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Evaluation of NRF and NRF*HF dairy cattle under Irish production circumstances

Evaluation of NRF and NRF*HF dairy cattle under Irish production circumstances. Frank Buckley and Noreen Begley. RATIONALE. Declining reproduction and health Increase overall profitability Favourable characteristics from another breed Hybrid vigour/heterosis Production – 5% to 6%

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Evaluation of NRF and NRF*HF dairy cattle under Irish production circumstances

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  1. Evaluation of NRF and NRF*HF dairy cattle under Irish production circumstances Frank Buckley and Noreen Begley

  2. RATIONALE • Declining reproduction and health • Increase overall profitability • Favourable characteristics from another breed • Hybrid vigour/heterosis • Production – 5% to 6% • Health/fertility – up to 20% • New Zealand • 25% of herd crossbred and rising – ‘popular because profitable’ • Crossbred cows have improved health and reproduction • Growing farmer interest in Ireland and internationally • ICBF - Across Breed Evaluation system More high EBI sires

  3. NRF - Total Merit Index

  4. STUDY OBJECTIVES

  5. BREED & HETEROSIS EFFECTS HV =Extra performance above mid-parent mean.

  6. SCALE OF STUDY 400 Contemporaries = 1200 in total 10 NRF sires = 80 daughters/sire

  7. TIME SCALE

  8. MEASUREMENTS • Calving performance • Puberty – Ultrasound & P4 • Fertility & hormonal intervention • Live weight & body condition score • Skeletal measurements • Milk production & udder health • Energy balance – BCS, weight, blood metabolites • Linear classification – IHFA • Immune responsiveness

  9. CALVING EASE

  10. Early Maturing?

  11. % CYCLING 82% 80% 77%

  12. MILK PRODUCTION

  13. 305d MILK 5339kg 5149kg 5356kg 103kg or 2%

  14. 305d FAT % 3.99% 3.96% 3.93%

  15. 305d PROTEIN % 3.46% 3.45% 3.45%

  16. PRE-CALVING BCS AND WEIGHT

  17. PRE-CALVING BCS 3.17 3.26 3.29 0.03 or 1%

  18. PRE-CALVING WEIGHT 532kg 538kg 514kg 15kg or 2.9%

  19. BCS AND WEIGHT AT BREEDING

  20. BCS AT BREEDING 2.85 2.97 3.03 0.03 or 1%

  21. WEIGHT AT BREEDING 464kg 467kg 446kg 12kg or 2.6%

  22. BCS AND WEIGHTAT DRYING OFF

  23. DRY-OFF BCS 2.81 2.94 3.01 0.03 or 1%

  24. DRY-OFF WEIGHT 544kg 545kg 526kg 10kg or 2%

  25. LINEAR SCORES

  26. LINEAR SCORES

  27. UDDER HEALTH

  28. SCC (x1000cells/ml) 190 137 131

  29. SCC – INCIDENCE >400 9.5% 6.9% 5.7%

  30. MASTITIS 15.6% 11.9% 11.4%

  31. FERTILITY

  32. PREG RATE TO 1ST SERVICE 58% 61% 61%

  33. IN-CALF RATE 93% 95% 91%

  34. SUMMARY • NRF • Easy calving when mated to HF • Reach puberty similar to HF • Higher BCS (+0.15) • Lower weight (-20kg) • Lower milk yield (-200kg or -45 gallons) • Lower Fat% (-0.06%) • Similar Protein% • Poorer classification • Improved udder health • Improved Fertility

  35. SUMMARY • HF x NRF • Reach puberty similar to HF • Higher BCS (+0.10) (HV 1%) • Similar weight (HV 3%) • Similar milk yield (HV 2%) • Similar Fat% • Similar Protein% • Slightly lower classification • Improved udder health • Improved Fertility

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