Short communication: Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Weight and value of calves

Bittante, Giovanni; Negrini, Riccardo; Bergamaschi, Matteo; Cecchinato, Alessio; Toledo-Alvarado, Hugo

doi:10.3168/jds.2019-18011

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In the conditions that prevail in countries with beef markets that favor lean, muscular carcasses, the higher value of crossbred calves, especially from double-muscled sires, is a much more important factor (Dal Zotto et al, 2009). In this project (Bittante et al, 2020), the beef crossbred bull and heifer calves were sold by dairy farmers to intensive veal and beef fatteners at an average of €318/calf at 5 wk of age (63 kg of live weight) against a price of €80 to €100/calf for dairy bull calves of the same age (ISMEA, 2019). The average price of Belgian Blue × Holstein-Friesian calves was €363/calf, an increase equivalent to the price of about 800 L of milk over the price of a purebred dairy bull calf.…”

Section: Combined Use Of Sexed Semen and Beef Semen To Increase The Profitability Of Dairy Farmsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Omission of maternal ease of calving in the selection index of the Belgian Blue has led to a rapid improvement in their beef traits and reduced sexual dimorphism (Bittante et al, 2018). This may explain the greater preference on the part of the farmers involved in this project for Belgian Blue semen (Bittante et al, 2020) over other double-muscled breeds (Piedmontese and INRA 95) and conventional beef breeds (Limousin and Simmental).…”

Section: Effects Of the Use Of Semen Of Different Beef And Dairy Breeds On The Conception Rate Of Cows And Heifersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen of double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Factors affecting heifer and cow fertility and the sex ratio

Bittante

Negrini²,

Bergamaschi

et al. 2020

Journal of Dairy Science

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Using sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers makes it possible to mate a large proportion of dairy cows to double-muscled sires and to quantitatively and qualitatively improve beef production and increase the income from dairy herds. Net profit first depends on changes in the farm's overall fertility rate. The objective of this study was to analyze the conception rate in herds using a combination of conventional dairy semen (for pure-and crossbreeding), X-sorted dairy semen (to produce purebred replacement heifers), and conventional beef semen (for terminal crossbreeding). Data were obtained from 50,785 inseminations of 15,580 dairy cows (78% Holstein-Friesian, 15% Brown Swiss, 2% Simmental, and 5% crossbreds) from 106 dairy farms (average milk yield 35.1 ± 9.4 kg/d, with 3.76 ± 0.83% fat and 3.32 ± 0.39% protein contents). To account for the main potential confounders, we used separate generalized linear mixed-effects models for cows and virgin heifers. The results showed that the odds ratio of conception improved (1.00 to 1.34) with an increase in the average milk yield of the herd but worsened (1.12 to 0.70) with an increase in the milk yield of individual cows within herd. The summer months showed a strong reduction in the odds ratio of conception in cows (0.56 in July and August) but not in virgin heifers. Multiparous cows had a lower odds ratio of conception (0.85) than primiparous cows (1.00). The order of insemination did not affect the fertility of the cows or heifers, whereas the odds ratio of conception improved with advancing lactation (1.00 to 2.12). The Simmental cows were more fertile than Holstein-Friesians (1.37 vs. 1.00), whereas the fertility of the heifers was not affected by breed. Taking all these possible confounders into account simultaneously, in pure-breeding the odds ratio of conception using sexed semen did not differ from that using conventional dairy semen in cows (0.90 vs. 1.00) or in virgin heifers (0.95 vs. 1.00). However, crossbreeding using conventional beef and dairy semen improved the odds ratio of conception (1.10 and 1.17, respectively) in cows (1.37 using beef semen) and heifers (1.25 using dairy semen). The proportion of newborn heifer calves was ≥90% using sexed dairy semen. The combined use of sexed semen, especially on heifers, to produce purebred replacement females and beef semen to produce terminal crossbred calves was shown to have the potential to increase overall herd fertility, which could be further improved using sexed dairy semen to produce dairy crossbreds instead of purebred replacement heifers.

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Section: Combined Use Of Sexed Semen and Beef Semen To Increase The Profitability Of Dairy Farmsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Effects Of the Use Of Semen Of Different Beef And Dairy Breeds On The Conception Rate Of Cows And Heifersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen of double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Factors affecting heifer and cow fertility and the sex ratio

Bittante

Negrini²,

Bergamaschi

et al. 2020

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…These data were not available for calves retained and fattened by the dairy farmers, but their outcomes were recorded by ARAV. Data on the characteristics of the crossbred calves sold by dairy farmers are reported and discussed in a previous paper (Bittante et al, 2020b).…”

Section: Gathering Data On Calves Sold By Dairy Farmersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the second study of the MeetBULL project showed that, in the Italian market conditions, crossbred calves sold at about 5 wk of age had a value on average 3 to 4 times that of purebred dairy calves (Bittante et al, 2020b). Slightly higher prices were fetched for males than females, and for calves born from Simmental cows than calves from specialized dairy cows.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Purebreeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Live and slaughter performances of crossbred calves

Bittante

Negrini

Bergamaschi

et al. 2021

Journal of Dairy Science

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The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers allows a large proportion of dairy cows to be mated to beef sires, and quantitative and qualitative improvements to be made to beef production from dairy herds. The major dairy and beef breeds are undergoing rapid genetic improvement as a result of more efficient selection methods, prompting a need to evaluate the meat production of crossbred beef × dairy cattle produced using current genetics. As part of a large project involving 125 commercial dairy farms, we evaluated the combined use of purebreeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from beef sires, particularly double-muscled breeds. A survey of 1,530 crossbred calves revealed that, whereas purebred dairy calves are destined almost exclusively for veal production, beef × dairy crossbred calves are also destined for beef production after fattening on either the dairy farm of birth or by specialized fatteners. In veal production, compared with Belgian Blue-sired calves (taken as the reference), double-muscled INRA 95-sired calves had a lighter slaughter weight (303 vs. 346 kg), but a greater dressing percent (62.3 vs. 58.4%). Limousin (also known as Limousine)-sired calves had a smaller average daily gain (1.26 vs. 1.34 kg/d), and lighter slaughter (314 vs. 346 kg) and carcass weights (182 vs. 201 kg). Last, Simmental-sired calves had a similar growth rate, but lighter carcass weight (177 vs. 201 kg), smaller dressing percentage (55.3 vs. 58.4%), and smaller muscularity scores (3.25 vs. 3.72). In the case of young bulls and heifers fattened on the dairy farm of birth, Belgian Blue-, Piemontese (also known as Piedmontese)-, and Limousin-sired calves performed similarly; the only exception was that Piemontese-sired calves had a greater dressing percentage. Belgian Blue-and Limousin-sired calves performed similarly when fattened by specialized beef producers. In both veal and beef production, the effects of dam breed were less important than sire breed. Considering the entire project, we can conclude that the combined use of sexed semen for purebreeding and conventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding improves meat production from dairy herds, especially when the sires are double-muscled beef breeds.

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“…Sexed semen use can overcome the economic and welfare issues of low value male dairy calves and enhance calf sales revenue through use of beef semen on cows of lower genetic value not selected for breeding dairy herd replacements (Bittante et al, 2020). However, despite the potential benefits, adoption of SS has been hindered in seasonal pasture-based systems as a reduced P/AI negatively affects the compactness of the calving period, a major driver of profitability (Hutchinson et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economics of timed artificial insemination with unsorted or sexed semen in a high-producing, pasture-based dairy production system

Walsh

Fahey

Lonergan

et al. 2022

Journal of Dairy Science

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Short communication: Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Weight and value of calves

Cited by 10 publications

References 14 publications

Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen of double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Factors affecting heifer and cow fertility and the sex ratio

Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen of double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Factors affecting heifer and cow fertility and the sex ratio

Purebreeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Live and slaughter performances of crossbred calves

Economics of timed artificial insemination with unsorted or sexed semen in a high-producing, pasture-based dairy production system

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