R. Bras. Zootec.21/May/2026;55:e20250115.
Impact of using Angus in Charolais × Nellore rotational crossbreeding on calf performance
Rodrigo Soares Volpatto
, Dari Celestino Alves Filho
, Henrique da Costa Mendes Muniz
, Luiz Angelo Damian Pizzuti
, Sander Martinho Adams
, John Lenon Klein
, Joziane Michelon Cocco
, Raíssa Lixinski de Souza
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating the Angus breed into a rotational crossbreeding system involving the Charolais and Nellore breeds. The experiment included 67 calves born in 2021, which were allocated to four treatments according to their genetic composition: calves with Charolais predominance (PCH), Nellore predominance (PNE), and F1 Angus-cross calves with Charolais (AACH) or Nellore (AANE) maternal predominance. Calves were monitored from birth to seven months of age, and dams were evaluated from calving to weaning. Differences in birth weight were observed among the treatments (P<0.05), with mean weights of 35.8, 38.0, 31.7, and 33.2 kg for PCH, PNE, AACH, and AANE, respectively. Post-weaning average daily gain also differed among treatments (P<0.05), with higher gains for AACH (0.716 kg/day) and AANE (0.655 kg/day) compared to PCH (0.518 kg/day) and PNE (0.474 kg/day). No significant differences were found in milk yield among treatments (P>0.05), with a mean daily production of 5.60 L and a total production of 432 L. Mating rotationally crossbred (Charolais × Nellore) cows with Angus bulls improved calf performance, particularly after weaning, due to increased individual heterozygosity. Additionally, the reduced birth weight of these calves may decrease the risk of dystocia without impairing growth. This strategy appears to be effective for enhancing productivity in cow-calf systems.
Keywords: average daily gain; birth weight; heterozygosity; milk yield
