FLECKVIEH
STRONG&DAIRY Fleckvieh cattle population Population Czech Republic • Total cows 200,000 in the world • Cows in milk recording 90% • • • •
The Fleckvieh breed is one of Europe’s oldest breeds and, with its total population numbering approximately 41 million, it is the second largest breed in the world. It was developed to be highly productive on mostly grass-based diets and to produce higher amounts of fat and protein for cheese making. Fleckvieh cows are being bred throughout the whole world today. The most important Fleckvieh populations are in Germany and Austria, and the Czech Republic. CRV’s Fleckvieh breeding programme uses all these populations to ensure that it sources the best available bulls.
Herd book cows 143,000 Herd book farms 770 Age of calving 28.9 months Calving interval 399 days Milk yield of the herdbook cows 2009 6,519kg of milk with 4.01% fat and 3.43% protein
Fleckvieh breed characteristics Fleckvieh cows are healthy, hardy and are very adaptable to different geographical and climatic conditions. Easy calving, good fertility and a long productive life are, besides the high performance potential for milk and beef, the basis for efficient production. Very good conformation of udders and feet and legs together with the medium body size of animals is ideal with respect to longevity and feed efficiency. The Fleckvieh-Simmental breed has proved very successful in crossbreeding. There are approximately 2,000 young Fleckvieh sires sampled every year worldwide. With this vast genetic pool to select from, and with high selection intensity, optimal yearly genetic gains can be realised.
Population Bavaria (Germany) • Total cows 1.25million • Cows in milk recording 76% • Herd book cows 650,000 • Herd book farms 19,500 • Age of calving 29.6 Months • Calving interval 391 days Milk yield of the herdbook cows 2009 7,096kg of milk with 4.13 % fat and 3.48 % protein
FLECKVIEH
2
strong $ dairy
Breeding goal of CRV
Bavarian and Czech breeding programme
6,500-7,500 kg • Milk yield per lactation 4.2% fat and 3.7% prot. • Milk components • Increase in milk production 1,000kg
The results of performance and genetic evaluation are prerequisites for a modern, tightly organised Fleckvieh breeding programme. The goal of this programme is to raise the genetic level in the entire population and, therefore, to ensure the economic success of the farmers who use the Fleckvieh breed in their herd. The cows with the best breeding value results are usually pre-selected as potential bull dams once they’ve completed their first lactation. In the final selection the type and linear traits are being judged in particular.
• • • • • •
from first to third lactation Lifetime milk production 30,000kg Daily gain of fattening bulls >1,300g Adult weight of cows 650-850kg Stature 140-150 cm Strong udders with good texture and correct teat placement Strong feet & legs
Structure of GZW and SIC indexes The breeding goal in Bavaria and the Czech Republic are defined by the economical total merit indexes GZW and SIC. The milk, meat and fitness traits are well-balanced. All individual traits are weighted according to their economic importance on farm basis.
The aim is to improve protein yield and animal fitness and health while at the same time maintaining meat performance and to increase lifetime performance. The objective is a high functional longevity with an average lifetime performance of 30,000kg of milk.
German GZW
Czech index SIC
2% Milking speed
37.8% Production
43.7% Health
40% Production
43% Health
16.5% Beef
4.4% Fat
4.6% EUROP grade
33.4% Protein
13.4 % Longevity
7.3% Daily gain 4.6% Carcass perc.
6.8% Fertility 9.7% Somatic cell count
3.7% Calving ease 8.1% Stillbirth rate 2.0% Persistency 2.0% Milking speed
FLECKVIEH
8.0% Fat 32.0% Protein 7.6% Daily gain 4.7% EUROP grade
3
strong $ dairy
17% Beef
4.7% Carcas perc. 4.3% Fertility pat. 4.3% Fertility mat. 6.9% Somatic cell count
1.7% Body size 6.9% Musculature 3.4% Feet & legs 15.5% Udder
FLECKVIEH STRONG&DAIRY
Breeding Programme in Bavaria
150 positive proven bulls
450 sampling bulls
9,000 bull dams
4,000 young bull calfs 25,000 potential bull dams
25 bull sires
717,000 active breeding cows population 555,000 cows in herdbook 752,000 cows in milk recording 965,000 cows
Breeding Programme in Czech Republic 20 positive proven bulls
80 sampling bulls
700 bull dams
200 young bulls to rearing station 70,000 active breeding cows population 140,000 cows in herdbook 180,000 cows in milk recording 200,000 cows
FLECKVIEH
4
strong $ dairy
10 bull sires CZ,DEU,AUT,FRA
FLECKVIEH
5
strong $ dairy
FLECKVIEH STRONG&DAIRY
Crossbreeding Fleckvieh is ideally suited for crossbreeding with dairy and beef breeds as it maximizes the heterosis effects.
Crossbreeding with dairy breeds Fleckvieh can score particularly well as a breeding partner in regions or countries with a high proportion of dedicated dairy breeds. Many dairy producers are fighting health problems in their herds and recognise that, given falling returns from milk, a supplementary income is required to keep their operations profitable. The experience gathered over several years from operations with rotational or upgrading crossbreeding programmes have resulted in advantages due, in particular, to: • reduced mastitis and somatic cells counts • increased protein content in milk • more body reserves, substance and muscling in dairy cows • improved fattening traits of calves (including higher returns for culled cows) • healthy cows with a good longevity
FLECKVIEH
6
strong $ dairy
Fleckvieh strengths
• Strong $ dairy,
• Good milkability, • Strong feet & legs • Healthy udders with low somatic cell count
• Strong and functional type
Crossbreeding with tropical breeds Due to their milk abundance Fleckvieh cows are well known and desired for crossbreeding programmes resulting in high-value weaned calves. Crossbreeding Fleckvieh with indigenous breeds has proven to be a success in many subtropical countries. It combines the advantages of Fleckvieh with the heat tolerance and disease resistance of local breeds. The advantages are: • docile temperament and well-balanced herd behavior • high milk performance of suckler cows • good maternal traits • high daily gain of calves in conjunction with good meat quality • pigmentations are particularly desirable around the eyes
FLECKVIEH
7
strong $ dairy
FLEC
STRON
CRV Meggle GmbH Rottmoos 5 83512 Wasserburg Deutschland Tel.: +49-(0) 80 71-90 73 11 Fax: +49-(0) 80 71-90 73 20 www.crv-meggle.de
CRV Czech Republic, spol. s r.o. Vídeňská 340 25242 Vestec Czech Republic www.crvcz.cz info@crvcz.cz 00420 244 912 201
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