Evaluation of Ingestive Behavior, Ruminal and Blood Parameters, Performance, and Thermography as a Phenotypic Divergence Markers of Residual Feed Intake in Rearing Dairy Heifers

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The selection of highly efficient animals will support meeting the world’s future demand for products and food of animal origin. Thus, the identification of efficient animals and an understanding of the mechanisms inherent to this efficiency is fundamental for the progress of breeding systems. In the present study, we identify highly efficient animals for residual feed intake in dairy heifers. This animal category is unexplored in relation to this index. We utilized the classical parameters evaluated in cattle of different ages to carry out the study on these animals. ABSTRACT: The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify and rank phenotypically divergent animals for residual feed intake (RFI) regarding their efficiency (high: HE or low: LE); (2) to evaluate their relationships with ingestive behavior, ruminal and blood parameters, performance, and infrared thermography; and (3) to determine if such measurements can be used as feed efficiency markers in rearing dairy heifers. Thirty-eight heifers, 143 d ± 4 (Mean ± SD) of age and 108.7 kg ± 17.9 of body weight were used. The animals were fed with a total mixed ration during the 91 d of the trial. A phenotypic divergence of DMI for RFI was observed between −0.358 and 0.337 kg/d for HE and LE, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI) was lower in the HE (2.5 kg DMI/d vs. 3.1 kg DMI/d), as was the number of visits to the feed bin with consumption (59 vs. 71). Feed intake was the best predictor of said divergence. Water intake and number of visits to the feed bin were presented moderate correlations with RFI. The ruminal fermentation variables, blood metabolites, blood hormones (such as the other ingestive behavior variables), and infrared thermography were not able to accurately predict HE or LE animals.