International dairy cattle will probably follow other agricultural industries and move into crossbreeding for commercial production.

That's the main message cross breeding expert Professor Les Hansen, professor of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, USA, is bringing to meetings of British dairy farmers this winter, part of MDC's breeding+ programme aiming to improve dairy herd profitability.

Prof Hansen will tell producers they stand to gain significant production and welfare benefits from cross breeding as he reports on the latest results from his crossbreeding study in California. These have been updated from Prof Hansen's previous trip to the UK earlier this year.

It comes as commercial dairy producers in the USA explore the potential of crossing breeds more than any time in history.

Prof Hansen says: "There is very little milk lost when crossbreeding Holsteins to genetically-improved breeds of dairy cattle compared to pure Holsteins.

"However, there are huge benefits from crossbreeding in regard to fertility, health, and survival of dairy cows. Very likely, internationally, dairy cattle will follow the lead of the pig, beef cattle, and sheep industries and move to crossbreeding for commercial production. The 'gift' of hybrid vigor for fertility and health is just too substantial to ignore when dairy cows are asked to give huge volumes of milk."

But Prof Hansen will also tell UK producers that a balanced approach is needed so that producers don't risk losing many years of genetic progress.

Professor Hansen plans to speak about his experiences with cross breeding in the States and how they might be applied in a UK context, leaving producers with some strong messages to take home.

They include the fact that hybrid vigour is a bonus that dairy producers can expect on top of individual gene effects from the use of top A.I. sires within breed - and that should be as much as five per cent for production and at least 10 per cent for fertility, health, and survival of dairy cows.

However, Prof Hansen feels strongly that crossbreeding is not genetic improvement. He believes that the continuous use of top progeny-tested AI sires is what brings about genetic improvement in a breed or a herd.

"Production of some cross breeds should exceed the production of pure Holsteins," he explains. "In the past, the assumption was that no cross of breeds could compete with pure Holsteins for production, but on average, hybrid vigour produces a 6.5 per cent increase in production above the average of the parental breeds as well as an improvement of around 10 per cent in fertility, health, and longevity."

Venues:

Midlands
Nov 24: Cheshire Nottinghamshire Nov 25: Leicestershire

Wales
Nov 28: Chirk Golf Club, Llangollen, Wales,

South West
Nov 29: Marlborough Golf Club,with North Wilts Stockman's Club The Dartbridge Inn, Buckfastleigh, Devon, 7.30pm

North
Nov 30: Northallerton Dec 1: Carlisle

Scotland
Dec 1: The Park Hotel, Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, 7.30pm Dec 2: Ardennan House Hotel, Port Elphinstone, Inverurie, 10.30am

For details of the Midlands meetings contact extension officer Hugh Black on 07966 237 818. For meetings in the North East contact Jo Speed on 07976 133 405.