PRE AND POSTWEANING WEIGHT GAIN ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF BEEF HEIFERS AT FOURTEEN MONTHS OF AGE

Authors

  • Ricardo Zambarda Vaz Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (URI), Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • João Restle Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT), Araguaína, Tocantins, Brasil
  • Paulo Santana Pacheco Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • Fabiano Nunes Vaz Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • Leonir Luiz Pascoal Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
  • Marcia Bitencourt Vaz Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (URI), Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/cab.v13i3.17527

Keywords:

Beef catle

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to study the development and reproductive performance of sixty-six Charolais crossbred beef heifers bred at fourteen months of age, classified in four groups according to pre and postweaning average daily weight gain (ADG): AA= heifers that showed ADG > .54 kg and .73 kg, respectively; AB= heifers that showed ADG > .54 kg and < .73 kg, respectively; BA= heifers that showed ADG < .54 kg and > .73 kg, respectively; BB= heifers that showed ADG < .54 kg and < .73 kg, respectively. Weight at the beginning and end of the breeding period, and the reproductive performance were influenced by ADG of the heifers during pre and postweaning phase. AA heifers showed better development in relation to the other groups, without difference between AB and BA. The AA group was superior to the others except for the reproductive performance of the group AB. Heifers that became cyclical showed higher development during the growing phase and mating period than acyclic heifers. Reproductive performance of heifers was positively correlated with weight and body condition at beginning and end of the mating period. Greater weight during pre and post-weaning improve the reproductive performance of beef heifers.

KEYWORDS: body condition; Charolais; estrus; pregnancy; weight at mating.

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Author Biography

Ricardo Zambarda Vaz, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (URI), Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

 

 

Published

2012-09-28

How to Cite

VAZ, Ricardo Zambarda; RESTLE, João; PACHECO, Paulo Santana; VAZ, Fabiano Nunes; PASCOAL, Leonir Luiz; VAZ, Marcia Bitencourt. PRE AND POSTWEANING WEIGHT GAIN ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF BEEF HEIFERS AT FOURTEEN MONTHS OF AGE. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 13, n. 3, p. 272–281, 2012. DOI: 10.5216/cab.v13i3.17527. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/17527. Acesso em: 21 dec. 2025.

Issue

Section

Animal Production