Post-Weaning Growth Performance of Belgian Blue Crossed with Brahman Cross

Abstract

This study was conducted to observe the post-weaning growth performance of Belgian Blue-Crossed (BB-crossed) and Brahman Cross (BX) calves. This study used a total of eighteen calves (BB-crossed = 6 heads and BX = 12 heads) aged 6 months. Calves were reared for six months under the same conditions and management. Calves were observed and measured their growth performance (body weight, body length, heart girth, and withers height). Data were analyzed using One-Way Anova, and for body weight gain and body size gain were analyzed by Ancova with initial body weight and initial body size as covariates. BB-crossed calves in this study had a body weight and body size greater than BX calves (P<0.05). BB-crossed calves also had increasing in body weight (BB-crossed 0.87±0.06 vs BX 0.63±0.04 kg/day) and body length (BB-crossed 0.23±0.01 vs BX 0.12± 0.01 cm/day) was greater (P<0.05) than BX calves, while the increasing in body height (BB-crossed 0.09±0.01 vs BX 0.07±0.01 cm/day) and heart girth (BB-crossed 0.16±0.02 vs BX 0.18±0.01 cm/day) did not differ. In conclusion, BB-crossed calve had post-weaning growth performances greather than BX calves, except increasing in withers height and heart girth. Thus, crosses with Belgian Blue cattle can improve post-weaning growth performance of BX calves.