Publication Date
1993
Description
Once-bred heifer (ODH) beef production systems, which are new to New Zealand, involve mating heifers at 15 months of age to cnlve as 2-year-olds and then slaughtering the heifers (at less than 30 months of age) as prime beef. Never-pregnant, pregnant and lactating Hereford x Friesian heifers were used in 4 experiments. There were no significant differences between pregnant (days 260-270 of pregnancy) and never-pregnant heifers in their herbage organic matter intake (OMI), ingestive behaviour or daily live-weight gain (LWG) when a restricted pasture allowance of 7 kg DM/head/day was offered. Heifers at days 50-60 of lactation and never-pregnant heifers had daily OMI of 11.36±0.63 and 9.19±0.63 kg (mean±s.e.m.) respectively (P<0.05); the corresponding daily LWG was 0.61±0.28 and 1.70±0.28 kg (P<0.05). Heifers weaned at day 90 or day 150 of lactation had daily OMI of 12.61±0.54 and 14.49±0.54 kg (P<0.05) when compared at days 140-150 after calving. At this time, LWG was not significantly different between the two groups of heifers. Thus the pre-calving daily OMI and LWG of pregnant heifers were similar to those of the never-pregnant heifers, but large differences in daily OMI and LWG were recorded between lactating heifers and those of never-pregnant or early-weaned groups. Data are being used to estimate the relative efficiencies of meat production in once-bred v unbred heifers and to develop grazing management systems for OBH.
Citation
Khadem, A A.; Morris, S T.; Parker, W J.; Purchas, R W.; and McCutcheon, S N., "Seasonal Herbage Intake of Once-Bred Heifers" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 16.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session37/16
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Seasonal Herbage Intake of Once-Bred Heifers
Once-bred heifer (ODH) beef production systems, which are new to New Zealand, involve mating heifers at 15 months of age to cnlve as 2-year-olds and then slaughtering the heifers (at less than 30 months of age) as prime beef. Never-pregnant, pregnant and lactating Hereford x Friesian heifers were used in 4 experiments. There were no significant differences between pregnant (days 260-270 of pregnancy) and never-pregnant heifers in their herbage organic matter intake (OMI), ingestive behaviour or daily live-weight gain (LWG) when a restricted pasture allowance of 7 kg DM/head/day was offered. Heifers at days 50-60 of lactation and never-pregnant heifers had daily OMI of 11.36±0.63 and 9.19±0.63 kg (mean±s.e.m.) respectively (P<0.05); the corresponding daily LWG was 0.61±0.28 and 1.70±0.28 kg (P<0.05). Heifers weaned at day 90 or day 150 of lactation had daily OMI of 12.61±0.54 and 14.49±0.54 kg (P<0.05) when compared at days 140-150 after calving. At this time, LWG was not significantly different between the two groups of heifers. Thus the pre-calving daily OMI and LWG of pregnant heifers were similar to those of the never-pregnant heifers, but large differences in daily OMI and LWG were recorded between lactating heifers and those of never-pregnant or early-weaned groups. Data are being used to estimate the relative efficiencies of meat production in once-bred v unbred heifers and to develop grazing management systems for OBH.
