Factors affecting calf birth weight: A review

Holland, M.D.; Odde, K. G.

doi:10.1016/0093-691x(92)90155-k

Cited by 117 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 113 publications

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“…This difference in price reflects the greater live-weights and growth rates of males. Holland and Odde (1992) reported that males were 2.5 kg heavier at birth than females and this difference is expected to increase to approximately 19 kg at weaning (Pell and Thayne, 1978;Leighton et al, 1982). When live-weight was included in the model in this study, the difference between genders diminished, substantiating the influence of live-weight on the difference in price between genders.…”

Section: Seasonal Effectssupporting

confidence: 63%

Factors associated with selling price of cattle at livestock marts

Hugh

Fahey

Evans

et al. 2010

Animal

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The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with selling price of animals at livestock marts around Ireland. Data consisted of four distinct maturity categories: calves (2 to 84 days of age, n 5 53 838); weanlings (6 to 12 months of age, n 5 19 972); post-weanlings (12 to 36 months of age, n 5 93 081) and cows (.30 months to 12 years of age, n 5 94 839); sold through livestock marts between 2000 and 2008. Factors associated with animal price were determined within each maturity category separately using mixed models; random effects were mart, date of sale nested within mart, and herd of origin nested within year of sale. Mean selling price was h157, h580, h655 and h592 for calves, weanlings, post-weanlings and cows, respectively. The greatest prices were paid for singleton crossbred male calves, weanlings and post-weanlings from older dams. With the exception of the Aberdeen Angus, beef breeds and their crosses consistently received higher prices than their dairy counterparts across all four maturity categories; increased proportion of Belgian Blue and Charolais was associated with greater prices compared with other beef breeds. When live-weight was included in the multiple regression models the association between price and all factors regressed toward zero but most factors remained associated with price. The highest price was recorded in the spring months for calves, post-weanlings and cows, and in the autumn months for weanlings. Results from this study may be used to help farmers make more informed management decisions, as well as provide information for bio-economic models for evaluating alternative production systems or estimating economic values.

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Section: Seasonal Effectssupporting

confidence: 63%

Factors associated with selling price of cattle at livestock marts

Hugh

Fahey

Evans

et al. 2010

Animal

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“…During the final one-half to one-third of pregnancy, feed energy available to the dam appears to have more influence on birth weight than the availability of protein, although results are variable (Holland and Odde, 1992). Variation in feed energy available to the dam during this period resulted in differences in birth weight, ranging from 0 to 8.2 kg (Dunn et al, 1969;Tudor, 1972;Laster, 1974;Corah et al, 1975;Bellows and Short, 1978;Kroker and Cummins, 1979;Bellows et al, 1982).…”

Section: Intrauterine Growth Retardationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Variation in feed energy available to the dam during this period resulted in differences in birth weight, ranging from 0 to 8.2 kg (Dunn et al, 1969;Tudor, 1972;Laster, 1974;Corah et al, 1975;Bellows and Short, 1978;Kroker and Cummins, 1979;Bellows et al, 1982). Similarly, variable protein supply of the diet during the third trimester may or may not (Anthony et al, 1986a;Holland and Odde, 1992) alter birth weight of calves, while restricted or supplemental dietary protein during early or mid-pregnancy had little effect on birth weights (Perry et al, 1999 and. Furthermore, supplementation of grazing cows for 3 months pre-partum with 0.45 kg/day of 42% crude protein supplement did not affect calf birth weights (Stalker et al, 2006).…”

Section: Intrauterine Growth Retardationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Heifers give birth to smaller calves, on average, than cows (reviewed by Holland and Odde, 1992) due at least in part to size and nutritional requirements for growth of heifers, limiting nutrient availability for placental and foetal growth. Severe maternal nutritional restriction may impact more on birth weights of calves of heifers than of cows, particularly among male calves and those of sires with inherently high birth weight of offspring (Hennessy et al, 2002), presumably due to their greater requirements for nutrients compared with female calves and those of sires with inherently low birth weight of offspring.…”

Section: Paritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These different growth paths result from factors including climate, soil quality and pasture species, which contribute to variable pasture and nutrient quality and availability. Growth of the bovine foetus has well-studied consequences for survival (Holland and Odde, 1992) and can be slowed during the latter half of gestation by restricted nutrition and/or inadequate placental development (Bell et al, 2005). Similarly, influences of pre-weaning nutrition, most notably lactational performance of the dam, on growth to market weights of cattle are well characterised (Berge, 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Greenwood

Café

2007

Animal

150

113

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Severe, chronic growth retardation of cattle early in life reduces growth potential, resulting in smaller animals at any given age. Capacity for long-term compensatory growth diminishes as the age of onset of nutritional restriction resulting in prolonged growth retardation declines. Hence, more extreme intrauterine growth retardation can result in slower growth throughout postnatal life. However, within the limits of beef production systems, neither severely restricted growth in utero nor from birth to weaning influences efficiency of nutrient utilisation later in life. Retail yield from cattle severely restricted in growth during pregnancy or from birth to weaning is reduced compared with cattle well grown early in life, when compared at the same age later in life. However, retail yield and carcass composition of low-and high-birth-weight calves are similar at the same carcass weight. At equivalent carcass weights, cattle grown slowly from birth to weaning have carcasses of similar or leaner composition than those grown rapidly. However, if high energy, concentrate feed is provided following severe growth restriction from birth to weaning, then at equivalent weights post-weaning the slowly-grown, small weaners may be fatter than their well-grown counterparts. Restricted prenatal and pre-weaning nutrition and growth do not adversely affect measures of beef quality. Similarly, bovine myofibre characteristics are little affected in the long term by growth in utero or from birth to weaning. Interactions were not evident between prenatal and pre-weaning growth for subsequent growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality characteristics, within our pasture-based production systems. Furthermore, interactions between genotype and nutrition early in life, studied using offspring of Piedmontese and Wagyu sired cattle, were not evident for any growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality parameters. We propose that within pasture-based production systems for beef cattle, the plasticity of the carcass tissues, particularly of muscle, allows animals that are growth-retarded early in life to attain normal composition at equivalent weights in the long term, albeit at older ages. However, the quality of nutrition during recovery from early life growth retardation may be important in determining the subsequent composition of young, light-weight cattle relative to their heavier counterparts. Finally, it should be emphasised that long-term consequences of more specific and/or acute environmental influences during specific stages of embryonic, foetal and neonatal calf development remain to be determined. This need for further research extends to consequences of nutrition and growth early in life for reproductive capacity.

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Management to Prevent Dystocia

Boakari

Ali

2021

Bovine Reproduction

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Factors affecting calf birth weight: A review

Cited by 117 publications

References 113 publications

Factors associated with selling price of cattle at livestock marts

Factors associated with selling price of cattle at livestock marts

Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Management to Prevent Dystocia

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