The trial, conducted by Wageningen University on eight different farms in the Netherlands, was started a number of years ago and now comprises of 192 crossbreds and 149 Holsteins milked in the same herds under the same conditions of nutrition, management and environment. The trial has looked at various areas of production, health/fertility and culling/mortality.
Mortality/Culling
Mortality occurred more often for the Holsteins, whereas crossbreds were more often sold to continue milk production on another dairy farm. When sold for slaughter, the crossbreds had a considerably higher price than the Holsteins.
Production 1st, 2nd, 3rd lactations
To avoid effects of lactation length realized or predicted 305-day yields as calculated by the milk recording agencies were used for the comparison. Moreover, age and season corrected standardized productions expressed as percentage of herd mean were compared.
Table 1. Summary of milk production in 1st and 2nd lactation.
|
305 day yield |
| Parity |
Breed |
No |
LW* |
kg milk |
kg fat |
kg prot |
% fat |
% prot |
kg f+p |
| 1 |
FLV |
178 |
100.7 |
7113 |
320 |
254 |
4.50 |
3.57 |
574 |
| 1 |
HF |
128 |
103.5 |
7454 |
324 |
261 |
4.35 |
3.50 |
585 |
| 2 |
FLV |
101 |
101.8 |
8720 |
391 |
313 |
4.48 |
3.59 |
704 |
| 2 |
HF |
66 |
103.7 |
8918 |
392 |
316 |
4.40 |
3.54 |
708 |
| 3 |
FLV |
17 |
98.1 |
8949 |
396 |
320 |
4.42 |
3.58 |
716 |
| 3 |
HF |
11 |
91.7 |
8166 |
372 |
291 |
4.55 |
3.56 |
662 |
* age and season corrected standarized production expressed as percentage of herd mean.
Both groups had a similar range of standardized productions in 1st lactation. In 1st lactation the crossbreds had a lower milk production, but as can be seen in table 1 this was largely compensated by higher fat and protein content such that fat and protein yield was only 2% lower. The figures for 2nd lactations indicate that differences in production are even smaller than in 1st lactation. Holsteins had less than 1% higher fat and protein yield.
Health/Fertility
The figures in table 2 indicate that fertility of the crossbreds is better in 1st and 2nd lactation than that of the Holsteins. As a result the lactations are of shorter length, and because particularly a number of second lactations for the Holsteins are still running the figures of lactation length for 2nd lactations are still preliminary. The crossbreds also have lower average SCC in both 1st and 2nd lactation, which suggest a better udder health. Calving ease was similar between the groups, but crossbred on average had less stillbirths both in 1st and 2nd lactation.
Table 2.
|
Crossbred |
Holstein |
| Index figure |
1st |
2nd |
1st |
2nd |
| % re-insemianated |
96 |
99 |
96 |
100 |
| No. of inseminations |
1.8 |
1.5 |
2.1 |
1.9 |
| Interval calving – 1st ins. |
73 |
79 |
87 |
99 |
| Interval 1st – last ins. |
33 |
18 |
47 |
34 |
| % non return 56 days |
71 |
66 |
56 |
65 |
| Realized lactation length |
319 |
314 |
347 |
330 |
| Average weighted SCC |
97 |
104 |
113 |
140 |
| % difficult calvings |
9.5 |
3.8 |
8.8 |
3.7 |
| % normal calvings |
58.7 |
57.3 |
61.2 |
43.0 |
| % easy calvings |
31.7 |
38.9 |
29.9 |
53.3 |
| % stillbirth |
11.8 |
2.3 |
16.3 |
4.7 |
To conclude
During the heifer period the fertility of Fleckvieh x Holstein crossbreds is similar to that of purebred Holsteins.
In 1st and to a lesser extent 2nd lactation the crossbreds have better fertility. Crossbreds have a lower 305-day milk yield in 1st lactation but due to higher fat and protein content only 2% lower 305-day fat and protein production. In 2nd lactation the production difference is even smaller and is less than 1% for fat and protein production.
Crossbreds have better fertility and lower cell count than Holsteins in 1st and 2nd lactation. Average sale price for crossbreds is €251 higher than that of Holsteins. Moreover, crossbreds have lower rates of stillbirth than Holsteins.
For more information contact
Geno-UK the Crossbreeding Specialists
Phone: 01244 659 622
info@geno-uk.com
www.geno-uk.com
For complete report contact
Wes Bluhm
Phone: 01244 659 622
wes@geno-uk.com