The aim of this e-book: 

Feed efficiency in livestock is a very popular topic and has been widely discussed over the last decade, particularly in reference to monogastric animals. And, although feed efficiency is not a new concept, its importance has increased lately for good reason: it is necessary to increase productivity in order to provide enough food for the growing world population in a way that is both sustainable and profitable! 

The goals of this e-book, therefore, are to provide an overview of how efficiency has changed over the years, address the main factors that affect feed efficiency, see what can be done to keep improving feed efficiency, and what the newest feed efficiency tools are in the dairy industry nowadays.

As a consequence of this sharp increase in milk production, feed efficiency has also improved over the years because nutrients required for maintenance have been diluted. In simple terms, of all the nutrients the cows are ingesting, a greater proportion will now be converted into milk rather than toward nonproductive functions. In fact, dilution of maintenance has been the greatest contributing factor to the observed improvement in feed efficiency. However, the mechanisms responsible for the better use of energy for milk production are complex and other factors also contribute to this success.