Studies in numerous species provide evidence that diet during development can mediate physiological changes necessary for puberty. In cattle, several studies have reported inverse correlations between postweaning growth rate and age at puberty and heifer pregnancy rates. Thus, postweaning growth rate was determined to be an important factor affecting age of puberty, which in turn influences pre...

Preweaning data on 486 Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal cross calves (AB, BA) managed on common bermudagrass or endophyte-infected tall fescue were used to evaluate the interactions of forage type and sex of calf with direct effects, individual heterosis, and maternal effects. Calves were spring-born in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 to five sires of each breed. Male calves were castrated at birth, a...

The physiological and production effects of feeding additional vitamin E and ruminally protected vitamin C were examined in cattle challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1). Forty-eight individually penned 6-mo-old Angus and Angus crossbred heifer calves with a mean BW of 151 kg were allocated randomly to four diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Pelleted diets provided eith...

In our previous study, it was demonstrated that the administration of anion salts, which slightly lower the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD), in the prepartum period is safe and effective for preventing milk fever in multiparous cows. In the present study, several clinico-pathological constituents in serum and urine, which might be related to milk fever, were analyzed using stored samples...

The term fibropapilloma is used to refer to a papilloma virus induced benign tumor in the skin. A 6 month old Holstein calf was referred to the veterinary hospital of this school having multiple masses in the vaginal roof. The animal had 4-5 pinkish closely associated masses attached to the dorsal commissure of the vaginal roof about 5 cm deep into the vagina. Histopathological examination reve...

Growth performance, body composition, body conformation and meat quality were evaluated in crossbred pigs originating from three sire lines selected for leanness and conformation. The crossbred P, which was based on Belgian Piétrain had a leaner carcass and a better ham conformation compared to the other crossbreds. The presence of the halothane gene resulted in poorer meat quality in compariso...

Lambs wool production and qualities from the progeny of 2 Merino and 2 Damara rams mated to Merino ewes were compared. The crossbred lambs produced about half the amount of wool and had high fibre diameter variation and medullated fibre components. Merino lambs wool was contaminated with pigmented and medullated fibres apparently transferred from continual exposure to the Damara crossbred lambs...

The National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project was a cooperative, USDA-sponsored project involving state agricultural departments, the Cooperative Extension Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A series of retrospective and prospective descriptive surveys using a multiple list and area frame sampling technique were conducted. I...

Fascioloides magna from a Brahman heifer recently imported from the USA is recorded for the first time in South Africa. The pathological findings are briefly described. The possibility of this parasite becoming established in this country is also discussed.