Calf transport abroad and veal imports are prominent topics in agricultural, media, and public discourse. This trial aims to explore the production potential of a "grassland cattle crossbreed of a dairy and beef breed." The project contributes to (1) reducing calf exports, (2) fattening cattle from calves on grassland/pasture with very low concentrate feed usage (feed no food) and excellent product and process quality, and (3) producing beef with very good feed and land efficiency as well as a low greenhouse gas balance.
Currently, intensive efforts are underway in Austria to improve domestic sales of dairy-bred calves and thereby reduce exports of dairy calves. Compared to Simmental and Simmental crossbreeds, calves of dairy breeds are only conditionally suitable for further fattening (bull, steer, and heifer fattening). Calf fattening is one way to improve domestic sales of dairy-bred calves. Several organizations have already successfully launched initiatives to increase domestic veal production.
To avoid male, dairy-bred calves from the outset, the use of sexed semen on dairy farms is recommended for cows whose calves are intended for breeding. The remaining dairy cows are then bred with beef-breed bulls. This is the focus of the present research project.
Experiment with Holstein×Angus and Simmental:
The research project of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein (Institute of Biology and Institute for Livestock Research) investigates the grassland fattening of crossbred cattle produced by breeding dairy cows (Holstein Friesian (HF)) with early-maturing beef bulls (Angus (AN)). Angus is considered an early-maturing, medium-sized, robust, and fertile beef breed that, even with extensive feeding, is said to exhibit sufficient muscling, good fat cover, and very good internal meat quality, despite a relatively low final weight.
This "grassland breed" occupies an intermediate position between young cattle from suckler cow husbandry and the classic fattening of steers and heifers for higher final weights. Weaned calves of the HF×AN crossbreed, along with Fleckvieh (Simmental) as a control group, are fattened from 3 months of age, primarily on grassland feed (hay-grass silage ration or short-grass pasture), until just over 1 year of age (400 kg final weight).
Data on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality, efficiency, economic viability, and environmental impact are collected and analyzed.
