Reproductive Performance of Extensively Managed Beef Heifers Mated at 14 Or 26 Months in the Central Bushveld Bioregion
Keywords:
Age at mating, Bonsmara heifers, Calving percentageAbstract
In South Africa, little local information is available on the value of early mating of extensively kept beef heifers. In contrast, international information is mainly restricted to dairy cattle and intensive production systems. The research was undertaken to evaluate the calving percentage of Bonsmara heifers mated for the first time in an extensively managed beef herd at either 14 or 26 months. Fifty percent of the heifers were mated at 14 months, while the other 50% were mated at 26 months of age for 90 days during the summer mating season (January to March). The research was conducted over six years (2009 to 2014). A 23 factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using the six years as block replications. This was done because different animals were evaluated every year. The calving percentage of heifers mated at 26 months was significantly higher than heifers mated at 14 months. From the current study, it seems unlikely that mating heifers at 14 months of age can improve on the traditional extensive system of mating heifers at 26 months on natural veld in the Central Bushveld Bioregion.
Downloads
Metrics
References
ABIN, S., VISSER, C. & BANGA, C.B., 2018. Comparative performance of dairy cows in low-input smallholder and high-input production systems in South Africa. Trop. Anim. Health Prod., 50: 1479–1484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1584-9
ACOCKS, J.P.H., 1988. Veld types of South Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Afr., 57: 1–146.
AGROCLIMATOLOGY STAFF., 2015. ARC-ISCW Climate Information System. Pretoria: ARC-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water.
AHMADZADEH, A., CARNAHAN, K. & AUTRAN, C., 2011. Understanding puberty and postpartum anoestrus. Proceedings: Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle, 30 September–1 October, Boise, Idaho.
BERGH, L., 2012. Selection and management of heifers and first-calf cows. Nguni Journal, 2012: 1–3.
BELLOWS, R.A., 1968. Reproduction and growth in beef heifers. A.I. Digest., 16:6–14.
CONRADIE, B., 2019. Designing successful land reform for the extensive grazing sector. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., 47(2): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2019/v47n2a498
FAHMY, M.H., LALANDE, G. & HIDIROCLOU, M., 1971. Reproductive performance and growth of Short Horn pure-mated and cross-mated cows. Anim. Prod., 13: 1–14.
FOSTER, L.A., FOURIE, P.J. & NESER, F.W.C., 2014. The profitability and production of a beef herd on transitional Cymbopogon-Themeda veld, receiving three different levels of lick supplementation – preliminary results. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 44: S31–S35. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v44i5.7
GLASS, G.V., PECKHAM, P.D. & SANDERS, J.R., 1972. Consequences of failure to meet assumption underlying the fixed effects analyses of variance and covariance. Rev. Educ. Res., 42: 237–288.
GROBLER, S.M., 2016. Alternative management systems to increase beef production under extensive conditions. Doctoral thesis, University of the Free State.
GROBLER, S.M., SCHOLTZ, M.M., NESER, F.W.C., GREYLING, J.P.C. & MOREY, L., 2019. Effect of controlled breeding on performance of beef cattle in the Central Bushveld bioregion. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 49(6): 1013–1020. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v49i6.5
HAMEED, T.S. & SAWICKA, B., 2016. Importance of the agricultural extension (agricultural advisory) services in Poland. 5th International Conference for Young Researchers, 16-17 April 2016, Kraków, Poland.
KROKER, G., CLARKE, B. & CLARKE L., 2022. Age for beef heifers at first mating. Agriculture Victoria Available from
LEPEN, J.M., SCHOEMAN, S.J. & VENTER, H.A.W., 1993. Influence of first calving age and nutrition on the performance of early mated Nguni heifers. S. A.fr. J. Anim. Sci., 23(5): 204–206.
MEAKER, H.J., 1984. Effective extensive beef production as a prelude to feedlotting. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 14(4): 158–163.
MEAKER, H.J., 1986. The profitability of beef production under semi-extensive conditions. S.Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 16(3): 113–117.
MEAKER, H., COETSEE, T.P.N. & LISHMAN. A.W., 1980. The effect of age at first calving on the productive and reproductive performance of beef cows. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 10(2): 105–113.
MORRIS, C.A., 1980. A review of relationships between aspects of reproduction in beef heifers and their lifetime production in association with fertility in the first joining season and with age at first joining. Anim. Breed., 48: 655–616.
MOSTERT, E., THERON, H.E. & KANFER, F.H.J., 2001. The effect of calving season and age at calving on production traits of South African dairy cattle. S. Afr. J. Anim., Sci., 31(3): 205–214. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v31i3.3795
MUCINA, L. & RUTHERFORD, M.C., 2006. The vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute.
MULLER, C.J.C. & BOTHA, J.A., 2000. Growth parameters of Holstein-Friesland heifers reared on complete diets containing different roughages. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 30(2): 121–127. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v30i2.3860
NUNEZ-DOMINGUEZ, R., CUNDIFF, L.V., DICKERSON, G., GREGORY, K.E. & KOCK, R.M., 1991. Lifetime production of beef heifers calving first at two vs three years of age. J. Anim. Sci., 69(9): 3467–3479. https://doi.org/10.2527/1991.6993467x
PATTERSON, D.J., WOOD, S.L. & RANDLE, R.F., 2000. Procedures that support reproductive management of replacement beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci., 77: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas2000.00218812007700ES0005x
RUTHERFORD, M.C. & WESTFALL, R.H., 1994. Biomes of Southern Africa: An objective categorisation. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Afr., 63: 1–94.
SAS INSTITUTE., 1999. Statistical Analysis Systems user’s guide version 9. North Carolina: SAS Institute.
SCHOLTZ, M.M., LOMBARD, P.E. & ENSLIN, C.B., 1991. A note on the early calving of beef heifers. S. Afr. Tydskr. Veek., 21(4): 206–209.
SCHULZ, L. & GUNN, P., 2014. Raising versus buying heifers for beef cow replacement. AG Decision Maker: Iowa State University.
SHAPIRO, S.S. & WILK, M.B., 1965. An Analysis of Variance test for normality (complete samples). Biometrika., 52: 591–611.
SHORT, R.E., BELLOWS, R.A., STAIGMILLER, R.B., BERARDINELLI, J.G. & CUSTER, E.E., 1990. Physiological mechanisms controlling anoestrus and infertility in postpartum beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci., 68(3): 799–816.
SMITH, S.B., GOTOH, T. & GREENWOOD, P.L., 2018. Current situation and future prospects for global beef production: Overview of special issue. Asian-Australias. J. Anim. Sci., 31(7): 927–932. https://dx.doi.org/10.5713%2Fajas.18.0405
SNEDECOR, G.W. & COCHRAN, W.G., 1967. Statistical methods. 6th ed. Iowa: The Iowa State University Press.
SPROTT, L.R. & TROXEL, T.R., 1988. Management of replacement heifers for a high reproductive and calving rate. Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
VAN DER MERWE, P.S. & SCHOEMAN, S.J., 1995. Effect of early calving of Simmentaler heifers under an extensive management system. S. Afr. Tydskr. Veek., 25(2): 36–39.
VAN NIEKERK, A., KERNICK, R. & LISHMAN, A.W., 1990. Effect of winter nutritional levels on subsequent growth of beef heifers in the Highland Sourveld of Natal. S.Afr. J. Anim. Sci., 20(2): 84–89.
WATHES, D.C., POLLOTT, G.E., JOHNSON, K.F., RISCHARDSON, H. & COOKE, J.S., 2014. Heifer fertility and carry over consequences for life time production in dairy and beef cattle. Anim., 8(1): 91–104.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 S.M. Grobler, M.M. Scholtz, F.W.C Neser, L. Morey, J.P.C. Greyling
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Funding data
-
Red Meat Research and Development South Africa
-
National Research Foundation
Grant numbers UID 83933
.png){kind=spacer}