Beyond Calf Export ForumAndy Dodd March 2011

UK Diversity

Crossbreeding case studies• Provide clear rewards/implications of

crossbreeding

• Gaps in research

• 7,000 – 9,500 grazing/TMR systems

• Separate business decisions from genetics

• Assess health and fitness differences between breeds

Case studies continued

• Bull calf and cull cow values

• Survival rates

• Assess yield differences between crossbreds and pure breds

• Environmental impact of crossbreeding

• Farmers reasons for crossbreeding

Case study farm three

MB+ Average Farm Three

Number Of Cows 246 286

Labour Hrs/Cow 27 20

Grazing Weeks 26 31

Feed (ppl) 7.08 7.14

Vet & Med (ppl) 0.97 0.6

AI/Breeding (ppl) 0.43 0.62

Calves Transferred (ppl) 1.19 0.35

Cost Milk Production (ppl) 25.17 23.78

Margin (ppl) 1.88 1.85

Fertility 1/9/10 - 1/2/11Swedish Red X Danish Red X Holstein

Number of Cows 63 16 207

Yield (305 day) 10,118 10,562 10,559

SCC (12month rolling)

159 119 250

Days – 1st Serve 67 64 65

Serves - Conception 2.6 5.6 3.1

% in calf @ 100d 50 31 45

Conception Rate % 39 (26) 18 (8) 33 (23)

Mastitis Cases per 100 cows

0.27 0 0.56

Lameness Cases per 100

0.48 0.28 0.41

Herd genetic reports

Pure breds - Crossbred

Conventional Crossbred

Top 10% Bottom 10% Top 10% Bottom 10%

Av. Herd size 239 136 252 172

Av. Yield (l/cow) 7443 6740 6415 5962

Grazing weeks 28 24 32 20

Total feed cost (p/l) 5.94 7.73 7.41 8.37

Labour (hrs/cow) 23.06 38.33 16.63 30.99

Herd replacement (%) 20.87 26.02 15.84 45.45

Net margin (p/l) 5.44 -6.59 6.84 -8.42

•Milkbench+ business benchmarking data sets 1/12/2009 – 30/6/2010 •Pure bred farms - 235 (195 conventional and 40 organic)•Crossbred farms – 39 farms

Bull selection HUK

•

What is the difference?

HF Bullocks average 530KG @ 21 months £640/head

HF X Monti Bullocks average 520kg @ 17 months = £820/head

Impact group aims• Provide impartial crossbreeding research

results for all breeds in one place• Get like minded farmers together

– Already crossbreeding– Considering crossbreeding

• Help farmers find answers/solutions to specific questions

• Find where gaps in research exist and try to fill these

So many choices...

Thank you for your time