Evaluation of Bos indicus and Bos taurus straightbreds and crosses, 1. Post-weaning growth of steers in different environments [beef cattle]
1994
Arthur, P.F. | Hearnshaw, H. | Kohun, P.J. | Barlow, R. (New South Wales Agriculture, Grafton (Australia). Agricultural Research and Advisory Station)
Post-weaning growth of 86 steers comprizing straightbred Hereford (H x H) and Brahman (B x B), first-cross (B x H) and back-cross (H x BH and B x BH) was evaluated. The steers had been raised to weaning by dams which grazed either high, medium or low quality pasture (pre-weaning pasture system) at Grafton, New South Wales. Pre-weaning pasture system had a significant effect on post-weaning growth, with mean post-weaning (8-48 months of age) average daily gain (ADG) of steers from low being higher than that of steers from medium, which in turn, was higher than that of steers from high quality pre-weaning pasture, indicating that steers from low and medium quality pastures exhibited compensatory growth. From 8 to 24 months of age, first-cross B x H steers had the highest ADG in all environments. The ranking of the other genotypes differed across environments. Mean ADG from 8 to 36 or 48 months of age was not significantly different among straightbred and back-cross steers, but was lower than that for the first-cross steers. First-cross B x H steers were 56 kg (11 percent) heavier than back-cross steers, which in turn, were 37 kg (8 percent) heavier than straightbred steers at slaughter.
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