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Effects of Crossbreeding on Production Traits in Dairy Cattle^{1, 2,}

Department of Dairy Science, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.

W. R. Harvey³ and R. E. McDowell

United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland

ABSTRACT

Productive performance of 176 crossbreds, representing 15 groups, was compared to that of the purebred contemporary Brown Swiss, Guernseys, and Holsteins. The Guernsey x Holstein and Holstein x Guernsey crosses were bred to Swiss bulls to obtain three-breed crosses. A rotational system using Guernsey or Holstein bulls, or both, was followed to obtain third- and fourth-generation crosses. Most of the bulls used were young pedigree-selected sires. Data analyzed were the deviations of a crossbred record from records of contemporary purebreds. Crosses with Guernsey inheritance were usually above the Guernseys for milk, milk fat, and FCM, but below in milk fat test. The opposite was true when crosses with Holstein breeding were compared to Holsteins. Crosses with Brown Swiss inheritance exceeded the Brown Swiss in 66% of the comparisons. Two groups, Guernsey x Holstein x Guernsey, and Guernsey x Swiss x Guernsey x Holstein, showed negative heterosis for milk fat test. The Holstein x Guernsey x Swiss x Holstein x Guernsey group showed positive heterosis for milk fat and FCM. These results indicate that, in general, nonadditive genetic effects were not important for production traits in crosses among the Guernsey, Holstein, and Brown Swiss breeds.

¹ Technical Contribution no. 547, South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Clemson University, Clemson, S. C. Published by permission of the Director.

² Data for this study are taken from the dairy cattle crossbreeding investigation conducted at the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. This project was a part of the cooperative regional project, Southern Project, S-49, Genetic Methods of Improving Dairy Cattle for the South.

³ Present address: Department of Dairy Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.