Birth Weight as a Criterion of Selection in Beef Cattle

Dawson, W. M.; Phillips, Ralph W.; Black, W. H.

doi:10.2527/jas1947.63247x

Cited by 32 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Dawson et al (1947) showed that BW of calves tended to increase per month parallel with the increase in age of the dam until 6 years of age, and that the weight of the dam was related to BW to the same extent as the age of the dam. However, in our study involving double-muscled BB cows, there was no association between the parity of the dam and the BW of the calf, although some body dimensions of calves born from multiparous cows were larger than those of calves born from heifers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Kolkman

Opsomer

Aerts

et al. 2010

Animal

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At calving, purebred animals of the Belgian Blue (BB) breed are compromised by the incompatibility in size and shape of the dam and her calf, resulting in a very high incidence of dystocia problems. To clarify which body parts of the calf are of decisive importance to allow natural delivery and to investigate both the mean value as well as the variation among these body sizes within this breed (variation being an important condition for selection), measurements of nine body parts (body weight at birth (BW), body length (BL), length of the head (LH), shoulder width (SW), hip width (HW), heart girth (HG), withers height (WH) and the circumference of the fetlock of both the front (CFF) and the hind leg (CFH)) were assessed in 147 newborn purebred BB calves on 17 farms. Simple and partial correlations were assessed and we examined whether environmental factors (gender of the calf, parity of the cow, type of calving, season of birth and time of measurement after birth) were significantly associated with these specific calf measurements. The mean BW was 49.2 6 7.1 kg. The average BL was 56.4 6 4.5 cm and the mean LH was 24.4 6 2.3 cm. Measurements obtained for SW and HW were 22.4 6 2.2 and 22.9 6 2.1 cm, respectively, whereas the mean WH was 71.1 6 4.7 cm. Measurements of circumferences revealed a CFF of 17.9 6 1.1 cm, a CFH of 18.0 6 1.0 cm and a mean HG of 78.0 6 5.4 cm. Partial correlations of the BW with eight body measurements were significant (P , 0.01) and ranged between 0.17 and 0.85; 0.42 and 0.88; and 0.24 and 0.88 when corrected for gender, parity and type of calving, respectively. BL (P , 0.01) and the CFF and CFH (P , 0.001) are larger in bull calves than in heifer calves. Calves born through caesarean section had broader SW (P , 0.01) and HW (P , 0.01) when compared with calves born after natural calving (defined as born per vaginam without assistance or with slight traction). Sizes of calves born out of multiparous cows were generally larger than of calves born out of heifers (SW: P , 0.001; HW: P , 0.05). As SW and HW are the broadest points of a BB calf, they are both candidates for being the limiting measures for calving ease, but the difference between HW and SW for the total data set was not different from zero (P . 0.05). In contrast to male calves in which no significant difference (between HW and SW) could be found, female calves show the difference between HW and SW that was significantly different from zero (P , 0.001); thus, in female calves, the HW is the most limiting factor of the calf's body. The significant variation in some body measures between the calves and the strong correlation within these sizes raises the possibility of selection towards smaller calves aiming to limit the dystocia problem in the BB breed. Furthermore, on the basis of our results, we were able to build equations for the farmer to use at the moment of calving containing the LH, the CF and the calf's gender to estimate SW and HW, the limiting body parts of the calf to be born naturally. Together with the knowledge o...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Kolkman

Opsomer

Aerts

et al. 2010

Animal

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“…The fact that a similar correlation was not found in the group of 157 steers may be due partly to some of them being weaned at a fixed age rather than a fixed weight. Dawson, Phillips, and Black (1947) found with beef Shorthorn calves that those that were heavier at birth tended to reach weaning weight (500 pounds) and final weight (900 pounds) sooner than lighter calves.…”

Section: E-mentioning

confidence: 94%

Relations between Some Body Measurements and Certain Performance Characters in Milking Shorthorn Steers

Ml¹,

Cook²,

Wm³

1951

Journal of Animal Science

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various body measurements of the steers were taken on foot before slaughter. These body measurements were taken to determine whether there exists any association between the measures themselves and between them and certain performance characters. These relationships may be of practical value to a breeder in the selection of his stock. This paper is based on five measurements--height at withers, height to floor of chest, heart girth, width at shoulders, length of body; and their relationship to average daily gain, efficiency of feed utilization, and the age of the steers when they reach 900-pounds live weight. Associations of birth weight, age and weight at weaning with these measurements and rate and efficiency of gain and final age of the steers have also been included in this study. Review of LiteratureBlack et al. (1938) concluded from the analysis of data of 50 steers of beef, dual-purpose, and dairy breeding that at 900-pounds live weight the taller and rangier type of animal has a slight tendency to be less efficient in the use of feed. Width of shoulder and width of chest had small positive correlations with rate and efficiency of gain, and heart girth showed practically no correlation with these factors. Hultz and Wheeler (1927) in a study of 2-year-old Hereford steers concluded that low-set type steers make slightly more rapid and economical gains during a 156-day feeding period than do intermediate or rangy type steers. They report that a 2-year-old steer has the appearance of low-setness when the proportions of his chest depth, heart girth, and paunch to his height at the withers are great.

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“…In the study by Dawson _et (1947), involving 402 calves from 112 Shorthorn dams, birth weight tended to increase with age of dam until approximately 6 years after which there was no further increase. Botkin and Whatley (1953) adjusted birth weights of calves from 3 and 4 year old dams by adding 4 pounds and 2 pounds respectively.…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Beef calf weights at 100 days and 205 days as indicators of dams' producing ability

Drewry

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Birth Weight as a Criterion of Selection in Beef Cattle

Cited by 32 publications

References 7 publications

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Relations between Some Body Measurements and Certain Performance Characters in Milking Shorthorn Steers

Beef calf weights at 100 days and 205 days as indicators of dams' producing ability

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