Feed usually represents the greatest cost to dairy farms. Cows that milk the same amount or more, while eating less feed than their counterparts, are both desirable and profitable. So, is there a way to “make” such cows?
That strategy has become possible in recent years, with the introduction of the feed-saved (FSAV) trait by the Council on Dairy Breeding in 2020. FSAV estimates the difference between the amount of feed individual animals consume, after accounting for milk production, body weight, and body condition.
The trait is actually a combination of two factors:
- Feed saved when a cow is smaller; and
- Feed saved when a cow has a Lower Residual Feed Intake (RFI)>
FSAV is expressed in pounds of dry-matter intake saved.
“Because this trait requires individual feed intakes of cows, data must be collected from research herds with that capability,” noted Dr. Isaac Salfer, Assistant Professor of Dairy Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. “This means it is not measured across a diverse range of commercial environments and includes fewer total cows in its evaluation compared to data collected for traits such as milk production, confirmation, or daughter pregnancy rate.”
Currently, the trait is only available for Holstein males and females. But genetic researchers hope it can expand to other breeds as more data becomes available. In addition to the potential to achieve greater milk production with less feed, creating more feed-efficient cows also could help dairies conserve feed resources, and reduce the amount of waste produced per pound of milk.
Salfer said estimates suggest FSAV is about 19% heritable, which is lower than production traits, but higher than health traits like somatic cell score and daughter pregnancy rate. FSAV was pioneered by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Michigan State University.
