Crossbreeding

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We were strictly a 100% pb registered Holstein herd..

My neighbors have decided to breed their entire group of this years heifers to brown Swiss,,they are not registered so it doesn't matter..I will let you know in a couple (3-4) of years as to what their milk production is and more importantly fat % is.. :)

I think cross breeding as in any breed should usually make it better..
 
We have both stud & commercial Jersey & Holstein cows the Jerseys are more less bred to Jersey bulls. The Holsteins I've crossed them with a polled Aussie Red bull & got a really nice polled red & white roan heifer we sold the others before they calved. This year I'm going to breed some of the lower end Jerseys to a Dexter bull for a little experiment I'm wanting to try with any future heifers. Here in Australia at the moment there is a big push by one of the AI companies to use Monte Belairds over holstein cows, I'd like to try that cross but can't find any information on calving ease we (& our vet when needed) have gotten rather used to the cows having small Jersey & jersey x calves they are an easy pull (unless there are twins & both are trying to come out at once)
 
if we was still milking.it would be a crossbred herd completely.because you get more bf an protine.an the cows last alot longer.a hol cow last 3yrs on the ave.an a crossbred cow will last double that barring death or major mastitis or health probs.
 
Several of the dairys aorund here went to crossbreeding a few years back. The fist cross as was to be expected did quite well the second generation didn;t do as well as the original breeds. The ones I've talked with that tried it have gone back to straightbreds.
 
One of our AI companies are pushing the 3 way cross, they suggest Holstein x Aussie Red than cross that with a Montbeliarde. It has the Jersey breeders in a rage over this as GA have completly ignored the jersey breed for any of the crosses that they sugest. I've AI'd some of our jersey to angus & will happily admit they are far better milkers than their dams are.
 
Loch Valley Fold":25kd4rbj said:
One of our AI companies are pushing the 3 way cross, they suggest Holstein x Aussie Red than cross that with a Montbeliarde. It has the Jersey breeders in a rage over this as GA have completly ignored the jersey breed for any of the crosses that they sugest. I've AI'd some of our jersey to angus & will happily admit they are far better milkers than their dams are.
The most common dairy cross aorund here is Jersey Holstein. ABS has a crossbred Jersey Holstein bull available. The neighbors dairy used it and wasn;t very pleased with the crosses on his Holstein cows.
 
Use to breed nearly all first calf holstein heifers to Jersey bulls....the first cross worked great but was milked only one lactation and sold. Milked 100 head of Brahman/Holstein crosses a few years. Peak milk wasn't all that good but they didn't melt and fall off as bad in the summer heat, plus got good butterfat and and protein. When they udder got a little long or ugly, would calve her out one last time and sell her as a a pair. Beef cow folks loved them and they'd bring top dollar.
 
plus got good butterfat and and protein. When they udder got a little long or ugly, would calve her out one last time and sell her as a a pair. Beef cow folks loved them and they'd bring top dollar.
There are a few stud breeders that couldn't believe that we would milk beef crosses & admit to doing it I have never admited that we have 2 markets that we can sell to - either back to the commercial beef farmer as a cow/calf unit or springer or straight through the sale yard as a chopper cow - either way the money is better on those crosses than for a straight bred jersey.
 

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