Dairy crossbreeding alternatives to improve New Zealand beef production

Abstract

Beef production in New Zealand could be increased by developing farming systems that profitably utilised heifer and bull calves which would otherwise be slaughtered soon after birth. Evaluation of a once-bred heifer cattle policy over 3 years at Massey University showed that target weights to achieve acceptable calving percentages and final carcass weights can be achieved under pasture feeding. Piedmontese and Belgian Blue sires used over Friesian cows produced bull calves that did not grow significantly faster than straight Friesian animals, but had higher dressing out (57.8 ~56.7 y 54.0, P~0.05) and meat yield percentages (76.0 x.75.7 v 73.2 for Piedmontese, Belgian Blue and Fnesian, respectively). Both the once-bred heifer and the exotic x bull beef production systems earned greater returns than traditional beef cattle policies at 1992 costs and prices, and could be easily implemented by New Zealand beef producers. Keywords dairy beef, exotic sires, once-bred heifer