Italian animal genetic resources in the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of FAO

The objective of this paper is to summarize the Italian Animal Genetic Resources (ItAnGR) recorded in the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) of FAO. The breed data sheets of ItAnGR were implemented by the Italian National Focal Point (ItNFP) of FAO under the guidance of Prof. Donato Matassino and CONSDABI. The impressive amount of work done is documented by 299 breed data sheets. The average level of completeness of the data sheets is 48%, i.e. a value similar to the average for European Countries, and for half of ItAnGR updating is quite regular. The number of breeds/populations included is very high for cattle (61), sheep (84), goats (54), asses (15), horses (34) and pigs (45), while it is very low for chicken (6) and absent for the other species. The level of risk of ItAnGR described in DAD-IS is worrying as about one fifth of the breeds are yet extinct, one fifth is judged critical, almost one fifth is endangered and about two fifth are not at risk, transboundary breeds included. The priority for next years is to complete and update the existing data sheets, to implement new breed data sheets for avian species, buffaloes and shepherd and hunting dogs, and to implement the new PED (Production Environment Description) module for all breeds/populations. It is evident that complete and updated database of ItAnGR is a prerequisite for the implementing of a sound National Plan of Action for the safeguarding of farm animal biodiversity

Fertility traits of purebred Holsteins and 2- and 3-breed crossbred heifers and cows obtained from Swedish Red, Montbéliarde, and Brown Swiss sires.

The objective of this study was to compare fertility traits of heifers and primiparous cows from Swedish Red × Holstein (SR × HO; n = 634 and 581, respectively), Montbeliarde × Holstein (MO × HO; n = 126 and 114, respectively), Brown Swiss × Holstein (BS × HO; n = 59 and 50, respectively), and MO × (SR × HO) (n = 241 and 139, respectively) crossbreds, versus those of Holstein heifers and cows (HO; n = 3,483 and 2,549, respectively). Animals were born between 2007 and 2011, and belonged to 4 herds located in northern Italy. Heifers were compared for age at first service (AFS), age at first conception (AFC), interval between first service and conception (IFC), nonreturn rate at 56 d after first service (NR56), conception rate at first service (CR), and number of inseminations required for conception (INS). The same traits were evaluated in primiparous cows, except that AFS and AFC were replaced with days at first service (DFS) and days open (DO). The AFS, AFC, IFC, DFS, and DO traits were continuous variables and were thus analyzed under a proportional hazards Cox model that properly accounted for censoring among cows that were culled or failed to conceive. The NR56, CR, and INS traits were analyzed as binary traits using logistic regression. Our results indicated that, among heifers, SR × HO crossbreds had a better chance of having an earlier first service and conceiving earlier than HO, with hazard ratios (HR) of 1.31 for AFS and 1.34 for AFC. Similarly, MO × (SR × HO) crossbreds differed from HO heifers in this regard (HR = 1.18 and 1.24, respectively). For the primiparous cows, all crossbreds showed significant differences for DFS, DO, and IFC relative to purebred HO, with the exception of the BS × HO crossbreds. The MO × HO, SR × HO, and MO × (SR × HO) crossbred cows showed increased chances of having fewer DFS (HR = 1.40, 1.30, and 1.27, respectively), fewer DO (HR = 1.59, 1.43, and 1.58, respectively), and fewer IFC (HR = 1.52, 1.26, and 1.39, respectively) than HO cows. All crossbred genotypes, including BS × HO cows, showed higher probabilities for higher NR56, higher CR, and lower INS than purebred HO cows. Together, these findings indicate that the studied crossbred cows have higher reproductive potential than Holsteins

A Survey on Feedlot Performance of Purebred and Crossbred European Young Bulls and Heifers Managed Under Intensive Conditions in Veneto, Northeast Italy

This study, based on a nearly 10-year collection of performance data of young bulls and beef heifers, aimed to benchmark production traits of specialized fattening herds of northern Italy and to compare the performance of stock calves belonging to several European genetic types (GT). Data originated from 2806 batches (a group of stock calves homogeneous for GT, origin, finishing herd, fattening period, and diets), and concerned 188,891 animals of 10 GT herded in 44 farms of the Veneto region. For each batch, average body weight (BW) at arrival and at sale, duration of the fattening period, losses due to injury or death, purchase and sell price were collected, and average daily gain (ADG) and net sale gain (NSG) per head, per day of fattening, and per kg of BW gain were computed. Charolais and Limousine young bulls accounted for nearly 50% and 20%, respectively, of all animals, and over 90% of calves originated from France. Average BW at arrival and at slaughter approximated 370 and 650 kg, respectively, and ADG approached 1.30 kg/d, but variation due to GT was large (P<0.01). Charolais young bulls were the heaviest at slaughter and showed the greatest ADG, whereas Irish crosses produced the highest NSG per head and per day of fattening. Year affected all traits (P<0.01), but his magnitude was limited for BW at purchase or sale and for ADG, and slightly larger for NSG, even if this last trait did not evidence any long period congruent trend

Milk Yield Traits, Somatic Cell Score, Milking Time and Age at Calving of Pure Holstein Versus Crossbred Cow

Pure Holstein (HO, n=430), crosses between Swedish Red and HO (SRxHO, n=41), Montbeliarde and HO (MOxHO, n=18), and MO and SRxHO (MOxSH, n=53) were compared for milk, fat and protein yield, fat and protein percentage, somatic cell count (SCC), milking time (MT), and age at first and second calving. A total of 180,933 test-day information for milk yield and MT, and 5,249 for fat and protein percentage and SCC were recorded on first and second parity cows milked in one herd of Cremona province (northern Italy). Somatic cell count and MT were log-transformed to somatic cells score (SCS) and LnMT, respectively, before statistical investigation. Production traits, LnMT and SCS were analyzed through a mixed model that included fixed effects of test-day, parity, days in milk (DIM), genotype and interaction between parity and genotype, and the random effects of cow nested within genotype and residual, whereas the model for age at calving included year and month of calving and genotype as fixed effects, and residual as random. MOxHO and pure HO cows differed only for age at second calving (70 d higher for purebreds; P<0.05). Holsteins produced more milk (+2.86 kg/d; P<0.01) and protein yield (+0.05 kg/d; P<0.05) than SRxHO crossbreds, but lower protein percentage (-0.09%; P<0.01), and age at second calving was 44 d (P<0.01) higher than SRxHO. Also, HO produced more milk and fat than MOxSH cows (+1.61 and +0.08 kg/d, respectively; P<0.05), but lower protein percentage (-0.11%; P<0.001), and calved later, both at first and second calving (+24 and +43 d, respectively; P<0.05). Results indicated that crossbred cows can compete with the cosmopolitan breed for several traits

Milk coagulation traits and cheese yields of purebred Holsteins and 4 generations of 3-breed rotational crossbred cows from Viking Red, Montbéliarde, and Holstein bulls.

ABSTRACT Crossbreeding is a strategy to counter the declining fertility, resilience, and longevity of purebred Holstein (Ho) cows. However, little is known of the effects of long-term systematic rotational crossbreeding on milk technological properties and cheese yield (CY). In this study, we compared the individual milk composition, milk coagulation properties (MCP), and CY of 468 purebred Ho and 648 crossbred (CR) cows obtained from two 3-breed rotational crossbreeding systems using Viking Red (VR), Montbeliarde (Mo), and Ho sires over 4 generations. Individual milk samples were collected once from 1,116 primiparous and multiparous cows kept in 2 dairy herds, raised for the production of Grana Padano (high milk yield, total mixed ration based on corn silage) and Parmigiano Reggiano (moderate milk yield, only dry feeds) cheeses. In both herds, a 3-breed rotational mating system was used in which Ho cows were first inseminated with VR, whereas Mo and Ho semen was used in the subsequent generations. In one herd, the sequence Mo-VR-Ho was also used. Individual milk samples were analyzed for milk composition, single-point MCP, and parameters for modeling curd firming over time, whereas CY and milk nutrient recovery in the curd were assessed through a laboratory cheese-making procedure. Compared with Ho, CR cows produced 5.8% less milk, which had comparable fat but greater protein and casein contents and lower lactose contents and somatic cell scores. Milk from CR cows tended to reach a curd firmness of 20 mm more quickly and exhibited greater curd firmness at 45 and 60 min from rennet addition. Holstein and CR cows yielded milk with similar CY and recovery in the curd traits. The milk fat content, somatic cell scores, curd firmness traits, and CY of CR cows relative to the Ho cows differed in the 2 herds, and the favorable effects on the CR cows were more evident in the herd with the greatest milk yield and the worst MCP traits. Crossbred cows of the 4 generations performed similarly, with the exception of the better MCP of the milk from first-generation CR cows. The 2 rotational systems using different sire-breed sequences also performed similarly. In summary, both rotational crossbreeding programs exhibited some advantage over the Ho purebred breeding system in terms of milk composition and MCP but not CY. Future research is needed to investigate the interactions between crossbreeding schemes and dairy systems

Transhumance of dairy cows to highland summer pastures interacts with breed to influence body condition, milk yield and quality

This paper aimed at testing the differences of adaptability of bovine dairy, dual purpose and local breeds during the summer transhumance to highland pastures (summer farms), evaluating temporal variations of body condition and of milk yield and quality. Data were from 799 dairy cows of specialised (Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss), dual purpose (Simmental) and local (mostly Rendena and Alpine Grey) breeds, and were collected before and after the transhumance in 109 permanent dairy farms, and during transhumance in 15 summer farms of the Autonomous Province of Trento, north-eastern Italy. Body Condition Score (BCS), milk production and quality (fat, protein, casein, lactose, urea, SCS) were analysed for the fixed effects of breed, parity, days in milk, month, supplementary concentrate level, and for the random effects of summer farm and individual cow. Body condition score was influenced by transhumance to summer farms, with low values in July and a recovery at the end of the period. This pattern was particularly marked in the specialised breeds. Similarly, also milk production declined, especially for Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss, so that towards the end of transhumance all breeds had similar milk productions. Returning to permanent farms did not compensate the specialised breeds for the production loss experienced at the beginning of the grazing season. In conclusion, local and dual purpose breeds adapt better than specialised breeds to the summer pastures, and this results into an important reduction of their productive gaps (with lower variations of milk quality) and in maintaining body fat reserves

Influence of Genotype and Diet on the Characteristics of Semitendinosus Muscle in Crossbred Young Bulls Derived from Brown Swiss Cow and Double Muscled Bulls

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of genotype and diet on the characteristics of muscle fibers and adipocytes of the semitendinosus muscle in crossbred young bulls derived from Brown Swiss cows (B) and double-muscled Piemontese (PI) or Belgian Blue (BB) bulls. For this purpose 24 young bulls divided in 6 groups fed 3 diets have been used: a control diet without supplementation of rumen protected CLA (rpCLA), two other diets added with 8 or 80 g/d of a supplement of rpCLA. The histochemical methods (succinic dehydrogenase and mATPase) pointed out the presence of three fiber types: type I, type IIA and type IIX. Results demonstrated that genotype affected both fiber type number and size. While there was no significant difference among the percentages of type I fibers (PI×B 12.73%, BB×B 12.95%), the difference was significant (P<0.05) for IIA fiber type (PI×B 23.03%, BB×B 29.13%) and for IIX fiber type (PI×B 64.53%, BB×B 57.84%). All the fiber types of the BB×B genotype had a significantly bigger size (P<0.05) than the fibers of PI×B genotype. The adipocytes analyses showed a significant effect (P<0.05) of genotype on the adipocytes total surface. The level of CLA addition did not affected neither muscle fiber nor adipocytes characteristics