A comparative adaptability study on imported Brown, Friesian and Simmental cattle in Turkey

Orhan ALPAN; Hayati YOSUNKAYA; Kemal ALIÇ

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A comparative adaptability study on imported Brown, Friesian and Simmental cattle in Turkey

Orhan ALPAN ,Hayati YOSUNKAYA ,Kemal ALIÇ

- Thirty cows in each of Brown, Friesian and Simmental breeds and their offspring consisted the material of this study. They were imported from west Germany as pregnant heifers. Under the same environmental conditions various adaptation characteristics of these three breeds, such as livability, reproduction, growth, beef performance and milk yields were determined.

The breeds showed similar performance for reproduction. The livability records were pretty close among the breeds from birth to 6 mth of age. At the later ages Brows were superior to others. In this period the number of death cases were 2 in Browns, 7 and 8 in Friesian and Simmentals. Brown calves were significiantly heavier at birth. However at the later ages the body weights were higher in Friesians and in Simmentals.

The average daily gains of the bulls on feeding experiment were 1031, 1016 and 906 g For Browns, Friesians and Simmentals, respectively. The dressing percentages of all the groups were 52 % and bone-carcas ratios were 16 – 18 %.

The averages for the first calving age were 30.9, 29.3 and 27.6 mth, 305 day-ME milk productions were 2868, 3288 and 2620 kg, respectively for the breeds cited above. The calving intervals for the breeds were similar with the averages being about 15 mth.

It may be concluded that among the breeds Friesians were superior for milk Production, Browns were superior for beef production and livability and Simmentals were superior for body size. Keywords :