Performance Cattle Breeds For Crossbreeding

BRAUNVIEH



The Braunvieh (pronounced as 'Brown-fee', German word which means 'Brown Cattle'), is a solid colored breed.with various shades of brown with lighter points. The border of the muzzle and the poll is lighter, and often there is also a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The skin is pigmented, the muzzle is black, and the hooves are dark and very hard. It is naturally horned. The Braunvieh is a very docile, long-bodied, well-muscled animal with correct feet and legs, due to generations of natural selection in the Swiss Alps. The weight of bulls range from 1000 to 1100 kgs. with height of 140 to 160 cm. The cows weight range from 550 to 800 kg with heights from 135 to 145 cm.
The Braunvieh is originally from Switzerland and has expanded to Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and other European countries. It has also been exported to Canada and the U.S., where the derivative is called Brown Swiss.




Tropical areas where the Braunvieh is used, mostly as a crossing breed, includes all the Latin American countries, India and some countries in Africa.
Based on the data of the Schweizer Braunviehzuchtverband or the Swiss Brown Cattle Breeders' Federation, in Switzerland the Milk Production of 4,643 milk-recorded Cows in the Year 2006-2007 was 6016 kgs. in 300 Days containing 3.87% Fat and 3.32% Protein.




GELBVIEH



The Gelbvieh (pronounced as 'Gelp-fee', German word which means 'Yellow Cattle'), is a solid colored breed.with various shades of golden brown, fawn, reddish, tawny red, reddish-gold, russet, golden honey color with strong skin pigmentation. The border of the muzzle and the poll is lighter and it is naturally horned. The Gelbvieh is a docile, long-bodied and well-muscled animal, the result of selection for draught in the past. It is known as one of the highest weight gaining cattle breed in the world reaching more than 1.3 kgs. average. The weight of bulls range from 1100 to 1300 kgs. with height of 150 to 160 cm. The cows weight range from 700 to 850 kg with heights from 140 to 150 cm.
The Gelbvieh is originally from the Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany and has expanded to Austria, Denmark, Spain and other European countries. It has also been exported to Canada and the U.S., where it is mostly used as a beef breed.
Tropical areas where the Gelbvieh is used, mostly as a beef breed, includes South Africa and the southern United States.


Based on the data of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), in Germany the Milk Production of 4,241 milk-recorded Cows in the Year 2007 was 5656 kgs. in 315 Days containing 4.20% Fat and 3.53% Protein.



TARENTAISE

The Tarentaise (pronounced TAIR-en-taze) is a solid colored fawn to reddish brown breed. It has black hooves, mucous membranes and extremities with darkening around the eyes and sometimes on the neck of the bulls. It is naturally horned with black-tipped lyre shape horns. The Tarentaise is a hardy mountain breed with sound sturdy legs and has always been used in mountain farms. It is also resistant to parasite diseases like piroplasmosis and heartwater. The weight of bulls averages 800 kgs. with height of 140 to 145 cm. The cows weight range from 550 to 600 kg with heights from 130 to 135 cm.
The Tarentaise is originally from the Tarentaise valley in the Savoy region of France and has expanded to Albania and other European countries. It has also been exported to Canada and the U.S., where it is mostly used as a beef breed.
Tropical areas where the Tarentaise is used includes Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, India, Guyana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and the southern United States. It has also been exported to the north African countries of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.
Based on the data of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), in France the Milk Production of 7,727 milk-recorded Cows in the Year 2004 was 4101 kgs. in 273 Days containing 3.56% Fat and 3.38% Protein. This is based on mostly forage in the mountains.


RED ANGLER

Planned breeding has been practised since 1830 and there was a central herdbook in Süderbrarup since 1879. Even in those days there was a central commission which are selected all the bulls out of these race. Since 1906 all the herdbook-cattles are connected to the milkrecording. A breed that emphasizes milk with high protein percentage. To be competitive, genes from the RDM (Denmark), SRB (Sweden) and Red Holstein breeds was introduced to the Red Angler. he current breeding aim is 9,500 kg-milk with 4.5 % fat and 3.8 % protein. Mature cows should reach about 145 cm height at the rump and a live weight of 650 kg. The Red Cattle distinguish itself:
* by a very economic relationship between total feed input and milk yield
* a high content of milk solids
* excellent feet and legs and good claws
* adaptability
* easy calvings and low calf losses
* good udder health with low somatic cell score
The young cows grow fast and calve without problems at the age of 24 months. The young bulls have good daily weight gains and acquire a weight of 400 kg at the age of one year. The cattle are excellent suited for production of calfbeef (carcass body weight 145 kg). The production of Red Angler is influenced in all breeding areas by high protein content There is an increase in production in Red Angler in 1994-2005 because of the selection to +2,048 kg-milk, +68 kg-fat, +75 kg-protein.

In Germany there are approximately 20,000 Red Angler cows being milk recorded 15,000 of which are registered in the herdbook. These registered cows form the active breeding population from which 100 bull dams per annum are selected for the breeding program on the basis of milk yield, type, udder and leg traits. The bull dams are then, with a few outstanding young heifers, mated with the best bulls available to produce the next generation of young bulls. Because of their great performance, German Red Cattle have been used to improve the indigenous Red Cattle populations in the following countries for a very long time: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland, Denmark and Australia. Recently German Red Cattle have also been exported to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Japan, The Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Chile, Spain, New Zealand and to the USA. (Author: C.-P. Tordsen)



RDM (Red Danish)

Many years of consistent use of efficient breeding programmes has developed today's Red Danish
cow which combines the following traits:
# High protein and fat yields with high components
# Positive trend for health traits
# Good fertility
# Easy calvings
# The best legs and udders
# Black hoofs
# Superior temperament and milking speed
Originally Red Danish were found on the Danish islands - the so-called Island Cattle and in Schleswig the Angler and the Ballum cattle. In 1878, a group of farmers in the town of Svendborg on the island of Funen decided to unite the red cattle and call it Red Danish, the oldest national breed of Denmark. In 1972 trials were made with imported genes of Finnish Ayrshire (FA), Swedish Red & White Cattle (SRB) and Dutch Red & White Cattle (MRIj), and in 1975 with semen imports from Brown Swiss (USA) and Red Holstein (Canada). This resulted to a decision in 1978 to use American Brown Swiss as genetic donor. In 1987 limited quantities of semen from SRB, Braunvieh from Switzerland and Red Angler were used. In 1992 experiments with the French Montbeliarde breed was done. In 1994 semen from proven Swedish sires was used. In 1996 imports of red and white cattle from Germany and Holland. In 2005 across-country breeding evaluation for conformation, fertility temperament and milking speed in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Red Danish is the leading breed as regards to the number of liveborn calves and 60 percent of all calvings are unassisted.

The breeding objective of the Red Danish is a modern, high-producing, strong, dairy cow which is continuously capable of living up to the requirements of the dairy farmers for a healthy economy and superior production traits and which is also capable of producing healthy and tasty products in demand among the consumers. Milk : fat : protein: -1:1:4 . This weight gives focus on high components and weighs protein approximately six times more than fat. On an annual basis 500 cows and 750 heifers are selected and mated to bull sires. The number of young bulls tested in 2004 was 60. The Red Danish
imports bulls that live up to the breeding objective, mainly bulls of the Swedish SRB breed but also bulls of other breeds. (Author - Lisbet Holm)



SRB (Swedish Red)

For good farm economy the cows should effectively produce milk and meat according to market needs, be healthy, get pregnant, give birth to healthy calves without calving difficulties, work well in the herd and be easy to handle. Thus the SRB cow should be high yielding for milk and components, even under diverse conditions. The unique calving ease of the breed, good udder health and good fertility give excellent competitive strength. The ideal SRB cow is dairy typed and gives an impression of strength and elegance. The colour is red and white. The stature of the mature cow is 140-145 cm height at rump and the live weight 550-650 kg. The body is wide and deep and the topline strong. The rump is long, wide and slightly sloped. The legs are fine and parallel. The ideal udder is shallow, the rear udder high and wide and the fore udder has a strong attachment. The teats are 5-6 cm long, vertical and well placed.


The SRB origin goes back to indigenous Swedish cows and imports of red dairy cattle more than 150 years ago with the first importation being Ayrshire cattle imported in 1847. In the 1890's two breed associations were founded in Sweden, the Swedish Ayrshire Association based on Ayrshire imports and indigenous cattle, and the Association for Red Swedish Cattle based on Milking Shorthorns, Ayrshires and indigenous Swedish cattle. Importations of Ayrshires and Dairy Shorthorns from the UK went on till around 1920. On January 1,1928 the SRB was formally established with the fusion of the Ayrshire society and the RSB association in the farm Snesta, county of Sörmland. The two breeds were closely related and breeding goals were similar. Both had Ayrshire and Shorthorn bulls in their pedigrees and also to some extent the native breeds and the so called manorial breeds. The RSB breed had a higher proportion of Shorthorn blood (about 50 %) with the Ayrshire bull 28 Hero found in the pedigrees of almost all of them.
From the late 1960th there has been a fairly continuous exchange of bull semen with the Ayrshires in Finland and the Norwegian Reds in Norway. A number of Canadian Ayrshire-bulls have also been used from the mid 1980th and during the last few years the exchange of genetics also include the Red Danish Breed.


An important step in the development of the breed was the introduction of modern progeny testing in 1953 and the widespread use of AI as the base for the breeding program. Another was a national computer center started in 1962 and the introduction in 1988 of a single national database where all information from animal recording, artificial insemination, milkrecording and veterinary diagnoses and treatments are registered. In 1975 the traits were combined into a Total Merit Index about 25 years before the non Scandinavian world followed suit. The aim being to produce a cow as profitable, healthy and easy to handle as possible. The long term, consequent selection for profitability has made the SRB-breed the highest producing red breed in the world. Add to that the selection for easy heifer-calvings, good fertility and components and low cellcount and you have the explanation to the increasing demand from many countries for SRB-genetics for improving other dairy cow populations and for crossbreeding in commercial dairy herds experiencing problems in these traits. (Author - Per E. Falk)



NORMANDE

The Normande is the result of progressive improvement of various local populations in Normandy in France. It was standardised in the 19th century and identified as long ago as 1883 with the founding of the Pedigree Book and creation of the Normande Herd Book (HBN*), France’s first herdbook. The origins of the Normande breed is the result from cross-breeding the Cotentine, Augeronne, and Cauchoise breeds into one homogeneous breed. The Cotentine (red brindled coat) was a tall cow, heavier than normal, and above all an excellent milk cow. The Augeronne breed (“mottled white” coat) was smaller and known for its quality as beef cattle, less coarse and more readily fattened than the Cotentine. The “Cauchoise” (red pied coat, with Flemish blood) had almost entirely white head (at least two-thirds). The Durham Shorthorn from England was crossed with the Normande to develop earlier maturing, better conformed, less coarse, and easily fattened cattle. The Durham was used for roughly 40 years, until 1880 in an irregular manner. But the breeders who succeeded were those who essentially relied on the Cotentine breed in their selections. The last quarter of the 19th century marked the start of a new era during which the Cotentine breed started to impose itself as the main factor in the improvement of the Normande breed. From 1877-1928, exports were made to South America while in 1946, the first Artificial Insemination in France was carried out on a Normande cow. In 1952 the SCTN (Normande Bull Control Board) was established to progeny test young Normande bulls where 350 cows were inseminated with the intention of obtaining 40 daughers to test for their first lactation. In 1958 the GNA (National Buying Group) was founded to make it easier to acquire males for the semen production centres where in 1986 it was absorbed by the GNA*, now called “Génétique Normande Avenir” (Normande Genetic Future).
The Normande is a dual-purpose breed coming from a high-performance selection scheme whose objective (among others) is the improvement of dairy qualities while preserving beef qualities. It is the third most popular milk breed in France, after the Holstein and the Montbéliarde. Its milk is rich in fat and in protein; it is highly sought-after by dairy produce makers and has contributed to the reputation of Normandy’s creams and cheeses. The Corrected lactations Average in 2007 from 230,723 records 7,326 Kg milk/year, 4.28% Fat content, 3.63% Protein content. The Standardized milk with 7% solids Kg milk/year is 8,100 (Source FCL). The genetic levels in the controlled population are rising regularly: the annual genetic progress is +80kg of milk, with no deterioration in protein, butterfat, or protein values. Between 1997 and 2007, milk production (corrected milk yields – FCL* data) went from 6,504kg to 7,326kg per cow per year. The richness of its milk in cheese-yielding proteins (the B Kappa variant) ensures the Normande's superiority over most other milk breeds. Caseins, the main protein in cows' milk, are the basis for conversion to cheese. The BBB combination, which gives the best yield, is strongly present in Normande cow's milk. The richness of the milk, especially in protein, is a real advantage for breeders who are paid on this basis. In 2002, the Normande, with 34.3 grammes/litre of pure protein, held a clear advantage over the other breeds, notably the Montbéliarde (+1.7 g/l) and the Holstein (+2.6 g/l).


The males are valued as veal calves, steers and young bulls. Even after several lactations, the females produce tasty meat known for its flavour and marbling. The carcasses, which are heavy and well shaped, are much appreciated by meatpackers. Since 1992, a Normande Quality Label(FQRN) has promoted Normande meat, which is so tender, marbled, and tasty, that it was judged best meat by a Gault et Millau jury. This gives the producer a premium of +10% to +20% compared with the market price. In terms of breeding qualities, the Normande is characterised by its ability to make good use of fodder, its fertility, its longevity, and its hardiness. The average weight of female animals is 750kg, the average height is 145cm to the sacrum.
In France there are almost 2 million heads, 600,000 of which are cows mostly spread through the western part of the country. In 2002, 500,000 First Artificial Inseminations were recorded, and 300,000 cows were registered at the milk control council. The Normande is present in many countries specially in South America, where it was exported at the start of the 20th century. Colombia is the Normande's second home with 1.2 million heads together with Normande x Zebu crosses. The Colombian association of Normande breeders (ASONORMANDO Colombiano) ensures genealogical monitoring of the animals. In Uruguay, there are 300,000 head of purebreds and crosses. The Normande-Zebu cross allows the hardiness of the Zebu to be combined with the production characteristics of the Normande and has been carried out also in Brazil, Paraguay, and other tropical countries. More than 15 other countries such as Argentina, UK, USA, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Portugal, Ireland and others, have more than 100,000 heads of purebreds and crosses. The United States holds strong development potential for the breed both for milk production, and beef production from pastures. (Author - UPRA Normande)



GRAUVIEH

The Grauvieh (pronounced as 'Grow-fee', German word which means 'Grey Cattle'), is a solid colored breed.with various shades of grey from almost black, brownish, silvery to almost white, with darker areas. The lighter colored Grauvieh has a color like that of the Brahman and other white Indian zebus. The border of the muzzle and the poll is lighter. The Grauvieh is naturally horned and docile with strong legs, resulting from natural selection in the Austrian Tyrol. The weight of bulls averages 1000 kgs. with height average of 140 cm. The cows weight range from 550 to 630 kg with average height of 135 cm.
The Grauvieh is originally from the Tyrol region of Austria and has expanded to Italy, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia. It has also been exported to Oman.
The Philippines may be the first humid tropical area where the Grauvieh will be used as a crossing breed.


Based on the data of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), in Austria the Milk Production of 2,927 milk-recorded Cows in the Year 2007 was 4806 kgs. in 295 Days containing 3.97% Fat and 3.27% Protein. This is based on mostly forage in the mountains.