Factors Influencing Gestation Length, Birth Weight and Calf Survival of Angus, Zebu and Zebu Cross Beef Cattle

Data from 2964 calving records of cows of all age groups and 1035 calving records of 2-yr-old heifers from three breeding groups (B), Hereford (HE), Beef Synthetic (SY) and Crossbred (XB) maintained at the University of Alberta Ranch at Kinsella were analyzed by the least squares method. Dam weight at calving (DAMWT), age of dam (A), calf birth weight CBWT, sire and dam birth weights and the interactions between A and CBWT, B and A, sex (S) and A and finally B and CBWT had significant influences on calving performance when calving records of all age groups were considered. Among heifers the effects of DAMWT, CBWT, B, S, dam birth weight and interaction between B and DAMWT were significant. DAMWT and CBWT were among the most important factors influencing calving performance. CBWT had a major influence in 2-yr-old dams with no noticeable influence in other age groups. Calving performance score of HE heifers was lower than those from XB and SY heifers, but breed group differences were minor at other age groups. Similarly males had more difficult births than female calves from young dams with no detectable sex influence from older dams. DAMWT had a greater positive impact on calving performance of HE heifers compared with the other two breeding groups. These interactions emphasize the importance of interrelationships of major factors influencing the incidence of dystocia in beef cattle. Key words: Factors, calving difficulty, beef cattle

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Reproductive Rates, Birth Weight, Calving Ease and 24-h Calf Survival in a Four-Breed Diallel among Simmental, Limousin, Polled Hereford and Brahman Beef Cattle

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.2527/jas1987.64165x ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 65-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

J. W. Comerford ◽

J. K. Bertrand ◽

L. L. Benyshek ◽

M. H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Beef Cattle ◽

Calving Ease ◽

Calf Survival ◽

Reproductive Rates

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Factors influencing dystokia in heifer replacement for the stickler herd

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) ◽

10.1017/s0308229600017736 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 1988 ◽

pp. 137-137

Author(s):

A.W. Brydon ◽

B.G. Lowman ◽

A.W. Spedding

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Gestation Length ◽

Pregnancy Weight Gain ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Pregnancy Weight ◽

Calving Difficulty ◽

Sire Breed

To investigate possible factors influencing ease of calving in heifers, records from 392 calvings of replacement heifers on 10 research farms were analysed. Sire breeds were classified as either British or Continental, the majority of the Continental sires used being Limousin. Calving difficulty was recorded on a 1-3 scale. The data were analysed by regression analysis, dropping factors until the minimum r.s.d. value was obtained. Heifers in-calf to Continental bulls were mated at heavier weights, had heavier post-calving weights and greater pregnancy gains. Continental sires increased birth weights (3 ± 0.6 kg), gestation length (3.8 ± 2.55 days) and calving difficulties (calving score 1.14 and 1.41 ± 0.063 for British and Continental sires respectively). Birth weight was the major factor influencing calving difficulty (0.04 ± 0.012) with pregnancy weight gain the next most important. The effect of calf sex, gestation length and sire breed on calving difficulty were non-significant. This can be explained by the influence of birth weight, which alone accounted for most of the variation in calving difficulty.

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Effect of pre- and post- natal nutrition on the growth of beef cattle I. The effect of nutrition and parity of the dam on calf birth weight

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9720389 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 389 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

GD Tudor

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Beef Cattle ◽

Barley Grain ◽

Gestation Length ◽

Rhodes Grass ◽

Grass Hay ◽

Calf Mortality ◽

The Mean ◽

Length Of Gestation

The influence of submaintenance (low plane) nutrition during the last trimester of pregnancy, and parity of the dam, on calf birth weight was studied in Hereford cows.The submaintenance ration (3.5 kg Rhodes grass hay per head per day) significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the mean calf birth weight by 6.8 kg to 24 1 kg, and the mean length of gestation by 5.4 days to 277.3 days, compared with an above-maintenance (high plane) ration (3.5 kg each of Rhodes grass hay and barley grain per head per day). Dam nutrition, however, did not influence the number of retained placentae, calf mortality, or the incidence of dystocias. Dam parity did not significantly influence calf birth weight or length of gestation, but significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the number of retained placentae of second parity cows. There were no significant differences between sexes in mean birth weight or mean gestation length. The regression of calf birth weight on dam weight just prior to calving was significant (P < 0.05) for high plane cows: y = 20.248 + 0.023x, r = 0.40. The regression of calf birth weight on length of gestation was significant for both high(P < 0.05) and low(P < 0.01) plane cows: y = –28.343 + 0.210x, r = 0.40, and y = -41.015 + 0.235x, r = 0.42 respectively.

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