Table 1.
Cattle breeds, purpose, number of animals, and individual data (parity, gestation and dry period length, and previous lactation yield) of cows included in the present study1
| Breed | Purpose | Cows, n | Parity | Gestation length, d | Dry period length, d | Previous 305-d lactation yield, kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Swiss | Dairy | 34 | 2.4 ± 1.5 | 288.3 ± 6.0 | 71.3 ± 14.1 | 8,510 ± 2,330 |
| Charolais × Holstein Friesian | Beef-crossbred | 23 | 2.0 ± 0.0 | 282.0 ± 3.7 | 304.7 ± 110.1 | 1,361 ± 1,420 |
| German Fleckvieh | Dual | 177 | 2.8 ± 1.8 | 287.8 ± 5.5 | 64.0 ± 18.1 | 6,791 ± 1,874 |
| Holstein Friesian (German) | Dairy | 21 | 3.9 ± 0.7 | 280.9 ± 4.8 | 53.0 ± 15.9 | 10,483 ± 451 |
| Holstein Friesian (Swiss) | Dairy | 76 | 3.3 ± 1.9 | 283.7 ± 6.2 | 62.4 ± 30.8 | 8,839 ± 1,720 |
| Holstein Friesian × Montbéliarde | Dual | 20 | 2.4 ± 1.5 | 286.8 ± 5.9 | 57.9 ± 10.3 | 6,364 ± 1,027 |
| Montbéliarde | Dual | 11 | 3.9 ± 2.2 | 288.3 ± 5.7 | 59.6 ± 9.6 | 8,139 ± 1,548 |
| Murnau-Werdenfels | Dual | 13 | 2.6 ± 0.8 | 290.7 ± 5.5 | 62.3 ± 7.9 | 4,770 ± 615 |
| New Zealand Holstein | Dairy | 17 | 2.9 ± 2.1 | 278.6 ± 3.3 | 59.8 ± 7.2 | 6,062 ± 1,108 |
| Original Braunvieh | Dual | 9 | 3.9 ± 2.5 | 289.3 ± 7.9 | 66.4 ± 21.2 | 6,614 ± 338 |
| Pinzgauer | Dual | 37 | 2.6 ± 1.2 | 288.4 ± 5.8 | 60.3 ± 29.2 | 5,709 ± 1,297 |
| Rhetic Gray | Dual | 5 | 2.6 ± 0.9 | 291.0 ± 5.7 | Not available | Not available |
| Simmental | Dual | 15 | 3.5 ± 2.0 | 286.9 ± 5.2 | 46.2 ± 6.8 | 5,887 ± 998 |
1Data on parity, gestation and dry period length, and previous lactation yield are presented as mean values ± SD.