The effects on the performance of calves submitted to: a) three treatments, consisted of post-partum stocking rates (CA) of 240 kg of live weight (LW)/ha (treatment 1, T1), of 320 kg of LW/ha (T2), both on natural pastures, and of 400 kg of LW/ha on improved pasture of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) during the first 80 days post-partum, and after on natural pasture at the same stocking rate as T2 afterwards (T3); b) two weaning ages, consisted of weaning at 100 (EW) and at 180 (CW) days of age, were evaluated using 92 beef calves from Hereford and Braford primiparous cows. The sex of the calves affected significantly the birth weight, and no effect was observed for the breed of cow. The treatments and breed of cow did not affect the average daily gain (ADG) of the calves from birth to early weaning (GEW). Calves born from Braford cows had higher LW at EW (WEW) than calves born from Hereford cows, while the WEW was not affected by the treatments. Calves born from Braford cows on T2 had ADG up to 180 days (ADG180) and LW at 180 days (LW180) greater than calves born from Braford cows on T1 and Hereford cows on T2. Calves from CW had greater LW180 and ADG180 than calves from EW. However, treatments and weaning ages did not affect the LW at 365 days and the ADG up to 365 days of age. The three cows post-partum management schemes and the two calves weaning ages evaluated did not affect the calves performance up to one year of age.
beef calves; liveweight gain; stocking rate; weaning age
