Hostname: page-component-68945f75b7-wph62 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-06T09:12:51.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of rapid rearing and early calving on the subsequent performance of dairy heifers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. Little  and
R. M. Kay
W. Little
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
R. M. Kay
Affiliation:
ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 0NN
Get access

Abstract

1. One-hundred-and-ten British Friesian, British Friesian × Ayrshire or successive backcrosses to British Friesian heifer calves were allocated to three groups. Groups A and B were rapidly reared and fed a barley-beef diet which resulted in mean body-weight gains exceeding 1 kg/day (13 to 39 weeks) and group C was normally reared on summer grazing and hay plus concentrates in winter at a mean body-weight gain never exceeding 0·74 kg/day. Animals in group A were first mated at an average age of 42·9 weeks (body weight, 302 kg). Groups B and C were mated later at average ages of 78·4 and 78·1 weeks (average body weights, 443 and 353 kg respectively). After the first calving all animals were fed and managed as a single group.

2. There were no significant differences between the proportion of heifers conceiving at first service in groups A (55·5%), B (66·7%) and C (72·4%).

3. There were no differences in the incidence of dystocia at first calving in heifers served by an Aberdeen Angus bull but 12 out of 19 heifers in group A served by a British Friesian bull had dystocia.

4. Average 305-day fat-corrected milk yields in the first four lactations in group A (18 animals) were 1959, 2918, 3545 and 3210 kg and in the first three lactations in group B were2450,3216and3310kgand in group C 3863,4694 and 4813 kg. Thus milk yield was significantly lower in all lactations for rapidly-reared animals irrespective of the age at breeding and was further significantly lowered in the first lactation of animals mated early.

5. There was a high incidence of laminitis and bloat in heifers reared on the barley-beef diet, but during lactation, there was a lower incidence of mastitis in the lower-yielding, rapidly-reared groups.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , August 1979 , pp. 131 - 142
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Development and Advisory Service. 1973. Profitable Farm Enterprises. Booklet 1. Rearing Friesian Dairy Heifers. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Pinner, Middlesex.Google Scholar
Amir, S. 1974. Early breeding of dairy heifers—prospects and limitations. 25th A. Mtg Eur. Ass. Anim. Prod., Copenhagen (conference preprint).Google Scholar
Amir, S. and Kali, J. 1974. Influence of plane of nutrition of the dairy heifer on growth and performance after calving. Dairy Science Handbook. 7: 183–190. Agriservices Foundation, Davis, California.Google Scholar
Amir, S. and Kali, J. 1975. Some topics for future research. In The Early Calving of Heifers and its Impact on Beef Production (ed. Tayler, J. C.), pp. 274–280. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Amir, S., Kali, J. and Volcani, R. 1968. Influence of growth rate on reproduction and lactation in dairy cattle. In Growth and Development of Mammals (ed. Lodge, G. A., Lamming, G. E.), pp. 234–256. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Clark, R. D. and Touchberry, R. W. 1962. Effect of body weight and age at calving on milk production in Holstein cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 45: 1500–1510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, R. W., Schuh, J. D. and Vargus, L. G. 1977. Accelerated growth and early breeding of Holstein heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 60: 1941–1948.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garstang, J. R. and Mudd, C. H. 1972. Intensive rearing of Ayrshire dairy heifers. ExplHusb. 21: 15–24.Google Scholar
Hansson, A. 1956. Influence of rearing intensity on body development and milk production. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. 51–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansson, A., Brannang, E. and Liljedahl, L.-E. 1967. Studies on monozygous cattle twins. XIX. The interaction of heredity and intensity of rearing with regard to growth and milk yield in dairy cattle. LantbrHogsk. Annlr 33: 643–693.Google Scholar
Herman, H. A. and Ragsdale, A. C. 1946. The influence of quantity and quality of nutrients on the growth of dairy heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 5: 398 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Larsen, J. B., Foldager, J., Klausen, S., Agergaard, E. and Sejrsen, K. 1974. A comparison between different feeding intensities using various (concentrate/roughage/grass) rations for rearing dairy heifers to calve at an early age. 25th A. Mtg Eur. Ass. Anim. Prod., Copenhagen (conference preprint).Google Scholar
Larsen, J. B., Foldager, J. and Sejrsen, K. 1975. A comparison between different feeding intensities using various (concentrate/roughage/grass) rations for rearing dairy heifers to calve at an early age. In The Early Calving of Heifers and its Impact on Beef Production (ed. Tayler, J. C.), pp. 250–262. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Lee, A. J. and Hickman, C. G. 1972. Age and herd adjustment of first lactation milk yield. J. Dairy Sci. 55: 432–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacLean, C. W. 1966. Observations on laminitis in intensive beef units. Vet. Rec. 78: 223–231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Romita, A. 1975. Research results from Italy. In The Early Calving of Heifers and its Impact on Beef Production (ed. Tayler, J. C.), pp. 191–204. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B., Gillies, C. M. and Shotton, S. M. 1975. Factors affecting first oestrus in cattle and their effects on early breeding. In The Early Calving of Heifers and its Impact on Beef Production (ed. Tayler, J. C.), pp. 128–142. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Swanson, E. W. 1960. Effect of rapid growth with fattening of dairy heifers on their lactational ability. J. Dairy Sci. 43: 377–387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swanson, E. W. 1975. Future research on problems of increasing meat production by early calving. In The Early Calving of Heifers and its Impact on Beef Production (ed. Tayler, J. C.), pp. 281–288. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Swanson, E. W. and Spann, T. R. 1954. The effect of rapid growth with fattening upon lactation in cattle and rats. J. Anim. Sci. 13: 1032 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Wickersham, E. W. and Schultz, L. H. 1963. Influence of age at first breeding on growth, reproduction, and production of well-fed Holstein heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 46: 544–552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar