Feed efficiency Archives

Selecting for feed efficiency to improve milk yield in dairy cows

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Breeding programmes in dairy cattle have been successful in the past by selecting for high milk yield, effectively doubling productivity over the past 50 years. However, this approach is reaching a plateau, with minimal improvements expected in the future. For Pekka Huhtanen and his colleagues at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and Natural […]

Understanding the impact of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in domestic sheep

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Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is frequently present in domestic sheep operations and is associated with negative effects on productivity and profitability. Infection of a flock with this pathogen may increase frequency of pneumonia, reduce lambing rates, and impair feed efficiency, resulting in significant financial costs. In addition, presence of this pathogen is associated with increased risk for nearby wild bighorn sheep, which […]