Short communication: Pure-breeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from double-muscled sires to improve beef production from dairy herds: Weight and value of calves

The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers allows a large proportion of dairy cows to be mated to double-muscled sires and for quantitative and qualitative improvements to be made to beef production from dairy herds. A survey of 1,285 crossbred calves showed that they are destined not only for veal production (like purebred dairy calves) but also for beef production. Crossbred calves obtained from Belgian Blue sires (sold on average at 34 d of age and 64 kg of weight) had a higher market value (€363/calf) than those obtained from double-muscled INRA 95 sires (€297/calf, used for veal production) and from Limousin sires (€216/calf for veal and €271/calf for beef production). As a sire breed, Simmental did not differ significantly from Belgian Blue, but as a dam breed, the crossbred calves fetched a higher price (€5.11/kg) than when Holstein was the dam breed (€4.50/kg). Compared with heifer calves, crossbred bull calves at sale were younger (34.1 vs. 37.2 d) and heavier (64.0 vs. 62.6 kg of live weight), fetched a higher price (€5.13 vs. €4.99/kg), and had a greater value (€328 vs. €312/calf). As the value of purebred dairy calves was about €80 to €100/calf, we are able to confirm that the combined use of sexed semen for pure-breeding and conventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding can increase the income from dairy farms, especially when the sires are double-muscled beef bulls.