The effect of calving ease on the fertility and production performance of both dam and calf was studied in approximately 50,000 and 10,000 UK Holstein-Friesian heifers and heifer calves, respectively. The first objective of this study was to estimate the effect of a difficult calving on the subsequent first-lactation milk production by estimating lactation curves using cubic splines. This metho...

Calving of icebergs is an important component of mass loss from the polar ice sheets and glaciers in many parts of the world. Calving rates can increase dramatically in response to increases in velocity and/or retreat of the glaciermargin, with important implications for sea level change. Despite their importance, calving and related dynamic processes are poorly represented in the current gener...

PBB found in relatively low levels among animals present on a cross-section of Michigan farms during the time PBB was inadvertantly added to dairy feeds had no effect upon these animals' milk production, body weight, weight gain, breeding and reproduction performance, incidence of commonly experienced health problems, calving rate, and the health of their calves. No significant differences in t...

The main aim of sire evaluation is to obtain an accurate, efficient and ranking them according to their merit so as to enable the breeder to choose the best bulls. Today, the need for sire evaluation for their additive genetic ability (breeding values) or transmitting ability to its progeny has been recognized. For assessing the breeding values of bulls for the traits viz. age at first calving ...

Previous research has found that a quantitative trait locus exists affecting calving and conformation traits on Bos taurus autosome 18 that may be related to increased calf birth weights, which are not routinely recorded in the United States. Birth weight data from large, intensively managed dairies in eastern Germany with management systems similar to those commonly found in the United States ...

Shortening or omitting the dry period to improve energy balance in early lactation have trade-offs of reduction milk production and loss opportunity for dry-cow therapy (DCT; i.e., intramammary antibiotic use at dry-off). Customized dry-period strategies (i.e., deciding upon DCT length per cow) could mitigate negative effects short no periods on udder health simultaneously retain benefits from ...

The effect of varying dry matter availability on the conversion of dry matter resources to weight of calf at weaning was evaluated for nine breeds of cattle; Angus, Braunvieh, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Red Poll, Pinzgauer, and Simmental were recorded for 5 yr. Within each breed, four cows were assigned to each of four feeding levels of dry matter intake: 58, 76, 93, or 111 g of D...

Calving is a key event on any cattle farm, with both economic and animal welfare consequences when complications arise. Although mostly reported in highly selected breeds, problematic calving performance is also a worry to the unselected dualpurpose Murboden breed, local to Austria. Th is study presents genetic parameter estimates for calving ease and stillbirth in Murboden cattle. Furthermore,...

The objectives of this study were 1) to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting direct and maternal calving traits at first calving in the Danish Holstein population, 2) to distinguish between pleiotropic and linked QTL for chromosome regions affecting more than one trait, and 3) to detect QTL affecting stillbirth and calving difficulties but not calf size that could be used in selection...