The effects of a number of management practices on chiller beef production in Victoria. II. Live measurements

Abstract

Data are presented from a factorial experiment on the effects of a number of management practices on live measurements of young growing Aberdeen Angus cattle. Sire and dam influenced most measurements, as did supplementary feeding. Season of birth and sex were the two most important factors affecting all body measurements. Year of birth had a slight effect. Correlation coefficients are presented for corresponding measurements of dams and progeny, and for liveweights and measurements at successive ages. Birth weight was highly significantly correlated with weaning and slaughter weights (r = +0.432, +0.504; P<0.001), independent of the sex effect on growth rate. Body measurements at 6 weeks had a fair predictive value for corresponding measurements at 32 weeks (pre-weaning) and 84 weeks (pre-slaughter). The growth curves of heart girth and width of hooks closely paralleled that of liveweight (r = +0.985, -0.982). Length and height measurements were less close, followed by cannon measurements and depth of chest. Width of head and round measurements were least well correlated with weight.Under conditions of nutritional stress, bone growth may continue little impaired, despite loss of liveweight. Birth weights, or weights at a fixed time shortly after birth, could have a useful predictive value in selecting cattle for high weaning weight and post-weaning weight-for-age under southern Australian conditions of husbandry.