The effect of pre-calving and post-calving nutritional regimes on calf birth weight and preweaning growth

C.A. MORRIS, D.C. SMEATON, and A.B. PLEASANTS

AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, PB 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand

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NZSAP 2004 Abstract No. 11 Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 64: 36-38

Numerous studies with New Zealand beef cattle have been carried out to determine responses of live weights or reproductive/survival traits to changes in the level of nutrition, at various stages during the annual production cycle. Various studies have also been carried out to describe how much of the variation for these traits of the cow or calf is genetic. This brief summary explores the possibility that some of these cattle data could be re-evaluated because of their possible relevance and analogies to current medical questions of interest.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; growth; nutrition; cow; calf; genetics; medical analogy

Last Updated 8/07/2004