Breed performance in organic dairy farming in Northern Spain

Organic farm management combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, preservation of natural resources and high animal welfare standards. To meet these criteria, farmers must have livestock well adapted to local organic conditions and information about how different breeds and crosses perform under different conditions. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of different pure breeds and cross-breeds of cattle in organic dairy systems in Northern Spain. The data analysed were obtained from monthly records kept between 2010 and 2016 on organic farms registered in the regional milk recording system. Analysis of various traits indicated that the Holstein-Friesian breed suits the organic production system in the study region. Although the reproductive performance of Holstein-Friesian cows was poorer (in terms of number of services per conception) than that of cross-breed and Brown Swiss cows, the Holstein-Friesian produced more milk and lived longer. In addition, there was no difference in calving type or calving ease between the different breed groups. The better milk fat and protein yields produced by the crosses may be useful traits for farmers interested in milk transformation. The advantage of continuing to use Holstein-Friesian cattle is that the breed is predominant worldwide, and the genealogy is well documented. If Holstein-Friesian cattle continue to be used, the main priority will be to search for well-adapted bulls (particularly for pasture-based conditions) and to elaborate a genetic merit index for organic and pasture-based systems with the aim of predicting and minimizing genotype x environment interactions.