Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T14:49:17.283Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A comparison of preruminant bull calves of the Hereford × Friesian, Aberdeen Angus × Friesian and Friesian breeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. H. B. Roy ,
I. C. Hart ,
Catherine M. Gillies ,
I. J. F. Stobo ,
P. Ganderton  and
M. W. Perfitt
J. H. B. Roy
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
I. C. Hart
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
Catherine M. Gillies
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
I. J. F. Stobo
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
P. Ganderton
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
M. W. Perfitt
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
Get access

Abstract

Twenty-four bull calves, eight Hereford × Friesian, eight Aberdeen Angus × Friesian and eight Friesian, were reared from birth to slaughter at 13 weeks of age solely on a milk substitute diet given ad libitum.

Samples of jugular blood were taken at weekly intervals from 5 days to 89 days of age for determination of concentrations of prolactin, growth hormone (GH), insulin and total thyroxine (T4) in plasma, tri-iodothyronine (T3) uptake, and thus free T4 index (FTI).

The Friesian calves had a higher mean body temperature and lower mean T3 uptake than did either of the beef crosses.

The Aberdeen Angus cross had a higher mean dry-matter intake per unit of metabolic body size (DMI/W0·73), heart rate and plasma insulin concentration than did the Hereford cross, and a higher insulin concentration but not a higher heart rate than did the Friesian. Live-weight gain and DMI/W0·73 for the Friesian was intermediate between that of the Aberdeen Augus cross and the Hereford cross.

DMI/W0·73 was positively correlated with insulin: GH ratio, prolactin: GH ratio and T4: GH ratio.

The increase in heart rate per unit DMI/W073, a measure of the heat increment of feeding, was negatively correlated with the plasma insulin concentration, insulin: T4 and insulin: GH ratios.

Prolactin concentration, GH concentration and T3 uptake declined with age, whereas insulin concentration, T4 concentration and FTI increased with age. The relationship was linear for prolactin and insulin concentrations, but curvilinear for the other variables. The Friesian breed had a higher GH concentration than did the beef crosses during the first 12 days of life. The large increase in insulin concentration for the Aberdeen Angus × Friesian occurred from about 47 days of age. The peak T4 concentration and the lowest T3 uptake of the breeds occurred between 33 and 42 days of age.

Possible mechanisms for the control of dry-matter intake by preruminant calves and the difficulties associated with prediction of performance from plasma metabolic hormone concentrations obtained at a young age are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , April 1983 , pp. 237 - 251
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bassett, J. M. 1974. Early changes in plasma insulin and growth hormone levels after feeding in lambs and adult sheep. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 27: 157–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bassett, J. M., Weston, R. H. and Hogan, J. P. 1971. Dietary regulation of plasma insulin and growth hormone concentrations in sheep. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 24: 321–330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1966. The fasting metabolism of cattle. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 103–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L. and Wood, W. A. 1951. The nutrition of the young Ayrshire calf. 3. The metabolism of the calf during starvation and subsequent realimentation. Br. J. Nutr. 5: 29–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, F. and Horn, D. B. 1965. Assessment of thyroid function by the combined use of the serum protein-bound iodine and resin uptake of 131I-triodothyronine. J. din. Endocr. Metab. 25: 39–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowie, A. T., Forsyth, I. A. and Hart, I. C. 1980. Hormonal Control of Lactation. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, D. A. 1967. Endocrine correlates of temporary adaptation in the newborn. In The Clinical Pathology of Infancy (ed. Sanderman, F. W. and Sanderman, F. W. Jr.), pp. 205–218. Thomas, Springfield.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M., Driver, P. M., Brown, Wendy B., Scanes, C. G. and Hart, I. C. 1979. The effect of daylight on the growth of lambs. 2. Blood concentrations of growth hormone, prolactin, insulin and thyroxine, and the effect of feeding. Anim. Prod. 29: 43–51.Google Scholar
Garrett, W. N. 1971. Energetic efficiency of beef and dairy steers. J. Anim. Sci. 32: 451–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, I. C. 1973. Basal levels of prolactin in goat blood measured throughout a 24-h period by a rapid double antibody — solid phase radioimmunoassay. J. Dairy Res. 40: 235–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HART, I. C., Bines, J. A., Morant, S. V. and Ridley, J. L. 1978. Endocrine control of energy metabolism in the cow: comparison of the levels of hormones (prolactin, growth hormone, insulin and thyroxine) and metabolites in the plasma of high- and low-yielding cattle at various stages of lactation. J. Endocr. 77: 333–345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, I. C., Flux, D. S., Andrews, P. and Mcneilly, A. S. 1975. Radioimmunoassay for ovine and caprine growth hormone: its application to the measurement of basal circulating levels of growth hormone in the goat. Hormone Metab. Res. 7: 35–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, I. C., Morant, S. V. and Roy, J. H. B. 1981. A note on the variability of hormone concentrations in twice-weekly blood samples taken from heifer calves during the first 110 days of life. Anim. Prod. 32: 215–217.Google Scholar
Horino, M., Machlin, L. J., Hertelendy, F. and Kipnis, D. M. 1968. Effect of short-chain fatty acids on plasma insulin in ruminant and non-ruminant species. Endocrinology 83: 118–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joakimsen, Ø. and Blom, Anne Kristine. 1976. Growth hormone concentration in jugular blood plasma in relation to growth rate and age in young bulls. Ada Agric. scand. 26: 239–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joakimsen, Ø., Steenberg, K., Lien, H. and Theodorsen, L. 1971. Genetic relationship between thyroxine degradation and fat-corrected milk yield in cattle. Ada Agric. scand. 21: 121–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahl, S., Wrenn, T. R. and Bitman, J. 1977. Plasma tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine in young growing calves. J. Endocr. 73: 397–398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keller, D. G., Smith, V. G., Coulter, G. H. and King, G. J. 1979. Serum growth hormone concentration in Hereford and Angus calves: effects of breed, sire, sex, age of dam and diet. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 59: 367–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, R. C. and Ralston, N. P. 1953. Changes in the plasma level of protein-bound iodine in the young calf. J. Dairy Sci. 36: 363–367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcguffey, R. K., Thomas, J. W. and Convey, E. M. 1977. Growth, serum growth hormone, thyroxine, prolactin and insulin in calves after thyrotropin releasing hormone or 3-methyl-thyrotropin releasing hormone. J. Anim. Sci. 44: 422–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malvern, P. V., Hollister, A. M. and Morningstar, J. E. 1976. Failure to demonstrate transfer of milk prolactin into blood of milk-fed rats and calves. J. Dairy Sci. 59: 889–893.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martindale, W. 1977. The Extra Pharmocopaeia. 27th ed. p. 798. The Pharmaceutical Press, London.Google Scholar
Mendel, V. E. 1980. Influence of the insulin-to-growth hormone ratio on body composition of mice. Am. J. Physiol. 238: E231–E234.Google ScholarPubMed
Osmond, T. J., Carr, W. R., Hinks, C. J. M., Land, R. B. and Hill, W. G. 1981. Physiological attributes as possible selection criteria for milk production. 2. Plasma insulin, tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine in bulls. Anim. Prod. 32: 159–163.Google Scholar
Oxender, W. D., Hafs, H. D. and Ingalls, W. G. 1972. Serum growth hormone, LH and prolactin in the bovine fetus and neonate. J. Anim. Sci. 35: 56–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Purchas, R. W., MacMillan, K. L. and Hafs, H. D. 1970. Pituitary and plasma growth hormone levels in bulls from birth to one year of age. J. Anim. Sci. 31: 358–363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reece, R. P. and Turner, C. W. 1937. The lactogenic and thyrotropic hormone content of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Res. Bull. Mo. agric. Exp. Stn, No. 266.Google Scholar
Ringberg, Tata. 1978. Diurnal variation of growth hormone in bull calves. Ada Agric. scand. 28: 409–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. 1967. Some nutritional and physiological factors affecting the growth and development of the young calf. Sb. Vys. Sk. zemed. Brne 36: 325–336.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B. 1980. The Calf. 4th ed. pp. 226–227, 401. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B., Huffman, C. F. and Reineke, E. P. 1957. The basal metabolism of the newborn calf. Br. J. Nutr. 11: 373–381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roy, J. H. B., Stobo, I. J. F., Gaston, Helen J. and Greatorex, J. C. 1970. The nutrition of the veal calf. 2. The effect of different levels of protein and fat in milk substitute diets. Br. J. Nutr. 24: 441–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stobo, I. J. F., Roy, J. H. B. and Ganderton, P. 1979. The effect of changes in concentrations of dry matter, and of fat and protein in milk substitute diets for veal calves. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 93: 95–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swan, H. 1976. The physiological interrelationship of reproduction, lactation and nutrition in the cow. In Principles of Cattle Production (ed. Swan, H. and Broster, W. H.), pp. 85–102. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Tindal, J. S., Knaggs, G. S., Hart, I. C. and Blake, Laura A. 1978. Release of growth hormone in lactating and non-lactating goats in relation to behaviour, stages of sleep, electroencephalograms, environmental stimuli and levels of prolactin, insulin, glucose and free fatty acids in the circulation. J. Endocr. 76: 333–346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tkačev, I. and Taranenko, G. A. 1963. Metabolism and energy exchange in beef and dairy calves. Vest. sel. khoz Nauki, Mosk., No. 5, pp. 65–71.Google Scholar
Trenkle, A. 1970. Solid-phase radioimmunoassay for sheep growth hormone. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 133: 1018–1022.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trenkle, A. 1978. Relation of hormonal variations to nutritional studies and metabolism of ruminants. J. Dairy Sci. 61: 281–293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vissac, B. 1962. First French Research on the Double-Muscling Character. Station de genetique Animale, Institut de la Recherche Agronomique. Paris (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Webster, A. J. F., Brockway, J. M. and Smith, J. S. 1974. Prediction of the energy requirements for growth in beef cattle. 1. The irrelevance of fasting metabolism. Anim. Prod. 19: 127–139.Google Scholar
WOODS, S. C., Kaestner, E. and Vasselli, J. R. 1975. Insulin, growth hormone, body weight and feeding: a reply to Panksepp. Psychol. Rev. 82: 165–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wrenn, T. R., Bitman, J., McDonough, F. E., Weyant, J. R. and Wood, D. L. 1980. Feeding cholesterol and tallow in liquid diets to veal calves. J. Dairy Sci. 63: 1403–1411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar