Gestation length of Estonian cattle breeds and its effect on the size of newborns
1997
Saveli, O. | Paertel, R. (Estonian Agricultural Univ., Tartu (Estonia))
From December 1994 to March 1996, 245 single born purebred calves and 242 crossbreeds with Limousin, the offspring of Estonian Black-and-White (EBW) and Estonian Red (ER) cows who had calved 2 or more times, were measured. In the case of burebred offspring the average gestation length was 280.5 and 282.5 days, respectively. In both breeds, when crossed with Limousin breed, the gestation was prolonged by 5.2 days, in the case of male calves even by 6.8 and 6.2 days, respectively. The mean chest girth of the EBW calves was 75.9 cm and that of the ER calves - 72.9 cm. Great differences between breeds were observed when the chest girth was converted into birth weight. Measurements of crossbred calves did not differ significantly from those of purebreeds. In the case of crossbred male calves the gestation length of EBW dams was longer by 2.6 days and that of the ER cows by 4.1 days than in the case of female calves. Chest girth of male calves of the EBW was by 1.9 cm longer, compared to that of female calves. Low correlation was observed between the gestation length and a calf's birth weight
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