CDCB, UW-Madison Collaborate for Feed Intake Data - Cowsmo

CDCB, UW-Madison Collaborate for Feed Intake Data

The CDCB and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have signed a five-year agreement to conduct research to generate residual feed intake data from Holstein cows for future national genetic evaluations.
feed intake dataThis project will build upon the foundation laid through the research funded previously by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which compiled more than 9,000 feed efficiency phenotypes. The new data from UW-Madison will further build the database, increase the accuracy of genomic predictions for feed efficiency, and ensure new animals and current genetics are included in the database.

Wisconsin data is collected using the Insentec Roughage Intake Control (RIC) system in a free-stall barn at the Emmons Blaine Dairy Cattle Research Center in Arlington, Wis., and by measuring feed refusals in a tie-stall barn at the USDA-ARS Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC) in Prairie du Sac, Wis. This project will be under the direction of Dr. Kent Weigel.

The CDCB is working with the other participants of the original NIFA project to develop ways to amplify the number of records for the national feed intake evaluations.

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