Factors Affecting Timing and Intensity of Calving Season of Beef Cow-Calf Producers in the Midwest

SUMMARYEffects on cow reproductive performance, of cow age, parous state, body weight and body-weight change over the breeding season were examined using 6490 annual records from indigenous cows in Botswana.Calving percentage rose from 69% at 2·5 yr of age to a maximum of 82% at 6 to 7 yr and declined in cows over 8 yr of age. Heifers and previously non-parous cows had a calving percentage of 85%; 8, 18 and 30% higher respectively than parous cows that had calved at the beginning, middle and end of the previous calving season. Cows weighing less than 300 kg at the beginning of the mating season achieved a 50% calving. This rose steadily to 85% as body weight increased to 430 kg.Cows that lost weight over the mating period achieved a 67% calving, while gains of 20 kg raised this to 76%. Increased weight gains thereafter had little effect on calving percentage. In all cases, as percentages increased, days to conception decreased in a similar manner.Under these range conditions in Botswana, animals least likely to achieve high calving percentages were young cows; cows which calved previously at the end or middle of the calving season; cows less than 310 kg in weight; and cows gaining less than 20 kg body weight during the mating season.

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Effects of early versus late spring calving on beef cow-calf productivity

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/a97-113 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 249-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

H. Pang ◽

M. Makarechian ◽

L. A. Goonewardene ◽

R. T. Berg

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Traits ◽

University Of Alberta ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Higher Weights ◽

Time Of Breeding ◽

Cow Calf ◽

Calving Season ◽

The University ◽

Late Group ◽

Body Condition Scores

Early (April) vs. late (May/June) calving was compared over 3 yr at the University of Alberta Ranch at Kinsella, Alberta, Canada. Three synthetic lines, two of which were predominantly beef breeds (BS1 and BS2) and one with approximately 60% dairy breeding (DS) were used and 995 records were analyzed. Cows from each line were randomly allotted to the early or late breeding schedules at the time of breeding. The same bulls bred cows in their own line, beginning in June and in August for two 6-wk periods. Calving season had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on pregnancy rate (%), calving assistance, calving and weaning rate (%), adjusted off-test weight or post-weaning ADG, suggesting that late calving can be a viable management option. Birth weights of all calves were significantly lower in the early group than in the late group (38.9 vs. 41.2 kg, P < 0.01). In the BS1 and BS2 lines, early calves had higher adjusted pre-weaning ADG: BS1 (1.18 vs. 1.11 kg d−1, P < 0.01), BS2 (1.12 vs. 1.05 kg d−1, P < 0.01) but the differences in the DS line were not significant (P > 0.05). The early calves were older at weaning and therefore were expected to have higher pre-weaning ADG. The fact that the late-born calves in the DS line equalled the early calves in pre-weaning ADG indicates that they were growing relatively faster. Late calving DS heifers had significantly higher weights (P < 0.01) at breeding in June, higher ADG to breeding, and cows had higher body condition scores at calving and weaning (P < 0.01), suggesting that DS cattle benefited more by late calving. The late-calving management system appears to be a viable option for cow-calf production in Alberta. Key words: Calving season, reproductive traits, weight and growth, beef cattle

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Revisiting Cattle Temperament in Beef Cow-Calf Systems: Insights from Farmers’ Perceptions about an Autochthonous Breed

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11010082 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 82

Author(s):

Laura X. Estévez-Moreno ◽

Genaro C. Miranda-de la Lama ◽

Morris Villarroel ◽

Laura García ◽

José Alfonso Abecia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Selection ◽

Cattle Breed ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Potential Threat ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Human Safety ◽

Speed Of Response ◽

Cow Calf ◽

Sensory Acuity

Understanding temperament is an important part of cattle production since undesirable temperament may cause serious problems associated with aggression, maternal care, and human safety. However, little is known about how farmers define or assess temperament, especially in autochthonous cattle breeds. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of farmers about the temperament of the Pyrenean cattle breed with special attention to beef cow-calf systems in Spain. The methodology used to obtain the information was focus group discussions (FGD). Farmers defined temperament as a behavioural response to challenging situations imposed by human handling. Specific terms used were related to active or passive reactions to fear (e.g., “strong”, “aggressive”, “nervous”, “fearful”). The speed of response to stimuli was also important. Female temperament was thought to become more docile with age while bull temperament was more variable. Maternal aggressiveness was highlighted as a potential human safety problem, but also desirable in an extensively bred animal who may need to defend calves against predators. Anatomical characteristics were seen as unreliable predictors of temperament, while behavioural indicators were more widely used, such as “alertness”, which was a general trait of the breed, and “gaze”, which, when associated with an alert expression, suggests a potential threat. Sensory acuity, such as sight and smell, were thought to be related with temperament in some FGDs but there was no overall agreement as to whether different behavioural responses were due to differences in sensory acuity. The results from the study could be useful during training programs or in the development of new genetic selection schemes and evaluation protocols involving cattle temperament.

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80 Evaluation of extended release eprinomectin efficacy on multiparous beef cow performance

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz397.024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 11-11

Author(s):

Laine Zammit ◽

Jermey G Powell ◽

Reagan N Cauble ◽

Toby D Lester ◽

Callan Lichtenwalter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extended Release ◽

Reproductive Traits ◽

Economic Loss ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Negative Control ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Body Weights ◽

Calving Season ◽

Cow Performance ◽

Fall Calving

Abstract Internal parasitism inevitability prompts economic loss in beef cattle production by decreasing growth performance and reproductive traits. Previous studies have conflicting results on the macrocyclic lactones (ML) efficacy against internal parasitism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of milbeymycin and avermectin sub groups of ML on cow performance. Multiparous fall calving, crossbred beef cows (n = 106) were allocated randomly to 1 of 3 anthelmintic treatments: 1) Negative control (CON), in which cows did not receive an anthelmintic, 2) Injectable moxidectin (MOX) and 3) Injectable extended release eprinomectin (ERE). Body weights (BW), body condition scores (BCS), and fecal egg counts (FEC) were taken throughout the duration of the calving season to weaning on d0, d80, d162, and d217, with weaning occurring on d217. Performance data were analyzed using the MIXED procedures of SAS, and pregnancy data were analyzed using the GENMOD procedures of SAS. Significance was fixed at P < 0.05 and tendencies were established from 0.05 ≤ P ≤ 0.10. There was no effect of anthelmintic treatment on cow BW (P ≥ 0.57) or cow BCS (P ≥ 0.22) during the 217 d study; however, CON cows tended to have lower BCS (P = 0.08) throughout the duration of the study. Cows treated with ERE had fewer FEC compared to MOX and CON groups (P ≤ 0.001) and tended to improve pregnancy rates (c2 = 0.0546). Calf weaning weight was similar among treatments averaging 216, 225, and 223 kg regarding CON, MOX, and ERE cow treatments, respectively.

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