A comparison of once- and twice-yearly weaning of an extensive herd in northern Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Sullivan ◽  
P. K. O'Rourke
Keyword(s):  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Poor Nutrition

Summary. In northern Australia, many cows conceive only after their calves are weaned. The subsequent calves are born in the late wet or early dry season. Where producers wean once a year these late calves stay with the cows with resultant increased risk of cow mortality. A second weaning may reduce this risk. From June 1985 to June 1990 we recorded cow liveweights, mortalities and reproductive rates from a herd of 500 Bos indicus-Bos taurus-cross cows at Kidman Springs, Northern Territory. The herd grazed native pastures, and was continuously mated and unsupplemented. Calves were weaned if they weighed 100 kg or more at muster in June (W1) or in either of June and October (W2). In both groups (W1 and W2), 75% of calves were weaned at the June muster, and a further 14% were weaned at the October muster (W2 group). There was no difference in liveweight change, mortality or branding rates between the 2 groups. Overall productivity was low, probably due to poor nutrition during both dry and wet seasons. For example, average branding and mortality rates were 51.8 and 11.8%. Forty-seven percent of all cows were pregnant at the June muster but a quarter of these failed to rear a calf. The low proportion of calves suitable for weaning in October indicated that the weaning times were too close together, and did not allow enough late calves to reach the target liveweight for weaning. Consequently, the benefit of the second weaning was reduced. Weaning times for continuously mated herds should be determined by the time taken for calves born late in the wet season to reach target liveweights for weaning at the second weaning round. Effectively, this means the first weaning should be earlier, perhaps in April, since high temperatures and the increased likelihood of rain make mustering after October difficult.

Effects of once-yearly weaning on some aspects of herd productivity in an extensive herd in the semi-arid tropics of northern Australia

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Sullivan ◽  
PK O'Rourke ◽  
DJ Robertson ◽  
D Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Year ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Compensatory Gain ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Semi Arid

Cow reproductive rates, mortalities and liveweights, and steer growth rates from a herd of 500 Bos indicus - Bos taurus cross cows and their progeny were recorded over a period of 4 years from June 1981. The cattle grazed native pastures and were not supplemented. Cows which had a calf of more than 100 kg in June were allocated to 2 treatments: weaned and unweaned. Where the calf weighed less than this amount, cows were allocated to a separate 'young calf group. In the year following branding, weaning increased (P<0.05) conception rate from 73.9 to 93.8% and reduced (P<0.05) cow mortality rate from 14.1 to 4.5%, relative to the unweaned group. On average, weaned cows conceived 3 months earlier (P<0.05) than the other 2 groups, in November, and 27% of weaned cows subsequently calved out of season the following year, compared to 4% of the other groups. This affected subsequent weaning management by increasing the number of calves too young to wean in June. Weaned steers grew at a reduced (P<0.05) rate during the first year post-weaning. Despite compensatory gain in the next 2 years, they were still 26 kg lighter (P<0.05) than their unweaned counterparts at 3.5 years of age.

A comparison of once- and twice-yearly weaning of an extensive herd in northern Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Sullivan ◽  
P. K. O'Rourke ◽  
J. A. Neale
Keyword(s):  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Conception Rate ◽  
First Year ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Breeding Herd ◽  
Beef Herds ◽  
Native Pastures

Summary. Continuous mating is common in northern Australian beef herds. The resulting calves are born throughout the year making weaning and herd management difficult. Calves born late in the wet season do not reach suitable liveweight for weaning until late in the year. Low liveweight and poor feed conditions make management of these animals for subsequent turnoff or breeding more difficult. We recorded the growth and survival of all progeny and reproductive performance of heifers from 2 groups of 250 Bos indicus-Bos taurus-cross cows grazing native pastures at Kidman Springs, Northern Territory, for 5 years from July 1985. Calves were weaned in June only (W1) or June and October (W2). Unweaned calves remained with their dams until June the following year and heifers entered the breeding herd as 2 year olds. Calves weaned in June (WJ) were heaviest (157.1 kg; P<0.05) but gained least (84.6 kg; P<0.05) over the following year. Unweaned (UW) calves were lighter (51.1 kg; P<0.05) at branding time, in June, than those weaned in October (WO; 66.8 kg). However, they gained more weight (144.5 v. 112.4 kg; P<0.05) over the following year than WO calves because of a superior wet season growth rate, so that WO calves were lightest (P<0.05) at the yearling muster. Mortality rates of all calf groups were low (2.5%). Liveweight at branding and liveweight gain to yearling stage affected whether heifers subsequently joined the breeding herd. More (P<0.05) heifers from WJ joined the herd than from WO and UW groups. Overall, 63.6% of heifers were selected as replacement breeders (no difference between W1 and W2). Bull control was difficult and many heifers (48%) conceived before the planned start of mating. Cumulative conception rate was 91.3% by 30 months post-branding. In the first year, 60% of heifers mated were confirmed pregnant, but reproductive losses of 25.6% from pregnancy diagnosis to branding contributed to a branding rate of 44.9%. The conception rate of heifers when lactating was 18.6%. Mortality during the first year in the herd was 11.7%. In general, WJ heifers had lower mortalities, higher conception, calving and weaning rates, and higher conception rates when lactating than WO or UW heifers. Animals weaned in October were identified as the most difficult group to manage because of lower liveweight as 2 year olds compared with WJ and UW calves. This affected the numbers of heifers suitable for joining. Cost-effective management systems are needed to improve growth rates or delay onset of oestrus in these animals.

Comparative drought resistance of Bos indicus and Bos taurus crossbred herds in central Queensland. 2. Relative mortality rates, calf birth weights, and weights and weight changes of breeding cows

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (61) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
JE Frisch
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Method Of Least Squares ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mature Weight

The mortality rates, weight changes and associated effects of a. draught in 1969 were observed in a herd of Shorthorn x Hereford (SH), Brahman x SH (BX) and Africander x SH (AX) crossbred cows and small herds of purebred Brahman and Africander cows at 'Belmont', Queensland. About half of the cows calved over a two month period from mid-October 1969. All the cows were weighed in February 1968, February and October 1969 and in January 1970 and the data from the crossbreds analysed by the method of least squares. The weights and weight changes of both the calving and non-calving groups followed a similar pattern though the weight changes of the non-calving group were of greater magnitude. The weights showed that the three crossbreds reached the same mature weight but at different rates. The SH cows reached mature weight least rapidly, had the highest mean weight loss during the drought and had the lowest mean gains after the season broke. Weight changes both during and after the drought were however dependent on lactational status in February 1969. The mean weight loss of cows that weaned a calf in 1969 (wet) was similar for all breeds. However, the mean loss of the dry SH cows was significantly greater than that of the dry BX and AX cows. Previously wet cows exhibited compensatory gains after calving but the gain of the wet SH cows was the lowest of the crossbred means. The mean birth weight of the SH calves was reduced below the long term mean by about 4 kg but birthweights of BX and AX calves were similar to those in other years. During the drought the purebred Brahmans lost the least and the purebred Africanders lost the most weight of all breeds. However, the nature of the data precludes any strict comparisons from being drawn. Mortality rates of breeding cows were recorded from 1960 to 1969. Rates were generally highest for the SH, particularly in the drought years of 1965 and 1969. Some reasons are advanced which may explain the differences in performance of the breed types.

Genetic parameters for tropical beef cattle in northern Australia: a review

1993 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
GP Davis
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Parameters ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Environmental Stresses ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Weaning Weight ◽  
Reproduction Traits

This paper reviews published estimates of genetic parameters for traits of growth, reproduction and resistance to environmental stresses for Bos indicus and Zebu derived breeds in northern Australia. Most published estimates of heritabilities for growth and reproduction traits were higher for tropically adapted breeds in northern Australia than for Bos taurus breeds in temperate Australia. Weighted mean estimates of heritabilities for the direct component of weaning weight were 39% for the Brahman breed and 30% for Zebu-derived breeds in northern Australia compared with 13% for Bos taurus breeds in temperate areas of Australia. Mean estimates for the maternal component of weaning weight were 5, 24 and 13% respectively. Mean heritabilities for yearling and 550 day weights for Zebu derived breeds in northern Australia (24 and 25%) were similar to those for Bos taurus breeds in temperate areas, though estimates for Brahmans were higher (39 and 39%). Published estimates of heritabilities of later weights (700 and 900 days), which are most relevant to northern Australian production systems, were rare but averaged between 32 and 45% for Zebu-derived breeds and Brahmans. Weighted mean heritability for female calving success was 14% and for realised bull fertility was 5%. Published estimates of heritabilities of scrota1 circumference averaged 31%, and testosterone response to GNRH stimulation was 52%. Heritabilities of resistance to various environmental stresses were all moderate with weighted means between 20 and 34%. Genetic correlations between growth, reproduction and resistance to environmental stresses are also reviewed. There appears to be predictable variation in estimates of parameters between breeds in different environments which is related to level of resistance to environmental stresses, and this is likely to affect the prediction of breeding values for cattle in northern Australia.

Effects of weaning and supplementation on performance of Brahman cross cows and their progeny

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
RG Holroyd ◽  
GWJ Mason ◽  
ID Loxton ◽  
PT Knights ◽  
PK O'Rourke
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Pregnancy Rate ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Early Weaning ◽  
Monoammonium Phosphate ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
Native Pastures

In a 3-year study in the dry tropics, 2 management practices of dry season supplementation of cows and early weaning of calves were concurrently examined as possible techniques for improving reproductive, liveweight and survival performance of Brahman cross cows (phenotypically 1/2 - 3/4 Bos indicus) grazing native pastures. Cows were either supplemented with a drylick mixture of salt, urea and sulfur (DL) commencing in July for 4-6 months; supplemented with a crisis mixture of salt, urea, grain, molasses, meatmeal and monoammonium phosphate (CM) in the latter part of the dry season; or were not supplemented (C). Mating commenced in January, and calves were either early weaned (EW) at the end of mating in April (mean age of 5 months) or late weaned (LW) in July (mean age of 8 months). Supplements and weaning treatments had little effect on cow liveweight, except between early weaning and late weaning when EW cows gained more or lost less weight (mean advantage of 30.8 kg) than LW cows and were heavier (mean advantage of 44.8 kg) than LW cows at late weaning time. Across all years, 1.4, 2.1 and 4.2% of cows in DL, CM and C groups respectively died from malnutrition or required survival feeding; whereas, in the second and third years, mortality rates due to malnutrition were 0.7 and 2.1% in EW and LW groups respectively. Neither supplement nor weaning treatments had any significant effect on lactating cow pregnancy rates, although data pooled across treatments showed that liveweights at various stages pre-mating were correlated with pregnancy rate. Supplementation or weaning treatments did not influence calving date or birth weight, but LW calves grew significantly faster (mean advantage of 0.52 kg/day) between early weaning and late weaning and were significantly heavier (mean advantage of 57.4 kg) at late weaning than EW calves.

The abundance of native insects on the introduced weed Mimosa pigra in Northern Australia

1990 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Flanagan ◽  
C. G. Wilson ◽  
J. D. Gillett
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Phytophagous Insect ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Insect Community ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Mimosa Pigra ◽  
Monospecific Stand ◽  
Total Community

ABSTRACTA monospecific stand of the alien shrub Mimosa pigra (Mimosaceae) was examined weekly for 14 months from March 1984. A total of 44 phytophagous insect species were found on M. pigra. The five most abundant of these made up 74% of the total community. This insect community in general showed a distinct seasonal cycle of abundance with maximum numbers during the wet season. However, a few species had a completely different pattern.Two species, Mictis profana (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and Platymopsis humeralis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were observed to cause substantial damage to M. pigra. When compared with the fauna of M. pigra from its native region, Central America, that of the Northern Territory is low in leaf and flower-feeding insects. It is suggested that these types of insects be sought as future biocontrol agents to complement those native insects causing damage and those biocontrol agents already released.

Feral Pig (Sus Scrofa) Rooting in a Monsoon Forest-Wetland Transition, Northern Australia.

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 761 ◽  
Author(s):  
DMJS Bowman ◽  
L Mcdonough
Keyword(s):  
Sus Scrofa ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Monsoon Forest ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Seasonally Flooded ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

A grid of 447 cells (each 50x50 m) was set up in a wet monsoon rain forest on a gradual slope above the Adelaide River floodplain in the Australian Northern Territory. Surveys of pig (Sus scrofa) rooting were carried out at approximately 3-month intervals from November 1988 to September 1989. The pigs had only limited effects on the forest in both the wet and dry seasons. The seasonally flooded swamp communities (Melaleuca forest and sedgeland) were primarily exploited in the dry season; dryland communities ([Eucalyptus] and Lophostemon forests) were exploited during the wet season. Rainfall during the previous wet season may have influenced the pattern of rooting in the dryland forests. Rooting and ground cover were weakly positively related in 3 out of the 4 surveys.

scholarly journals PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

1986 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Harry Allen
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Prehistoric Archaeology ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Plain Area ◽  
The North ◽  
North Western

The northern part of North Australia is not far from Java and Timor. There are great numbers of influences in the North Western part of Australia from Indonesian region. The coast alligator river area is 200 kilometres east of Darwin, Northern Territory is now 60 kilometres from the coast to the mountain area. The plain area is flat and the water is salty, being tidal on the coast. Further inland the river is fresh water. To day there are few mangroves in this area, but there is evidence that mangroves were more widespread between 6.000 - 3.000 BP. During the wet season the coastal plain is flooded.

scholarly journals Relationship between burden of infection in ungulate populations and wildlife/livestock interfaces

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (7) ◽  
pp. 1522-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. CARON ◽  
E. MIGUEL ◽  
C. GOMO ◽  
P. MAKAYA ◽  
D. M. PFUKENYI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Bos Indicus ◽  
Foot And Mouth Disease ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
African Buffalo ◽  
Valley Fever ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Increased Risk

SUMMARYIn southern African transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), people, livestock and wildlife share space and resources in semi-arid landscapes. One consequence of the coexistence of wild and domestic herbivores is the risk of pathogen transmission. This risk threatens local livelihoods relying on animal production, public health in the case of zoonoses, national economies in the context of transboundary animal diseases, and the success of integrated conservation and development initiatives. The level of interaction between sympatric wild and domestic hosts, defining different wildlife/livestock interfaces, characterizes opportunities of pathogen transmission between host populations. Exploring the relationship between infection burden and different types of wildlife/domestic interfaces is therefore necessary to manage the sanitary risk in animal populations through control options adapted to these multi-host systems. Here, we assessed the infection burdens of sympatric domestic cattle (Bos taurus/Bos indicus) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) at an unfenced interface and compared the infection burdens of cattle populations at different wildlife/livestock interfaces in the Great Limpopo TFCA. Patterns of infection in ungulate populations varied between wild and domestic hosts and between cattle populations at different wildlife/livestock interfaces. Foot-and-mouth disease, Rift Valley fever and theileriosis infections were detected in buffalo and cattle at unfenced interfaces; bovine tuberculosis was only present in buffalo; and brucellosis and lumpy skin disease only in cattle. At unfenced interfaces, cattle populations presented significantly higher Theileria parva and brucellosis prevalence. We hypothesize that cattle populations at wildlife/livestock interfaces face an increased risk of infection compared to those isolated from wildlife, and that the type of interface could influence the diversity and quantity of pathogens shared. Additional host behavioural and molecular epidemiological studies need to be conducted to support this hypothesis. If it is confirmed, the management of wildlife/livestock interfaces will need to be considered through the prism of livestock and public health.

The Foods and Feeding Habits of Subadult Crocodylus Porosus Schneider in Northern Australia.

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 347 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Flood Plains ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Arnhem Land ◽  
Crocodylus Porosus ◽  
Slow Moving

Stomach contents were studied for 289 live young crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) less than 180 cm long, collected from coast, river and swamp of Arnhem Land, Melville Island and Grant Island, Northern Territory, Australia; the crocodiles were then released. Tables give orders and families and some generic and specific names for prey or carrion eaten and for 3 parasites on the crocodiles, for a dry and a wet season in 1975-76. Between crocodiles 50 to 120 cm long and those smaller or larger there was no significant difference in the proportion of crocodiles having eaten crabs, shrimps, fish or insects or with empty stomachs, but only the larger crocodiles ate mammals or birds. Frequency of different foods eaten differed significantly with type of habitat or with salinity. Weight of food or incidence of empty stomachs did not differ between seasons, habitats or salinities. Condition of the crocodiles was significantly poorer for those from freshwater swamps than for those from lower mangrove or flood plains, and highest for those from upper mangrove. Main foods in both seasons were crustaceans, mainly crabs of subfamily Sesarminae and shrimps of genus Macrobrachium. The only fish eaten regularly was Pseudogobius sp., a slow-moving fish found by the water's edge. Amphibians were not found in the stomach.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document