Innovators in Cattle breeding

    

At VikingGenetics we always strive to provide the most reliable genetic solutions. Through continuous improvement and innovation we are meeting the demands of the modern dairy business by providing the best cows for today, and for the future.

    

SAVED FEED INDEX


We are providing genetic solutions for dairy farmers to succeed with the demands of sustainable dairy farming. Our new Saved Feed Index is a tool to breed climate-friendly cows with reduced methane emissions.

The genetic trend for cattle around the world has been towards cows becoming larger and heavier due to an emphasis on production capability. Now, the world is going through a massive change in attitudes when it comes to sustainable food production. Climate change is on consumers’ minds and is influencing their choices. This means that the dairy farming industry needs to come up with solutions for making dairy farming more sustainable and more organic. 
 
Our latest endeavour in making the dairy industry more sustainable is the release of the Saved Feed Index. With thorough research and by joining forces with leading research partners, we have been able to create a trustworthy index for how efficient a cow is in turning feed into milk. The Saved Feed index will eventually include two separate breeding values; one for maintenance efficiency and one for metabolic efficiency. The breeding value for metabolic efficiency is expected to be launched later. 
 
Maintenance efficiency doesn’t tell you anything about how efficiently an individual cow utilises the feed she eats. To be able to build a reliable index for this, a lot of information is needed on individual feed intake on a large scale. 
VikingGenetics has developed a Cattle Feed Intake System (CFIT) where the feed intake of individual cows can be monitored by cameras in barns. Until we have enough data from CFIT research, our metabolic index will be based on available CFIT data and feed intake data from research farms in the Nordic countries together with data from around Europe and North America.
 
The breeding value for maintenance efficiency is based on different measures of live weight and size together with conformation breeding values. Sufficient data are available to support the new breeding value. For maintenance efficiency, daughters of two bulls having a difference of 20 index units will have a difference in dry matter intake of 60-80 kg per lactation. According to research, 88% of the variable costs on a dairy farm relate to feed costs. A Saved Feed Index is necessary to cope with sustainable practices, which is at the core of our philosophy of making everyday decisions easier and more efficient for dairy farmers around the world. 

Read more

     

Innovative tools and solutions

Reduce antibiotics use with VikingDefenceTM


VikingDefence is the solution that combines all the health traits that we have been breeding for in the Nordic countries for decades. Our bulls have been selected to breed high producing and healthy cows. They breed daughters with a natural defence against diseases. 


Read more



VikRank makes bull selection fast and easy


VikRank is a tool to select the best bulls for your herd. The categories help to guide you in your selection for the right bulls you need to improve your herd performance. Using the categories makes the bull selection easy, fast and reliable! 

Read more





Enhance your herd with VikMate


VikMate is an online tool to make optimal matings to create future generations, by making the selection of the best bull for each female as easy as possible. VikMate controls inbreeding and gives you information on genetic improvement in your herd.

Read more

GenVik - make profitable management decisions 

GenVik testing gives you all the information about the genetic potential of your heifers and helps you make correct decisions at an affordable price. GenVik delivers a reliable and comprehensive genetic mapping on the health, fertility and production potential of your animals.

Read more