Weight at conception and gestational gains in the efficiency of beef cows and progeny performance

VAZ, RICARDO Z.; LOBATO, JOSÉ FERNANDO P.; RESTLE, JOÃO; COSTA, PABLO T.; ELOY, LIDIANE; COSTA, JOÃO LUIZ B.

doi:10.1590/0001-3765202220191280

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ANIMAL SCIENCE • An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc. 94 (1) • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202220191280 copy

Weight at conception and gestational gains in the efficiency of beef cows and progeny performance

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of conception weight and gestational weight gain on performance and productive efficiency in beef cows and their calves. Eighty-eight primiparous, three-year old Braford females were used, divided according to weight at conception and gestational performance (High and Low): cows with a low conception weight and low gestational weight gain (LL), cows with low conception weight and high gestational weight gain (LH), cows with high conception weight and low gestational weight gain (HL), and cows with high conception weight and high gestational weight gain (HH). At calving, HH cows were heavier than LH and HL and these were heavier than LL cows. Male calves born to HH cows were superior in body weight to those born to LL cows at 150, 210 and 365 days. Female calves born to HH, HL or LH cows were superior to those born to LL cows in pregnancy at 14 months of age. The LL and HL cows were more efficient in calf production. Actual fertility was influenced by the nutritional level of the herd, where HH cows were superior than LL cows. Better cow herd nutrition increases the development and performance of the progeny.

Key words
foetal programming; reproduction; feed restriction; productivity

Gestational gain	LL	LH	HL	HH
Cow weight, kg
At conception	326.01±4.15^b	317.30±4.73^b	358.32±4.21^a	363.56±4.26^a
At calving	375.05±4.15^c	390.09±4.73^b	389.53±4.21^b	424.29±4.26^a
At weaning	333.09±4.15^b	324.41±4.73^c	357.53±4.21^a	365.43±4.26^a
Variations in daily cow body weight, kg
Gestation	0.159±0.038^bc	0.261±0.043^a	0.106±0.038^c	0.226±0.040^ab
Early lactation	-0.644±0.031^c	-0.711±0.034^a	-0.376±0.030^d	-0.655±0.036^b
Calf weight, kg
At birth	29.4±3.68^a	30.6±4.13^a	27.43±3.67^a	30.5±3.77^a
Weaning (90days)	75.62±3.68^a	79.6±4.13^a	76.8±3.67^a	80.1±3.77^a
At 150 days	103.1±3.68^b	106.4±4.13^ab	108.3±3.67^ab	112.7±3.77^a
At 210 days	127.3±3.68^b	127.6±4.13^b	131.0±3.67^ab	138.5±3.77^a
At 12 months	261.9±3.68^c	271.5±4.13^bc	277.3±3.67^ab	281.0±3.77^a
Variations in daily calf body weight, kg
Birth to weaning	0.678±0.025^b	0.737±0.028^a	0.724±0.025^ab	0.744±0.026^a
Weaning to 150 days	0.326±0.025^a	0.321±0.028^a	0.359±0.025^a	0.387±0.026^a
From 150 to 210 days	0.677±0.025^a	0.725±0.028^a	0.719±0.025^a	0.717±0.026^a
Pregnancy rate in heifers mated at 14 months, %	43.8B	58.3A	69.3A	68.5A

Gestational gain	LL	LH	HL	HH
Post-partum Pregnancy, %	84.1	74.5	83.3	74.7
Post-partum oestrus interval, days	83.3±1.59^a	78.3±1.91^a	81.6±1.58^a	78.2±1.85^a
Cow efficiency, kg
Calf production	65.2±0.55^a	58.0±0.60^b	65.6±0.54^a	57.8±0.56^b
Productive efficiency at conception	23.0±0.21^b	24.8±0.23^a	22.1±0.20^b	21.8±0.21^b
Productive efficiency at calving	20.0±0.18^ab	19.4±0.20^ab	20.3±0.18^a	18.8±0.19^b
Productive efficiency at weaning	23.5±0.21^ab	24.8±0.24^a	22.7±0.22^b	22.7±0.22^b
Actual fertility, kg	74.5±0.79^b	78.8±0.95^a	79.9±0.79^a	80.7±0.91^a

	MWDG	CWC	CWW	WCB	WCW	WC210	WC365
WCC	-0.39124 0.0002***	0.54199 0.8665	0.92060 0.0001***	0.07580 0.4827	0.19527 0.0683*	0.40352 0.0001***	0.29634 0.0051***
MWDG		0.56135 0.0001***	-0.32475 0.0020***	0.08608 0.4252	0.01063 0.9217	-0.18105 0.0914*	-0.12803 0.2345
CWC			0.51130 0.0001***	0.44095 0.0001***	0.18530 0.0839*	0.19754 0.0651*	0.14958 0.1642
CWW				0.10205 0.3441	0.25906 0.0148**	0.32446 0.0020***	0.34132 0.0011***
WCB					0.38787 0.0002***	0.25456 0.0167***	0.52615 0.0001***
WCW						0.59000 0.0001***	0.59990 0.0001***
WC210							0.69487 0.0001***

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[1] Correspondence to: Ricardo Zambarda Vaz E-mail: rzvaz@terra.com.br