Production, reproduction, health, and growth traits in backcross Holstein × Jersey cows and their Holstein contemporaries

Abstract

A total of 648 purebred Holstein and 319 backcross Holstein × Jersey dairy cattle were compared for production, reproduction, health, linear type, and growth traits. Animals were born between 2003 and 2009 and were housed in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Integrated Dairy Facility. All animals had Holstein dams; lactating dams were mated to unproven Holstein sires to produce purebred (control) Holsteins or to unproven F(1) Jersey × Holstein crossbred sires to produce backcross animals, whereas nulliparous dams were mated to proven Holstein sires to produce purebred (other) Holsteins. Traits were analyzed using mixed linear models with effects of season of birth, age of dam, sire, birth year of sire, days in milk, lactation, and linear type score evaluator. Control Holsteins had greater 305-d milk yield (12,645 vs. 11,456 kg), 305-d mature equivalent milk yield (13,420 vs. 12,180 kg), peak daily milk yield (49.5 vs. 46.4 kg), total lactation milk yield (11,556 vs. 10,796 kg), and daily fat-corrected milk yield (43 vs. 40 kg) compared with backcrosses. Days open and services per conception as a heifer or cow did not differ between control Holsteins, other Holsteins, or backcrosses. The proportion of first-parity births that required assistance was less in control Holsteins than in backcross cows (3.7 vs. 11.2%). The incidence of scours or respiratory problems in calves did not differ between control Holsteins, other Holsteins, and backcrosses, nor did the incidence of mastitis, injury, or feet problems. Control Holstein heifers were heavier (629 vs. 557 kg), with greater hip height (145 vs. 139 cm), body length (167 vs. 163 cm), heart girth (205 vs. 198 cm), and hip width (54 vs. 53 cm) at 22 mo of age. On a 50-point scale for linear type traits, Holsteins were larger in stature compared with backcrosses (41 vs. 28), had wider rumps (37 vs. 33), and wider rear udders (34 vs. 32). Results of this study suggest that backcross Holstein × Jersey cattle have decreased production but fail to demonstrate an advantage in health and reproduction compared with purebred Holsteins.

Holstein-Friesian milk performance in organic farming in North Spain: Comparison with other systems and breeds

“…It is well assumed that in zero-grazing conventional systems HolsteinFriesian cows have higher milk yields compared to other breeds (Heins et al, 2006a;Bjelland et al, 2011), because cows with high genetic potential for milk yield have better responses to supplements (Baudraco et al, 2010). In organic systems, information on the effect of breed on milk yield is sparse, although seemingly lower than in conventional systems: organic systems are based on pasture utilisation with low concentrate supplementation, a diet that could make interbreed differences less evident.…”

Fertility traits of purebred Holsteins and 2- and 3-breed crossbred heifers and cows obtained from Swedish Red, Montbéliarde, and Brown Swiss sires

“…The DO of NO × HO crossbreds was consistent across lactations; MO × HO crossbreds tended to have fewer DO as the lactation number increased, and SCR × HO crossbreds tended to show an increase in DO as the lactation number increased. However, similar to other studies with crossbred cows, the DO data were truncated at 250 d (Heins et al, 2006;Bjelland et al, 2011;Blöttner et al, 2011). This is the approach used by the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (Beltsville, MD) of the USDA for routine genetic evaluations in the United States ( Van-Raden et al, 2004); however, it might result differences in reduced fertility between breed groups (Heins et al, 2006).…”

Calf birth weight, gestation length, calving ease, and neonatal calf mortality in Holstein, Jersey, and crossbred cows in a pasture system

“…Over the past several decades, average milk production per cow has increased. In contrast, health and fertility traits have declined (Bjelland et al, 2011). Numerous studies have evaluated crossbreeding Holsteins with other breeds to improve production, fertility, surviv-691 ability, and calving ease (Heins et al, 2006a(Heins et al, , b, 2008Sørensen et al, 2008;Prendiville et al, 2010).…”