Breed Group Effects on Milk Production of Brazilian Crossbred Dairy Cows

¹ Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuárua, Centro Nacionel de Pesquisa Gado de Leite, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
² Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611-0920

Lactation records (n = 2362) of 1402 crossbred cows in 22 cooperating dairy herds in southeastern Brazil were evaluated. Cows were mixtures of Zebu (Gir, Guzera, and unknown) and European breeding (mostly Holstein). Lactation milk yields were expressed as total, 305-d, or deviated 305-d yields, either adjusted or unadjusted for days in milk (DIM). Mean DIM was 280. Arithmetic means unadjusted for DIM were 1942, 1666, and 5 kg per record. Milk yields of daughters from sires of 6/8 and 7/8 European breeds were higher than yields of daughters from sires of 5/8 European breeds when data were either adjusted or unadjusted for DIM. The differences associated with breed group of sire were only slightly reduced when records were adjusted for DIM. There was no evidence of a decline in milk yield as the fraction of European breeding of the sire increased from 6/8 to 7/8. For a given breed group of sire, whether the grandsire was purebred or crossbred had no detectable effect. These results should be useful in determining strategies for crossbreeding of dairy cows in tropical areas, particularly when crossbred sires are used.

Key Words: milk yield • crossbreeding • Brazil

Submitted on July 11, 1997
Accepted on April 15, 1998

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