Days to calving and intercalving interval in beef and dairy-beef crossbred cows

Simple item page
dc.confidentialfalse
dc.confidentialfalse
dc.confidentialfalse
dc.confidentialfalse
dc.contributor.authorMorris ST
dc.contributor.authorHickson RE
dc.contributor.authorMartin NP
dc.contributor.authorKenyon PR
dc.coverage.spatialAdelaide, Australia
dc.description.abstractOne important attribute of a beef-breeding cow is the ability to wean a calf every year. Furthermore, an earlierborn calf is likely to be heavier at weaning and its dam has more opportunity to conceive again during the following breeding season. In a spring-calving system under the seasonal pastoral-grazing system in New Zealand, a 365- day intercalving interval is desirable. A normal gestation length is 280 days leaving 85 days for a cow to resume oestrous cycles and conceive again to maintain the 365- day calving interval. Literature estimates of the interval between calving and the first oestrous cycle post-calving are 53-82 days for mixed-aged beef-breeding cows and 81-95 days for first-lactation beef-breeding cows (Hickson et al. 2012; Knight & Nicoll 1978; Morris et al. 1978; Smeaton et al. 1986), indicating that a 365-day calving interval is difficult to maintain. An alternative reproductive performance measure to intercalving interval, and favoured in naturally mated beefcow herds, is days to calving, that is defined as the number of days from the start of joining to the day of calving. Days to calving has become the standard fertility trait for genetic evaluation (Meyer et al. 1990; 1991; Johnston & Bunter 1996). A study was conducted to investigate the effects of breed group, year of calving and conception cycle on intercalving intervals and days to calving in straight-bred Angus and Angus-cross-Friesian, Angus-cross-Jersey and Angus-cross-Kiwicross cows from first mating as heifers through to their sixth calving.
dc.format.extent31 - 33 (3)
dc.identifier.citationpp. 31 - 33 (3)
dc.identifier.elements-id279171
dc.identifier.harvestedMassey_Dark
dc.publication-statusPublished
dc.publication-statusPublished
dc.publication-statusPublished
dc.publication-statusPublished
dc.rightsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
dc.sourceProceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production
dc.start-date2016-07-04
dc.start-date2016-07-04
dc.start-date2016-07-04
dc.start-date2016-07-04
dc.titleDays to calving and intercalving interval in beef and dairy-beef crossbred cows
dc.typeconference
pubs.confidentialfalse
pubs.notesNot known
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Sciences
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Sciences/School of Agriculture & Environment
pubs.publication-statusPublished
pubs.start-date2016-07-04
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
brief communication.pdf
Size:
450.53 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Conference Papers