Moorepark 2019: what was in the breeding village?

Sexed semen trial results, the performance of the next generation herd and the impact of the Jersey crossbreeding were the main items of discussion at the breeding village in Moorepark.

The breeding village is one of seven sections at the open day given to a dedicated topic. Results on the trial on sexed semen were released at the open day.

Over 2,000 cows were in the study looking at sexed semen with two insemination times and these were compared to conventional semen.

The results showed that conception rate to first service for conventional semen was 60%, while it was 50% for sexed semen.

Frank Buckley presented the latest results on the Next Generation Herd and Jersey crossbreeding. On a milk solids per cow basis, the high-EBI cows in the study produced 34kg more than the national average cows at 468kg MS/cow, compared with 434kg MS/cow.

These results are based on actual lactation age. The difference in profitability between the high- and the low-EBI cows is €220/cow, or €600/ha, which Frank says is directly predicted by the difference in their EBI.

So what would happen if these cows were crossed with Jersey? Frank is also running a herd of purebred Jersey cows in the study and he presented a model of the likely performance outcomes if both groups of Holstein Friesian cows were crossed with Jersey bulls.

If the national average herd was crossed with Jersey, milk solids output per cow would be 475kg, up from the 434kg they are currently producing.

If the high-EBI cows were crossed with Jersey they would produce 479kg MS/cow, up from 468kg they are currently producing.

From a profitability basis, crossbreeding the national average EBI herd in the study with Jersey will increase profitability per hectare from €1,709/ha currently to €2,365/ha. Importantly, Frank said this is based on first-cross animals.

The increase is due to better fertility, milk solids production and a 4% higher stocking rate with Jersey crossbred cows. He said it’s unlikely that the same increase in profitability would be achieved by using only the highest-EBI Holstein Friesian bulls on the national average herd.

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