Abstract
Abstract An investigation was made of some factors influencing the birth weight of calves, and the persistence of the effects of these factors with respect to live-weight recovery post-partum of the dam, and the milk consumption and live-weight growth of the calf. On 1 May 1975, 54 rising 3-year-old Angus heifers in calf to Angus bulls were randomized to three nutritional treatment groups: a high plane to 10 July (3 weeks pre-calving) then a low plane (HP-LP); a low plane to 10 July then a high plane (LP-HP); and a high plane continuously (HP-HP). Treatments ended as each heifer calved. The experimental animals came from three origins: “Tuapaka” farm (Masse)' University), Hawkes Bay, and Wairarapa. The HP-HP and HP-LP groups of heifers were significantly heavier (P<O.Ol, difference ≥ 19.2 kg) than the LP-HP group of heifers on 10 July. On 25 July, the HP-HP group was significantly heavier than the LP-HP and HP-LP groups (P<O.OI, difference ≥ 20.2 kg). Calf birth weight was not significantly affected by the pre-calving nutritional treatment (0.05<P<0.10). The influence of the pre-calving plane of nutrition on the milk consumed (determined by the weigh-nurse-weigh method) and the weaning weight of the calf was non-significant, although the heaviest calves were weaned by the heifers of the HP-HP group. The HP-LP heifers were lighter at weaning than those of the other treatment groups, and weaned the lightest calves. There was a significant residual effect of plane of winter nutrition in 1975, on the birth weight of calves born in 1976 (P<0.05), with the heaviest calves born to the cows previously in the LP-HP treatment group. There was also a difference between treatment groups for cow liveweight at second parturition where HP-LP cows weighed more (438±9.2 kg; P<O.10) than LP-HP (41O.3±8.8 kg) and HP-HP (410.3±9.0 kg) cows.
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