An evaluation of Piemontese x Holstein-Friesian cattle for beef production

Piemontese x Holstein-Friesians and Charolais x Holstein-Friesians (18 steers and 15 heifers of each breed-type) were compared in two experiments. In a third experiment the performance of 36 Piemontese x Holstein-Friesian bulls, subjected to four feeding regimes, was assessed. In all three experiments grass silage was offered ad libitum, supplemented with mineralised rolled barley at daily rates of 2.0 increasing to 3.0 kg/head for steers, nil increasing to 2.0 kg/head for heifers, and nil (SO), 1.0 (S1), 2.0 (S2) or 4.0 (S4) kg/head for bulls up to 425 kg live weight. After 425 kg live weight, all bulls were fed 4.0 kg/head per day until 15 months of age and 6.0 kg/head per day thereafter. Growth rates of the Piemontese crosses were lower than those of the Charolais crosses (0.98 v. 1.09 (s.e.d. 0.030) kg/day for steers and 0.82 v. 0.87 (s.e.d. 0.025) kg/day for heifers). Cold carcass weights were greater for the Piemontese-cross heifers than for the Charolais-cross heifers, but were similar for the steers. From 220 to 425 kg live weight, the rate of live-weight gain of bulls increased linearly with increasing level of concentrates. After 425 kg live weight, the highest (P < 0.001) rate of live-weight gain was achieved by S0, with all other treatments giving similar performance. In conclusion, the Piemontese crosses had slower growth rates than Charolais crosses, but because of their superior dressing proportion the difference in carcass weight was proportionally less than the difference in slaughter weight.