Feed efficiency is a commonly used term in livestock production. Simply put, it refers to how easily farm animals gain weight from the feed that they eat. Animals who need less feed to gain weight are considered to be more efficient, which ultimately means they reach market weight more rapidly with less feed – improving the carbon footprint of livestock farming while also reducing farmer costs.
At the Olds College of Agriculture & Technology, a Bioenterprise Canada Knowledge & Development partner, research on their smart farm is helping to identify which animals can turn feed into muscle more efficiently with the ultimate goal of farmers being able to breed climate- and environment-friendlier cattle that will also have a positive impact on farm profitability.