Beef production systems with dairy × beef heifers based on forage and semi-natural grasslands

Abstract

Beef production on semi-natural grasslands provides human food and nature conservation of biodiverse habitats. This study examined animal performance and carcass characteristics in four different breed combinations of dairy (Swedish Red (SR) and Swedish Holstein (SH))×beef heifers after Angus (Ang) or Charolais (Ch) sires allocated to a High or Low production system using semi-natural grasslands. The High system involved a moderately high indoor feed intensity, only one summer on pasture, and slaughter at 20 months of age, whereas Low system involved low indoor feed intensity, two summers on pasture and slaughter at 27 months. Liveweight gain was higher for Ch than Ang and higher for High than Low. Ch carcasses had a higher weight and conformation score than Ang, whereas Ang had higher scores of fatness and marbling. Low heifers had lower fatness score than High heifers. ChLow heifers were leaner than the three other groups. The AngHigh, ChHigh, AngLow and ChLow heifers grazed 0.36, 0.33, 1.32 and 1.14 ha, respectively. The results indicate that dairy × beef heifers can be used for nature conservation grazing of semi-natural grasslands and at the same time reach market-oriented carcasses.

Keywords

feed intensity; grazing; semi-natural pasture; crossbreeding; carcass

Published in

Grassland Science in Europe
2024, number: 29, pages: 84-87
Title: Why grasslands? : Proceedings of the 30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation Leeuwarden, the Netherlands 9-13 June 2024
Publisher: Organising Committee of the 30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation

Conference

Proceedings of 30th General Meeting of European Grassland Federation, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, 9-13 June 2024

SLU Authors

• Hessle, Anna

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Dahlström, Frida

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lans, Jenny

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Karlsson, Anders

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Carlsson, Annelie

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science
Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

Publication identifier

• eISBN: 978-90-903-8494-8

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/139961