Short communication: Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Weight and value of calves

摘要

The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacementheifers allows a large proportion of dairy cowsto be mated to double-muscled sires and for quantitativeand qualitative improvements to be made tobeef production from dairy herds. A survey of 1,285crossbred calves showed that they are destined notonly for veal production (like purebred dairy calves)but also for beef production. Crossbred calves obtainedfrom Belgian Blue sires (sold on average at 34 d ofage and 64 kg of weight) had a higher market value(€363/calf) than those obtained from double-muscledINRA 95 sires (€297/calf, used for veal production)and from Limousin sires (€216/calf for veal and €271/calf for beef production). As a sire breed, Simmentaldid not differ significantly from Belgian Blue, but as adam breed, the crossbred calves fetched a higher price(€5.11/kg) than when Holstein was the dam breed(€4.50/kg). Compared with heifer calves, crossbred bullcalves at sale were younger (34.1 vs. 37.2 d) and heavier(64.0 vs. 62.6 kg of live weight), fetched a higher price(€5.13 vs. €4.99/kg), and had a greater value (€328 vs.€312/calf). As the value of purebred dairy calves wasabout €80 to €100/calf, we are able to confirm thatthe combined use of sexed semen for pure-breeding andconventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding canincrease the income from dairy farms, especially whenthe sires are double-muscled beef bulls.