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Productivity of different cow genetic groups in dual-purpose cattle production systems in south-eastern Mexico

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Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of cow genetic group, nutritional level and their interaction on some economically important traits of dual-purpose herds managed under field conditions. Nine herds were monitored during a production cycle in Yucatan, Mexico. Herds were grouped into four nutritional levels (NL) based on the metabolizable energy (ME) apparently available on pasture, nutritional management, and milk production. Cows were classified into three genetic groups (GG): low (≤25%), middle (25–75%) and high (≥75%) graded for Bos taurus inheritance. Total milk sold (TMS), days in milk (DIM), TMS adjusted to DIM within each NL (TMSA), body condition score (BCS) at calving, changes of BCS during lactation (CBCS), calf weaning weight (WW), age at weaning (AW), kg of calf weaned per cow (KWC) and calf mortality were studied. The statistical model included the fixed effects of NL, GG, month of calving (MC), parity number (PN) and BCS at calving and GG × NL interaction. The effects of NL, GG, MC, PN and GG × NL were significant (p < 0.05) for TMS, KWC. As expected, TMS increased with NL from 562.4 ± 106 kg for NL1 to 2366.3 ± 100.1 kg for NL4. KWC was greatest for NL2 (138.6 kg) followed by NL1 (135 kg); the lowest KWC corresponded to NL4 (96.0 kg) (p < 0.05). TMS values for the middle (1727 ± 94.7 kg) and the high graded GG (1603.5 ± 83.5 kg) were twice those for the low graded GG cows (828.5 ± 95 kg) (p < 0.05). KWC was also higher for the middle graded group (152.8 kg) than for the low or (104 kg) or the high graded GG (118 kg) (p < 0.05). With better nutrition cows of all GG improved their milk performance but not the calf traits. CBCS was negative for all GG. The highest BCS lost was for cows in NL1 and NL2 and for cows in the high graded GG (p < 0.05).

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Abbreviations

AW:

age at weaning

BCS:

body condition score

CBCS:

changes of body condition score

DIM:

days in milk

GG:

genetic group

KWC:

kg of calf weaned per cow calved

ME:

metabolizable energy

NL:

nutritional level

TMS:

total milk sold

TMSA:

total milk sold adjusted within each NL

WW:

weaning weight

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Yucatán, México

    J. G. Magana & J. C. Segura

  2. Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria de Agronomía y Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Tamaulipas, México

    A. Tewolde

  3. Wye College, London University, London, UK

    S. Anderson

Authors
  1. J. G. Magana
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  2. A. Tewolde
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  3. S. Anderson
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  4. J. C. Segura
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Correspondence to J. G. Magana.

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Magana, J.G., Tewolde, A., Anderson, S. et al. Productivity of different cow genetic groups in dual-purpose cattle production systems in south-eastern Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 38, 583–591 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-006-4247-1

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