Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency

Arthur, P. F.; Herd, R. M.

doi:10.1002/9781118392331.ch7

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…It has been well-established that when external factors are similar, feed intake varies between individual animals due to differences in metabolic feed efficiency (Herd and Arthur, 2009). Residual feed intake (RFI) is gaining use as a measure of feed efficiency as it is moderately heritable and genetically independent of mature size (Herd et al, 2003;Arthur and Herd, 2012). More efficient (low or negative RFI) cattle and sheep have been shown to have reduced feed intake (O'Connor et al, 1999;Nkrumah et al, 2004;Kolath et al, 2006;Redden et al, 2014) and to produce less methane (Nkrumah et al, 2006;Muro-Reyes et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

et al. 2015

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

et al. 2015

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“…Basarab et al (2007) reported a phenotypic correlation of 0.53 (P < 0.001) between RFI and DMI. Arthur and Herd (2012) examined genetic correlation estimates between RFI and feed intake in 11 different studies. With the exception of one negative estimate, values ranged from 0.41 to 0.81, indicating that cattle with low (desirable) RFI will produce offspring that consume less feed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle efficiency of beef production: IX. Relationship between residual feed intake of heifers and cow efficiency ratios based on harvest, carcass, and wholesale cut weight outputs

Davis

Lancaster

Rutledge

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Science

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Data were collected from 1953 through 1980 from identical and fraternal twin beef and dairy females born in 1953, 1954, 1959, 1964, and 1969, from crossbred females born as singles in 1974, and their progeny. Numbers of dams that weaned at least one calf and were included in the first analysis were 37, 45, and 56 in the 1964, 1969, and 1974 data sets, respectively. Respective numbers of dams that weaned three calves and were included in a second analysis were 6, 8, 8, 22, 33, and 33 in the 1953, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, and 1974 experiments. Individual feed consumption was measured at 28-d intervals from the time females were placed on the experiment at 240 d of age until three calves were weaned or the dams had reached 5 yr of age. Residual feed intake (RFI) and residual BW gain (RG) of heifers that subsequently became dams were determined based on ADG and DMI from 240 d of age to first calving. Various measures of cow efficiency were calculated on either a life cycle or actual lifetime basis using ratios of progeny and dam weight outputs to progeny and dam feed inputs. The correlation between RFI and DMI was large and positive (r = 0.67; P < 0.0001), and RG was highly correlated with ADG (r = 0.75; P < 0.0001). Correlations of RFI with cow efficiency ratios that included harvest weight, carcass weight, or weight of trimmed wholesale cuts as measures of output ranged from -0.05 (P > 0.10) to -0.17 (P < 0.10), indicating that heifers with better (i.e., more negative) RFI values tended to become slightly more efficient cows. Correlations of RG with life cycle and actual lifetime cow efficiency ratios ranged from 0.08 (P > 0.10) to 0.23 (P < 0.05), demonstrating that heifers with better (i.e., more positive) values for RG were somewhat more efficient as cows. The correlations were stronger when cow salvage value was included in the measures of cow efficiency. Correlations of DMI and mid-test metabolic BW (MMW) with life cycle cow efficiency ratios that did not include cow salvage value as output ranged from -0.15 (P < 0.10) to -0.22 (P < 0.01). Correlations of DMI and MMW with actual lifetime cow efficiency ratios varied from -0.20 (P < 0.05) to -0.36 (P < 0.001). Therefore, smaller heifers that consumed less feed had superior cow efficiency ratios. Correlations of RFI with carcass grade, backfat thickness, marbling score, and kidney fat of progeny indicated that heifers with superior RFI would tend to produce leaner offspring.

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“…Growth rate (ADG) is the single most important trait correlated with FCE as opposed to feed intake which shows inconsistent relationships from one study to another (Arthur and Herd, 2012). Average daily gain is classically used by farmers and advisers as a proxy for animal feed efficiency when feed intake records are not available at the individual level on farm.…”

Section: Combining Both Biomarkers and Growth Data To Strengthen Feed Efficiency Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying cattle with superior growth feed efficiency through their natural ¹⁵ N abundance and plasma urea concentration: a meta-analysis.

et al. 2021

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The objective of this study was to test two candidate biomarkers of feed efficiency in growing cattle. A database was built using performance data from 13 trials conducted with growing heifers, steers and young bulls and testing 34 dietary treatments. The database included 769 individual records for animal performance and laboratory data for N isotopic discrimination measured in plasma or muscle (Δ15Nanimal-diet; n = 749) and plasma urea concentration (n = 659). Feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and residual feed intake (RFI) criteria were calculated for a duration ranging between 56 and 259 d, depending on the trial. For FCE prediction, mixed models included the random effects of study, diet within-study and pen within-study (i.e. contemporary group; CG) allowing these effects to be progressively excluded from the relationship. For RFI prediction, simple linear regressions were tested with the CG effect removed from biomarker values before analysis. Better models were obtained with Δ15Nanimal-diet compared to plasma urea concentration, irrespective of using mean or individual values and regardless of the feed efficiency criterion. Prediction error (0.027 kg/kg) from mixed-effect models using mean FCE and Δ15Nanimal-diet values would allow discrimination of 2 dietary treatments or production conditions in terms of FCE if they differ by more than 0.10 kg/kg. The Δ15Nanimal-diet values showed a negative and significant (P<0.001) relationship with FCE at the individual level and results highlighted that it is possible to significantly discriminate two animals randomly selected from the same CG if they differ by at least 0.06 kg/kg FCE. In addition, the top 20% highest and lowest animals within-CG in terms of RFI and FCE (extreme animals) showed significant (P<0.001) differences in Δ15Nanimal-diet values, while only extreme FCE animals could be discriminated when using plasma urea concentrations (P=0.002). No gain in feed efficiency prediction was observed when combining candidate biomarkers. However for FCE, when average daily gain data was combined with Δ15Nanimal-diet, the prediction at the individual level was strengthened compared to using only single predictors. Our findings confirm that Δ15Nanimal-diet may be useful to form groups of animals for precision feeding. Further studies are warranted, however, to evaluate the usefulness of this promising biomarker for genetic selection.

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Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

Life cycle efficiency of beef production: IX. Relationship between residual feed intake of heifers and cow efficiency ratios based on harvest, carcass, and wholesale cut weight outputs

Identifying cattle with superior growth feed efficiency through their natural ¹⁵ N abundance and plasma urea concentration: a meta-analysis.

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Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

The relationship of residual feed intake and visceral organ size in growing lambs fed a concentrate- or forage-based diet

Life cycle efficiency of beef production: IX. Relationship between residual feed intake of heifers and cow efficiency ratios based on harvest, carcass, and wholesale cut weight outputs

Identifying cattle with superior growth feed efficiency through their natural 15 N abundance and plasma urea concentration: a meta-analysis.

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Identifying cattle with superior growth feed efficiency through their natural ¹⁵ N abundance and plasma urea concentration: a meta-analysis.