After years where the traditional Norwegian dairy cattle breeds have been fighting a losing battle against the Norwegian Red (NRF), there is now a resurgence of interest in the old breeds.
There is also, however, a need to brush up old knowledge and discover new information in order to achieve a sustainable use of these races worthy of preservation.
It wasn’t till the 1980s that the effort to conserve animal genetic resources started in Norway and the world at large. The use of insemination with semen from old traditional native dairy cattle breeds increased. The endangered breed Blacksided Trønder and Nordland Cattle (STN) has the largest population of the old native Norwegian dairy breeds. This breed and the NRF breed were the basis for a doctoral thesis aiming to investigate breed-related differences in grazing preferences, grazing behaviour and production efficiency.
More playful In her doctoral work, Nina Hovden Sæther has studied grazing behaviour and grazing preferences in semi natural mountain grasslands at two different mountain farms. The two locations had different plant composition and vegetation types. It turned out that the NFR cows had a lower level of activity than the STN, and that the STN cows spent more time playing.
Nina Hovden Sæther
Photo: Hanne Sickel
When grazing species rich vegetation grown on rock bed, the two breeds fed on mainly the same type of vegetation. In areas with less nutritive soil, the NRF cows went for more nutrient rich vegetation than STN cows.
Production differences In the production study, which stretched over three indoors feeding seasons, the STN cows gave 52 % more milk than the NRF cows, their body weight was 78 % of NRF body weight, and their daily intake of metabolisable energy was 65 % of that of the NRF cows. STN milk had a higher protein content, but there was no difference in fat content, and there was no difference in energy balance. However, NFR cows had a higher gross energy efficiency, which indicates that NRF directs more feed energy to milk production than STN.
The results from this project represent increased knowledge on characteristics of STN and NRF that may be of importance in the future use of the breeds, as regards grazing, behaviour and biological efficiency (energy efficiency). This is important for animal breeding as a discipline, for sustainable animal breeding, for biological aspects of livestock breeding and for understanding effects of selection on other characteristics.
Sidet Trønder og Nordlandsfe
Photo: Janne Brodin
Conservation work Nina Sæther from Skiptvet in Østfold has for 20 years been central to the effort to conserve old native livestock breeds in Norway.
The trail lecture and public defence took place December 11 at IHA. Title of the thesis: Differences in grazing preferences, behaviour and production efficiency between two cattle breed. Prescribed Subject of the trail lecture: Classification systems and indicators to evaluate breed endangerment level - a critical review.
Sæther’s mail supervisor has been Professor Odd Vangen. Senior Adviser Erling Fimland has been assistant adviser.
