Tuesday, September 29 at 12:30 p.m.

Speaker: Chris Orrett, Global Genetics R&D Manager, CRV
Presenting Company: CRV

Feed efficiency is increasingly recognized as one of the most important drivers of profitable and sustainable dairy production. Yet a fundamental question remains: what makes one cow more efficient than another, and how much of the difference is simply the cost of maintaining the animal herself?  By combining large-scale feed intake data with high-resolution phenotyping, new opportunities emerge to better understand the biological relationships between body composition, maintenance requirements and feed efficiency. This session will explore how these novel data streams can help disentangle the costs of maintaining different types of cows, reveal previously hidden sources of variation in efficiency, and provide fresh insight into the future of genetic improvement for dairy cattle.

Join us for a look at how big data, advanced imaging and genetics are coming together to redefine our understanding of efficient dairy cows and the next generation of breeding goals.

Dr Christopher Orrett is the Global Research & Development Manager at CRV, leading research programs across quantitative genetics, genomics, reproductive technologies and dairy cattle breeding. With more than 15 years of experience in agricultural science, he specializes in translating advanced genetic and genomic technologies into practical solutions that deliver value throughout the dairy supply chain. His work spans the development of breeding strategies for commercial dairy producers, assessment of emerging technologies and the economic impact of genetic improvement.

Today, he leads CRV's international research portfolio, overseeing programs focused on profitability, sustainability and animal health. His current interests include feed efficiency, methane emissions, advanced phenotyping and the use of large-scale commercial data to accelerate genetic progress in the Holstein breed and beyond.