Development and application of a net feed efficiency estimated breeding value to a commercial population of Stabiliser cattle in the United Kingdom and Ireland

摘要

Suckler beef systems work because they utilise low quality forages and/ or make use of marginal land. Suckled calves are then finished effectively on forage based rations supplemented with cereals to give a high energy density feed. The SCC manages the breeding programme of 10,000 suckler cows in 95 herds. All animals are performance recorded for 20 economically important traits and selection of animals as parent stock is based on an economically weighted selection index that is designed to optimiseprofit margin. The index is a balance between the maternal traits, to ensure low production costs, and the growth and carcase traits required to meet market specification. The inclusion of NFE in the selection index will strengthen the profitability of the users of Stabiliser genetics. Identifying individual animals in the breeding programme that are more feed efficient than average will have two beneficial effects, firstly daughters that become cows will have a lower lifetime maintenance costs and secondly finishing animals will require less feed to meet the required market specifications.