VikingGenetics´ feed efficiency tech
commended in prestigious award

VikingGenetics has been commended in the prestigious Cream Award for Innovation for its ground-breaking feed efficiency technology.

The Cattle Feed Intake Technology (CFIT) uses deep learning and the world’s most cutting-edge 3D cameras to measure dairy cow feed intakes on a large scale, so identifying those animals which most efficiently turn feed into milk.

The difference between the most and least efficient animals has been shown to be a substantial one tonne of dry matter intake per 305-day lactation for animals giving the same amount of milk. This offers enormous scope for saving feed and cutting greenhouse gas emissions – which broadly increase in line with feed consumed – if rolled out on a global basis.

Concrete benefits for the farmers

For farmers it offers the opportunity for substantial financial savings as feed represents 70% of variable costs.

These savings will not just come from the cows themselves but through the bulls to which the cows are related. The breeding potential of these bulls is now being identified through a ‘Saved Feed Index’, in the VikingGenetics countries.

An accurate Saved feed index has the potential not only to reduce farmers’ costs considerably, but to minimize environmental impacts and improve feed systems.

“Artificial intelligence makes cows more feed efficient and climate friendly, I definitely applaud this.” John Torrance, R Torrance & Son, who has won different awards in the industry and was part of the panel.

However, even more transformative than identifying the cows has been precisely measuring the amount each animal eats. This uses the same cameras and technology to measure the quantity of feed at the fence both immediately before and after the animal feeds.

Validation undertaken during the research – which has been under way since 2015 – has shown the cameras provide a highly accurate assessment of feed intake.

The cameras are also able to accurately measure each animal’s weight, which is another important part of the evaluation.

Søren Borchersen, Chief Research and Development Officer (CRDO) for VikingGenetics says: “Just as in the human population, metabolism between cattle can be quite varied and is probably a function of several different factors.”

However, he says it is reassuring that no negative correlations have been identified between feed efficiency and other desirable traits.

“Based on this there should not be negative consequences of adding Saved Feed Index to a breeding strategy, but like every trait, it is something we will follow closely,” he says.