Fleckvieh World USA 2018-2019

Bayern-Genetik develops
Type-Breeding Value for Fleckvieh
According to most cattle breeding experts, Fleckvieh is the world‘s last classic „dual-purpose breed“,
after specialisation (milk or beef), starting in the U.S.A., has begun its triumphal march in the past
60 years. Former dual-purpose breeds such as Montbéliard, Normande, Gelbvieh or MRJ have either
abandoned the consideration of beef performance in the breeding objective or the population was
too small to maintain an effective dual-purpose breeding programme over the past 10 to 20 years.
The current changes in global animal
production, which demands
ever greater efficiency and the high
importance of health traits, but also
the issue of „climate balance“ or
„CO 2
footprint“ in cattle, clearly
show the great potential of the last
remaining dual-purpose breed or, as
Bayern-Genetik describes it, „the
triumphal march of the world‘s only
universal breed has already begun
and will continue for many years to
come“.
One should be able to recognize a
breed and the purpose a breed is
used for in the exterior or type. Milk
performance of a cow, its potential
to develop muscling in the dry-off
period or milk and beef yields with
its calves, if the animal is used as
a suckler cow in extensive beef
production. The dual-purpose bull
should also always demonstrate his
ability to show beef characteristics
through his type.
THE HISTORY
For years, Bayern-Genetik has observed
a creeping change in the
type of Fleckvieh dual-purpose cattle,
which we regard as very dangerous
for the character of the breed.
Negative examples from the development
of the breeds Holstein,
Montbéliard or Normande were
warning enough for us to dedicate
ourselves very intensively to this
topic. At two major and impressive
Type Shows, the „Starkstierfest in
Miesbach“ and „Fleckvieh meets
Munich“, the „Fleckvieh type of the
future“ was presented to a large
audience, body measurements of
all exhibition animals were recorded
and documented.
WHY A TYPE BREEDING VALUE?
In the modern times of genomic
selection, „breeding values on paper“
are becoming more and more
important. The exterior of an animal,
whether cow or bull, is judged
subordinate if the pre-estimated
„numbers“ fit. Of course ideal if
the forecast and phenotype match.
However, in the case of a strong
deviation from the predicted breeding
values, the non-consideration
of the exterior of young bulls and
their ancestors can lead the system
ad absurdum. We observe increasingly
that the eye loses influence
on breeding decisions. The classical
herdbook recording of the female
animals or the judging of young bulls
lose almost any meaning or are invalid.
There is virtually no reason for
the rejection of a young genomic
sire at the judging, if the predicted
Total Breeding Values are > 130. The
hygiene of breeding and type characteristics
fall by the wayside.
Many farmers today are simply unable
to make a decision when it comes
to mating their cows and when
it comes to choosing not only breeding
values and inbreeding coefficients,
but also the corresponding
constitution type, which allows the
offspring to fulfil the hopes placed
in them for performance and fitness
without physical impairment.
Put simply, a cow should always be
able to cope with the performance
requirements in physical harmony.
As the Holstein breeding expert
Chad Dechow described it in 2006
at the World Dairy Expo in Madison
so very simply and yet precisely in
one picture: „A dairy cow should
look like an Olympic wrestler in
the middleweight class“, i.e. for
the cattle breeder and above all for
Bayern-Genetik, we strive for the
athletic all-round cow, which has a
good to very good muscle coverage
or muscle definition over shoulder,
back and hindquarters and results in
a harmonious overall picture. In addition,
every AI bull, regardless of its
type class, should have an athletic
appearance, which is a great challenge
for the future.
OUR „TYPES“
In total we distinguish between 3
type classes:
• Robust (R)
• All-round (A)
• Sharp (S)
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