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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 2 (optiKuh)
Project
Project code: 2817201113
Contract period: 01.09.2014
- 30.06.2018
Budget: 127,090 Euro
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Relevant objectives for livestock farming, such as economic efficiency through improved performance, social objectives such s 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
- Animal breeding
