Within a pasture genetics project 540 cows with a common German Holstein sire (VG)
served as comparison group for 110 daughters of “pasture sires” from Germany suited
to grazing conditions (D) and 150 cows with a New Zealand sire (NZ). According to
the pasture amount (PA) from May to October the 22 farms were separated into three
groups. Mean yields for milk were decreasing from 20-23kg/day to 19-20kg/day when PA increased. In farms with PA of >60% the pasture genetics (NZ and D) were superior. Mean fat and protein contents of the milk were generally higher for daughters of NZ sires. These cows also needed least time until mating after their first calving and were less susceptible to hock lesions and lameness. Daughters of D bulls had the most hock and claw problems, but were less dirty and could be inseminated earlier in farms with PA>60%. Their yields ranged between those of the other two Holstein lines
