Calving difficulty as related to body weights and measurements of cows and calves in a herd of Gascon breed

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the body weights and measurements of 86 Gascon calves and their dams. The effects of the course of parturition, parity of the dams, sex of the calves, and live- or stillborn calves were analysed. Phenotypic correlations between different measurements and calf birth weight as well as the course of parturition were calculated. Internal pelvic measurements were significantly associated with the occurrence of assisted calvings and stillborn calves. Primiparous cows had a smaller pelvic area, lower live weight, and more frequent difficulty in calving compared to older cows. A higher incidence of difficult calvings was observed in bull-calves due to their higher (<I>P</i> < 0.001) birth weight. High and significant correlation coefficients were determined between the birth weight and body measurements of the calves as well as between the calf birth weight and the course of parturition (<I>r</i> = 0.34; <I>P</i> < 0.01). Negative correlations (<I>r</i> = –0.21 to –0.30) were calculated between the internal pelvic measurements of the cows and the course of parturition score. It was concluded that the internal pelvic measurements of the dam and the size and shape of the calf were the factors influencing the course of parturition in this study to the largest extent.