Effect of crossbreeding on market value of calves from dairy cows

Market values (¤/kg) of calves obtained from six paternal breeds, Brown Swiss (BS), Holstein Friesian (HF), Simmental (SI), Alpine Grey (AG), Limousin (LI) and Belgian Blue (BB), and four maternal breeds (BS, HF, SI, AG), were studied in order to estimate the crossbreeding effects. A total of 58,877 calves sold during 143 weekly auctions from 2003 to 2005 in Bolzano in Italy near the Austrian border, were analyzed using ANOVA procedure according to a linear model that included the effects of cross, sex and age of the calf, year and month of the auction. Coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.84; cross and sex effects resulted the most important. The BBxSI calves showed the highest commercial value (7.01 ¤/kg), while the BS purebreds the lowest one (2.74 ¤/kg). The LI and BB breeds used as sire breeds showed the greater commercial prices when crossbred with SI and AG respect to BS and HF. However, BB resulted the best sire breed. On average male calves showed greater commercial values than female ones (5.16 vs. 4.44 ¤/kg), but in HF and BS purebreds the commercial value of males and females was similar.