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Title: Milk Yield and Quality in Cows Sired by Different Beef Breeds

Author
item Brown, Michael
item HOLLOWAY, J - TEXAS A&M UNIV.
item LALMAN, D - OKLA. STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2010
Publication Date: 10/3/2010
Citation: Brown, M.A., Holloway, J.W., Lalman, D.L. 2010. Milk Yield and Quality in Cows Sired by Different Beef Breeds. Professional Animal Scientist.26(2010):393-397

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only.

Technical Abstract: Maternal ability of beef cows, as indicated by milk yield and quality, influences both calf weaning weight and cow maintenance requirements. Three years of milk yield and quality data from 143 cows from Brangus dams and sired by 83 Bonsmara, Brangus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, and Romosinuano bulls were used to estimate breed group differences in average daily milk yield and quality. Cows were milked by single-cow milking machine every 28 d each year starting in May and ending in October. Bonsmara-sired cows were numerically greater in 24-hr milk yield (7.6 kg/d) than other breed groups while Romosinuano-sired cows were lesser (P < 0.01) in 24-hr milk yield (5.8 kg/d) than any of the other breed groups. Percent milk fat was greater (P < 0.10) in Hereford- and Romosinuano-sired cows (4.1 and 4.0%, respectively) than Brangus- , Charolais- , and Gelbvieh-sired cows (3.7, 3.7, and 3.6%, respectively). Natural logarithm-transformed somatic cell counts were greater (P < 0.10) in Gelbvieh- and Hereford-sired cows (3.6 and 3.6, respectively) than Brangus-, Charolais-, and Romosinuano-sired cows (2.9, 2.9, and 2.8, respectively). Least squares means for actual somatic cell counts for Gelbvieh- and Hereford-sired cows exceeded 200,000 cells. Results suggest that milk yields from the two non-Zebu tropically-adapted sire breeds were acceptable in Bonsmara-sired cows but low in Romosinuano-sired cows, although milk fat in Romosinuano-sired cows was high. Results also suggest the possibility of greater mastitis problems with Hereford- and Gelbvieh-sired cows.