ProCROSS breeds
The ProCROSS system uses 3 breeds:
- Holstein; normally the cow to start with
- VikingRed; the breed that was built after the merge between Swedish Red, Finnish- and Danish Red
- Montbéliarde; the breed from the mountain areas in France.
Starting ProCROSS will first give F1 cows. We call them G1. (G stands for Generation).
G1 Montbéliarde x Holstein
A cow about as tall as your Holstein, but with 90 kg more body condition. Slope to the rump with tremendous feet and legs. They are maturing into a big, strong dairy cow with a hidden will to milk. The Montbéliarde x Holstein G1-cross is producing at the same level as pure Holsteins. Average weight fresh: 570-590 kg. At the end of the 1st lactation: 615-750 kg.
G1 VikingRed x Holstein
They are dairy cows with better body condition than Holsteins, especially in late lactation. More substance of bone with a better leg than Holsteins. They are producing slightly less then pure Holsteins with a lower SCC and good reproduction. The VikingRed breed is built from the population Swedish Red, Finnish Red and Danish breed. After the merge of these 3 breeds the VikingRed became 1 big breeding programme. The VikingRed has both strength and dairy character. Average weight fresh: 500-575 kg. At the end of the 1st lactation: 600-640 kg.
Please do not confuse the Swedish Red or VikingRed with other Scandinavian dairy breeds. The VikingRed is the highest producing with the best type.
Why ProCROSS?
ProCROSS cows have six major strengths:
- Fertility
- Health
- Cull Value
- Efficiency
- Longevity
- LifeTime Profit.
One of the great benefits of crossbreeding is heterosis. Heterosis is the increase of favourable characteristics of a hybrid organism over those characteristics of its parents, when two unrelated breeds are crossed. Research has found that heterosis has the greatest improvement in traits like Vitality, Fertility, Health and Survival. There can also be a small increase in production. The effects of heterosis are the opposite of inbreeding depression.
VikingGenetics has been rigorously testing and breeding for improved health traits in our bulls for 40 years. Data shows that Sweden, Finland and Denmark, where VikingGenetics bulls are used almost exclusively, have the lowest use of antibiotics in the world. At the same time, they also have the highest milk production in the EU. Therefore, by using VikingGenetics bulls or daughters in your crossbreeding programme you can be confident that your herd will not only be healthy, but will produce, and will produce well. In addition to the achieved heterosis, each breed brings something different to the cross.
Production lifetime
A higher lifetime production means lower input of new heifers. You will save money. Lifetime production has 2 components: production yield per day and total days of production during lifetime.
