PHOTO: TEAM PUBLICATIE
of various breeds, and while crossbreeding of dairy cattle in the US is still not common, “interest is growing due to a rise in organic and pasture-based dairy systems”. Graham analysed crossbred performance in a pasture-based system in terms of resistance to predicted losses due to heat stress. He found that first-generation (F1) Holstein-Jersey crosses, particularly those with Jersey dams, were “as com- petitive with the purebred Holstein animals for production yield traits”. Probert has a warning, however, about F1 Jersey-Holstein progeny. “They are going to be pretty dark in coat colour, which absorbs more heat. But overall, I think a lot of produc- ers in this state would agree that crosses are best in terms of performance on pasture, Jerseys would be second, and then Guernsey and Brown Swiss.”
Guernsey Like the Jersey, the Guernsey is a smaller cow that was also developed on the British Channel Islands (as was the Alder- ney breed, which is now extinct). Guernsey milk is high in milk solids and has a distinctive golden colour, resulting from its unusually high content of beta carotene (a nutrient also found in fruit and in vegetables such as carrots). The World Guernsey Cattle Federation states that this cow “has been developed for pasture-based milk production” and “is the ideal cow for intensive grazing”.
Brown Swiss A larger breed, and perhaps the oldest of all dairy breeds, is the Brown Swiss. It is believed to have originated in the val- leys and mountain slopes of Switzerland around 4000 BCE. Its milk yields are second highest to the Holstein, and the milk has a butterfat:protein ratio that results in excellent cheeses. Exact figures are hard to come by, but according to the Brown Swiss Association of the US, the cow breed with the largest global population is either Brown Swiss or Holstein.
Ayrshires Ayrshires are another smaller breed. They originated from the mountainous regions of Ayr county in Scotland, but some his- torians believe the breed originated in Holland. The Ayrshire developed its red and white characteristics around the year 1800. Ayrshire Canada’s “National Fieldman” Yves Charpentier says, “A good number of Canadian Ayrshire breeders are using pastures for the management of their herds and they obtain very good performances and results.” Ayrshire animals can also pasture well on hilly terrain, as their ancestors did. Charpentier says it’s also very rare to see an Ayrshire cow with a hoof or leg problem. “They are aggressive grass consumers,” he says, “and, combined with their good mobility, this means the Ayrshire cows are able to feed on a large volume day after day on pastures.” He adds that Ayrshires need a significant volume of protein
in their ration. “Since – especially at the beginning of the grass season (May and June) – pastures represent an excel- lent source of protein, that increases the milk production performance of Ayrshire cows.”
The Canadienne Although hard data is unavailable, it’s well known that the only breed of dairy cattle ever developed in Canada, the Can- adienne, does very well on pasture. While numbers are criti- cally low of this breed right now, the Canadienne was the most common dairy cow in Canada about 150 years ago. The Canadienne’s ancestors arrived in 1608 from France. Al- though their common coat colour is black (with some brown to russet also present), they perform well on pasture – in fact they were bred specifically to do well on rough terrain, ac- cording to Mario Duschesne, co-ordinator of the Que- bec-based Société des Éleveurs de Bovins Canadiens. Their milk production is not high, as Duschesne explains. “If you se- lect for more production, you will sacrifice hardiness. They are inversely proportional.” There are about three all-Canadienne commercial dairy farms in Quebec, each with a milking herd of about 65 cows. All have a small cheese processing factory of their own or sell directly to a cheese producer. There is also a smaller Quebec Canadienne organic herd, and a few other farms with some of the breed. A few Canadienne also live in other parts of Canada, and there are a few in France.
Holstein While Holsteins are the top milk-producing cattle breed in the world, their large size and black spots are an impediment to outstanding pasture performance. Generally, they are consid- ered the worst pasture performers of all dairy cows. However, Probert notes in his article that New Zealand Friesians, which were closely related to the conventional
▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 3, 2022 11
The number of Jersey herds has greatly in- creased in Cana- da and the US in recent years due to their pasture performance, higher milk fat and protein percentages.
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