Dec 22 2008
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Irish Researchers Weigh In: “Crossbreeding: Is it more profitable?”
By Frank Buckley and Laurence Shalloo
Moorepark, Dairy Production Research Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Summary
• Studies at Moorepark evaluating the merits of crossbreeding with Jersey and Norwegian Red sires have demonstrated considerable animal performance benefits with crossbred cows.
• Economic analysis undertaken using biological data generated from these studies indicate superior profit generating potential per lactation with a herd of first cross Jersey×Holstein-Friesian and Norwegian Red×Holstein-Friesian cows compared to the pure Holstein-Friesian cows at Ballydague, equating to approximately €18,000 and €13,000, respectively, based on a 40 ha unit.
• There is a growing requirement for the ICBF and Teagasc to provide profit predictions for crossbred cows in addition to those currently provided for purebred cows.
Click here for Dr. Ted Burnside’s summary of this research paper
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