CASE STUDY: Performance of Lactating Jersey and Jersey-Holstein Crossbred Versus Holstein Cows in a Wisconsin Confinement Dairy Herd

The objective of this trial was to measure performance of paired pens of lactating Jersey and Jersey-Holstein crossbred (JX) vs. Holstein (H) cows over a year in a Wisconsin confinement dairy herd. Average daily milk yield of JX was 5.5 kg/ cow less than H, whereas average milk fat and true protein percentages were 0.61 (4.26 vs. 3.65%) and 0.19 (3.05 vs. 2.86%) percentage units, respectively, greater for JX than H. Average daily DMI was 2.2 kg/cow less for JX than H. Services per conception and days open were 0.8 times and 22 d less, respectively, for JX than H. The incidence of lameness was 13.0 percentage units less for JX than H. The percentage of cows culled was 5.1 percentage units less for JX than H. Using actual monthly farm pay prices for milk, the average milk income over feed cost (IOFC) was $0.42/ cow per day less for JX than H. However, after adjusting for differences between pens for days open, all health disorders, and culling, IOFC was $0.05/cow per day greater for JX than H. After the farm's add-on milk price premiums were attached to the value of milk components, IOFC was $0.21/cow per day greater for JX than H. The JX pen showed benefits over the H pen for milk composition, reproductive performance, some health disorders, and cull rate, which offset the observed milk yield reduction for the JX pen when the overall economic performance of the JX vs. H pens was calculated for this confinement dairy.