A Comparison between Crossbred (Holstein × Local Cattle) and Bangladeshi Local Cattle for Body and Milk Quality Traits

Crossbreeding in dairy cattle with exotic breeds continues to be an appealing practice to the dairy farmers of Bangladesh. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of crossbreeding on both the physical attributes and milk quality traits of crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of crossbreeding Bangladeshi local cattle with the exotic Holstein breed on their body characteristics and milk quality. To achieve the goal, data pertaining to body traits and milk samples were gathered from a total of 981 cows from 19 dairy farms located in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. A trained evaluator measured body condition score (BCS), udder score, locomotion score, and body conformation traits. Milk yield information was acquired from official records, while milk composition details were determined through milk analysis. Notably, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) exhibited greater values for wither height (141 vs. 135, cm), body length (157 vs. 153, cm), heart girth (211 vs. 204, cm), BCS (3.69 vs. 3.27), and udder score (3.29 vs. 2.08) than their Bangladeshi local counterparts. Furthermore, crossbred cows produced 42.4% and 35.3% more milk (10.89 vs. 7.65, kg/d) and fat-corrected milk (10.35 vs. 7.54, kg/d) than Bangladeshi local cattle. However, milk from crossbred cows displayed lower fat and protein content, although their somatic cell score (SCS) and energy-corrected milk remained similar. Additionally, milk from crossbred cows exhibited a longer coagulation time when compared to that of Bangladeshi local cattle. In conclusion, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) had improved body characteristics with greater milk yield than Bangladeshi local cattle; however, lower fat and protein contents in milk with longer coagulation time were noted.