STgenetics next-gen crossbreds unlock heterosis potential

from STgenetics

Many trends come and go, but breeding and milking an efficient cow is here to stay. 

Over the last few years, the dairy industry has seen several trends favoring high efficiency to be profitable. These trends include:

• increase in volume quotas
• processors paying for solids over total volume
• feed prices rising
• water shortage
• feed shortages 

Exploiting heterosis to maximize beneficial traits of two different breeds, or crossbreeding, has been a popular strategy to increase efficiencies on a dairy. To expand heterosis possibilities for producers, STgenetics has introduced STamina™, the dairy industry’s first lineup of F1 dairy crossbred sires. 

This next generation of crossbred breeding allows dairy producers the opportunity to maximize heterosis through continued generational crossbreeding programs. The initial offering in the STamina lineup includes F1 bulls that are offspring of elite Holstein and Jersey matings. 

The STamina program focuses on sustaining the F1 breed through intentional genetic selection to enhance component production, livability, food-chain optimization and sustainability. 

“As the U.S. dairy industry is focused on producing more high-quality, high-component milk in a more sustainable and efficient way, genetics take a larger role,” said Mitch Hockett, PhD, U.S. technical and sales services manager with STgenetics®. “Crossbreeding is at the center of that conversation about what kind of efficient cows will be needed in the future. With STamina, we’re excited to be a part of that conversation and evolution by bringing this exclusive and unique offering of F1 bulls to the marketplace.” 

Crossbreeding has become popular for several reasons as producers search for options to diversify the genetic makeup of their herd. The heterosis benefit brings together the best of two breeds to create a more efficient and productive animal. 

STgenetics has developed the STamina program in collaboration with Double A Dairy in Jerome, Idaho. 

“We took the best genetics from the Jersey and Holstein cows in our herd and put those superior breed traits into one crossbred animal to take advantage of our changing milk market,” Joshua Wright, herd manager at Double A Dairy, said. The dairy milks 20,000 Holstein, Jersey and F1 crosses. Double A has begun to sample bulls resulting from Holstein and Jersey matings. 

The sires in the STamina lineup meet the desires of the current market, but with a focus on the future market as well. Considerations for the future included polled and A2A2 genetic offerings. Eventually, the goal is to evaluate STamina animals on a genetic population of their own and analyze the genes that the population inherits from each breed. 

“Our collaboration with STgenetics® has opened doors for us to further analyze data, increase genetic advancement and maximize the positive genes the population inherits from each breed,” Wright says. “STgenetics® has such a phenomenal team of people that provides value to every aspect of the dairy industry.”

Tune into the Dairy Stream podcast to hear Mitch Hockett, PhD, discuss the STamina program in further detail. To find out about how to incorporate the program into your herd, contact your local STgenetics representative or visit www.STgen.com.