Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T01:53:45.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimating internal pelvic sizes using external body measurements in the double-muscled Belgian Blue beef breed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

F. Coopman ,
S. de Smet ,
N. Gengler ,
A. Haegeman ,
K. Jacobs ,
M. van Poucke ,
H. Laevens ,
A. van Zeveren  and
A.F. Groen
F. Coopman*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
S. de Smet
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, Ghent University, Proefhoevestraat 10, 9090 Melle, Belgium
N. Gengler
Affiliation:
Animal Science Unit, Gembloux Agricultural University, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium
A. Haegeman
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
K. Jacobs
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
M. van Poucke
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
H. Laevens
Affiliation:
Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
A. van Zeveren
Affiliation:
Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
A.F. Groen
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Wageningen, Institute of Animal Science, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

In the double-muscled (DM) Belgian Blue beef (BBB) breed, caesarean section (CS) is being applied systematically as a management tool to prevent dystocia. As a matter of fact, CS is the only possible way of calving in the breed. High birth weight and a relatively small pelvic area are the main causes of dystocia and, in the DM-BBB breed, the reasons for the systematically applied CS. Selection for lower birth weight and larger pelvic sizes might reduce dystocia and routine CS. Few data on inner pelvic sizes of pedigree animals are available. Using external measurements to estimate the inner pelvic sizes might be an option to resolve this problem. In this study, animals of the DM-BBB breed were measured and weighed on farms and in abattoirs. External and internal pelvic sizes increased with live weight and age of the animals. Gender had a significant influence on inner pelvic traits. Increased muscular conformation was associated with decreased inner pelvic dimensions. Models with weight, gender, age, withers height and outer pelvic width (TcTc) can be used to estimate inner pelvic sizes (R2 between 0•35 and 0•77). The estimated inner pelvic sizes can then be used to genetically evaluate pelvic traits in the DM-BBB breed. Improving weight, withers height and TcTc width in combination with lowering muscular conformation may help to decrease the high rate of caesarean section in the DM-BBB.

Keywords

beef cattleBelgian Bluebody measurementspelvis.
Type
Growth, development and meat science
Information
Animal Science , Volume 76 , Issue 2 , April 2003 , pp. 229 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2003

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

Anonymous. 1991. Council regulation (EEC) no. 1026/91 of 22 April 1991 amending regulation (EEC) no. 1208/81 determining the Community scale for the classification of carcasses of adult bovine animals. Community legislation in force, document 391R1026, pp. 1–2.Google Scholar
Bellows, R. A., Gibson, R. B., Anderson, D. C. and Short, R. E. 1971. Precalving body size and pelvic area relationships in Hereford heifers. Journal of Animal Science 33: 455–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, C.J., Perkins, J. L., Featherstone, H. and Johnson, Z. 1982. Effect of age, weight, condition and certain body measurements on pelvic dimensions of beef cows. Growth 46: 12–21.Google Scholar
Gengler, N., Seutin, C., Boonen, F. and Van Vleck, L. D. 1995. Estimation of genetic parameters for growth, feed consumption and conformation traits for double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls performance-tested in Belgium. Journal of Animal Science 73: 3269–3273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glaze, J. B., Vogt, D. W. and Lipsey, R. J. 1994. Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates of pelvic measurements and birth-weight in beef heifers. Theriogenology 41: 943–950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Green, R. D., Brinks, J. S. and Lefever, D. G. 1988. Genetic characterization of pelvic measures in beef cattle: heritabilities, genetic correlations and breed differences. Journal of Animal Science 66: 2842–2850.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grommers, F. J., Rutgers, L. J. E. and Wijsmuller, J. M. 1995. [Animal-welfare-intrinsic value-integrity developments in the appreciation of the domestic animal.] Netherlands Journal of Veterinary Science 120: 490–494.Google Scholar
Hanset, R., Michaux, C., Detal, G., Boonen, F. and Leroy, P. 1990. Conformation et format dans la sélection du Blanc-Blue Belge. Introduction d’un système de cotations Linéaires. Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire 134: 197–204.Google Scholar
Hanset, R., Tillesse, S. de, André, E. and Marchand, E. 2001. Genetic parameters and trends in the Belgian Blue cattle breed. Book of abstracts of the 52nd annual meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Budapest 26-29 August 2001, p. 39 (abstr. ).Google Scholar
Kriese, L. A., Van Vleck, L. D., Gregory, K. E., Boldman, K. G., Cundiff, L. V. and Koch, R. M. 1994. Estimates of genetic parameters for 320 day pelvic measurements of males and females and calving ease of 2-year-old females. Journal of Animal Science 72: 1954–1963.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laster, D. B. 1974. Factors affecting pelvic size and dystocia in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 38: 496–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leroy, P. and Michaux, C. 1999. [The double muscled Belgian Blue beef breed; results of progeny testing on farms of AI sires.] In Herd-book du Blanc-Bleu Belge. Twenty-third annual convention IRSIA 5614A, pp. 1–36.Google Scholar
Meadows, A. W., Whittier, W. D., Eller, I. and Beal, W. E. 1994. Reducing dystocia in virgin beef heifers. Veterinary Medicine 6: 578–583.Google Scholar
Ménissier, F. and Vissac, B. 1971. Possibilités d’amelioration des conditions de vêlage par sélection. I. Technique de mesure de l’ouverture pelvienne des bovins. Annales génétique et sélection animale 3: 207–214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrison, D. G., Williamson, W. D. and Humes, P. E. 1986 Estimates of heritabilities and correlations of traits associated with pelvic area in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 63: 432–437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, R. D., Cartwright, T. A., Downham, D. Y. and Murray, M. A. 1999. Some maternal factors associated with dystocia in Belgian Blue cattle. Animal Science 69: 105–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neville, W. E., Mullinix, B. G., Smith, J. B. and McCormick, W. C. 1978 Growth patterns for pelvic dimensions and other body measurements of beef females. Journal of Animal Science 47: 1080–1088.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, L. E. and Wiltbank, J. N. 1972. Factors affecting dystocia in beef heifers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 161: 1348–1358.Google ScholarPubMed
Schwabe, A. E. and Hall, S. J. G. 1989. Dystocia in nine British breeds of cattle and its relationship to the dimensions of the dam and calf. Veterinary Record 125: 636–639.Google Scholar
Shahin, K. A., Berg, R. T. and Price, M. A. 1991. Muscle and bone distribution in mature normal and double muscled cows. Livestock Production Science 28: 291–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, St C. S., Monteiro, L. S. and Perreau, B. 1975. Possibility of reducing calving difficulties by selection. III. A note on pelvic size in relation to body weight of cattle. Genetics, Selection, Evolution 7: 49–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vissac, B., Ménissier, F. and Perreau, B. 1973 Etude du caractère culard. VII. Croissance et musculature des femelles, déséquilibre morphologique au vêlage. Genetics, Selection, Evolution 5: 23–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar