Efficiency of calf production of cows from two genetic groups

Autor: Luís Carlos Vinhas Ítavo, Kepler Euclides Filho, Roberto Augusto de Almeida Torres Júnior, Camila Celeste Brandão Ferreira Ítavo, Ériklis Nogueira, Alexandre Menezes Dias
Jazyk: English<br />Spanish; Castilian<br />Portuguese
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, Vol 43, Iss 7, Pp 390-394 (2014)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1806-9290
1516-3598
DOI: 10.1590/S1516-35982014000700008
Popis: The objective was to evaluate the effect of weight, age and production efficiency of cows from genetic groups based on the calf weight at calving and at weaning. For a period of five years, data of 120 cows (60 Angus-Nellore (AN) and 60 Simmental-Nellore (SN)) at four to nine-years of age were evaluated. All cows were maintained on Brachiaria decumbens pastures, with two forage availability levels (high and low), distributed in a randomized-block design. The cows were placed together with Canchim bulls to generate the crossbred calves. A supplement, consisting of 200 g/kg crude protein and 820 g/kg of total digestible nutrients, was provided to the calves in creep feeding until 210 days-old (weaning). Supplement had a significant effect on the weight of the cow at calving and weaning. The average weights of the Angus-Nellore cows were 529.19 and 514.23 kg at calving and on the weaning day, respectively. These values were higher for Simmental-Nellore cows, which presented 569.60 and 542.59 kg, respectively. The male-calf weight at weaning was 254.69 kg, which was higher than the females (237.70 kg). Genetic group had no effect on weaning weight. The average weight for Canchim × Angus-Nellore calves was 243.41 kg and for Canchim × Simmental-Nellore it was 248.98 kg. Cow age affected weaning weight, promoting a linear increase of 0.804 kg in the weaning weight each year. Younger and smaller cows (Angus-Nellore) are more efficient for calf production.
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