2002 paul m. vanraden and ashley h. sanders animal improvement programs laboratory agricultural...

2002

Paul M. VanRaden and Ashley H. SandersPaul M. VanRaden and Ashley H. SandersAnimal Improvement Programs LaboratoryAgricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, [email protected]

Economic Merit of Crossbred Economic Merit of Crossbred and Purebred US Dairy Cattleand Purebred US Dairy Cattle

NAAB Dairy Trade Mission - Crossbreeding (2) P.M. VanRaden200

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ObjectivesObjectives

Document the number and type of crossbred cows in the US.

Estimate heterosis and breed differences using cows of different breed composition competing in the same herd.

Compare the economic merit of crossbred and purebred cows.


2

Traits ConsideredTraits Considered

Milk, fat, and protein yields

Somatic cell score (SCS)

Productive life (PL)

Linear type composites not available• Body size estimates obtained from literature• Udder and leg trait estimates assumed zero

Net merit, cheese merit, fluid merit calculated• Adjusted to Holstein scale

Fertility, mortality, and calving ease not available


2

Breeds Are Evaluated SeparatelyBreeds Are Evaluated Separately

Separate data sets reduce bias in evaluations within breeds, but provide:• No evaluations for crossbreds• No method to compare cows across breeds

New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands include crossbreds and account for heterosis in evaluations.

USDA-DHIA evaluations exclude crossbred cows unless identified as part of a “grading-up” program.


2

Yield Traits & SCS DataYield Traits & SCS Data

Data were from the national test-day database available May, 2001.• 572 herds each with at least 5 crossbred cows• 10,442 crossbred cows born since 1990• 140,421 purebred herdmates (80% were Holstein)

Crossbreds defined by sire breed and maternal grandparent breeds.• Sires were purebred, dam breed used for unknown

maternal grandparent breed• XX (crossbred) not accepted for maternal grandparents• Holstein and Red & White considered one breed


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Number of FNumber of F11 & Purebred Cows & Purebred Cows In Mixed Breed Contemporary Groups

Sire Breed

Dam Breed Ayrshire

Brown Swiss Guernsey Jersey

Milking Shorthorn Holstein

Ayrshire 933 — 1 26 2 477

Brown Swiss — 2537 8 22 5 242

Guernsey 8 31 1763 23 4 1228

Jersey 18 22 11 6593 8 507

M. Shorthorn — 11 1 — 1509 175

Holstein 145 819 130 1631 162 71,836


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Number of FNumber of F11 & Backcross Cows & Backcross Cows With Holstein Sire or Grandparent

Holstein GenesHolstein Genes

Second BreedSecond Breed 25%25% 50%50% 75%75%

AyrshireAyrshire 17 622 124

Brown SwissBrown Swiss 124 1061 196

GuernseyGuernsey 32 1358 367

JerseyJersey 171 2138 321

M. ShorthornM. Shorthorn 14 337 48


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ResultsResults

Estimated breed means

Estimates of heterosis

Economic comparisons

Rank other breeds on Holstein base

Some new crossbreeding theory


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Crossbreeding TheoryCrossbreeding Theory Holstein Holstein Brown Swiss Protein Yield Brown Swiss Protein Yield

00 2525 5050 7575 100100

0.880.88

0.900.90

0.920.92

0.940.94

0.960.96

Pro

tein

kg

/dP

rote

in k

g/d

% Holstein genes% Holstein genes

0.860.86

—— Holstein meanHolstein mean

— — A+Dominance (D)A+Dominance (D)

max heterosis (H)max heterosis (H)

—— A+D min HA+D min H

—— A+D+AA+D+AA max HA max H

—— A+D+AA+D+AA min HA min H

—— Additive (A) onlyAdditive (A) only


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Breed Differences & Heterosis for Breed Differences & Heterosis for Economic Merit Economic Merit

BreedBreedNetNet

Merit ($)Merit ($)CheeseCheese

Merit ($)Merit ($)FluidFluid

Merit ($)Merit ($)

AyrshireAyrshire -510 -469 -728

Brown SwissBrown Swiss -355 -256 -808

GuernseyGuernsey -761 -692 -1117

JerseyJersey -305 -186 -865

M. ShorthornM. Shorthorn -892 -862 -1073

HolsteinHolstein — — —

HeterosisHeterosis $197 $207 $163


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Merit of FMerit of F11 Holstein Crossbreds Holstein Crossbreds

Second BreedSecond Breed

Net Net

Merit ($)Merit ($)

CheeseCheese

Merit ($)Merit ($)

FluidFluid

Merit ($)Merit ($)

AyrshireAyrshire -58 -27 -201

Brown SwissBrown Swiss 18 79 -241

GuernseyGuernsey -184 -138 -395

JerseyJersey 44 113 -269

M. ShorthornM. Shorthorn -249 -223 -373

Compared to 2000 genetic base for Holstein


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Mates for Holstein CowsMates for Holstein Cows

Brown Swiss Jersey

Top US Sire Ransom Fan Club

NM$ (breed scale) $519 $467

Breed Difference (from HOL) - $178 - $153

Heterosis (NM$) + $197 + $197

Adjusted NM$ (HOL scale) $538 $511

NM$ Rank (HOL scale) 28 40

CM$ Rank (HOL scale) 13 12


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ConclusionsConclusions


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ConclusionsConclusions

Currently < 0.5% of DHI cows are crossbred.

Heterosis was about 4% for yield traits, < 1% (unfavorable) for SCS, and 1% for PL.

Profit from Jersey Holstein and Brown Swiss Holstein crosses is higher than from Holsteins.

Fewer extreme bulls are found in minor breeds.

Backcross yields were higher than expected.


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From 1939-1954, M.H. Fohrman studied 113 Guernsey, Jersey, Holstein, and Red Danes crosses at Beltsville.

Another study of 137 Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Holstein crosses was conducted from 1959-1968 (McDowell and McDaniel, 1968).

USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1947Holstein Holstein Guernsey Guernsey


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USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1947Holstein Holstein Jersey Jersey

Cow # Pounds of Milk % ButterfatPounds of Butterfat

X-5 13,032 4.62 602X-11 12,584 4.82 606X-20 12,383 5.13 636X-30 11,867 5.60 664X-38 11,929 5.09 607X-40 13,690 4.74 649X-51 13,800 4.44 613

All cows sired by Beltsville Holstein No. 966


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USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1947Jersey Jersey Holstein Holstein

Cow # Pounds of Milk % ButterfatPounds of Butterfat

X-1 9,784 4.85 475 X-3 13,065 4.71 615

X-17 13,837 3.85 533

X-32 13,728 3.94 540X-41 12,453 4.63 576X-42 9,417 4.90 461X-47 12,189 5.13 625

X-1 and X-47 were sired by an unidentified Jersey sire. All others sired by Beltsville Jersey No. 1114


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Butterfat yield of three breed crosses was greater than from their F1 crossbred dams.

Three breed crosses averaged 14,927 pounds of milk and 641 pounds of butterfat as 2-year-olds in 1947.

USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1947Three-Breed CrossesThree-Breed Crosses

2002 paul m. vanraden and ashley h. sanders animal improvement programs laboratory agricultural...

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