PSX-9 Relationships among body condition score, linear measures, body mass index, and growth performance of yearling Alpine doelings

Abstract

Abstract Alpine doelings (54; initial BW and age of 31.7±0.38 kg and 306±1.9 days, respectively) were used to evaluate relationships among body condition score (BCS), linear measures and associated body mass indices (BMI), and growth performance. Doelings were allocated to treatments with ad libitum intake of diets of 75% alfalfa or sericea lespedeza. The experiment was 12 wk with two 6-wk periods. Linear measures included height at the withers (Wither), length from the point of the shoulder to hook bone (Hook) and pin bone (Pin), and circumference from heart girth (Heart). There were 13 BMI, including BMI1–Wither (BW/Wither), BMI2–Hook (BW/Hook), BMI3–Pin (BW/Pin), BMI4-Heart (BW/Heart), BMI6-Wither×Hook (BW/(Wither×Hook)), BMI7-Wither×Pin (BW/(Wither×Pin)), BMI8-Heart×Hook (BW/(Heart×Hook)), and BMI9-Heart×Pin (BW/(Heart×Pin)), all in g/cm2. Correlation coefficients between BCS and Wither, Hook, Pin, and Heart were 0.14 (P = 0.155), 0.29 (P = 0.002), 0.21 (P = 0.030), and 0.38 (P < 0.001), respectively. Correlation coefficients of BCS were 0.39 (P < 0.001), 0.21 (P = 0.023), 0.32 (P = 0.001), 0.18 (P = 0.064), and 0.23 (P = 0.018) for BW, ADG, and DM intake in g/d, % BW, and g/kg BW0.75, respectively, with nonsignificant r for residual feed intake and ADG:DM intake. Higher r were observed between BMI and performance measures. Correlation coefficients were 0.71, 0.58, 0.66, 0.69, 0.78, 0.67, and 0.812 between BMI1-Wither, BMI3-Pin, BMI4-Heart, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, BMI8-Heart×Hook, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and BW; 0.36, 0.45, 0.42, 0.34, and 0.42 for BMI2-Hook, BMI3-Pin, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, BMI8-Heart×Hook, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and ADG; and 0.49, 0.56, 0.47, 0.63, and 0.58 for BMI1-Wither, BMI3-Pin, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and DM intake, in g/d, respectively. The BMI were not related to residual feed intake, and there were some BMI with weak relationships to ADG:DM intake. In conclusion, due to stronger relationships between measures of performance of yearling Alpine doelings consuming a forage-based diet and BMI compared with BCS, future research should address other physiological states and productions conditions.