Precalving Body Size and Pelvic Area Relationships in Hereford Heifers

Bellows, R. A.; Gibson, Robert B.; Anderson, D. C.; Short, R. E.

doi:10.2527/jas1971.332455x

Cited by 46 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…that CB measurements capture a sizable amount of variation in BTW and that the goodness of fit is consistent with similar relationships reported in the literature (Bellows et al 1971a). The relatively low standard error of the estimate suggests that it may be a relatively good predictor of BTW prior to parturition.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Two potentially key phenotypic factors contributing to dystocia are the progeny's birth weight and the dam's pelvic area. Fetal birth weight is directly related to the incidence of bovine dystocia (Bellows et al 1971b;Basarab et al 1993) and pelvic area is inversely related to the incidence of bovine dystocia (Bellows et al 1969(Bellows et al , 1971aJohnson et al 1988;Basarab et al 1993). These studies, and others, indicate that a relatively high birth weight and small pelvic area are significantly correlated with high dystocia rates.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Recursive systems model of fetal birth weight and calving difficulty in beef heifers

Tozer¹,

Scollard²,

Marsh³

et al. 2002

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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systems model of fetal birth weight and calving difficulty in beef heifers. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 82: 19-27. The purpose of this study was to use readily available information, including dam pelvic width (PW) and height (PH) and the fetal coronet band (CB) measurement to predict the calving difficulty (CD) score of first-calf heifers under commercial ranch conditions. Data were collected from a cow-calf ranch over a 3-yr period. Using a recursive system of equations, two models were estimated. First, a linear model was used to predict birth weight (BTW) based on the fetal CB measurement. Second, an ordered logit model was used to predict calving difficulty score based on a nonlinear relationship with birth weight, pelvic dimensions of the dam, and interaction terms. The linear model demonstrated that BTW could be predicted using the CB measurement, both the intercept and slope coefficients were significant at P < 0.001. The model R 2 was equal to 0.57 and the standard error of the predicted birth weight was 2.77 kg. The ordered logit model correctly predicted 468 of 684 (68.4%) of the CD scores. The results of this research suggest that it is possible to predict dystocia or calving difficulty on a case-by-case basis with information that is available to ranchers or ranch managers early in the parturition process. The management technique presented has been successfully adopted by some large-scale cow-calf operations, thus the results have commercial applications for beef producers. . L'étude devait montrer s'il est possible de prévoir les difficultés de vêlage (DV) des génisses primipares élevées dans un ranch commercial à partir des données existantes, par exemple la largeur (LP) et la hauteur (HP) du bassin chez la mère et la bande de la couronne (BC) chez le foetus. Les données ont été recueillies dans une entreprise de naissage trois années durant. Deux modèles ont été évalués au moyen d'un système récursif d'équations. On s'est d'abord servi d'un modèle linéaire pour prévoir le poids de naissance (PN) après mesure de la BC chez le foetus. Ensuite, on a testé un modèle à logit ordonné pour déterminer les difficultés de vêlage à partir d'une association non linéaire avec le poids de naissance, les dimensions du bassin de la génitrice et les paramètres d'interaction. Le modèle linéaire indique qu'on peut prévoir le PN avec la BC, les coefficients du point d'intersection et de la pente étant significatifs à P < 0,001. La R 2 du modèle était égale à 0,57 et l'erreur-type pour le poids de naissance était de 2,77 kg. Le modèle à logit ordonné prévoit correctement les DV dans 468 cas sur 684 (68,4 %). Les résultats donnent à penser que les éleveurs ou exploitants d'él-evage pourraient prédire la dystocie ou les difficultés de vêlage très rapidement durant la gestation à partir des données à leur disposition. La méthode exposée a été adoptée avec succès par quelques propriétaires de gros élevages, si bien que les résultats trouveront application auprès des producteurs de boeuf.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 77%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recursive systems model of fetal birth weight and calving difficulty in beef heifers

Tozer¹,

Scollard²,

Marsh³

et al. 2002

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Generally, there is a close correlation between the calf's birth weight (BW) and the probability of dystocia (Bellows et al, 1971a and1971b;Laster, 1974;Anderson and Bullock, 2000;Wang et al, 2000;Zollinger and Hansen, 2003), as it explains around 50% of the variability in the frequency of difficult calvings (Meijering, 1984;Freking, 2000). Johanson and Berger (2003) demonstrated that the odds of dystocia increased by 13% by every kilogram increase of BW.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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“…Bellows et al (1971) and Laster ( 19 7 4) suggest that increasing pelvic area will increase mature size and weight in the female. Benyshek and Little (1982) reported a genetic correlation of .65 between 365-d pelvic area and weight but only a small environmental correlation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimates of genetic parameters for 320-day pelvic measurements of males and females and calving ease of 2-year-old females

Kriese

Vleck²,

Gregory³

et al. 1994

Journal of Animal Science

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ABSTRACT:Records from 12 breed groups collected from 1983 to 1991, included in the Germ Plasm Utilization project at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, were analyzed separately by breed group and combined to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for 320-d male and female pelvic width, height, and area, and for 320-d male pelvic and female 2-yr-old calving ease. Calving ease was analyzed as a trait of the dam using 1) actual and 2 ) binary scale calving ease scores with a covariate of calf birth weight. A bivariate animal model and derivative-free REML incorporating sparse matrix techniques were used. When breed groups were analyzed separately, heritability estimates of male and female 320-d pelvic traits varied by breed group and sex. Average genetic correlations between male and female 320-d pelvic width, pelvic height, and pelvic area were large and positive. When breed groups were combined ( n = 26,071), heritability estimates for 320-d pelvic traits were moderate in size. Genetic correlations of .68, .48, and .61, between male and female 320-d pelvic width, height, and area, respectively, suggest male and female pelvic traits are largely under the same genetic control but are correlated traits rather than the same trait. Heritability estimates for actual calving ease in 2-yr-olds ranged from .OO to .49 in separate breed group analyses, and from .OO to .37 for binary measures. When breed groups were combined, heritability was .ll for actual calving ease and was .09 on the binary scale. Genetic correlations by breed groups between 320-d male pelvic traits and calving ease of 2-yr-old females were variable. When breed groups were combined, genetic correlation estimates between 320-d male pelvic traits and actual calving ease of 2-yr-old females (on a 6-point scale) were negative and moderate as were genetic correlations between male 320-d pelvic traits and binary calving ease of 2-yr-old females. A bull one phenotypic SD above the mean in pelvic area would be expected to increase his daughters' average pelvic area by 1.30 cm2 and improve its calving ease score by .03 of a score compared with an average breed bull.

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Precalving Body Size and Pelvic Area Relationships in Hereford Heifers

Cited by 46 publications

References 1 publication

Recursive systems model of fetal birth weight and calving difficulty in beef heifers

Recursive systems model of fetal birth weight and calving difficulty in beef heifers

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Estimates of genetic parameters for 320-day pelvic measurements of males and females and calving ease of 2-year-old females

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