Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-jbqgn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-25T20:58:01.574Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of plane of nutrition during rearing on growth, production, reproduction and health of dairy cattle. II. Growth to maturity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 1960

J. A. Crichton ,
J. N. Aitken  and
A. W. Boyne
J. A. Crichton
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire
J. N. Aitken
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire
A. W. Boyne
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire
Get access

Extract

1. The four systems of rearing dairy heifer calves, described in Part 1 of this series are now studied for their effect on absolute and relative growth rates to maturity.

2. Data on live-weights and measurements and the percentages of mature size attained by these at 44, 80, 104, 132, 182, 260 and 312 weeks of age are tabulated.

3. In all groups the measurement to reach maturity earliest was circumference of metacarpus followed in order by length of back, height at withers and width of hooks.

4. By 6 years of age all groups had attained approximately the same body size. Maturity in the LL group in terms of four skeletal measurements was delayed by only 9 months, and in the case of HL and LH animals by 5 and 4 months respectively.

5. All groups showed the same general pattern of relative growth but the effect of restricted feeding was to increase at the younger ages the difference i n percentage of mature size between early and late maturing measurements. After 44 weeks of age the rate of growth was most rapid in those measurements which were furthest from maturity then.

6. The rate of tissue deposition was markedly increased in high plane animals during early pregnancy compared with low plane. Evidence is presented to show that much of this was lost during lactation.

7. At first oestrus, animals in all four treatment groups had reached the same percentage of mature size for each body dimension (except for length of back in the LL group).

8. From data on 5 animals it is shown that although growth in height at withers and length of back ceased by 6 years of age there was slow but continuous growth in live-weight, middle and heart girths and width of hooks to 9 years of age.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 1960 , pp. 45 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1960

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

Crichton, J. A., Aitken, J. N., & Boyne, A. W., 1959. The effect of plane of nutrition during rearing on growth, production, reproduction and health of dairy cattle. I. Growth to 24 months. Anim. Prod., 1: 145.Google Scholar
Eckles, C. H., 1946. Dairy cattle and milk production. Macmillan Co., London, 3rd. ed.Google Scholar
Eckles, C. H., & Swett, W. W., 1918. Some factors influencing the rate of growth and the size of dairy heifers at maturity. Res. Bull. Mo. Agric. Exp. Sta., No. 31.Google Scholar
Hansson, A., Brxnnang, E., & Claesson, O., 1953. Studies on monozygous cattle twins. XIII. Body development in relation to heredity and intensity of rearing. Ada Agric. scand., 3: 61.Google Scholar
Hogan, A. G., 1929. Retarded growth and mature size of beef steers. Res. Bull. Mo. Agric. Exp. Sta., No. 123.Google Scholar
Putnam, D. N., & Henderson, H. O., 1946. The effect of pregnancy on the body weight of dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci., 29: 657.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ragsdale, A. C., 1934a. Feed consumption of dairy cattle during growth. Bull. Mo. agric. Exp. Sta., No. 338.Google Scholar
Ragsdale, A. C., 1934b. Growth standards for dairy cattle. Bull. Mo. agric. Exp. Sta., No. 336.Google Scholar
Sorensen, A. M., Hansel, W., Hough, W. H., Armstrong, D. T., Mcentee, K., & Bratton, R. W., 1959. Causes and prevention of reproductive failures in dairy cattle. Bull. Cornell Agric. Exp. Sta., No. 936.Google Scholar
Waters, H. J., 1908. The capacity of animals to grow under adverse conditions. 29th Proc. Soc. Prom. Agric. Sci., (N.Y.)., 71.Google Scholar
Waters, H. J., 1909. The influence of nutrition upon animal form. 30th Proc. Soc. Prom. Agric. Sci., (N.Y.), 70.Google Scholar