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Collaborative project: Improvement of dairy farming by breeding strategies for feed intake, metabolism, and environmental sustainability under conditions of optimized feeding intensity and utilization of metabolism indicators and sensors in herd management - subproject 1 (optiKuh)
Project
Project code: 2817201013
Contract period: 01.09.2014
- 30.06.2018
Budget: 547,961 Euro
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Relevant objectives for livestock farming, such as economic efficiency through improved
performance, social objectives such as animal welfare and environmental protection are often
conflicting. For this reason, politics and society call for innovations to improve livestock farming.
Within the framework of the collaborative project optiKuh, breeding for feed intake and metabolic
stability with regard to methane emissions and feed efficiency was paved the way. To this end, longterm
interdisciplinary studies were carried out in 12 experimental farms with different levels of
concentrates and roughage qualities. Recommendations for optimal ration design and efficient
concentrates use were derived. Based on the data (1.374 dairy cows) with phenotypes for feed
intake and parameters for calculating energy balances, a direct selection of feed intake capacity and
feed efficiency is possible for the first time using genomics. The development of interdisciplinary
networks, especially in the fields of animal nutrition and animal breeding, was of crucial importance
for the project.
Schmitz, R., Schnabel, K., von Soosten, D., Meyer, U., Spiekers, H., Rehage, J., Dänicke, S. (2018): The effects of energy concentration in roughage and allowance of concentrates on performance, health and energy efficiency of pluriparous dairy cows during early lactation. Archives of Animal Nutrition 72, 100-120. Schmitz, R., Schnabel, K., von Soosten, D., Meyer, U., Hüther, L., Spiekers, H., Rehage, J., Dänicke, S. (2018): Changes of ruminal pH, rumination activity and feeding behaviour during early lactation as affected by different energy and fibre concentrations of roughage in pluriparous dairy cows. Archives of Animal Nutrition, 72, 458-477.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agricultural Technology Animal Production
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
LfL - Institute for Animal Nutrition and Feed Management (ITE)
