Efficiency of beef breeding cows that vary in live weight and milking potential

Title Efficiency of beef breeding cows that vary in live weight and milking potential
Publication Type Conference Paper
Year of Publication 2013
Authors NL, Law , Hickson R E. , N Lopez-villalobos , PR Kenyon , and ST Morris
Conference Name Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production
Date Published Jan
Publisher New Zealand Society of Animal Production
Conference Location Hamilton
Keywords Cow efficiency project
Abstract

Size and milking potential of beef breeding cows affect their productivity and efficiency. This experiment compared the productivity and efficiency of straightbred Angus (AA) (high live weight, low-milk potential), Angus-cross-Holstein Friesian (AF) (high live weight, high-milk potential), Angus-crossKiwicross (AK) (moderate live weight, high-milk potential) and Angus-cross-Jersey (AJ) cows (low live weight, high-milk potential). High-milk lines produced heavier calves at weaning than the low-milk producing AA. AF and AK cows weaned the heaviest calves at 225 ± 3 kg and 224 ± 4 kg respectively. These calves were heavier than those weighed by AJcows (212 ± 3 kg). All of these three genotypes weaned heavier calves than AA cows (197 ± 3 kg). In turn, all three high-milk lines had greater weaning efficiency ((weaning weight of calf/weight of cow at calf weaning) x100) than AA cows which had an efficiency of 36.7 ± 0.7%. AJ and AK cows were the most efficient at 46.7 ± 0.7% and 46.0 ± 1.0%, respectively. AJ cows were also more efficient than the AF cows (44.0 ± 0.8%). Increased milking potential and decreased live weight of breeding cows increased their efficiency of production.

URL http://www.nzsap.org/proceedings/2013/efficiency-beef-breeding-cows-vary-live-weight-and-milking-potential
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