Interbreed Matings in Dairy Cattle. III. Economic Aspects

Abstract

Two- and three-breed crosses among Ayrshires, Brown Swiss and Holsteins were compared to contemporary purebreds for first lactation income per cow over feed cost under 11 milk price–feed cost combinations. Milk prices included one of three differentials for milk fat. Four milk prices included differentials for protein and SNF. The Ayrshires, Brown Swiss and their cross were signiflcantly lower than two-breed crosses of 1/2 Holstein and three-breed crosses for income over feed costs. The 1/2 Holstein two-breeds were 12-14% above the parental mean for returns over feed costs but Ayrshire × Swiss showed no advantages. Deviations from parental means for three-breed crosses (range 9.7-32.4%) were higher than for two-breed crosses for all milk-fed pricing combinations.When costs of veterinary treatment, dry cow maintenance and unrealized returns due to mortality were added to income over feed costs, the economic worth of Ayrshire × Holstein, Brown Swiss × Holstein and Holstein × (Ayrshire × Brown Swiss) was enhanced in comparison to Holsteins while that for the Brown Swiss × (Holstein × Ayrshire) and Ayrshire × (Holstein × Brown Swiss) groups declined. These results show that when economie values are applied to elements of performance the merits of crossbreds are quite different from assessments made on any single trait.