7

Impact of an Old Technology on Profitable Dairying in the 21st Century

Bradley J. Heins

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

INTRODUCTION Crossbreeding is an old technology; however, when used in today’s dairy systems, crossbreeding can produce profitable results for dairy producers. Interest in crossbreeding of dairy cattle has become a topic of great interest in the last five years and has developed in response to concerns dairy producers have about fertility, calving difficulty, and stillbirths in today’s genetically improved Holstein cows. The commercial pig, beef cattle, and sheep production have relied on crossbreeding to improve mortality, fertility, growth, and disease resistance for 50 years! There have been many research studies documenting the role of crossbreeding in the dairy industry, but many are quite old and dated. Old research indicated heterosis is greatest for traits related to mortality, fertility, health, and survival. The first scientific trials using crossbred dairy cattle date back as early as 1906 in Denmark and used the Jersey and Danish Red breeds. In the 1930s and 40s, experiments with dairy cattle were conducted to determine heterosis for milk and fat production resulting from crossbreeding (Touchberry, 1992). Crossbreeding has not been studied in research herds in the U.S. for many years. Earlier studies with experimental herds indicated that crossbreds were at least as profitable as pure Holsteins at the University of Illinois (Touchberry, 1992) and Agriculture Canada (McAllister et al., 1994). A crossbreeding project involving the Holstein and Guernsey breeds was conducted at the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station from 1949 to 1969 (Touchberry, 1992). Heterosis for first-lactation milk and fat production was 4.3% and 4.1%, respectively; however, heterosis was considerably higher (12.0% for milk, 12.8% for fat) in second lactation. Heterosis for days open was 9.4%. When evaluating total performance of purebreds and crossbreds, Touchberry (1992) combined measures of survival, growth, production, and reproduction into an index to calculate the total income produced per cow per lactation and reported heterosis of 14.9% for total income produced per lactation. A Canadian study was conducted in five research herds during the 1970s and 1980s and heterosis of 16.5% was observed for lifetime milk production and 20% and 17.2% for lifetime fat and protein production, respectively. In the same crossbreeding study at Agriculture Canada, McAllister et al., (1994) reported greater than 20% heterosis for lifetime performance in crossbreds of Holstein and Ayrshire. This paper will report current results from studies of crossbreeding Holsteins with US Jersey and Brown Swiss sires, as well as sires from European dairy breeds. A recent crossbreeding study from New Zealand will also be discussed.

THE CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE The decline in fertility and survival of pure Holsteins led the managers of seven large dairies in California to mate Holstein heifers and cows with imported semen of the Normande and Montbeliarde breeds from France, as well as the Swedish Red (SRB) and Norwegian Red (NRF) breeds. Some cows continued to be bred to Holstein A.I. bulls for a period of time in these dairies. The Swedish Red and Norwegian Red breeds share similar ancestry and exchange sires of sons; therefore, the breeds were collectively regarded as “Scandinavian Red” for this study.

8

Production Crossbreds and pure Holsteins that calved for the first time from June 1, 2002 to January 31, 2005 were studied for production. A total of 1,447 cows calved for the first time during this period, and these cows were followed throughout their lifetimes to gauge production. Actual production (milk, fat, and protein) for 305-day lactations was calculated with the Best Prediction technique used by USDA for national genetic evaluations in the USA. Results for 305-day actual production during first lactation are in Table 1. Fat (lb) plus protein (lb) was used to gauge the overall production of the pure Holsteins versus crossbreds. The Scandinavian Red-Holstein crossbreds (-3%), Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds (-5%) and the Normande-Holstein crossbreds (-9%) were all significantly lower (statistically speaking) than the pure Holsteins for fat (lb) plus protein (lb). These results for first lactation production are slightly different than those reported earlier from this study (Heins et. al, 2006c), because all cows now had the opportunity to complete their 305-day lactations. Table 1. First lactation production (actual 305-day with 2X milking).

Holstein

Normande-Holstein

Montbeliarde-Holstein

Scandinavian Red-Holstein

Number of cows 380 245 494 328

Milk (lb) 21,801 18,926 ** 20,305 ** 20,499 ** Fat (lb) 777 711 ** 743 ** 756 Protein (lb) 677 611 ** 645 ** 655 ** Fat (lb) + Protein (lb) 1454 1322 ** 1388 ** 1411 *

% of Holstein -9% -5% -3%

* Statistically significant difference from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Statistically significant difference from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

Table 2 has results for production for second lactation. Production of the pure Holsteins climbed substantially from first to second lactation. The three crossbred groups also greatly increased in production from first to second lactation, but not at quite the rate of the pure Holsteins. Consequently, the pure Holsteins continued to have a statistically significant advantage for fat (lb) plus protein (lb) production, and the difference from pure Holsteins increased from 9% to 12% for the Normande-Holstein crossbreds, from 5% to 7% for the Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds, and from 3% to 6% for the Scandinavian Red-Holstein crossbreds. Table 2. Second lactation production (actual 305-day with 2X milking).

Holstein

Normande-Holstein

Montbeliarde-Holstein

Scandinavian Red-Holstein

Number of cows 285 204 381 243

Milk (lb) 26,194 21,863 ** 23,547 ** 23,683 ** Fat (lb) 941 826 ** 885 ** 894 ** Protein (lb) 817 714 ** 752 ** 762 ** Fat (lb) + Protein (lb) 1758 1540 ** 1637 ** 1656 **

% of Holstein -12% -7% -6%

** Statistically significant difference from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

9

Average production of Swedish Red cows versus Swedish Holsteins in Sweden suggests that the production of Swedish Red-Holstein crossbreds should be very near the production of pure Holsteins if heterosis of 5% for production traits is assumed. Perhaps, less than 5% heterosis for production was realized is this study, because the Swedish Red and Holstein breeds share distant ancestry and because they were developed in the same general region of northern Europe. On the other hand, the Montbeliarde and Holstein breeds share little ancestry, even distantly; therefore, Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds might express a higher average level of heterosis than crosses strictly among dairy breeds of the plains or islands of northern Europe, which include Holstein Calving Difficulty and Stillbirths Results for calving ease and stillbirths are the same as previously reported (Heins et. al, 2006a). Calving difficulty was measured on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 representing a quick and easy birth without assistance and 5 representing an extremely difficult birth that required a mechanical puller. Scores of 1 to 3 were combined and regarded as no calving difficulty, and scores of 4 and 5 were combined and represented calving difficulty. Stillbirths were recorded as alive or dead within 24 hours of birth. Calving difficulty and stillbirth are traits of both the sire and the dam. Table 3 provides the number of births, calving difficulty rate, and stillbirth rate by breed of sire for first-calf pure Holstein dams. Inadequate numbers prevented the evaluation of Normande sires; however, some Brown Swiss semen was used by these dairies. Scandinavian Red sires had both significantly less calving difficulty and significantly less stillbirth than Holstein sires when dams of calves were first-calf pure Holsteins.

Table 3. Calving difficulty and stillbirths for breed of sire for first-calf pure Holstein dams.

Breed of sire

Number of births

Calving difficulty Stillbirth

--------------- (%) --------------- Holstein 371 16.4 15.1 Montbeliarde 158 11.6 12.7 Brown Swiss 209 12.5 ** 11.6 Scandinavian Red 855 5.5 ** 7.7 **

** Significant difference from Holstein sires (p<.01). To estimate differences in breed group of dam for calving difficulty and stillbirths, breeds of sire were limited to Brown Swiss, Montbeliarde, and Scandinavian Red, because numbers of births by sires of other breeds were small and were not well distributed across breed group of dam. Table 4 has number of births, calving difficulty rate, and stillbirth rate for 1,572 first births of cows. All crossbred cow groups had significantly less calving difficulty than pure Holsteins (17.7%) at first calving. Stillbirth rates tended to follow the averages for calving difficulty respective to breed group of dam, and Montbeliarde-Holstein dams (6.2%) and Scandinavian Red-Holstein dams (5.1%) had significantly lower stillbirth rates than pure Holstein dams (14.0%).

10

Table 4. Calving difficulty and stillbirths for breed group of dam at first calving.

Breed of dam

Number of births

Calving difficulty Stillbirth

-------------- (%) --------------Holstein 676 17.7 14.0 Normande-Holstein 262 11.6 * 9.9 Montebeliarde-Holstein 370 7.2 ** 6.2 ** Scandinavian Red-Holstein 264 3.7 ** 5.1 **

* Significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

Survival First-lactation cows that calved from June 2002 to May 2005 in six of the seven California dairies were compared for survival to 30 days, 150 days, and 305 days post-calving. Because one of the dairies participated in the whole-herd buy-out program (heifers were retained to continue dairying), cows from that dairy were removed from the analysis of survival. Table 5 has the survival rates for 724 pure Holsteins and 1,792 crossbreds. Pure Holsteins left these dairies sooner than all crossbreds groups, with 86% of pure Holsteins surviving 305 days post-calving compared to 93% to 96% of crossbreds. To put this in context, pure Holsteins were 3.5 times more likely to leave these dairies before 305 days after first calving than the Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds.

Table 5. Survival rates during first lactation.

Breed

Number of cows 30 days 150 days 305 days

------------------------ (%) ------------------------ Holstein 724 96 93 86 Normande-Holstein 437 98 97 * 94 ** Montbeliarde-Holstein 806 99 97 * 96 ** Scandinavian Red-Holstein 549 98 96 93 **

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

Cows that had an opportunity to calve a second time (Table 6) were compared for three thresholds for calving interval by breed group – within 14 months of first calving, within 17 months of first calving, and within 20 months of first calving. All crossbred groups had significantly higher percentages of cows calving a second time within the fixed windows of opportunity than the pure Holsteins. From 16% to 20% more crossbred cows calved a second time within 14 months of first calving compared to pure Holsteins. When cows were provided more time to calve a second time (20 months – which is an ideal 12-month calving interval plus an additional 8 months), the difference of the crossbred groups from the pure Holsteins narrowed (10% to 16%); yet, the differences remained substantial and highly significant statistically.

11

Table 6. Percentage of cows that calved a second time after first calving within fixed windows of opportunity.

Breed

Number of cows 14 months 17 months 20 months

------------------------ (%) ------------------------ Holstein 565 44 61 67 Normande-Holstein 392 62 ** 76 ** 79 ** Montbeliarde-Holstein 561 64 ** 78 ** 83 ** Scandinavian Red-Holstein 389 60 ** 73 ** 77 **

** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01). Fertility Fertility of the pure Holsteins and crossbreds was measured as actual days open for cows that had a subsequent calving or had pregnancy status confirmed by a veterinarian. To be included in the analysis, cows were required to have at least 250 days in milk, which meant the pure Holsteins had an advantage because they were a more highly-selected group compared to the crossbreds – a smaller percentage of pure Holsteins than crossbreds survived to 250 days postpartum. Cows with more than 250 days open had days open set to 250. The 677 pure Holsteins in these dairies had average days open of 156 days (Table 7) during first lactation, and all of the crossbred groups had significantly fewer days open than the pure Holsteins. The difference from the pure Holsteins ranged from 14 days for the 529 Scandinavian Red-Holstein crossbreds to 23 days for the 421 Normande-Holstein crossbreds. These results agree with most other recent research on fertility of pure Holsteins versus F1 crossbreds involving Holstein, which have typically reported two to three weeks fewer days open of crossbreds versus pure Holsteins.

Table 7. Days open during first lactation with a maximum of 250 days.

Breed

Number of cows

Number of sires Days open

Holstein 677 79 156 Normande-Holstein 421 24 133 ** Montbeliarde-Holstein 805 33 137 ** Scandinavian Red-Holstein 529 14 142 **

** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01) 3-breed versus 2-breed crossbreds All first generation (F1) crossbreds in the seven California dairies are bred to bulls from a third breed; however, these dairies were no longer calving first-lactation pure Holsteins by the time the 3-breed crossbreds began to calve. Therefore, the comparison of 3-breed crossbreds versus contemporary pure Holsteins is not possible in these dairies. On the other hand, comparison of 2-breed and 3-breed crossbreds that calved during the same 4-month herd-year-seasons is possible. Table 8 has first lactation production for the 2-breed versus 3-breed crossbreds. The production of 2-breed and 3-breed crossbreds was very similar, and differences were not statistically significant. A reduced Holstein content might be expected to lower the production capability of 3-breed crossbreds (25% Holstein) versus 2-breed crossbreds (50% Holstein). However, preliminary results comparing 2-

12

breed and 3-breed crossbreds in these seven dairies suggest the production of 3-breed crossbreds is extremely similar to the production of 2-breed crossbreds.

Table 8. Actual 305-day production during first lactation of 3-breed and 2-breed crossbreds. Type of crossbred

Number of cows

Number of sires Milk Fat Protein

Fat plus protein

-------------------- (lb) -----------------------2-breed crossbreds 607 66 20,533 769 661 1430 3-breed crossbreds 173 27 20,258 761 660 1421

No differences were statistically significant.

CROSSBREEDING WITH BROWN SWISS Researchers at Penn State compared Holstein, Brown Swiss, and crosses of Holstein with Brown Swiss for milk, fat, and protein production, somatic cell score, and days open. This study also estimated the effects of heterosis for these traits. Data from this study was collected from 19 herds that were using Dairy Comp 305 or PCDART as management software programs. The results from this study will be published in more detail in the Journal of Dairy Science in 2007 (Dechow et al, 2007). The total number of cows, average milk, fat and protein production, mature equivalent (ME) for milk, fat, and protein production, days open, and somatic cell score and heterosis for Holstein (HO), Brown Swiss (BS), and Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds (SH) across all lactation groups are in Table 9. Sires and maternal grandsires of cows were required to have NAAB-assigned sire codes. Pure Holsteins were not different from Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds for daily milk production, mature equivalent milk and fat production, and somatic cell score. The crossbreds had higher daily fat and protein production, as well as higher mature equivalent protein production. For fertility, the Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds had 11 fewer days open than pure Holsteins. Across lactations, heterosis estimates ranged from 6.7% to 10.4% for daily production traits. For mature equivalent production, heterosis was lower and ranged from 5.6% to 8.5%. For days open, heterosis was 7.3% and was lower than reported in earlier studies of Brown Swiss and Holstein crossbreds (Brandt et. al, 1974; McDowell and McDaniel, 1968) which found heterosis estimates for days open that ranged from 11.6% to 31%. Table 9. Total number of cows, daily and ME production, days open, and heterosis across lactation groups.

N

Milk (lb)

Fat (lb)

Protein (lb)

MEM (lb)

MEF (lb)

MEP (lb)

Days Open SCS

HO 1773 74.3 2.7 2.2 24,747 874 725 156 2.75 BS 805 62.1* 2.5* 2.1* 21,695* 833* 699* 156 2.82 SH 132 73.2 2.9* 2.3* 24,520 915 772* 145* 2.57

HET 6.7% 10.4% 7.1% 5.6% 7.2% 8.5% 7.3% 7.8%

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). Table modified from Dechow et. al (2007)

13

Table 10 has results and heterosis estimates for daily fat plus protein production and days open for Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds for first, second, and third lactation.

Table 10. First, second, and third lactation results for combined daily fat plus protein production, and days open.

Lactation number 1 2 3 Fat + Protein (lb) HO 4.6 4.9 5.0

BS 4.2* 4.7* 4.9

SH 4.6 5.1 5.6*

Heterosis 4.4% 5.5% 13.4%

Days Open HO 130 152 194

BS 137 143 188

SH 113* 140 188

Heterosis 15.0% 4.9% 1.4%

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). Table modified from Dechow et. al (2007)

The Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds were at the same level of fat plus protein production in first and second lactation; however, the Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds were higher in third lactation. Heterosis estimates for fat plus protein production were greater in third lactation (13.4%) versus first and second lactation (4.4% and 5.5%), respectively. The pure Holsteins in this study average days open of 130 days during first lactation and the Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds had 17 fewer days open than the pure Holsteins. The Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds had numerically fewer days open in second (12 days) and third lactation (6 days), respectively. Heterosis estimates for days open were significantly higher for first lactation (15%) compared to second and third lactations. The benefits of crossbreeding with Brown Swiss could be influenced by difficult calf management practices (Dechow et. al, 2007). The common complaint by dairy producers with Brown Swiss calves is their inability to drink from buckets. In spite of this, a crossbreeding system with Brown Swiss does have advantages in calving difficulty and stillbirths. In the California study, Brown Swiss-sired calves born from first-calf Holstein heifers had significantly less calving difficulty and numerically lower stillbirth rates than Holstein-sired calves (Heins et al, 2006a). The results from this Penn State study look promising for the Brown Swiss breed; however, further research should be done to determine if Brown Swiss is a feasible breed for crossbreeding systems.

CROSSBREEDING OUTSIDE OF NORTH AMERICA Crossbreeding of Holstein and Jersey is common in New Zealand, where crossbreds comprise nearly one quarter of milk-recorded cows (Harris, 2000). Crossbreeding has grown substantially in popularity, and numerous studies have been performed to assess the benefits of crossbreeding in pastoral production systems. Ahlborn-Breier and Hohenboken (1991) analyzed New Zealand field data of Holstein, Jersey and various crosses for additive and nonadditive genetic effects for milk production, fat production, and fat percentage. Heterosis of 6.1% for milk production and 7.2% for fat production of crossbreds of Holstein and Jersey compared to the pure breeds was observed.

14

New research from New Zealand (Bryant et al., 2007) reports heterosis for milk, fat, and protein production. Production records from over 180,000 first-calf heifers were used in this analysis. The objective of this study was to determine if environmental conditions in New Zealand influenced the expression of heterosis. Figure 1 has heterosis levels for breed groups for milk, fat, and protein production by varying levels of fat plus protein production. Heterosis was highest for Holstein-New Zealand Jersey crossbreds for milk, fat, and protein production and ranged from 5.0% to 9.5%. The study also reports the largest effects of heterosis occur in herds with intermediate production levels. The study concluded that crossbreds of Jersey and Holstein had higher fat and protein production that pure Holsteins due to the expression of heterosis.

NEW RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Crossbreeding with Jersey sires Crossbreeding was initiated in 2000 with two research herds of Holsteins. The herds were the St. Paul campus herd and the herd at the West Central Research and Outreach Center at Morris. The cows at St. Paul are housed in a tie-stall barn and the herd at Morris is managed as a low input grazing system. From 2000 to 2002, one-half of pure Holsteins were bred to Holstein AI sires and one-half to Jersey AI sires. In 2003, the mating system was slightly changed. One-third of pure Holsteins were continued to be bred to Holstein sires and ⅔ were bred to Montbeliarde sires. The F1 Jersey-Holstein crossbreds were bred to Montbeliarde sires as the third breed in the crossbreeding rotation. Jersey-Holstein crossbreds and pure Holsteins that calved for the first time from September, 2003 to May, 2005 were studied for production. A total of 149 cows calved for the first time and had production records during this period were compared for milk, fat, protein, fat plus protein production, and somatic cell score. Results for 305-day actual production for Jersey-Holstein crossbreds versus pure Holsteins during first lactation are in Table 11. Pure Holsteins produced 1230 more pounds of milk than the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds. There was no difference in fat production; however, the pure Holstein had more protein pounds than the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds. Fat (lb) plus protein (lb) was used to gauge the overall

Figure 1. Heterosis from Holstein-New Zealand Jersey crossbreds (blue ◊), New Zealand Jersey-New Zealand Holstein crossbreds (red □), and Holstein-New Zealand Holstein (green ∆) for milk, fat, and protein production in relation to production level of fat plus protein. Figures reproduced from Bryant et. al (2007)

15

production of the pure Holsteins versus crossbreds. The Jersey-Holstein crossbreds (-3%), were significantly lower than the pure Holsteins for fat (lb) plus protein (lb). There was no significant difference in somatic cell score, but the Jersey-Holstein crossbred had numerically higher somatic cell scores.

Table 11. First lactation production (actual 305-day with 2X milking) of pure Holsteins versus Jersey-Holstein crossbreds.

Holstein Jersey-Holstein Difference Number of cows 73 76 Milk (lb) 16,986 15,756 -1230 ** Fat (lb) 610 605 -5 Protein (lb) 524 492 -32 ** Fat (lb) + Protein (lb) 1134 1096 -38 * Somatic cell score 2.95 3.21 +.26

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

Fertility of the pure Holsteins and Jersey-Holstein crossbreds was measured as first service conception rate and actual days open for cows that had a subsequent calving or had pregnancy status confirmed by a veterinarian. Only 145 cows were compared for fertility because two cows from each breed group were culled before they had an opportunity to be bred. First service conception rates between the pure Holsteins (41%) and Jersey-Holstein crossbreds (39%) were not different. The 71 pure Holsteins had average days open of 150 days (Table 12) during first lactation, and the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds had significantly fewer days open than the pure Holsteins. The difference from the pure Holsteins was 23 days. These results agree with most other recent research on fertility of pure Holsteins versus F1 crossbreds involving Holstein (Heins et al, 2006b), which have typically reported two to three weeks fewer days open of crossbreds versus pure Holsteins.

Table 12. First service conception rate and days open during first lactation.

Breed

Number of cows

First Service Conception Rate

Number of cows Days Open

Holstein 71 41% 67 150 Jersey-Holstein 74 39% 70 127 **

** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01). Pure Holsteins and Jersey-Holstein crossbreds were also compared for percent pregnant by 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, and 250 days post calving (Table 13). There were no differences between breed groups for percent pregnant by 90 and 120 days; however, more Jersey/Holstein cows were pregnant by 150, 180, and 210 days. By 250 days postpartum, 13% more crossbreds were pregnant than pure Holsteins. Body measurements were also recorded on 145 first-calf heifers. Body weights, hip heights, and heart girths were recorded within 24 hours post-calving. Thurl with, foot angle and length, body condition score, udder clearance and front teat placement were measured within the first 150 days of lactation. Udder clearance was measured from the floor to the bottom on the udder and front teat placement was the distance between the front teats. Table 14 has results of body measurements of pure Holsteins compared to Jersey-Holstein crossbreds.

16

Table 13. Percentage of cows that were confirmed pregnant after first calving within fixed windows of time.

Breed group

Number of cows 90 days 120 days 150 days 180 days 210 days 250 days

--------------------------------------- % ---------------------------------------- Holstein 73 26 51 59 61 64 68 Jersey-Holstein 76 33 57 75* 77* 79* 81

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05).

Table 14. Body and udder measurements for first-calf heifers. Holstein Jersey-Holstein Difference Number of cows 73 76 Body weight (lb) 1153 1021 -132 ** Hip Height (in) 56.1 52.6 -3.5 ** Heart Girth (in) 74.7 70.1 -4.6 ** Thurl Width (in) 19.9 18.3 -1.6 ** Body Condition Score 2.71 2.80 +.09 * Foot Angle 44.4 42.6 -1.8 * Foot Length (in) 2.92 2.99 +.07

Udder Clearance (in) 21.5 18.8 -2.7 ** Front Teat Placement (in) 5.5 6.2 +.7 **

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

The pure Holsteins weighed 132 pounds more than Jersey-Holstein crossbreds immediately after calving. The Holsteins were also taller at the hips, had larger heart girths, and had more width between the thurls. The Jersey-Holstein crossbreds had significantly higher body condition scores, which may indicate why they became pregnant faster than the pure Holsteins. The crossbreds had lower foot angles, but there was no statistical difference in foot length between breed groups. For udder traits, the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds had 2.7 inches less in udder clearance, which indicates that they had more udder depth. The Jersey-Holstein crossbreds also had more distance (+0.7) between the front teats. Many dairy producers in the U.S. are breeding their Holstein virgin heifers to Jersey sires to capitalize on the reduction in calving difficulty and stillbirths. When using Jersey sires, calving difficulty almost disappears. The F1 Jersey-Holstein crossbreds are appreciated; however, in future generations the variation in cows size from the use of Jersey sires might not be very welcome. The current study indicates that the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds are 132 lbs. smaller and have less udder clearance than pure Holsteins; however, the Jersey-Holstein crossbreds had similar fat production to pure Holsteins, had 23 days fewer days open, and were confirmed pregnant quicker than pure Holsteins. Crossbreeding with Montbeliarde sires During the fall of 2005 (October to December), 15 Montbeliarde crossbreds and 12 pure Holstein calved for the first time in the campus herd in St. Paul of the University of Minnesota. Of the original 27 cows, 13 Montbeliarde crossbreds and 10 pure Holsteins have begun their second lactations from September

17

2006 to January 2007. One pure Holstein died and one Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbred was culled for reproduction in first lactation. One pure Holstein and one Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbred are currently dry and will calve again in May 2007. Twenty-three Montbeliarde crossbreds and 14 pure Holsteins calved for the first time during the fall of 2006. Of the 24 Montbeliarde crossbreds, 12 are F1 crosses out of pure Holstein dams, and the other 11 are 3-breed crosses out of Jersey-Holstein crossbred dams. All pure Holsteins and all of the Montbeliarde/ (Jersey-Holstein) crossbreds are bred to Holstein A.I. sires. Also, all of the Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds are bred to Jersey A.I. sires Results for 305-day actual production during first lactation are in Table 15. The Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds had significantly lower milk, fat, and protein production than pure Holsteins. The Montbeliarde/(Jersey-Holstein) crossbreds were not different from pure Holsteins for production. The Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds (-6%) were significantly lower than the pure Holsteins for fat (lb) plus protein (lb); however, the differences were small for the Montbeliarde/(Jersey-Holstein) crossbreds (-2%) compared to the pure Holsteins.

Table 15. First lactation production (actual 305-day with 2X milking).

Holstein Montbeliarde-Holstein

Montbeliarde/ (Jersey-Holstein)

Number of cows 26 26 12 Milk (lb) 20,871 19,341 ** 20,020 Fat (lb) 735 696 * 722 Protein (lb) 646 606 ** 633 Fat (lb) + Protein (lb) 1382 1303 * 1355

% of Holstein -6% -2%

* Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.05). ** Statistically significant difference of crossbreds from pure Holsteins (p<.01).

Table 16 has results for production for second lactation. Not all cows in the original data file (Table 15) had an opportunity to calve a second time; consequently, these results are somewhat preliminary. Production of the pure Holsteins and crossbred groups greatly increased from first to second lactation. The difference from pure Holsteins decreased from 6% to 1% for the Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds, and increase from -2% to +1% for the Montbeliarde/(Jersey-Holstein) crossbreds. The pure Holsteins (3.05) had numerically higher lactation averages for somatic cell score, but did not differ from the Montbeliarde-Holstein (2.31) or Montbeliarde/(Jersey-Holstein) crossbreds (2.41), respectively. Pure Holsteins and Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds were compared for blood levels of circulating progesterone (P4) from the 27th to the 55th day after calving during first lactation (Table 17). The Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds tended to have fewer days to a critical level of 1 nanogram of P4, tended to have higher average levels of P4, and tended to have higher peak levels of P4. All of the differences for measures of circulating progesterone (indicating the formation of a corpus luteum) were substantial, but were not statistically significant possibly because of the small sample size.

18

Table 16. Second lactation production (actual 305-day with 2X milking).

Holstein Montbeliarde-Holstein

Montbeliarde/ (Jersey-Holstein)

Number of cows 10 12 1 Milk (lb) 23,684 22,815 22,936 Fat (lb) 832 821 887 Protein (lb) 733 722 757 Fat (lb) + Protein (lb) 1564 1544 1646

% of Holstein -1% +5%

Table 17. Circulating progesterone (P4) of Holstein versus Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds during first lactation.

Breed

Number Of cows

Days to 1 nanogram of P4

Average level of P4

Highest peak for P4

Holstein 11 49.9 0.6 1.97 Montbeliarde-Holstein 14 45.9 1.0 3.23

No differences were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS Crossbreeding should be regarded as a mating system that complements genetic improvement within breeds. Continuous use of progeny-tested and highly-ranked A.I. bulls is critical to genetic improvement regardless of mating system (purebreeding or crossbreeding). Unfortunately, some dairy producers might interpret the merit of crossbreeding as justification to use natural service bulls rather than A.I. That would be an unfortunate consequence of dairy producers’ interest in crossbreeding. Heterosis is a bonus that dairy producers can expect in addition to the positive effects of individual genes obtained by using top A.I. bulls within breed. The bonus from heterosis is about 5% for production and at least 10% for mortality, fertility, health, and survival, and heterosis comes on top of the average genetic level of the two parent breeds. Therefore, the impact of heterosis on profit should be substantial for commercial milk production. However, some dairy producers might need to get beyond the notion that level of milk production is the only measure of profitability of dairy cows. For the study of seven dairies in California, production of the Montbeliarde-Holstein crossbreds and the Scandinavian Red-Holstein crossbreds was slightly reduced (about 5% for fat plus protein production across the first two lactations) compared to pure Holsteins. Mating Holsteins to Scandinavian Red, Montbeliarde, and Normande A.I. sires resulted in fewer stillborn calves, as well as cows with less calving difficulty, enhanced fertility, and improved survival compared to pure Holsteins. Crossbreeding systems that use Jersey or Brown Swiss have shown to have similar fat production to pure Holsteins; although milk volume is lower in the crossbreds compared to pure Holsteins. The fertility of Jersey or Brown Swiss-Holstein crossbreds demonstrates an advantage of 2 to 3 weeks fewer days open. Heterosis for production ranges from 2 to 15% and heterosis for days open is about 8%. Crossbreeding systems should make use of three breeds. Preliminary results in California and the University of Minnesota show no loss in production by adding a third breed into a crossbreeding system.

19

Individual dairy producers should carefully choose three breeds that are optimum for conditions unique to their dairy operations (facilities, climate, nutritional regime, reproductive status, level of management, and personal preferences).

REFERENCES

Ahlborn-Breier, G. and, W. D. Hohenboken. 1991. Additive and nonadditive genetic effects on milk production in dairy cattle: evidence for major individual heterosis. J. Dairy Sci. 74:592-602.

Brandt, G. W., C. C. Brannon, and W. E. Johnston. 1974. Production of milk and milk constituents by Brown Swiss, Holsteins, and their crossbreds. J. Dairy Sci. 57:1388–1393.

Bryant, J. R., N. Lopez-Villalobos, J. E. Pryce, C. W. Holmes, D. L. Johnson, and D. J. Garrick. 2007.

Short Communication: Effect of Environment on the Expression of Breed and Heterosis Effects for Production Traits. J. Dairy Sci. 90:1548–1553.

Dechow, C. D., G. W. Rogers, J. B. Cooper, M. I. Phelps, and A. L. Mosholder. 2007. Milk, fat, protein, somatic cell score, and days open among Holstein, Brown Swiss, and their crosses. J. Dairy Sci. (Accepted).

Harris, B. L., and E. S. Kolver. 2000. Review of Holsteinization on intensive pastoral dairy farming in New Zealand. J. Dairy Sci. 84(E. Suppl.):E56-E61.

Heins, B. J., L. B. Hansen, A. J. Seykora. 2006a. Calving difficulty and stillbirths of Pure Holsteins versus crossbreds of Holstein with Normande, Montbeliarde, and Scandinavian Red. J. Dairy Sci. 89: 2805 – 2810.

Heins, B. J., L. B. Hansen, A. J. Seykora. 2006b. Fertility and survival of Pure Holsteins versus crossbreds of Holstein with Normande, Montbeliarde, and Scandinavian Red. J. Dairy Sci. 89: 4944 - 4951.

Heins, B. J., L. B. Hansen, A. J. Seykora. 2006c. Production of Pure Holsteins versus crossbreds of Holstein with Normande, Montbeliarde, and Scandinavian Red. J. Dairy Sci. 89: 2799 – 2804.

McAllister, A. J., A. J. Lee, T. R. Batra, C. Y. Lin, G. L. Roy, J. A. Vesely, J. M. Wauthy, and K. A. Winter. 1994. The influence of additive and nonadditive gene action on lifetime yields and profitability of dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 77:2400-2414.

McDowell, R. E., and B. T. McDaniel. 1968. Interbreed matings in dairy cattle. I. Yield traits, feed efficiency, type and rate of milking. J. Dairy Sci. 51:767-777.

Touchberry, R. W. 1992. Crossbreeding effects in dairy cattle: The Illinois Experiment, 1949 to 1969. J. Dairy Sci. 75:640-667.