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Title: EFFECT OF TROPICALLY ADAPTED SIRE-BREED, BRAHMAN, SENEPOL, AND TULI, ON PREWEANING GROWTH OF F1 ANGUS CALVES AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR ANGUS DAMS

Author
item Chase, Chadwick - Chad
item Hammond, Andrew
item OLSON, T - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/23/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The widespread assimilation of Brahman breeding into commercial beef herds throughout the southern and warm regions of the U.S. attests to the importance placed on tolerance to heat, diseases including internal and external parasites, and the low quality forage environment. The major niche for Brahman cattle has been in crossbreeding programs that combine the tropical adaptation of Brahman with the more desirable carcass quality and reproductive efficiency of temperate adapted Bos taurus breeds. There are alternative sources of tropically adapted beef cattle germplasm. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of tropically adapted sire breed, Brahman (B), Senepol (S) and Tuli (T), on preweaning growth performance of crossbred Angus (A) calves in Florida. Angus cows were bred by artificial insemination and a total of 82 B x A, 85 S x A and 91 T x A calves were born. Birth weight and all weaning traits that were measured were greater for B x A calves than for S x A or T x A calves. However, for each of these traits there was a larger difference between B x A bull and heifer calves as compared to the difference between genders of S x A and T x A calves. Fewer B x A calves survived until weaning due to complications at calving. These results demonstrate that preweaning growth performance of B x A calves was greater than either S x A or T x A calves which did not differ from one another, however, use of Brahman sires on Angus dams led to calf losses due to calving problems.

Technical Abstract: To determine the effect of tropically adapted sire breed on preweaning growth performance of F1 Angus (A) calves and on reproductive performance of their A dams, A cows were bred in two consecutive years by AI using semen from Brahman (B; Bos indicus), Senepol (S; Bos taurus), and Tuli (T; Sanga) sires. A total of 82 B x A, 85 S x A and 91 T x A calves were born. Birth weight, weaning weight, 205 d adjusted weaning weight, ADG from birth to weaning and hip height at weaning (for all traits sire breed of calf, P < .001) were greater for B x A calves than for S x A or T x A calves. However, for each of these traits there was an interaction between sire breed of calf and sex of calf (P < .05 to P < .01). This interaction appeared due to a larger difference between B x A bull and heifer calves as compared to the difference between S x A bull and heifer calves and between T x A bull and heifer calves. Sire breed of calf affected (P < .01) the percentage of calves that survived until weaning (B x A 91%, S x A 94% and T x A 98%). Most of the B x A calf losses were due to complications at calving. Sire breed of calf did not affect (P > .10) length of gestation, or the intervals from calving to first observed estrus or pregnancy in Angus dams. These results demonstrate that preweaning growth performance of B x A calves was greater than either S x A or T x A calves which did not differ from one another, however, use of Brahman sires on Angus dams led to calf losses due to calving problems.