Dual Purpose Fleckvieh- Our Breeding Program

4 Dual Purpose
Dual Purpose Fleckvieh- Our Breeding Program
Dr. Thomas Grupp
Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics, incorporated
association, found in 1953 is based on
7 Breeding Associations (ordinary members)
and more than 10.000 extraordinary
and active members in Bavaria, Germany,
Austria and the Czech Republic who participate
in our breeding program and about
1.000 extraordinary members worldwide
who are not involved in the program yet.
The Breeding Associations are:
Zuchtverband Miesbach - Bavaria
Zuchtverband Mühldorf - Bavaria
Zuchtverband Pfaffenhofen –
Bavaria + Lower Rhine Area
Rinderzuchtverband Traunstein -
Bavaria
Zuchtverband Weilheim - Bavaria
Rinderzuchtverband Vöcklabruck -
Austria
Impuls - Czech Republic
How can you get an impression of our
work, if you do not know our Fleckvieh
Breeding Program? This Breeding Program
and our visions are the source and
the spirit of our work.
1. Selection of the Fleckvieh
Bullmother
All Herdbook cows are selected by the
above mentioned Breeding Associations
after first calving and only 1 % of the
Herdbook cows are admitted as bullmothers.
The cows are judged for:
- Framescore
- Muscling
- Feed & Legs
- Udder
- Udder Purity
The inspectors also measure the height at
crossbone and the chest circumference.
All these data are fixed in the papers. Some
associations repeat judging after each
calving to check, if the cow has still the
standard of a bullmother.
Franka DE 09 18160368 S: Hodach, DS: Muster Foto: Schuhmann
Born: 02.06.1996
Height: 146 cm (crossbone)
Chest: 216 cm (circumference)
Breeder: Kaiser
Breeding Association
of Traunstein
The standards set by Bavarian Fleckvieh
Genetics are even higher because we
want a Fleckvieh cow also to express type
& harmony. If a cow does not meet our
demands regarding type and harmony we
don’t buy any progeny out of this cow
even if she was selected as bullmother by
the breeding organizations.
The index for milk production is available
after the cow has finished a 100 day lactaction
period. Because milk production is
Udder from Franka Foto: Schuhmann
milk performance:
4 calvings – 2.7 lactations:
8.570 kg milk – 4.53 % fat –
3.56 % protein
ICP: 3/357 days
Milk value: 122.
so important for the economics of a dual
purpose farm very much emphasis is laid
on this index. The average milk value
(animal model) in the population is 100
with a standard deviation of 12 points.
The minimum milk value for a bullmother
is fixed at 128 and most AI centres prefer
even higher values to increase the chance
to get a proven sire out of a bullmother.
We think focusing on the index for milk
production as only selection criterion is
risky to some extend because
it leads to a neglect of other
very important traits. Therefore
Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics
has started its special selection
system which takes into
consideration the type &
harmony of the cow, too.
Two top cows which fit into
our understanding of a Fleckvieh
dual purpose type and
which were selected by the
Breeding Associations and
Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics
even if they do not have the
expected milk value of 128
are Franka and Baskia.

Baskia DE 09 18043537 S: Horwein, DS: Huch Foto: Schuhmann
Born: 28.12.1992
Height: 147 cm (crossbone)
Chest: 215 cm (circumference)
Breeder: Kaiser
Breeding Association
of Traunstein
milk performance:
7 calvings – 6.0 lactations:
9.005 kg milk – 3.72 % fat –
3.37 % protein
ICP: 6/366 days
Milk value: 111
Laura DE 09 19785637 S: Romen, DS: Streitl Foto: Schuhmann
Born: 10. 06. 1996
Height: 145 cm (crossbone)
Chest: 205 cm (circumference)
Breeder: Holzer -
Breeding Association
of Weilheim
milk performance:
3 calvings – 2.7 lactations:
11.867 kg milk – 3.84 % fat –
3.51 % protein
ICP: 375 days
Milk value: 149
Dual Purpose 5
After a cow was selected as bullmother by
the Breeding Association the farmer gets
an official advice which sire to use on the
bullmother. Most breeders accept these
recommendations and mate the cow to
the suggested bull.
2. Selection of the Fleckvieh
Bullfather
Four times a year, after each evaluation of
the Breeding values, representatives of
the Breeding Associtations, AI stations
and governmental authorities meet to discuss
the newcoming bulls for:
Milk production
Beef production
Exterieur
Bloodline
Thus each year about 20 new bullfathers
are selected for the official breeding program
out of all new AI-bulls. Because we
do not have a closed nucleus Bavarian
Fleckvieh Genetics is allowed and prepared
to select additional bullfathers which
are not used for planned mating. Only about
50 % of the testbulls we buy derive
from the planned mating program.
3. Planned mating
According to the official advice the breeders
inseminate the bullmothers with the
suggested sire or use embryo transfer in
order to have a higher chance to get a bull
calf out of the planned mating.
The illustration on page 7 explains this
system to you with the example of a cow
that is used for the breeding program of
Bavarian Fleckvieh Genetics.
4. Selection of the young sires
The main source for young sires in Bavaria
are the Fleckvieh auctions for breeding
stock. Promising Fleckvieh bulls at the
age of 12 – 16 months are judged by a
selection committee and ranked in diffe-

6 Dual Purpose
rent classes (exterieur, EPD´s, type). AI
stations and breeders have the chance to
bid for a bull in the following auction. 85 %
of our young bulls are selected this way.
15 % of the young sires are bought directly
on the farms. These bulls have to be
judged by the selection committee too, but
there is no contract on the cow. If the bulls
don’t fit into the standards they are
slaughtered.
5. Quarantine Station
All young sires that come to the AI-station
are kept in our quarantine stable for 8
weeks and tested for the following diseases:
Bovine Tuberculosis
Avian Tuberculosis
IBR/IBP
BVD (serological/virological)
Leucosis
Johne´s Disease
Leptospirosis
Brucellosis
Trichomonas
Campylobacter
The testis of each bull are tested for their
consistency and shape and the scrotum
circumference is noted down. The shape
and the number of the teats at the neck of
the testis are also registered in order to
get some hints on the udders of the cows
he will sire.
When all the tests are done and we know
the results the bull is moved to the production
stable of the AI-station.
6. Testing Period – First Results
After the bull has finished the quarantine
period about 1.000 straws of semen are
collected for the testing period. These
straws are distributed in a random system
to veterinarians and AI-technicians. All our
members that take part in milk control are
obliged to do 25% of the artificial inseminations
in their herds with young bulls as
this is the predisposition for a strong and
efficient testing program. About 600 first
services are done per bull within 6 weeks.
Each farmer can select from 17 different
test bulls per year, which guarantees a wide
spread of our test bulls and prevents a
narrowing of blood lines. After 6 weeks no
more inseminations are done with the test
bull, but we still collect semen on the AIstation.
Regio 10/191190 S: Renger, DS: Ponit Foto: Schuhmann
Born: 21.05.1996
Breeder: Enzinger
Breeding Association
of Traunstein
Total Breeding value: 136
Beef value: 123
Milk value: 144
Manager 10/187102 S: Malf, DS: Hornus Foto: Schuhmann
Born: 17.06.1995
Breeder: Huber -
Breeding Association
of Pfaffenhofen
Total Breeding value: 133
Beef value: 121
Milk value: 126

The planned mating system
Glocke DE 09.18180758 Foto: Schuhmann
S: Romen, DS: Star
Born: 31. 03. 1996
Breeder: Estelmann, Fleckviehhof
4 calvings - 3,0 lactations:
10.206kg milk - 4.23 % fat - 4.02 % protein
Viagra 10/187994
Born: 6. 11. 2000
Daily gains: 1430 g
Index: 143
Timetable for test period of Viagra
- 9 month AI with young sire
0 birth of the Viagra-calves
3 month paternal calving ease
X
9 month performance of sons at performance test-station
18 month beef performance field
30 month 100-day lactation performance of daughters maternal calving ease;
Type traits of 50 daughters;
Decision whether the bull is used as AI-bull and as bull father
37 month 305-day lactation performance of daughters, Cell count
Randy 18/68122
S: Ralbo, DS: Modist
Born: 17. 07. 1994
Breeder: Schmelcher, Prittriching
Total Breeding Value: 137
Milk Value: 141 Beef Value: 104
Dual Purpose 7