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Rearing of dairy cattle. 7. Effect of level of nutrition and body condition on the fertility of heifers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. D. Leaver
J. D. Leaver
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
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Summary

One-hundred-and-seventy British Friesian heifers were individually fed from 6 weeks before to 6 weeks after artificial insemination on a diet of 90% maize silage and 10% decorticated groundnut in the dry matter. Three levels of nutrition were compared: 48, 55 and 62 g/day of digestible organic matter/kg live weight0·73, which gave mean growth rates of 0·34, 0·50 and 0·68 kg/day respectively. Pregnancy rates to first service were not significantly different, averaging 67, 69 and 65%. Heifers were given a body condition score at the time of insemination, and pregnancy rates corrected for level of nutrition were 42,72, 70 and 63% for heifers in poor, moderate, good or very good condition. For heifers in poor/moderate condition increasing the level of nutrition increased pregnancy rates and for those in good/very good condition pregnancy rates declined, but these effects were not significant.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , October 1977 , pp. 219 - 224
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

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References

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