Trends in growth and age at first calving for Holstein and Ayrshire heifers in Quebec

Pietersma, D.; Lacroix, René; Lefebvre, Daniel; Cue, R.I.; Wade, K. M.

doi:10.4141/a05-080

Cited by 15 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Bulls showed better average daily gains at all stages. For the first months Hol calves had better average daily 328 gains than Ay calves, which was reported previously for heifer calves (Lee et al, 1988;Pietersma et al, 2006). 329…”

Section: Factors Associated With Daily Gain 327supporting

confidence: 52%

Associations between group sizes, serum protein levels, calf morbidity and growth in dairy-beef calves in a Finnish calf rearing unit

Seppä-Lassila

Oksanen²,

Herva³

et al. 2018

Preventive Veterinary Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

14Efficient dairy-beef production relies on good quality of purchased calves, defined by breed, health, and growth 15 characteristics. Several management factors, such as commingling of calves and large group size, predispose 16 calves to diseases. Acute phase proteins are sensitive detectors of calf diseases. We studied the associations 17 between group size, serum acute phase proteins, immunoglobulin G (IgG), calf morbidity and growth of dairy-18 beef calves in a random field trial in a calf-rearing unit in Finland. 19The randomized trial was carried out at a calf rearing unit, where approximately 80 dairy or crossbred calves 20 were allocated either into a single group of 40 calves or into four groups of 10 on arrival at the calf-rearing 21 unit (at age 24.1 SD ± 9.2 days). The study was carried out on 6 arrival batches: 476 calves. Calves were 22clinically examined and blood sampled on arrival (day 0), and haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), 23 albumin and IgG were determined. Calves were weighed on arrival (day 0, average age 24.1 days), at the end 24 of the milk feed period (day 49), at approximately 200 days of age and at slaughter (carcass weight) at 15-18 25 months of age. During the rearing calves were observed by the farm workers and treated, if necessary, 26 according to predetermined instructions of the veterinary surgeon. All NSAID and antimicrobial treatments 27 were recorded and used as morbidity indicators in statistical analysis. 28There were no differences in the numbers of antimicrobial treatments or growth among the groups. The 29 majority (84.1%) of antimicrobial treatments were used against respiratory tract infections. Higher 30 concentrations of albumin and IgG on arrival extended the time before the first and the second antimicrobial 31 treatments. Complex relationships between group size, morbidity, concentrations of serum acute phase 32 proteins and IgG at arrival, and growth of calves were explored. Group size of 10 calves did not protect calves 33 from respiratory tract infections, when the small groups were sharing the air space with a large group. An 34 increased SAA concentration on arrival was associated with poorer average daily gain at two rearing periods 35 and with lower carcass weight at slaughter. 36Serum proteins could be valuable health indicators for purchased calves because they have numerous and 37 variable associations with health and growth. The mechanisms that connect increased SAA concentration and 38 poorer average daily gain over the long term remain unclear. 39

show abstract

Section: Factors Associated With Daily Gain 327supporting

confidence: 52%

Associations between group sizes, serum protein levels, calf morbidity and growth in dairy-beef calves in a Finnish calf rearing unit

Seppä-Lassila

Oksanen²,

Herva³

et al. 2018

Preventive Veterinary Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…reported that, on average, age at first calving for Holstein (HO) heifers in Québec was 28.2 mo, whereas 26.5 mo was reported 15 yr later by Pietersma et al (2006). Despite the slight decrease in the 1990s, age at first calving has not declined over the past 10 yr in Québec, Canada, and is still higher than the recommendation of 23 to 24.5 mo to maximize farm profitability (Ettema and Santos, 2004;Pellerin and Gilbert, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A similar trend in the United States was observed; average age at first calving for HO heifers was 26.9 mo between 1980 and 2004 (Hare et al, 2006), which represents a decrease of 1.3 mo compared with results reported by Nieuwhof et al (1989Nieuwhof et al ( ) between 1966Nieuwhof et al ( and 1986. Using field data from Québec, Pietersma et al (2006) showed that, at 14 mo, HO and Ayrshire (AY) heifers were large enough to be bred because 59 and 56% of mature BW were already attained at this age, respectively. According to the NRC ( 2001), the first breeding can occur when 55% of mature BW is reached.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weight, height, and relative-reliability indicators as a management tool for reducing age at first breeding and calving of dairy heifers

Duplessis

Cue

Santschi

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Québec first calving occurs on average at 27 mo, whereas the target is 23 to 24.5 mo to maximize herd profitability. The aim of this study was to quantify current and future heifer growth using individual heifer random regressions and to generate indicators (such as heifer weight and height at 15 and 24 mo, average daily gain before and after 15 mo, age at which optimal weight for breeding is attained, i.e., 55% of mature weight, and reliability of the 15- and 24-mo weight predictions) that could be used as a practical on-farm tool. Dairy heifer weight estimated by heart girth circumference and height measured at the withers (from 0 to 27 mo) were obtained from the Valacta database (DHI agency, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada) from 1995 to 2012. Indicators were calculated based on the current situation of Holstein (HO), Ayrshire (AY), Jersey (JE), and Brown Swiss (BS) heifer growth in Québec. Heifers with less than 2 records were excluded from the analysis. Mature weights were determined by weight at calving of cows from third or greater lactation for a given breed and were 710 kg for HO, 625 kg for AY, 470 kg for JE, and 670 kg for BS. Estimated weights at 15 and 24 mo were 425 and 627, 334 and 482, 297 and 429, and 379 and 560 kg for HO, AY, JE, and BS, respectively, which are heavy enough for breeding and calving, except for AY. Relative reliabilities of the 15- and 24-mo weight predictions were on average 89 and 60%, respectively, based on measurements up to 15 mo. For HO, AY, JE, and BS, wither heights at 15 and 24 mo were 134 and 143, 125 and 134, 122 and 131, and 130 and 140 cm, respectively. Age at optimal breeding weight was 13.6, 15.5, 12.6, and 14.5 mo for HO, AY, JE, and BS, respectively. These data suggest that it is realistic to expect a first calving at 24 mo for HO, JE, and BS. A growth delay was observed for AY; average daily gain was 655 and 538 g/d before and after 15 mo, respectively. The average daily gain before and after 15 mo was 848 and 747 g/d for HO, 603 and 486 g/d for JE, and 775 and 662 g/d for BS, respectively. These indicators could be calculated for an individual heifer and on a herd-level basis and used on farm as a management tool for reducing age at first breeding and at first calving.

show abstract

“…Daily BW were predicted for each animal using orthogonal polynomials (explained with more details below). Outliers were identified from predicted BW at each of the 8 time points, and individual weights were removed if the weight for that time point was above or below 4 standard deviations from the mean (n = 45), similar to outlier removal in Pietersma et al (2006). Similarly, 7 birth weights were removed using the same outlier removal process for the predicted BW.…”

Section: Animal Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive equations for early-life indicators of future body weight in Holstein dairy heifers

Hurst

López‐Villalobos

Boerman

2021

Journal of Dairy Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It takes an approximate 2-yr investment to raise a replacement heifer from birth to first calving, and selecting the most productive heifers earlier in life could reduce input costs. Daily milk consumption, serum total protein, pneumonia and scours incidences, body size composite, birth weights, and incremental body weights were collected on a commercial dairy farm from October 1, 2015, to January 1, 2019. Holstein calves (n = 5,180) were fed whole pasteurized nonsalable milk with a 30% protein and 5% fat enhancer added at 20 g/L of milk through an automated calf feeding system (feeders = 8) for 60 d on average. Calves were weighed at birth and several other times before calving. Average birth weight of calves was 40.6 ± 4.9 kg (mean ± standard deviation), serum total protein was 6.7 ± 0.63 mg/dL, and cumulative 60-d milk consumption was 508.1 ± 67.3 L with a range of 179.9 to 785.1 L. Daily body weights were predicted for individual animals using a third-order orthogonal polynomial to model body weight curves. The linear and quadratic effects of cumulative 60-d milk consumption, birth weight, feeder, year born, season born, respiratory incidence, scours incidence, and body size composite score were significant when predicting heifer body weight at 400 d (pBW 400 ) of age. There was up to a 263-kg difference in pBW 400 between the heaviest and lightest animal. Birth weight had a significant effect on predicted weights up to 400 d, and for every 1-kg increase in birth weight, there was a 2.5-kg increase in pBW 400 . Quadratic effect of cumulative 60-d milk consumption was significant up to 400 d. We divided 60-d milk consumption into quartiles, and heifers had the highest pBW 400 in the third quartile when 60-d consumption was between 507.8 and 552.5 L. Body size composite score showed a 21.5-kg difference in pBW 400 between the top and bottom 25th percentile of heifers. Heifers were 4.2 kg lighter at 400 d if treated for respiratory disease 3+ times during the first 60 d of life compared with heifers not treated for respiratory disease. Measurements that can be obtained in the early life of dairy calves continue to influence heifer growth up to 400 d of age.

show abstract

Trends in growth and age at first calving for Holstein and Ayrshire heifers in Quebec

Cited by 15 publications

References 9 publications

Associations between group sizes, serum protein levels, calf morbidity and growth in dairy-beef calves in a Finnish calf rearing unit

Associations between group sizes, serum protein levels, calf morbidity and growth in dairy-beef calves in a Finnish calf rearing unit

Weight, height, and relative-reliability indicators as a management tool for reducing age at first breeding and calving of dairy heifers

Predictive equations for early-life indicators of future body weight in Holstein dairy heifers

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About