Growth, milk production, reproductive performance, and stayability of dairy heifers born from 2-year-old or mixed-age dams

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dc.citation.issue11
dc.citation.volume104
dc.contributor.authorHandcock RC
dc.contributor.authorLopez-Villalobos N
dc.contributor.authorBack PJ
dc.contributor.authorHickson RE
dc.contributor.authorMcNaughton LR
dc.coverage.spatialUnited States
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-03T02:27:43Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-25T06:32:25Z
dc.date.available2021-08-26
dc.date.available2024-01-03T02:27:43Z
dc.date.available2024-07-25T06:32:25Z
dc.date.issued2021-11
dc.description.abstractKeeping replacement heifers that were the progeny of primiparous cows mated by artificial insemination enhances rates of genetic gain. Previous research has shown that heifers that were the progeny of primiparous cows were lighter at birth and grew at a slower rate to first calving compared with heifers born to multiparous dams. Furthermore, heifers that were heavier before first calving produced more milk than did lighter heifers. This study aimed to determine whether there were body weight, milk production, or reproductive disadvantages for heifers born from primiparous compared with multiparous dams. Data comprised body weight records from 189,936 New Zealand dairy heifers. Dams were allocated to 4 groups according to their age: 2 yr old (n = 13,717), 3 yr old (n = 39,258), 4 to 8 yr old (n = 120,859), and 9 yr or older (n = 16,102). Heifers that were the progeny of 2-year-old dams were lighter from 3 to 21 mo of age than heifers that were the progeny of 3-yr-old and 4- to 8-yr-old dams. The progeny of 2- and 3-yr-old dams produced similar milk solids yields (± standard error of the mean) during their first lactation (304.9 ± 1.6 and 304.1 ± 1.5 kg, respectively), but more than that of 4- to 8-yr-old dams (302.4 ± 1.5). Furthermore, the progeny of 2-yr-old dams had similar stayabilities to first, second, and third calving to that of the progeny of 4- to 8-yr-old and ≥9-yr-old dams. Reproductive performance, as measured by calving and recalving rates was similar in first-calving heifers of all age-of-dam classes. Additionally, second and third calving rates were similar for the progeny of 2- and 3-yr-old dams. Interestingly, the progeny of dams ≥9 yr old had the lowest milk solids production in first (297.8 ± 1.6 kg), second (341.6 ± 1.8 kg), and third lactations (393.2 ± 2.4 kg). Based on the results of this study, keeping replacements from dams aged 9 yr and over could not be recommended. Furthermore, heifers born to 2-yr-old dams were lighter but produced more milk than heifers from older dams, in addition to having superior genetic merit.
dc.format.pagination11738-11746
dc.identifier.author-urlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34454760
dc.identifier.citationHandcock RC, Lopez-Villalobos N, Back PJ, Hickson RE, McNaughton LR. (2021). Growth, milk production, reproductive performance, and stayability of dairy heifers born from 2-year-old or mixed-age dams.. J Dairy Sci. 104. 11. (pp. 11738-11746).
dc.identifier.doi10.3168/jds.2021-20354
dc.identifier.eissn1525-3198
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn0022-0302
dc.identifier.piiS0022-0302(21)00831-6
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/70380
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherElsevier Inc and Fass Inc on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association
dc.relation.isPartOfJ Dairy Sci
dc.rights(c) 2021 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectdam
dc.subjectgrowth
dc.subjectheifer
dc.subjectmilk
dc.subjectsurvival
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectCattle
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectInsemination, Artificial
dc.subjectLactation
dc.subjectMilk
dc.subjectParturition
dc.subjectPregnancy
dc.subjectReproduction
dc.titleGrowth, milk production, reproductive performance, and stayability of dairy heifers born from 2-year-old or mixed-age dams
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id448303
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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