ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate factors that influence calving probability in the first and second reproductive years of beef heifers that reached the minimum recommended body weight (BW) in the first breeding season. Two hundred twenty-seven 24-month-old Charolais × Nellore heifers that mated between 2003 and 2012 were analyzed. The parameters evaluated were: year effect; individual and maternal heterozygosis; percentage of Charolais genotype; average daily gain (ADG) from weaning to the end of the first breeding season; BW at […]

In the present study we measured serum glucose, leptin, total cholesterol and total protein concentrations in repeat breeder cows and compared them with fertile cows. For this aim, 20 repeat breeder cows and 20 fertile cows were used as material. Repeat breeder cows were found to have lower levels of leptin and glucose as compared with fertile ones. No significant differences in total cholesterol and total protein levels were observed between the two groups. No significant correlation of leptin with […]

It was evaluated the response of 40 Holstein/Zebu crossbred cows grazing on Brachiaria brizantha pasture to supplementation with concentrates containing different contents of crude protein. In addition to the pasture, 5.0 kg of sugar cane per animal was supplied daily. For control, it was used 200 g mineral supplement with 10% of phosphorous exclusively. Three concentrates containing 50.0; 28.6 and 20.0% of crude protein in natural matter, supplied at the quantities of 2.0; 3.5 and 5.0 kg/cow/day were compared. A […]

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the Nellore breed in Brazil with respect to the phenotypic and genetic variation of the mature size of cows. The observations were taken from 34 herds of eleven different beef cattle production regions in the country. There were considered cows of the horned and polled varieties, raised on pastures, from herds that had at least 50 cows. With these restrictions it was formed a general file with 6,867 cows with valid […]