Effect of hay quality and breed on the onset of puberty and subsequent reproductive performance in beef heifers

K-REx Repository

Show simple item record

dc.contributor.author Perry, R.C.
dc.contributor.author Corah, L.R.
dc.contributor.author Cochran, R.C.
dc.contributor.author Brethour, J.R.
dc.date.accessioned 2010-11-06T20:42:20Z
dc.date.available 2010-11-06T20:42:20Z
dc.date.issued 2010-11-06
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2097/6486
dc.description.abstract The effect of hay quality on the onset of puberty and subsequent reproductive performance was evaluated in 51 3/4 Hereford x 1/4 Angus (HA) heifers and 47 3/4 Hereford x 1/4 Brahman (HB) heifers. Two qualities of alfalfa hay were fed ad libitum. along with an average of 3.1 lbs/hd/day of ground sorghum grain. HB heifers were heavier and carrying more backfat and body condition (P<.05) at the start of the experiment and they maintained their weight advantage through out the experiment. A higher (P<.05) percent of the UB heifers reached puberty by 14 and 15 months of age and became pregnant during a 45 day artificial insemination breeding period. HA heifers reached puberty at a lighter (P<.05) average weight. Heifers fed high quality alfalfa hay were heavier (P<.05) by the start of the breeding season and were carrying more (P<.05) backfat and body condition. A higher percent (P=.08) of the heifers receiving higher quality hay reached puberty by 16 months of age and a higher (P=.10) percent became pregnant during the breeding period. Heifers inseminated at their pubertal estrus had lower (P=.04) first service conception rates than heifers inseminated at their second or later estruses (52% vs. 88%). en_US
dc.publisher Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service en_US
dc.relation.isPartOf Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution; no. 88-363-S en_US
dc.relation.isPartOf Cattlemen’s Day, 1988 en_US
dc.relation.isPartOf Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 539 en_US
dc.subject Beef en_US
dc.subject Hay en_US
dc.subject Puberty en_US
dc.subject Performance en_US
dc.subject Heifers en_US
dc.title Effect of hay quality and breed on the onset of puberty and subsequent reproductive performance in beef heifers en_US
dc.type Conference paper en_US
dc.date.published 1988 en_US
dc.citation.epage 9 en_US
dc.citation.spage 5 en_US
dc.description.conference Cattlemen's Day, 1988, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, March, 1988 en_US


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search K-REx


Browse

My Account

Statistics








Center for the

Advancement of Digital

Scholarship

cads@k-state.edu