Sustainability & efficiency

Potential for Genetic Selection of Feed Efficiency Traits in Holstein Dairy Calves

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Abstract

Genetic selection for feed efficiency remains a priority in modern dairy cattle breeding programs. However, feed efficiency research has largely focused on heifers and adult animals, with its application in youngstock underexplored. Understanding feed efficiency in calves could reduce rearing costs and environmental impacts and may aid in predicting adult feed efficiency earlier in life via optimization of possible genetic relationships. Here we explore the genetic potential of residual metabolizable energy intake (RMEI) as a feed efficiency trait in Canadian Holstein calves. A total of 4,662 weekly average records for average daily gain (ADG), metabolic body weight (MBW), and metabolizable energy intake (MEI) from 938 Holstein dairy calves were collected from one research herd between 2016 to 2024. Calves were fed milk replacer in the pre-weaning (PreW, 1-3 weeks) period and concentrate starter in the peri-weaning (PeriW, 7-9 weeks) period using automatic feeders to deliver both diets. To investigate the genetic relationship between calf and cow feed efficiency 7,910 records of residual feed intake (RFI) from 474 of the calves that had records as first parity cows were used. Four-trait repeatability models including ADG, MBW, MEI and RFI were fit using ASREML 4.2 for both the PreW and PeriW periods. Genetic parameters for RMEI were obtained using recursive genetic coefficients on ADG and MBW, providing a measure of calf feed efficiency genetically independent from energy sinks. PreW period heritability estimates for ADG, MBW, MEI, and RMEI were 0.13 ± 0.03, 0.36 ± 0.06, 0.26 ± 0.05 and 0.17, respectively. Repeatability estimates for PreW-ADG, PreW-MBW, PreW-MEI, and PreW-RMEI were 0.29 ± 0.02, 0.87 ± 0.01, 0.59 ± 0.02, and 0.26, respectively. Heritability estimates for PeriW-ADG, PeriW-MBW, PeriW-MEI, and PeriW-RMEI were 0.14 ± 0.03, 0.37 ± 0.06, 0.41 ± 0.06, and 0.11, respectively. Repeatability estimates for PeriW-ADG, PeriW-MBW, PeriW-MEI, and PeriW-RMEI were 0.29 ± 0.02, 0.87 ± 0.01, 0.63 ± 0.02, and 0.36, respectively. The average estimated heritability of cow RFI was 0.27 ± 0.05 and the genetic correlation between PreW-RMEI and cow RFI obtained using recursive genetic coefficients was moderate and negative (-0.65), while the genetic correlation between PeriW-RMEI and RFI was moderate and positive (0.48), suggesting that more efficient calves in the PeriW period tend to be more feed efficient as first parity cows. Favourable breeding value correlations were estimated between PreW-RMEI and heifer fertility traits, while PeriW-RMEI had favourable relationships with lactation persistency, mastitis resistance, and environmental traits. Study results highlight the potential for genetic selection of early-life feed efficiency in Canadian dairy cattle and provide the foundation for further analysis of these traits with larger and more diverse datasets.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Baes, C., Hermisdorff, I., Jahnel, R., Makanjuola, B., Miglior, F., Phillips, A., Schenkel, F. & Steele, M., (2026) “Potential for Genetic Selection of Feed Efficiency Traits in Holstein Dairy Calves”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2285652. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.23768

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