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A comparison of the growth rate of single and twin born beef calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

M.G. Diskin
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Belclare, Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland
T.G. McEvoy
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Belclare, Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland
J.M. Sreenan
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Belclare, Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland
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Extract

It is frequently hypothesised that Increasing the litter size of the beef cow would increase output and biological efficiency. Such hypothesis is supported by the simulation study of Guerra-Martlnez et al (1987), which Indicated that twinning would Increase biological and economic efficiency of beef production by 20 to 25%. However, there is little published data on the comparative growth rates of single-born, single-reared and twin-born and twin-reared beef calves. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of birth type (single or twin) on growth rate from birth through to beef and on final carcase weight, carcase conformation and fatness level.

Type
Beef Production
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1990

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References

CEC (1981). Official Journal of the European Communities. Regulation (EEC) No. 1208-1281 and 2930-81.Google Scholar
Diskin, M.G., McEvoy, T.G. & Sreenan, J.M. (1990). Proc. BSAP Winter Meeting.Google Scholar
Guerra-Martinez, P., Anderson, G.B. & Dickerson, G.E. (1987). J. Anlm. Sci. .65 (Suppl.1 ):205 (Abstr).Google Scholar
SAS (1988). SAS User's Guide: Statistics. SAS Inst., Cary, NC.Google Scholar