Select Sires

SELECTIONS - Summer 2004
Is Crossbreeding Right for You?
Basics Every Producer Should Know

Although previously not a traditional breeding method, with the advancement of modern dairy breeds the industry may have reached a point where crossbreeding is a viable alternative.

The greatest advantage to crossbreeding is hybrid vigor. This is where offspring perform better than their parents and occurs when two distinct genetic lines are combined. However, hybrid vigor is temporary. Without a plan to sustain it in future generations, crossbreeding results can be disappointing. Table 1 indicates the amount of hybrid vigor maintained with different mating strategies.

Crossbreeding Scheme	Hybrid Vidor Sustained
Two-breed rotation	67%
Three-breed rotation	85%
Four-breed rotation	94%

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to use crossbreeding in your herd. Below is a summary of basics you should know when deciding if this program will work for you. For further information on crossbreeding, visit Select Sires' Dairy Lineup, or contact your Select Sires representative.

The Bottom Line

Crossbreeding can produce benefits if closely competitive breeds are available.
Select Sires cannot recommend crossbreeding with confidence at this point because of the very limited data available on comparisions utilizing crossbreeding on the currently available dairy breeds.
Research is underway that will help provide these answers and Select Sires supports this work.
Producers that try crossbreeding should use a three-breed rotation.
The breeds used should be competitive and have effective genetic improvement programs.
Producers should use the best available bulls from those breeds.

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