Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5789598 | Journal of Dairy Science | 2014 | 14 Pages |
Two-breed crossbreds of Montbéliarde and Holstein (MO Ã HO) as well as 3-breed crossbreds of Montbéliarde and Jersey/Holstein (MO Ã JH) were compared with pure Holstein (HO) cows for production, somatic cell score (SCS), fertility, survival to subsequent calving, mortality, and body measurements during their first 5 lactations. Cows calved for the first time between 2005 and 2010 and were housed in either a confinement herd or a herd that had access to pasture for 165Â d of the year in the north central region of the United States. Body, hoof, and udder measurements of cows were also objectively measured. The MO Ã HO crossbred cows were not different from pure HO cows for fat-plus-protein production during any lactation. However, the MO Ã JH crossbred cows had 5% lower fat-plus-protein production compared with pure HO cows in the confinement herd. On the other hand, the MO Ã JH crossbred cows were not different for fat-plus-protein production in the third to fifth lactation compared with pure HO cows in the seasonal pasture herd. Across the 2 herds, the MO Ã HO and MO Ã JH crossbred cows had 21% higher first-service conception rate, 41 fewer days open, and 12% higher pregnancy rate compared with the pure HO cows. Furthermore, the MO Ã HO (5%) and MO Ã JH (12%) crossbred cows had lower mortality rates than the pure HO cows (18%). Because of superior fertility and lower mortality rates, the MO Ã HO and MO Ã JH crossbred cows, combined, had greater survival to second (+13%), third (+24%), fourth (+25%), and fifth (+17%) lactation compared with pure HO cows. For body measurements, MO Ã HO were similar to pure HO cows for hip height and heart girth, but MO Ã HO cows had more body condition and greater body weight (+39Â kg) across the first 5 lactations. The MO Ã JH cows had more body condition but 5Â cm shorter hip height and 28Â kg less body weight than pure HO cows across the first 5 lactations. Foot angle was steeper and hoof length was shorter for MO Ã HO cows, but MO Ã JH cows were similar to pure HO cows for hoof measurements.