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Beef x Beef and Dairy x Beef Females Mated to Angus and Charolais Sires. II. Calf Growth, Weaning Rate and Cow Productivity^1,2,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907³

Abstract

Preweaning growth of 814 progeny was studied, and weaning rate and kilograms of calf weaned/cow exposed were determined for 310, 2- to 7-yr-old Angus x Hereford (AH), Charolais x Hereford (CH), straightbred Hereford (HH) and Brown Swiss x Hereford (SH) cows mated to Angus and Charolais bulls. Charolais-sired calves grew more rapidly (P<.01) than Angus-sired calves and were heavier (P<.01) at 130 and 210 d of age. Progeny of SH females grew faster (P<.05) and were the heaviest at 130 (164 kg) and 210 (231 kg) d, whereas calves from HH dams grew the slowest and weighed the least (P<.05) at 130 (126 kg) and 210 (180 kg) d of age. Progeny from AH and CH dams had similar 130-d weights (CW130) and made similar daily gains from birth to 130 d of age (ADG1). Calves from CH females gained faster (P<.05) from 130 to 210 d (ADG2) and had higher (P<.05) 210-d weights (CW210) than did calves from AH dams. ADG1 and ADG2 of male calves were .043 and .072 kg/d greater, respectively (P<.01) than those of heifer calves. Age of dam influenced (P<.01) calf preweaning gains and weights. Calves from 4- to 7-yr-old cows had greater (P<.05) ADG1 and ADG2 and higher (P<.05)CW130andCW210 than progeny of younger dams. Progeny of 2-yr-old cows grew more slowly (P<.05), and were last (P<.05) in all traits (ADG1, ADG2, CW130 and CW210), whereas progeny of 3-yr-old cows were intermediate to those of 2 and 4- to 7-yr-old females. Cow breed type influenced (P<.01) weaning rate (WR) and kilograms of calf weaned/cow exposed. SH females had the highest WR (83.4%), AH and CH were intermediate at 76.8 and 77.7%, respectively, and HH dams had the lowest (P<.05) WR, 66.4 calves/100 cows exposed. SH cows weaned 34.6 kg more (P<.05) calf/cow exposed than AH and CH dams. HH dams were least productive (P<.05), weaning 122.3 kg calf/cow exposed. Dairy x beef dams (SH) weaned 47.6 kg more (P<.01) calf/cow exposed than the average of beef x beef dams (AH, CH, HH). Dairy x beef females had the highest WR and weaned the heaviest calves.

¹ Journal Paper No. 8204, Purdue Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta. A contribution from the Dept. of Anim. Sci.

² The authors express appreciation to David A. Huber and personnel at the Miller-Purdue Agr. Center for management of cattle and assistance in data collection.

³ This research was supported in part by a cooperative agreement with the American-International Charolais Association, Houston, TX.