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| First Fleckvieh crosses in Australia finish their lactations |
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| Dennis Robinson, dairy farmer of Wherrol Flat on the Mid North coast of New South Wales has a Fleckvieh x Holstein cow which has finished her second lactation and just started her 3rd. The Fleckvieh cross cow, white face, finished her 2nd lactation with 6.345 liters in 305 day's. Her value index (gross milk income) was $ 1.510. Her SCC was only 45.000 compared to her herd age group average of 185.000 with the oveall district same age average of 229.000 SCC. Her pure Holstein mother Nightcap DEB, finished her 5th lactation with 5.944 liters of milk. |
| Dennis recently has sold 8 week olf Fleckveih x Holstein bull for $210 whils his pure Holstein bull calves of the same age were sold for between $70 and $90. |
| Dennis is very happy unsing Fleckvieh semen with his conception rates reaching an astounding 90%! Regarding calving ease, he was also surprised with only one calf being pulled out of his first 18 cross calves. |
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| Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics at the IDW |
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| The Fleckvieh breed was represented for a 2 nd year at the recent International Dairy week at Tatura , Victoria by Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics (BFG). The Fleckvieh booth drew a lot of attention during the dairy week as more and more dairy farmers start to discover the potential of this hardy Dual Purpose breed. Interest for the purchase of semen orders were placed for top milk production bulls from Germany and "new" dairy farmers to the idea put in orders for up to 300 straws. |
| BFG also staged a crossbreeding seminar with guest speakers Thys Swart from South Africa , Tim Williams and Michelle Axford of the Australian dairy herd improvement scheme. |
| Michelle told the meeting that there were 1,81 million dairy cows in 8 055 dairy herds in Australia and of these 55% were milk recorded. The average dairy herd in Australia numbered 225 cows. Genetic gain contributed to 30% of cow production increase, with 0.1% of improvement being worth 2-3 million dollars to the industry. Genetic gain is permanent, compounding and reletavily easy to get. |
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The booth at IDW was always crowded |
George Cassar (2 f r) with Don Mathieson (2 f l) accompanied by the Swart Brothers |
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| Here is a short summary of the speech of Thys Swart of South Africa: |
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| Crossbreeding with Fleckvieh |
| Earn "beef money" from your dairy cow without loosing any milk |
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| Introduction |
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| I am Thys Swart a Fleckvieh dairy farmer in Western Province South Africa, milking 200 pure Fleckvieh cows in an area with 300-350mm of rainfall from dry land pastures. We are also milking 500 Jersey cows in a higher rainfall area from irrigated kikuyu pasture's. The whole herd is crossed over to Fleckvieh since 2007. I am the founder of the Simmentaler milk interest group in 1999.Today the group has around 300 farmers that are interested in Fleckvieh in using them as crossing partner or as pure bred animals in the milking parlor. I am also currently the representative of Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics in South Africa . |
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| Thys Swart (l) with George Cassar (r) at the IDW booth |
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| Why crossbreeding in dairy herds? |
| Worldwide trends in the dairy industry are that dairy farms are getting bigger and milk production per cow per year is increasing. Feeding management on a rising level with consumers who got a growing influence in the way that dairy products are produced. |
| However we also have to face the problems we have with with modern dairy cows like inbreeding, herd replacement rates, reduced fertility, metabolic disorders, more problems on udder health and milk type which correlate negative on animal health. |
| To quote some of the dairy experts in the US on the matter: "A smaller, easier-to-maintain cow is needed. Future Holsteins may look more like they did in the 1960's, with a little more roundness and flesh than today's model." - Dr. Leslie Hansen (Professor Dairy Cattle Genetics Department of Animal Science / University of Minnesota ) Agri News 2003. |
| Pete Blodgett of Alta Genetics in Holstein International 07/03: ".... Breeders and dairy farmers with big farms are looking for healthy, easy calving, fertile, vital and more muscled cows that can easily cope with the stress situations that come up in big dairy herds." |
| Prof Chad Dechow of Pennsylvania State University : " Skinny cows aren't sexy . The key: breeding cows that have the ability to maintain body condition during peak lactation will result in sustainable increases in milk yield while limiting unfavorable changes in cow health and reproductive performance." |
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| Benefits of crossbreeding with Fleckvieh |
| Fleckvieh is known for a long service life (longevity), high lifetime production, extraordinary fertility, very low somatic cell count, strong feet and legs which come down to enormous productivity. First crosses (F1 animals: 50% Fleckvieh 50% Holstein ) produce more milk than there mothers, with a higher protein contents and lower somatic cell count and has higher fertility with shorter intercalf period. |
| F1 bull calves are sold for higher prizes than dairy breed bull calves with better carcass grades. Fleckvieh bulls are also tested at gene Star for marbling and tenderness. This fact helped a lot to improved carcass traits during the last few years. Culled cows are bringing in the same amount as beef cows. |
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| Crossbreeding with Fleckvieh in South Africa |
| Different trials were made throughout South Africa on dairy farms, research stations and feedlots. |
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| Dundonald Farm |
- 500 registered Jersey cows
- First crossings with Fleckvieh - 15 cows in 2001
- 6 heifers & 5 bulls born
- 2005 - 20% of the herd crosses with Fleckvieh
- 2007 - 50% of the herd crosses with Fleckvieh
- From 2008 - 100% of all Jersey cows are AI'd with Fleckvieh semen
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| Name bull |
Animals |
Milk liters |
BF % |
PR % |
BF kg |
PR kg |
SSC |
Lact. Val. |
| Fleckvieh |
7 |
6326 |
4,27 |
3,77 |
269 |
238 |
54 |
123 |
| Alf's Oberon (Jersey) |
5 |
5616 |
4,50 |
3,84 |
252 |
216 |
91 |
116,6 |
| Sea Breeze Saturns Jolly Boy (Jersey) |
5 |
5552 |
4,57 |
3,83 |
254 |
213 |
64 |
116,4 |
| Baretta Jack (Jersey) |
9 |
5848 |
3,82 |
3,82 |
251 |
223 |
90 |
116 |
| Brooks Lasso (Jersey) |
13 |
5837 |
4,30 |
3,80 |
250 |
221 |
149 |
115 |
| Baretta Future (Jersey) |
18 |
5694 |
4,40 |
3,76 |
249 |
228 |
80 |
113 |
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| Springmount Trus Broadbend - Alexandria, Esastern Cape |
| "My aim is to breed a hardier type of milk cow that can still produce off a lower quality roughage base " (Alisdair Broadbend). |
| The Alasdair Broadbend's are farming on 1735ha near Alexandria . Currently milking around 750 cows with 18 liter average. Rotary dairy with Dairy Master milk machine.
Originally they farmed with a Gurnseystud but switched to Holstein (GMS). There were also Friesland x Gurnsey and Friesland x Jersey cows in the herd. |
| "I was never happy with any of the results. We wanted a hardy, low maintenance cow with walk ability, milk ability and fertility. We also want more income from a cow (even with low milk prizes), heavier cull cows and bull calf sales. Since March 2005 we have used only Fleckvieh on our cows." - Alisdair Broadbend. February 2007 |
| All bulcalve's were kept, but from Febr 2007 only Fleckvieh crosses will be kept. |
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| Calving ease since 1/3/2005: |
| Calves |
% Assists |
% Stillbirth |
| 156 Fleckvieh |
1,9 |
0,6 |
| 205 Holstein |
3,4 |
2,4 |
| 74 Jersey |
2,7 |
1,4 |
| 39 Ayrshere |
0 |
2,6 |
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| Springmount calf sales |
| June 2006 (Mixed group of steers: Fleckvieh x Jersey and Fleckvieh x Holstein) |
| 264kg@10 months x R10,60 (2,12$) = R 2795,00 (559$) |
| 10 months = 300 day's x R7,21 (1,45$) = R2163,00 (cost) (432,6$) |
| Profit / calf = R632,00 (126,4$) |
| Pure Holstein bulls in the same group had to be kept 30 days longer to reach 267kg. |
| The profit was R451,00 / 90$ |
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| Springmount conclusion |
- Holstein cow without a Fleckvieh bullcalf has to produce 670l more milk / lactation to produce the same income as a Holstein cow with a Fleckvieh bullcalf.
- A Jersey cow mus produce 2340l more milk to eaqual a Jersey cow with a Fleckvieh bullcalf.
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| Feedlot trial November 2007 (Baams Feedlots Western Cape) |
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| Breed |
Nr |
Age in months |
kg in |
kg out |
days in test |
ADG |
feed intake 18% moist |
Feed intake dry |
Feed conv |
Carcass kg |
Dress % |
| FL x J |
21 |
8,5 |
209 |
369 |
99 |
1,62 |
11,27 |
9,24 |
6,96 |
196 |
53,12 |
| FL x H |
16 |
9,6 |
240 |
436 |
97 |
2,02 |
13,18 |
10,81 |
6,52 |
234 |
53,67 |
| FL |
10 |
9 |
271 |
471 |
88 |
2,27 |
14,1 |
11,56 |
6,21 |
264 |
56,05 |
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| Conclusion on feedlot trials |
| Even Fleckvieh/Jersey crossings growth of 1.62 kg / day and feedconv 6,96kg compare excelent to pure beefbreeds in South Africa . |
| Phase C test results of ARC "Beef Breeding in SA": ADG (Daily gain in kg) |
| Breed |
Daily gains in kg |
Feed conversion in kg |
| Nguni |
1,15 |
6,88 |
| Afrikaner |
1,27 |
7,05 |
| Brahman |
1,32 |
6,99 |
| Fleckvieh x Jersey |
1,62 |
6,96 |
| Bonsmara |
1,63 |
6,69 |
| Angus |
1,8 |
6,55 |
| Hereford |
1,81 |
3,27 |
| Simmentaler |
1,9 |
6,6 |
| All beef breeds |
1,65 |
6,68 |
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