Press Release: CRV introduces FeedExcel

With the April 2023 proof run, CRV introduces FeedExcel. This brand represents the proven breeding strategy for developing a herd that produces higher milk yields, requires less feed, achieves higher profitability and has lower emissions.

In a world of rising costs, stricter regulations and resource scarcity, farmers are under increasing pressure to feed a growing global population and do so sustainably. As an industry leader in livestock management and genetics, CRV continues to develop innovative ways to help farmers achieve these goals.

Proven path to higher margins and lower emissions

CRV FeedExcel ensures a highly productive herd that delivers more milk with less feed. These designated bulls are the progressive and reliable approach to breeding cows who efficiently convert feed into milk, fat and protein. The result: a feed efficient herd with higher margins and lower methane emissions.

Supported by verifiable data, CRV offers producers a breeding strategy promising a highly productive herd producing up to 25% more milk or consuming up to 25% less feed and along with a decrease of 25% in methane emissions by 2050.

High CRV standard for CRV Health and CRV Efficiency

“FeedExcel bulls have a high breeding value for feed efficiency,” says Gert-Jan van den Bosch, sales development specialist genetics at CRV.

Certified FeedExcel bulls don’t simply excel in feed efficiency. “After all, cows with a high feed efficiency that produce little milk or who stop producing at an earlier age are of no use to livestock farmers,” states Van den Bosch. “FeedExcel designated bulls therefore also guarantee a high standard for CRV Health and CRV Efficiency. In short, cows that achieve high lifetime production without any problems,” Van den Bosch further explains.

Backed by years of research

FeedExcel is backed by 33 years of cooperation with producers and leading developments in science using CRV’s own unique creation of the world’s largest, most reliable feed intake dataset of lactating cows.

“Since 1990 we have been measuring the feed intake of individual cows and as of 2017 we are doing so at research farms and at operating dairy farms with feed bins. This has allowed us to build a unique and very reliable dataset with figures from more than 10,000 cows over several lactations, which grows year on year,” says Pieter van Goor, researcher on genetics and innovation at CRV. “Figures show significant differences between cows in terms of the efficiency in converting feed into milk. These differences in feed efficiency are partly determined by genetics. Breeding for feed efficiency allows dairy farmers to not only reduce feed costs, but also achieve higher production and lower methane emissions.”

Answer to future challenges

“Selecting FeedExcel bulls is CRV’s most reliable method for livestock farmers to breed a herd that achieves higher milk production with less input and lower emissions,” concludes CEO Angus Haslett from CRV. “In this way, FeedExcel offers dairy farmers a solid solution to future challenges and CRV helps livestock farmers throughout the world to continue to produce high-quality food sustainably, profitably and in a way that is valued by society.”