Main description:

This publication contains the proceedings of a Seminar "Beef production from different dairy breeds and dairy beef crosses", held in Ireland on April 13-15, 1981, under the auspices of the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) as part of the European Communities (EC) programme for beef production research. The CEC wishes to thank those representatives of Ireland who took responsibility for the organisation and conduct of this Seminar, notably Professor E.P. Cunningham, Dr. G.J. More O'Ferrall (local organiser), Dr. Patricia McGlaughlin and In particular, thanks are due to Dr. McGlaughlin Mr. R. Barlow. and Mr. Barlow for their recording of the discussions. Professor Ian Gordon of the Faculty of Agriculture, kindly made available the facilities of Lyons House, University College, for the Seminar. Thanks are also accorded to the Chairmen of the Sessions Professor D. Smidt, Dr. R.B. Thiessen, Professor A. Neimann Sorensen, Professor E.P. Cunningham, and to all the participants who presented papers and took part in the discussions. X OBJECTIVES The aims of the Seminar were to review recent comparisons of Holstein and Friesian strains with other dairy breeds for beef and veal production; to look at the use of beef breeds for crossing on dairy herds in various EEC countries, and to examine the economic and genetic balance between milk and beef traits in dual purpose bull testing and selection.

Contents:

Testing of Different Strains of Friesian Cattle in Poland. Beef Performance of F1 Friesian Bulls Fattened under Intensive Feeding Conditions to 450 kg or 550 kg Liveweight.- Comparison of Beef Performance of Different Friesian Strains from Progeny Test Results in Ireland.- Danish Breeding Strategies for Milk and Beef Traits in Dairy and Dual Purpose Cattle Breeds.- A Note on the Comparison of Holsteins and Friesians for Growth, Fled Efficiency and Carcass Traits.- Meat Production of Holstein Friesians in Comparison to Dutch Friesians and Dutch Red and White.- Ability of Holstein Friesian, Dutch Black and White, and Belgian White-Red Bull Calves for Veal and Beef Production.- Relative Performance of Beef Breeds and Their Dairy Crosses in Ireland.- Sire Breed Influence of Various Beep Breeds on Calving Performance, Growth Rate, Feed Efficiency, Carcass and Meat Quality.- Comparison of Different Sire Breeds Crossed with Friesian Cows: Preliminary Results.- Beef Production in Danish Jersey. Charolais x Jersey Crossing.- Performance of Belgian White-Red Crossbreds Used for Beef Production - Preliminary Results.- Crossbreeding of Beef Bulls on Friesian Cows in Italy.- Fattening Performance and Slaughter Traits of Purebred and Crossed Young Bulls.- The Effect of Freezing on the Meat Colour of Purebred and Crossed Young Bulls.- Early Calving of Crossbred Heifers. I Comparison between Animals Slaughtered Just after and Seven Months after First Calving.- Selection of Beef Bulls for Terminal Crossing in France.- Influence of Economic Weights and Population Structure on Selection Response of Milk and Beef Traits.- Progeny Testing of Dairy Bulls for Meat Production and Aggregation with Dairy Indices.- Comparison of Danish Friesian, Friesian and Red Danish for Beef Production.- Economic and Genetic Optimisation of Dual Purpose Bull Testing and Selection.- Tie Economic Comparison between the Holstein and Norman Breeds.- Use of Beef Breeds for Crossing on Dairy Herds in the Netherlands.- The Current Practice of Commercial Crossbreeding in the UK with Particular Reference to the Effects of Breed Choice.- Beef Crossing in the Dairy Herd - Why Does It Work in the British Isles and Not in Germany ?.- Current Efficiency of Embryo Transfer Procedures and Their Potential for Increasing Beef Output from the Dairy Herd.- General Discussion.- Summary and Concluding Remarks.- List of Participants.