Belgian Blue, the crossbreeding specialist breed CONTENTS BB: the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Belgian Blue, the crossbreeding specialist breed

CONTENTS

BB: the best conformation within beef breeds BBG to export it : Belgian Blue Group  The AI center  A unique testing programme  R&D for the future  BBG over the world Why in crossbreeding :  to improve profitability of dairy activities  the best breed for crossbreeding A few examples worldwide

BB : the best conformation within beef breeds

Belgian livestock :

1 million heads, which represents 50% of the national livestock 98% of the worldwide BB livestock 2,000 breeders for 90,000 registered cows and 2,500 registered bulls.

Standards :

Cows = 1.33 m / 725 kg Bulls = 1.48 m / 1200 kg Coats : white, white & blue, white & black. Average weight of the calves at birth : 45 kg (44 / 47)

Features of BB in pure breed :

• Double-muscle gene
• Early maturing animals : average calving age at

29-30 months

• Docile
• Fine bone structure : average carcass yield of 70

% and beef yield > 80%, the highest yields within beef breeds.

• + 35% of 1st class pieces of beef
• Tender and lean beef (5% fat)

BB : the best conformation within beef breeds

Selection goals in pure breed :

 Muscle development (double-muscle gene)  Size  Growth : Weight performances and carcass quality, …  Functional traits: early maturity, longevity, feet and legs, fertility, mortality, easy to breed…  Inbreeding management

Improving the herd income

BB : the best conformation within beef breeds

The AI Centres : traceability and quality BBG to export it : Belgian Blue Group

• 3 centres with 160 boxes
• ± 3,000,000 straws produced / year
• ISO 9001 standards

Semen analyzed before being frozen : volume, concentration, mobility. Then put in straws and printed Quality control of the straws after thawing BBG’s commitments : % progressive > 15 and % mobile > 30

A unique testing programme in crossbreeding

• BBG tests bulls on Holstein cows :

25 bulls tested in 2015

• The following proofs are calculated on the

progeny in crossbreeding :

• Weight at birth
• Gestation length
• Conformation at birth

② C : R&D for the future Centre of Ath : control of individual performances with intake assessment Network of pilot farms in order to obtain technical and economical references  Research on the quality of the semen in order to constantly improve fertility

Numerous studies are being conducted by the AWE for the future of the Belgian Blue breed, and on some highly scientific topics in partnership with the Belgian agronomic universities.

 Mid-term goal of BBG :

Genomic selection of the bulls meant for terminal cross based on the main selection criteria : Calving ease, Gestation length, Conformation

BB x Holstein crossbreeding

0,00% 10,00% 20,00% 30,00% 40,00% 50,00% 60,00% 70,00% 80,00% 90,00%

Calving methods

easy assistance caesarean

80 % easy calvings < 3,5% caesareans Don’t use on heifers Calvings nearly as easy as in pure breed

Data Holstein Holstein x BB Difference

Weight at slaughter (kg) 587 606 +3,5 % Carcass weight (kg) 309 353 +13 % Carcass yield 52,5 58,3 +5,8 % Conformation : U 38 % + 100% R 33 % 62 % + 47 %

More beef for the same fattening period (139 days) + 44 kg of carcass!

A carcass for the butcher :

Data Holstein Holstein x BB % muscle 60,9 68,2 % bone 19,9 15,8 High-quality cuts 55 %

52 kg more beef for the butcher and mainly high-quality cuts.

Therefore, a higher purchase price for the crossed calves: Before 2010, selling price at 10 days old was around 314,7 € for crossed calves, in other words: + 200 € gain per calf compared to pure breed calves. (Results CTBBH Belgium/France) Quite the same results in Spain and Italy

BB x Montbeliarde crossbreeding

Other examples of crossbreeding with similar results

BB x Zebu crossbreeding

The best breed for crossbreeding

Results in Ireland of bull calves crossed on Holstein and slaughtered at 26 months old, in the AI Center of Enfield : Breed Carcass weight Confo. Fat content index Carcass yield index Charolais 399,95 1,12

• 0,15

2,79 Limousin 370,84 0,98

• 0,29

3,2 Simmental 371,50 0,65

• 0,4

1,59 Hereford 367,43 0,56 0,53 1,02 Angus 363,12 0,69 0,4 1,8 BB 381,70 1,19

• 0,56

3,87

The best breed for crossbreeding

Relative prices of Holstein crossed calves for export, source UK : Meat and Livestock Commission

% Bull calves Heifers Charolais 186 138 Limousin 158 117 Simmental 177 131 BB 212 193 Pure Holstein 100 100

The best breed for crossbreeding

In Germany, a comparison of carcass conformations according to the EUROP system : Breed Holstein Crossed Fleckvieh Crossed Limousin Crossed BB Final weight kg 300 +28 +31 +61 % of U 33 38 % of R 33 80 77 62 % of O 77 20 Selling price % 100 111 114 126

Czech Republic

Ireland – Crossbreeding on suckler cows

South Africa, Belgium, France

France – Crossbreeding on Montbeliarde cows On Simmental

MOROCCO – Agricultural Fair of Meknès

MOROCCO

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

BBG Belgian Blue bulls, a guarantee for you to get:

• Easy calvings, due to a fine bone structure,
• A high carcass yield,
• A higher beef yield,
• Higher valued calves, so better selling price,
• Concrete results in more than 40 countries around the world.

CONCLUSION

Carol DELOUME Export Manager cdeloume@netbbg.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION