Production, fertility, survival, and body measurements of Montbeliarde-sired crossbreds compared with pure Holsteins during their first 5 lactations

Two-breed crossbreds of Montbeliarde and Holstein (MO x HO) as well as 3-breed crossbreds of Montbeliarde and Jersey/Holstein (MO x JH) were compared with pure Holstein (HO) cows for production, somatic cell score (SCS), fertility, survival to subsequent calving, mortality, and body measurements during their first 5 lactations. Cows calved for the first time between 2005 and 2010 and were housed in either a confinement herd or a herd that had access to pasture for 165 d of the year in the north central region of the United States. Body, hoof, and udder measurements of cows were also objectively measured. The MO x HO crossbred cows were not different from pure HO cows for fat-plus-protein production during any lactation. However, the MO x JH crossbred cows had 5% lower fat-plus-protein production compared with pure HO cows in the confinement herd. On the other hand, the MO x JH crossbred cows were not different for fat-plus-protein production in the third to fifth lactation compared with pure HO cows in the seasonal pasture herd. Across the 2 herds, the MO x HO and MO x JH crossbred cows had 21% higher first-service conception rate, 41 fewer days open, and 12% higher pregnancy rate compared with the pure HO cows. Furthermore, the MO x HO (5%) and MO x JH (12%) crossbred cows had lower mortality rates than the pure HO cows (18%). Because of superior fertility and lower mortality rates, the MO x HO and MO x JH crossbred cows, combined, had greater survival to second (+13%), third (+24%), fourth (+25%), and fifth (+17%) lactation compared with pure HO cows. For body measurements, MO x HO were similar to pure HO cows for hip height and heart girth, but MO x HO cows had more body condition and greater body weight (+39 kg) across the first 5 lactations. The MO x JH cows had more body condition but 5 cm shorter hip height and 28 kg less body weight than pure HO cows across the first 5 lactations. Foot angle was steeper and hoof length was shorter for MO x HO cows, but MO x J-11 cows were similar to pure HO cows for hoof measurements.