Bos indicus and Bos taurus crossbred dairy cattle in Australia. I. Crossbreeding with selection among filial generations

Abstract

An attempt to breed a dairy animal having satisfactory milk production in a difficult environment is reported.

Red Sindhi and Sahiwal (Bos indicus) males crossed with Jersey (Bos taurus) females were used as foundation breeds, and each cross was bred on to the F₃ generation. All females in each generation were milked for at least one lactation. Males used as sires in each generation were chosen from progeny of the best available females.

The report covers the 16 year period 1955–1970 and is based on the first lactation records of parental females and their F₁, F₂, and F₃ progenies. Owing to the phenomenon known as "maternal instinct", the mean first lactation milk yield of each filial generation was inferior to that of the parental generation of Jerseys. The Jersey mean was 1944 kg milk in 206 days, that of F₁, F₂, and F₃ Sahiwal x Jersey crosses 815 kg in 112 days, and that of F₁, F₂, and F₃ Sindhi x Jersey crosses 375 kg in 83 days. Maximum first lactation yield recorded for a Jersey was 4536 kg in 305 days, for a Sahiwal x Jersey cross 4649 kg in 305 days, and for a Sindhi x Jersey cross 2694 kg in 305 days.

The range in recorded milk yields among F₂ and F₃ Sahiwal x Jersey females indicated that selection against maternal instinct and for total milk yield would be effective.