Abstract

DE LAS HERAS-TORRES, Jesús G.; OSORIO-ARCE, Mario M  and  SEGURA-CORREA, José C. Growth of Calves in a Dual-Purpose System in Humid-Tropics of Mexico.. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2008, vol.18, n.2, pp.170-174. ISSN 0798-2259.

The objective of this study was to describe the growth until weaning of crossbred calves in a dual-purpose system in the Mexican tropics. The calves were ¾ European (Holstein, Simmental, Brown Swiss) ¼ Zebu, equal than their mothers. The calves help to the let down of milk during milking and drunk the residual milk for 30 minutes (restricted suckling) and were maintained in a Star grass (Cynodon plestostachyus) paddocks having access to an energetic-proteical supplement (1 kg/calf/day). Animals were weighed at birth, and thereafter every 28 days. Data on 361 (190 males and 171 females) calves (4.678 weights) were analyzed through out linear and quadratic regressions. The determination coefficients were similar for male and female calves. The model that included the linear and quadratic effects described better the data, than the linear model.

Keywords : Calves; growth; dual-purpose; Mexico; tropic.