Beef traits of steers of Simmental breed and its crossbreds with Holstein breed

Abstract

Scientists from different countries have accumulated a lot of material on the beef productivity of young animals obtained from crossbreeding Simmental cows with sires of Holstein breed. The purpose of the research was to study the growth dynamics and beef productivity of steers of Simmental breed and its crossbreds with Holstein breed, as well as the possibility of making a profit from the production of beef. During the period of rearing the experimental animals have been housed at the complex with loose housing barn. During the experiment the steers have consumed 3649,5 EFU and 393 kg of digestible protein. Under the same environments of feeding and housing, the expenditures of feed per 1 kg of gain in the group of Simmental steers amounted to 8,32 EFU, which were by 0,17–0,60 EFU less than in the groups of crossbred steers. In the entire period of rearing purebred Simmental animals grew more intensively, which exceeded at 18 months of age half-blooded Holstein breed analogues by 16,5 kg, 3/4-blooded – by 25,0 kg (P < 0,01) and 7/8-blooded – by 30,2 kg (P < 0,001). The study of meat productivity has shown that Simmental steers surpassed their herdmates of Holstein breed by 10,0–24,8 kg in terms of carcass weight, and their meat weight was higher than that of crossbred animals by 8,4–21,9 kg (P < 0,01–0,001). The conversion rate of feed protein to meat products has shown that Simmental steers were by 0,27–1,05 % more efficient at converting feed protein into meat products compared to crossbred herdmates, and the differences in metabolic energy conversion were by 3,9–5,86 % more. The study of the effectiveness of beef production by steers of different genotypes has shown the advantage of Simmental steers. The profit of the group of Simmental steers made up 8998 Rub that was higher by 2011 Rub than in group of half-blooded Holstein breed steers, and with the group of 3/4-blooded the difference was 2795 Rub and 7/8-blooded steers – 3190 Rub.