Save feed costs

Feed has an enormous impact not only on your bottom line... but also on the environment and animal welfare.

Studies show that up to 88% of the variable costs on a dairy farm relates to feed costs. The decision to invest in genetics that you make today will have an impact on your business in the years to come.

Saved feed index based on reliable data

The Saved Feed Index in the Nordic Total Merit index (NTM) shows you how efficient a cow is in turning feed into milk.

Some cows are extra good at turning feed into meat and milk. Others use too much feed for maintenance and are less efficient when it comes to utilising the feed.

Feed efficiency consists of two components in the Saved feed index.

Maintenance measures how much energy a cow uses due to her body size. It is well known that heavier cows use more energy than less heavy cows at the same production level.

Metabolic efficiency measures how efficient the cow is in converting feed energy in her body. This is energy used, for instance, to support milk production.

The Saved Feed Index is based on data from the Cattle Feed Intake System (CFIT), a state-of-the-art system where 3D cameras monitor and measure the feed intake in the cow's natural environment.

We collect data throughout lactation on cows from commercial herds – without disturbing the daily routines and cows’ natural behaviour. We focus on collecting the data for individual cow’s feed intake over her lifetime that are comparable across the breeds and herds.

How does CFIT work?

CFIT uses the 3D cameras and artificial intelligence to identify the cows, estimate their weight and quantify how much they eat.

Each cow is identified from pictures of its back, using deep learning with artificial intelligence. The cameras record the cow's distinct pattern of colours and body shape.

To quantify the amount of feed that each cow consumes during a day, the cameras take pictures of the surface of the feed. One picture before the cow goes to the feeding table to eat, and one picture after she leaves.

By subtracting the two images, we can quantify the amount of feed that the cow consumes at every meal 24/7 year around.

• 1,300,000+ daily intake records on lactating cows​
• 14,000+ cows with CFIT data​
• 2,000+ cameras
• 1,000,000+ feed visits per day
• 120,000,000+ images per day
• 200,000+ meals per day

With the Saved feed index, you can breed for more feed-efficient and climate-friendly cows – without compromising on the production, health and reproduction performance of your cows.

Take a look at the effects of breeding for improved feed efficiency. See how much kg DMI per year you can save depending on your herd size. Click "+" to see the figures.

The genetic improvement that you achieve is a permanent and desired improvement accumulated through generations and will increase your profit margins.

While optimal management and improving the environment are important short-term solutions for optimizing feeding in your herd, genetics is a crucial long-term solution.

To achieve success, you need to focus on both genetics and management.