Effects of calf breed on milk production and other economic traits of Holstein dams

Theriogenology

41 :I 347-l

353,1994

EFFECTS OF CALF BREED ON MILK PRODUCTIONAND CYI'HER ECONOMICTRAITS OF HOLSTEINDAMS T. Isogai,lT. Shirai and Y. Ikeuchi NationalLivestockBreedingCenter Nishigo,Fukushima,961, Japan Receivedfor publication:March 12, 1993 Accepted: February 8, 1494 ABSTRACT Production of purebred or crossbred feeder calves for beef, especiallyHolsteinxJapanese-Black (HxJB)and Japanese-Black(JB), from dairy cattle using artificialinseminationor embryo transferhave been used widely in Japan. However, dairy farmers feel uneasy about the effects of calf breed on the economic traits of dams. In this study, those effectswere investigatedin 798 HolsteinheifersbearingHolstein, HxJB, JB or other breed calves. The results of the least-squaresANOVA indicated the effects of calf breed to be significantfor gestation length (P
Copyright

0 1994 Butterworth-Heinemann

1348

Theriogenolog

y

The objectiveof this study was to investigatethe effects of calf breed on economictraits in Holsteindams, especiallyon milk production in the lactation subsequent to gestations resulting from different matings. MATERIAISANDMETHODS Basic data were obtained from 798 Holstein heifers belonging to 5 managementgroups at Iwate Station of the National LivestockBreeding Center in Japan. Those heifers borne Holstein,HxJB, HolsteinxJapaneseShorthorn (HxJS),HolsteinxJapanese-Red (HxJR),HolsteinxAberdeen-Angus (HxAA), JB or Jersey calves via artificial inseminationor embryo transfer. Each management group consisted of daughters of 11 or 12 sires, and the heifers were managed under similar environmental conditionsfrom their weaning to the end of performancetests. After calving, calving score, calf viability, calf birth weight, gestation length and any dischargesfrom uterus were recorded (Set 1). From Day 6 to Day 245 post partum (240 d), milk yields were measured every morning and evening, and fat and protein contents were measured every 4 wk. Consequently,641 dams completed the entire test process, and their milk yields, fat yields, protein yields, peak milk yields, day of peak (countedfrom calving)and milk yields of 8 stages (Days 6 to 35, 36 to 65, 66 to 95, 96 to 125, 126 to 155, 156 to 185, 186 to 215, and 216 to 245 post partum) were recorded (Set 2). In addition, during the 240 d, 559 dams in 4 management groups were inseminated artificially,and the number of artificial inseminationsper pregnancy and days open of 481 pregnantdams were recorded (Set 3). Data in quantitativetraits were analyzed by least-squaresANOVA using Harvey's program (6). The statisticalmodel included the effect of calf breed, and the effects of sex of calf, age at calving (24 to 25, 26, 27, or 28 to 30 mo), managementgroup and random sire within management group. The effect of year-season of calving was excluded from the model, since the calving period was short and some preliminary analysesshowed no significanteffect. Frequencies of dystocia, still birth, retained placenta and pregnancy were compared among dams bearing Holstein, HxJB and HxJS calves. Differenceswere examined by a Chi-square test, considering the effect of managementgroup and the interactionbetween calf breed and managementgroup. RESULTS The results of ANOVA, and the least-squaresmeans (exceptthe milk yields of the 8 stages) and the frequenciesby calf breed are shown in Table 1 and 2, respectively. The effects of calf breed were significantfor gestationlength and calf birth weight. Gestation length (days)was longer in Holstein dams

*P
No. of AI per pregnancy Days open

Set 3 (df=)

240-daymilk yield (kg) 240-dayfat yield (kg) 240-dayproteinyield (kg) Peak yield (kg/day) Day of the peak Milk yieldof Days 6 to 35 (kg) Days 36 to 65 (kg) Days 66 to 95 (kg) Days 96 to 125 (kg) Days 126 to 155 (kg) Days 156 to 185 (kg) Days 186 to 215 (kg) Days 216 to 245 (kg)

Set 2 (df=)

Gestationlength (days) Calf birthweight (kg)

Set 1 (df=)

(6) 0.832 1114

158 929 2371 4789 11156

10884 15214 11700 11270 12740 10133 7705 10170 (1) 0.024 253

: 22

(1) 49785 4682 22393 1.4 173

(1) 374.4" 1347.0"

Sex of calf

(6) 574173 94053 83079 8.5 664

932.1"

693.4*x

(6)

Calf breed

(3) 2.343 5097%

183628 22598% 18796 25340% 22131* 11938 8381 4506

(3) 883351 46933 66494 29.5% 515

(3) 62.7* 42.3

Age at calving

(3) 8.071* 4256*

137411"cL 159650130927" 98789" 69371" 67909" 86602" 52165*

2320653 363340 94870 151.6" 38700"

(4)

(4) 164.5* 184.0"

Group

Sourceof variation

(44) 0.841 1317

1257Ow 14486" 15165" 17019" 17677" 21458" 20370" 19479w

935998" 164815" 127613" 2O.5*x 4099"

(55)

(57) 48.1% 25.9'

Sire within group

(423) 0.950 1587

8073 7715 7017 7497 7626 7601 6809

6975

(571) 375223 63898 48346 8.9 1810

(726) 20.5 18.3

Residual

Table 1. Mean squaresfrom least-squares ANOVA of and milk productionand othereconomictraitsin Holsteindams bearingHolstein,HxJEl,JH or otherbreed calves

2 %

2 6 9

2 2. (9

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Theriogenology

Theriogenology

bearing calves of HxJB (283.3+0.5), HxJE (288.8+0.8), JEI (289.7tl.l) and Jersey (283.5kO.9)than in those bearing Holstein calves (280.6kO.4). Calf birth weight (kg) was lower in HxJB (37.3+0.4),JEI (33.7tl.O)and Jersey (26.8*8.5)than in Holstein (40.6kO.3). Holstein dams bearing JB calves had longer gestation periods than those bearing HxJB calves. Moreover,calf birth weights of JB were lower than those of HxJB. The frequencyof dystocia decreased in Holstein dams bearing HxJB calves compared with those bearing Holstein calves (2.8 vs 7.7 %). Still birth and retained placenta rates were not shown to be affected by calf breed. Milk production traits were not be significantlyaffected by calf breed, and no significantdifferencesamong 7 breeds could be found. Similar findings were observed through the 8 stages of lactation (Figure1). No significanteffects of calf breed were observed on the reproductiontraits.

700 8 5 u g

50()

3

400

600

6-35

36-65

66-95 96-125126-155156-185186-215216-245 Lactation (days)

Figure 1. Least-squqresmeans (+SEM)of milk yields of 8 stages during Day 6 to Day 245 post partum in Holstein dams bearing Holstein calves (a), HolsteinxJapanese-Black calves (m), and Japanese-Blackcalves (N$&l>. DISCUSSION Our data confirm earlier data which indicatethat gestation length and calf birth weight are affected by calf breed following embryo transfer or artificial insemination (5,10,11). In crossbred calves, the effects of calf breed would appear greater in sire breeds with

Theriogenology

standard values differing more than those of Holstein on both traits. Gestationlength (days)and calf birth weight (kg),which were indicated by registry associationsor by the National LivestockBreeding Center, were about 285 and 32, 283 and 35, 287 and 31, and 280 and 34 in JB, Japanese-Shorthorn, Japanese-Redand Aberdeen-Angus,respectively. Frequency of dystocia decreased in Holstein dams bearing HxJB calves significantly. Such a decreasecould be expected,since purebred JB calves were small, and a previous report indicatedcalf breed to be significantcause of variation in the calving score (lo), Previous reports have suggested that the effects of genotype of a purebred calf to be reflected in gestation length, although only slightly so on milk production traits (9,13). Adkinson et al. (1) reported great effects on milk production in Holstein dams (8 to 10 % of the total variance in milk and fat yields), although the method of analysesyielded unrealisticallyhigh estimatesfor variance of sire of calf (9,13). In other previous report (4), daily milk production in Ayrshire dams bearing Limousin calves was shown to be lower than in dams bearing Ayrshire calves; however,this may not always be the case, since the data were limited in number, and changes in gestation length and calf birth weight were excessivecomparedwith those of the control group and the standard values for the Limousin breed. The results of this study show that the effects of calf genotype on milk production traits would appear to be negligibleeconomically. Some authors have indicatedthat the effects of calf genotype are small on days open (1,4,9). Our data also suggest that the effect of calf breed have a small effect on days open as well as on other reproductiontraits. It is known that milk production is affected by fetal hormones such as placentallactogen (3) and taht there is a positiverelationship between milk productionand calf birth weight which is associatedwith calf genotype (2). Thus, the calf genotype of some breeds especially may be a cause of variation in milk productiontraits. However, in our study, the effects of calf genotype on milk production and on reproductiontraits were not significant. In conclusion, We found that the production of JB and HxJB feeder calves from Holstein dams via artificialinseminationor embryo transferdid not result in a decrease in dam productivity. REFERENCES 1. AdkinsonRW, Wilcox CJ, ThatcherWW. Effects of sire of fetus upon subsequentproductionand days open of the dam. J Dairy Sci 1977;60: 1964-1969. 2. Chew BP, Maier LC, Hillers JK, Hodgson AS. Relationshipbetween calf birth weight and dam's subsequent200- and 305-day yields of milk, fat, and total solids in Holstein. J Dairy Sci 1981;64:24012408.

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Gordon I. Controlled breeding in farm animals 1st ed. Oxford, PergamonPress, 1983;123-145. 4. GuilbaultLA, Roy GL, Beckers JF, Dufour JJ. Influenceof breed of fetus on periparturientendocrine responses and subsequent milk productionof Ayrshiredams. J Dairy Sci 1990;73:2766-2773. 5. Guilbault LA, Thatcher WW, Collier RJ, Wilcox CJ. Periparturient endocrine changes of conceptus and maternal units in Holstein heifers bearing geneticallydifferentconceptuses.J Anim Sci 1985; 61:1505-1515. 6. Harvey WR. User's guide for LSMIMW PC-1 version. Columbus, Ohio State Univ, 1987;mimeo. 7. Isogai T, Endo H, Taniguchi M, Yoshida M, Kimura K, Ikeuchi Y, YoshizawaT, Shirai T. Animal model for genetic evaluationof dairy cattle in Japan. Anim Sci Technol (Jpn) 1993;64:952-962. 8. Isogai T, Watanabe Y, NakanishiT, Arima M. Effects of treatment with the highly purified porcine FSH preparationon induction of twin pregancy in cattle. Jpn J Anim Reprod 1991;37:219-224. 9. Johnson LP, Van Vleck LD. Componentsof variance associatedwith service sire for milk yield and reproductivetraits. J Dairy Sci 1979;62:754-759. 10. King KK, Seidel GE, Elsden RP. Bovine embryo transferpregnancies: I. Abortionrates and characteristicsof calves.J Anim Sci 1985;61: 747-757. 11. King KK, Seidel GE, Elsden F?.P.Bovine embryo transferpregnancies: II.Lengths of gestation.J Anim Sci 1985;61:758-762. 12. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Animal Breeding Statisticsin Japan, 1992;44-107. 13. Moya J, Wilcox CJ, Littell RC, Thatcher WW. Effects of sire of fetus upon subsequent milk production and reproductionof Jersey cows. J Dairy Sci 1989;72:1012-1019. 14. Nagamura T. The present condition and subject of beef production and consumptionin Japan. Anim Sci Technol (Jpn) 1991;62:1159-1164. 15. Yamashina H. A practical study for bovine embryo transfer. Jpn J Anim Reprod 1989;35:2OP-24P. 3.