{"id":29587,"date":"2021-07-31T13:19:14","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T18:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.midwestfarmreport.com\/?p=29587"},"modified":"2021-07-31T13:26:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T18:26:53","slug":"integrating-european-genes-into-the-herd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midwestfarmreport.com\/2021\/07\/31\/integrating-european-genes-into-the-herd\/","title":{"rendered":"Integrating European Genes into the Herd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you look across dairy farms in Wisconsin, what type of dairy breed do you see the most? If you answered Holstein, you are correct. Holsteins are the most common breed in Wisconsin. On our family farm, we have always had Holsteins, black and white as well as red and white. However, in 2013 my father wanted to expand our herd and find something different to integrate into our herd\u2019s reproduction. My father was introduced to Fleckvieh, a German breed of cattle. After doing more research on the breed, my father contacted a Fleckvieh breeding supplier and we started cross breeding our Holstein cattle with Fleckvieh semen. We decided to go with this breed because we were looking for genetics that would serve as dual purpose, for high quality milk components and meat. Also, Fleckvieh cattle are a shorter breed which is good for grazing. As an organic dairy, we are regulated to graze our cattle on pasture for a certain number of days. Cattle that are a little shorter makes it easier for them to graze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n