Feed Saved ABV allows farmers to breed dairy cows that produce the same amount of milk from less feed, due to lower maintenance requirements. The Feed Saved ABV allows farmers to identify bulls that can save at least 100kg of dry feed matter per cow, per year. The Feed Saved ABV was the first practical use of genomic tests to measure a trait that can’t be routinely measured on farm.
Visually, you can’t spot a highly feed efficient cow, but with the help of genomics and research collaborations, farmers can now breed for it.
