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Select for a more low birth-weight and higher calving-ease bull, and get rid of the bull that obviously lacks this trait. British bulls like Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn, in most cases, are ones that usually have the EPDs for low birth weights. You won't find that as much with Continental-type bulls like those of the breeds Simmental, Charolais or Maine Anjou, for instance.
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What is low birth weight in a heifer bull?
Low birth weight is the genetics that a bull passes on to his offspring to be able to be small at birth so that the calf can easily fit through the pelvic opening of his dam. This is important as heifers have small pelvic openings and will have a harder time delivering a calf if the bull they are bred to is not a low birthweight or high calving-ease bull.
What is a heifer bull?
Heifers have smaller pelvic areas than mature cows do, so they need to be bred to a bull that has, genetically, low birth weights. Heifers are also best bred to yearling bulls(primarily 12 to 18 months of age), which are smaller than the bigger mature bulls and won't increase the chances of crippling the heifers when trying to mount them. Young and/or small bulls tend to have the genetics for siring smaller calves, and heifers have the body size that tend to develop small calves, however, in either case this does not always occur: Yearling bulls are primarily unproven bulls; small bulls may sire large calves; Breed of the yearling bull plays a part in low birthweight genetics; condition, feed and environment play a role in lowbirthweight rates in heifers and cows. Young bulls are not the best because 99% of the time they are unproven sires. In other words, they are virgin bulls, or have never mated with a cow or heifer and produced offspring. They are selected by the rancher because they are expected to produce low birthweight calves out of the heifers, only because the Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) combined and calculated from the sire and dam, and compared with other bulls of the same breed and raised in the same conditions, says so. Smaller bulls also need to have the EPD numbers to be able to be used on heifers. If there are no papers that come with a small bull that you buy, you are making a big gamble on him. Even EPDs on yearlings are not reliable, especially if you have a 60% chance that that bull will sire large calves instead of small ones. Thus young unproven bulls may have high birth weights that should not be used on heifers; the same goes with smaller bulls. Breed also has a large affect on how the heifers calve out, and what size of calves the bull will sire. For instance, a yearling Simmental bull is put in with about 20 Red Angus heifers. Low birth weight EPDs for the Simmental breed is different from the low birthweight genetics of the Red Angus breed, so there's a higher chance that 10 or 15 of those Red Angus heifers will need assistance. Even using a Red Angus yearling bull that may have the numbers for low birth weights may not sire low birthweight calves in all of the heifers. But, primarily using a Continental bull that is of a breed that is notorious for large calves, like Simmental, Charolais, Maine Anjou and Belgian Blue, for instance, on your heifers, is asking for trouble. Small bulls like Dexters, White Park, Red Poll, etc. tend to sire small calves that are easy for your heifers to pop out. So heifer bulls are chosen through careful selection of genetics, size and breed, with the type of heifers in mind, in order to have a successful, worry-free calving season. If you know what to look for, you will have some happy heifers on your hands.
What are some causes of low birth weight puppies?
Take them to a vet. Could be genetic if the dam or sire is small. If the mother has been ill or undernourished.
How are birth weights and calving difficulty involved in the selection of herd sires?
Each herdsire has what's called EPDs, or expected progeny differences, which are numbers according to his breeding and comparison to other bulls of the same breed and raised in the same environment. EPDs are used to determine a bull's ability to sire small calves that have low birthweights and thus are low calving difficulty, or if they sire large calves with high birthweights and thus high calving difficulty. The producer first has to look at his cowherd and the average birthweights that they have been able to produce (with emphasis on those cows and heifers that have had problems calving out), and compare that, with a grain of salt, to the EPDs of the herdsire he wishes to buy. If that herdsire has a lower BW than the average of the herd, and has an estimated value of calving ease that is slightly above zero or negative, then that herdsire is good to use for improving calving ease in the herd.
What are the disadvantages of a Simmental?
Simmentals, though great milk producers and beef producers, are notorious for high birth weights (low calving ease) and calves that often are too weak to get up or don't know how to suckle. Generally heifers, in their first time as a mother, are not the greatest for mothering ability. Simmentals also aren't the best breed for raising in a ranching environment as they take a lot more pampering and babying than other breeds do. For those who don't like big cows and bulls, Simmentals may be a breed worth taking a rain-check on.
When was Low Birth Weight created?
Low Birth Weight was created in 1999.
What is a low birth weight?
The low birth weight is less than 2500 grams
Do cows need help to calve?
There are several reasons why: 1) Bovines would go extinct if cows were not producing calves all the time 2) Cows do not live forever, so they need to produce offspring to keep carrying on their genetics to the next generation. 3) The only way to get good quality beef is to slaughter calves from cows that have been raised to a slaughter age between 18 and 24 months. 4) Cows cannot continue to produce milk if they do not have a calf once a year. In order to produce milk, a cow must give birth to a calf. 5) It's a natural thing for cows to do, just like in all animals in this big ol' world (including humans). It's all a part of the Life and Death cycle.
Is 4 pounds 11 ounces considered low birth weight?
Yes, 4 pounds 11 ounces is low birth weight.
Which of the following has been linked to maternal smoking?
Low birth weight has been linked to smoking while pregnant.
What causes low birth weight?
Crack.
What percentage of preterm and low birth weight births are unexplained?
The percentage of preterm and low birth weight births that are unexplained is unstable. The percentage is constantly on the rise.
What is the effect of low protein content in beef and dairy cattle ration?
Nitrogen deficiency will be detrimental to a bovine's health, and not enough protein during a time when needed will result in downer cows and deadstock. Protein is very important for all cattle, but particularly for lactating dairy and beef cattle and growing calves because there is a huge demand for it in these animals. Calves without adequate protein will be stunted in growth. Lactating cows on a low-protein diet will put a lot of their bodily reserves into milk and not produce much milk at all. You will find lactating cows lose a LOT of weight to the point where they will get emaciated and die if you don't switch their diet soon.
What does the medical abbreviation VLBW mean?
It stands for Very Low Birth Weight. It's an acronym used to describe an infant weighing less than 1500 g at birth.Very Low Birth WeightVery Low Birth Weight
Do twins usually have low birth weight?
yes
What is the nutritional value of feeding wheat hay to cattle?
Wheat hay is very high in fibre (acid detergent fibre), and low in protein and energy. It's only good if you're feeding it to cows in mid-gestation, not to growing calves, breeding bulls, growing replacement heifers, young calves, lactating cows, cows in late gestation, or dairy cattle, unless you are really on to feeding supplements that contain high protein and energy.
Do Pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis most often have babies who are born prematurely or with low birth weight?
No, the majority of women with BV have babies who are born on time and with normal birth weight. There are some studies that show that BV increases the chances of prematurity and low birth weight.
