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Service Sire Effects on Body Condition Score, Milk Production, and Rebreeding of Mixed-Aged Dairy Cows Bred to Angus and Hereford Bulls—A Case Study in New Zealand
- Source :
- Dairy, Vol 2, Iss 49, Pp 637-648 (2021), Dairy, Volume 2, Issue 4, Pages 49-648
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Beef-breed bulls are used in dairy herds to produce a calf of greater value for finishing than calves sired by dairy bulls. There is limited research about which beef-breed bulls are most appropriate, and whether any negative impact on cow performance in terms of milk production and rebreeding should be considered. The aim of this case study was to compare the body condition score, milk production, and rebreeding performance of mixed-aged dairy cows bred to a selection of Angus and Hereford beef-breed bulls. Body condition score, post-calving live weight, milk production, rebreeding performance, and survival of 952 mixed-aged dairy cows artificially bred to 65 Angus and Hereford bulls were compared. There was no effect of service sire on post-calving live weight, days in milk, milk production, or inter-calving intervals of mixed-aged cows. Service sire had an effect on the calving day due to differences in gestation length (p &lt<br />0.001), although this did not translate into an effect on days in milk. A longer gestation length negatively influenced pregnancy rates, and greater birth weight of the calf negatively influenced survival to rebreeding (p &lt<br />0.05), indicating the potential for an effect of service sire. Selection of beef-breed service sires for dairy cows should include emphasis on lighter calves and shorter gestation lengths. The general absence of the service sire effect on the parameters measured in this study indicated that any of the service sires used in this experiment would be appropriate for use over dairy cows.
- Subjects :
- animal diseases
Birth weight
Live weight
Ice calving
Biology
service sire
fluids and secretions
Animal science
Body condition score
medicine
milk production
reproductive and urinary physiology
Pregnancy
body condition score
Sire
General Engineering
food and beverages
rebreeding
SF250.5-275
medicine.disease
Milk production
beef-cross-dairy
dairy
Gestation
dairy beef
Dairy processing. Dairy products
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 2624862X
- Volume :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Dairy
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....06acf0a011587e7cbc88e43280d4e4fc