Net Feed Efficiency
(Sheep Breeders Round Table – 21st November 2015)
Dr Jimmy Hyslop - SAC Beef Specialist
Feed efficiency in suckler beef systems
Why measure feed efficiency ?
60-70 % of feed in whole beef system is associated with
the breeding cow herd
Variation in feed efficiency between individual animals
on same finishing system can be £30-£50 / head
(major savings can be achieved in both)
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Feed efficiency in suckler beef systems
Why NFE ?
60-70 % of feed in whole beef system is associated with
the breeding cow herd
60-90 % of nutrient use in complete suckler beef
systems is used for maintenance rather than growth
So efficiency measure in suckler beef should focus on
efficiency of nutrient use for maintenance as well as
growth
NFE does this – FCR does not (DMI/LWG)
(selecting for FCR would also make cows bigger – not desirable)
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Net Feed Efficiency – what is it ?
NFE – it is a biological measure of feed use efficiency particularly
suited to suckler beef systems (also known as RFI)
but NFE is one that scales feed intake to:the size of the animal (metabolic LW)
its rate of growth (DLWG)
its degree of carcass fatness (fat depth by ultrasound)
(and KO proportion in steers)
NFE is a measure of feed efficiency derived “NET” for any:given unit of animal size (kg); growth rate (kg/d) or carcass fat levels (mm)
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Wold Farm NFE project
NFE – measured in young breeding bulls and finishing steers
over an eight week period
Three key measurements need to be
undertaken very accurately:Dry matter intake
Daily liveweight gain
Carcass fat depth
(& KO proportion in steers)
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NFE project – where are we now ?
11 full batches fully through the system (batch 12 also done)
(Breeding bulls)
548 young Stabiliser breeding bulls
(10-13 months old) + 39 Beef Shorthorn bulls
(Finishing steers)
277 Stabiliser steers (15-19 months old)
864 animals in total measured so far (>1000 by project end)
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Wold Farm NFE project results – Batch 11
NFE results – 74 Stabiliser bulls
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NFE results – 11th batch of bulls
NB: @ feed cost of £155/t DM - 12 weeks on Wold farm NFE test
Low NFE
Mid NFE
High NFE
Mean LW (kg)
591
575
579
DLWG (kg/d)
1.76
1.66
1.73
Fat depth (mm)
5.4
4.9
5.4
DMI (kg/d)
10.8
11.2
12.4
FCR (DMI:LWG)
6.2
6.9
7.2
-0.89
0.01
+0.92
0
+ £16
NFE (kg/d)
Cost deviation
from average
- £5
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Wold Farm NFE project results
Key findings for Batch 11 bulls:-
For same size animals, same DLWG, same fat depth:low NFE beef cattle
eat 14 % less feed
had 14 % better FCR
cost £21 less to feed over a 12 week period
compared to high NFE beef cattle
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Wold Farm NFE project results – Batch 6
NFE results – 80 Stabiliser steers
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NFE results – Batch (80 Stabiliser steers)
NB: @ feed cost of £165/t DM - 12 weeks on Wold farm NFE test
Low NFE
Mid NFE
High NFE
Mean LW (kg)
585
594
585
DLWG (kg/d)
1.82
1.87
1.80
Fat depth (mm)
6.8
7.2
6.8
12.1
13.2
13.7
6.7
7.1
7.7
-0.79
-0.04
+0.83
- £15
0
DMI (kg/d)
FCR (DMI:LWG)
NFE (kg/d)
Cost deviation
from average
+ £7
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NFE results – Batch (80 Stabiliser steers) - slaughter
Low NFE
Mid NFE
High NFE
Sale LW (kg)
642
650
639
CCW (kg)
341.8
344.8
341.8
KO (g/kg)
533
531
535
Fat score (1-15)
8.58
8.97
8.39
Conf score (1-15)
8.00
7.77
7.89
MusD (mm)
73
72
72
EMA (cm2)
82
82
81
IMF (%)
4.7
5.0
5.3
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Wold Farm NFE project results
Key findings for Batch 6 steers:For same size animals, same DLWG, same fat depth:low NFE beef cattle
eat 12 % less feed
had 13 % better FCR
cost £22 less to feed over a 12 week period
compared to high NFE beef cattle
No effect on carcass characteristics or MEQ
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NFE & MEQ (113 steers from 4 batches)
Does selecting for NFE impair MEQ ?
No evidence of NFE vales having any influence on MEQ
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NFE project (initial genetic analysis)
8 full batches through the system (genetic parameters determined)
(Breeding bulls)
395 young Stabiliser breeding bulls
(10-13 months old)
(Finishing steers)
198 Stabiliser steers (15-19 months old)
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NFE project – Heritability (h2)
Genetic parameters
Sire model - (only sire pedigree/parentage)
Animal model - (both sire & dam pedigree/parentage)
Both sire & dam line genetic linkage is critical:-
Table 2. Heritability estimates using a Sire and an Animal model for all 592 animals
in the Stabiliser dataset.
DMI (kg/d)
LWG
FCR
NFE
FD
Mean
12.02
1.71
7.23
-0.02
5.76
SD
1.560
0.316
1.491
0.717
1.99
Sire model
h2
s.e.
0.38
0.14
0.37
0.19
0.24
0.19
0.30
0.14
0.47
0.16
Sig.
*
NS
NS
*
**
Animal model
h
s.e.
Sig.
0.54
0.03
***
0.42
0.02
***
0.40
0.03
***
0.34
0.02
***
0.41
0.02
***
2
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Genetics of net feed efficiency (NFE)
Roehe, Hyslop, et al. 2015
• Net feed efficiency h2 = 0.34 (±0.02)
– Wold farm NFE unit, 2015
• Average from around the world:– h2 = 0.37 (±0.08)
– Range in h2 = 0.18 – 0.50 (±0.03 - ±0.13)
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Wold Farm NFE project results – Steers vs Bulls
Net Feed Efficiency (82 Stabiliser Bulls)
Low NFE
Mid NFE
High NFE
2.00
NB: @ feed cost of £155/t DM - 12 weeks on Wold farm NFE test
1.50
NFE (kg/d)
1.00
0.50
0.00
-0.50
-1.00
-1.50
-2.00
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5
7
9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81
Bull
Steers
Bulls
Mean LW (kg)
578
591
DLWG (kg/d)
1.47
1.84
Fat depth
7.4
5.2
DMI (kg/d)
12.81
12.80
8.8
7.1
135
108 (<20 % for bulls)
FCR (DMI:LWG)
Cost difference
p/kg LWG
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GHG issues
Average CH4 emissions were 445, 461 & 489 l/day (SIG **) for the mean
low, mid & high NFE bulls & steers respectively
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Lessons worth learning !
Decide what you want to achieve
Focus on real industry needs
i.e. Focus on the money 1st
Efficiency is all about making more profit
other things should be 2nd
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Lessons worth learning !
Plan, plan, plan, plan
well before the event
not after things go wrong
Having worked out the best plan
follow it through and actually do it
plans that don’t get implemented
are useless
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Lessons worth learning !
Things to think about
use the right animals
plan to get them well in advance
what diet to use ? - avoid extremes
should allow animals to express potential for both VFI &
performance
Health management – have a detailed health plan & follow it
Get buy-in from a critcial mass of people (breeders)
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Lessons worth learning !
Day to day management of the unit
1st job every day for a dedicated person
“yeah we’ll fit it in” – not good enough
getting the right person is key
it’s a big undertaking (time, money, daily slog)
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Lessons worth learning !
Industry must drive it if it is to:deliver on real industry needs
focus on profit
achieve buy-in from farmers (breeders)
(one more thing)
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
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Acknowledgements – Improbeef project
BIG – setting the standard for efficiency in beef production
In-kind support from Morrisons & AHDB Beef & Lamb
Funding was provided by:-
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