EcoFeed is a practical solution that helps farmers get the most from their feed, improving profitability, sustainability, and herd health. Recently honoured with the Innovation in Climate Action, International Dairy Federation (IDF) Award, EcoFeed is quickly gaining attention across the dairy industry.

why Choose EcoFeed®?

Increase Your Profits, Cut Your Feed Costs, and Boost Sustainability

Lower Feed Costs

Cows with high EcoFeed values require up to 24% less feed to produce the same amount of milk, directly lowering a farms largest expense, feed.

Increased Profit Margins

Maintain or increase milk production with fewer inputs. Enhance your farm profitability and improve your margins. Buffer against rising feed prices and meet eco-conscious consumer demands.

Sustainability and Environmental Benefits

High EcoFeed cows not only consume less feed, they also produce less methane and manure per unit of milk. This can reduce emissions and land use, minimising environmental impact.

Improved herd health and longevity

EcoFeed-selected animals have better feed efficiency, reducing metabolic stress. Less metabolic stress leads to fewer health issues and longer productive lifespans.

Genetic progress and long-term gains

In many breeding programmes, feed efficiency can be incorporated by utilising the genomic EcoFeed index, allowing it to be selected alongside other desirable traits, such as production, fertility and health, ensuring well-rounded genetic progress. Genetic selection accelerates genetic improvement, leading to cumulative long-term gains, improving herd efficiency and adapting to farming challenges.

Contribution to sustainable agriculture

Position your farm as a leader in sustainability, opening opportunities for partnership and incentives. Selecting for EcoFeed can help you meet the criteria for sustainability certifications or align with standards from milk processors that are increasingly focusing on eco-friendly and carbon-neutral milk production.

How EcoFeed® Works

The Science Behind Efficient Herds

EcoFeed is the largest evidence-based Feed Conversion index in the world. It is the only direct index measuring feed conversion which will lead to genetic gains for the next generation. EcoFeed uses residual feed intake (RFI) to measure how efficiently an animal converts feed into milk or meat.

The RFI score for each female measures how much feed she actually eats compared to what we'd expect based on her size and output. A bull’s EcoFeed score is then calculated from the RFI results of his daughters. The average score is set at 100, and every 10 points of EcoFeed above that represents 1 pound of dry matter (DM). This means the bull’s offspring will eat 0.45kg less feed each day, without affecting their production.

By selecting sires with a lower RFI, farmers can breed cows that maintain or improve production while consuming less feed. This trait is heritable, making EcoFeed® an investment in the long-term efficiency of your herd.

The Research Behind EcoFeed®

A Global and UK Proven Solution

EcoFeed was developed by STgenetics and supported by one of the largest genomic research databases in the world, with over 1.6 million daily feed intake records. EcoFeed heifer and EcoFeed cow data comes from over 750,000 female calves, born to more than 800 bulls, assessing each animal based on its size and performance. EcoFeed Beef is based on data collected from over 4,000 beef on dairy progeny per year in the STgenetics state-of-the-art facility in Texas. This extensive data underpins the accuracy of EcoFeed predictions, making it a reliable tool for farmers.

Cogent conducted a UK trial, in collaboration with Kite Consulting, which further demonstrated that EcoFeed is effective on UK farms, showing tangible improvements in feed efficiency, milk production, and environmental sustainability.

The EcoFeed® Advantage for UK Dairy and Beef Farmers

1. Cut Feed Costs – Real-world savings of 0.2kg of DM per cow per day in UK trials
2. Increase Profits – A 19% increase in milk solids over three years
3. Sustainability – 11% reduction in carbon footprint, aligning with UK industry goals
4. Future-Proofing Your Farm – A heritable trait (24% heritability) that builds long-term genetic gain and herd efficiency