Hostname: page-component-68945f75b7-49v7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-03T17:11:47.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth of Holstein Friesian females in the Venezuelan tropics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Vaccaro  and
S. Rivero
R. Vaccaro
Affiliation:
Instituto de Producción Animal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Edo. Aragua, Venezuela
S. Rivero
Affiliation:
Instituto de Producción Animal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Edo. Aragua, Venezuela
Get access

Abstract

A study was made of the growth of Holstein Friesian females in an intensive production system in the Venezuelan tropics, using monthly weights from birth (no. = 922) up to 72 months of age (no. = 63). Birth weights were adjusted for age of dam, month and year of birth of heifer, whereas subsequent weights were adjusted for birth weight and month and year of birth. Despite lower weights at birth (mean = 35·9 kg), live weights were comparable to the Beltsville standard for the breed up to 12 months of age. However, at 24, 36, 48 and 72 months of age the weights observed only reached 0·84, 0·77, 0·75, 0·79 and 0·78, respectively, of the Beltsville standard. No effect was observed on birth weight of age of dam, month or year of birth, but birth weight affected subsequent weights (P < 0·001) and the effects of month and year of birth on live weight were significant at most ages. The poor quality of the forage consumed and stress due to high environmental temperatures and humidity appear to be the main reasons for the reduced growth rates. Von Bertalanffy's model gave a higher residual error than a polynomial model when fitted to the data, but resulted in a curve which agreed more closely with the conventional biological growth pattern.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , April 1985 , pp. 279 - 285
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bakker, H. and Koops, W. J. 1978. An approach to the comparison of growth curves of Dutch Friesian, British Friesian and Holstein Friesian cows. In Patterns of Growth and Development in Cattle (ed. Boer, H. De and Martin, J.), pp. 705–715. Nijhoff, The Hague.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bodisco, V., Cevallos, E. and Fuenmayor, C. 1969. Primera lactancia en vacas Holstein y Pajdo Suiza en el Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. VII Jornades Agronomicas, Acarigua, Venezuela, pp. 88–89.Google Scholar
Camoens, J. K. 1979. Holsteins and Holstein crosses. III. The management of calves from birth to weaning. Malay, agric. J. 52: 198–211.Google Scholar
Combellas, J. 1980. Information obtenida durante diez anos (1970–1980) con un rebano de ganado Holstein en Maracay, Venezuela. Informe Anual Inst. Prod. Anim., Facultad de Agronomia, Univ. Central de Venezuela, pp. 87–100.Google Scholar
Combellas, J. and Martinez, N. 1979. Efecto de la suplementacion con concentrados sobre la production de leche de vacas consumiendo una dieta basal de forraje de corte. Informe Anual Inst. Prod. Anim., Facultad de Agronomia, Univ. Central de Venezuela, pp. 31–33.Google Scholar
Gardner, R. W., Schuh, J. D. and Vargus, L. G. 1977. Accelerated growth and early breeding of Holstein heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 60: 1941–1948.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gianola, D. and Tyler, W. J. 1974. Influences on birth weight and gestation period of Holstein-Friesian cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 57: 235–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guaragna, G. P., Carneiro, G. G., Torres, J. R., Silva, M. A., Naufel, F. and Gomes, F. R. 1975. Duracao da gestacao, pesos e ganhos en peso de bezerros na raca holandesa. VI. Peso aos 205 dias. V. Reunion Asoc. Lat.-am. Prod. Anim. Maracay, Venezuela, Pap. 20(Abstr.).Google Scholar
Hollon, B. F., Branton, C. and Koonce, K. L. 1972. Performance of Holstein and crossbred dairy cattle in Louisiana. II. Growth rate through first lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 55: 113–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hollon, B. F., Branton, C. and McDowell, R. E. 1969. Performance of Holstein and crossbred dairy cattle in Louisiana. I. First lactation production. J. Dairy Sci. 52: 498–506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDowell, R. E. 1968. Climate versus man and his animals. Nature, Lond. 208: 641–645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDowell, R. E. 1972. Improvement of Livestock Production in Warm Climates, pp. 111–114. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
McDowell, R. E. 1982. Crossbreeding as a system of mating for dairy production. Southern Cooperative Series Bull. La agric. Exp. Stn, No. 259.Google Scholar
Matthews, C. A. and Fohrman, M. H. 1954. Beltsville growth standard for Holstein cattle. Tech. Bull. U.S. Dep. Agric. No. 1099.Google Scholar
Morrison, F. B. 1956. Feeds and Feeding. Morrison Publishing, Ithaca, NY.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1978. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. 5th ed. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Naufei, F., Torres, J. R., Guaragna, G. P., Suva, M. A., Carneiro, G. G., Pires, F. L., Almeida, A. J. and Gomes, F. R. 1975. Duracao da gestacao, pesos e ganhos en peso de bezerros na raca holandesa. IV. Peso aos 90 dias de idade. V Reunion Asoc. Lat.— am. Prod. Anim., Maracay, Venezuela, Pap. G 15 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Padilla, F. and Roman, H. 1981. Crecimiento de vaquillas Holstein y Suizo Pardo bajo dos niveles de alimentation en clima tropical. VIII Reunion Asoc. Lat.—am. Prod. Anim., Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana, Pap. R 11 (Abstr.). Lat.-am. Prod. Anim. Maracay, Venezuela, Pap. G 18 forrajes tropicales por el ganado. Turrialba 13: 194–196.Google Scholar
Pires, F., Torres, J. R., Naufel, F., Silva, M. A., Guaragna, G. P., Carneiro, G. G. and Gomes, F. R. 1975. Duracao da gestacao, peso e ganhos en peso de bezerros na raca holandesa. V Reunion Asoc. Lat.-am. Prod. Anim. Maracay, Venezuela, Pap. G 18 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Rios, G. 1975. Efecto de los sistemas de apareamiento en la tasa de crecimiento y en los caracteres de production de leche del ganado lechero. Trabajo de Ascenso, Facultad de Agronimia, Univ. Central de Venezuela, Maracay.Google Scholar
Swanson, E. W. 1966. Optimum growth pattern for dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 50: 244–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Touchberry, R. W. and Bereskin, B. 1966a. Crossbreeding dairy cattle. II. Weights and body measurements of purebred Holstein and Guernsey females and their reciprocal crossbreds. J. Dairy Sci. 49: 647–658.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Touchberry, R. W. and Bereskin, B. 1966b. Crossbreeding dairy cattle. I. Some effects of crossbreeding on birth weight and gestation period of dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 49: 287–300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed