• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1511-1517
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• 2013

This study was performed to estimate the effect of age at first calving and first two calving intervals on productive life and life time profit in Korean Holsteins. Reproduction data of Korean Holsteins born from 1998 to 2004 and lactation data from 276,573 cows with birth and last dry date that calved between 2000 and 2010 were used for the analysis. Lifetime profit increased with the days of life span. Regression of Life Span on Lifetime profit indicated that there was an increase of 3,800 Won (approximately $3.45) of lifetime profit per day increase in life span. This is evidence that care of each cow is necessary to improve net return and important for farms maintaining profitable cows. The estimates of heritability of age at first calving, first two calving intervals, days in milk for lifetime, lifespan, milk income and lifetime profit were 0.111, 0.088, 0.142, 0.140, 0.143, 0.123, and 0.102, respectively. The low heritabilities indicated that the productive life and economical traits include reproductive and productive characteristics. Age at first calving and interval between first and second calving had negative genetic correlation with lifetime profit (-0.080 and -0.265, respectively). Reducing age at first calving and first calving interval had a positive effect on lifetime profit. Lifetime profit increased to approximately 2,600,000 (2,363.6) from 800,000 Won ($727.3) when age at first calving decreased to (22.3 month) from (32.8 month). Results suggested that reproductive traits such as age at first calving and calving interval might affect various economical traits and consequently influenced productive life and profitability of cows. In conclusion, regard of the age at first calving must be taken with the optimum age at first calving for maximum lifetime profit being 22.5 to 23.5 months. Moreover, considering the negative genetic correlation of first calving interval with lifetime profit, it should be reduced against the present trend of increase.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.740-750
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• 2021

This study was performed to investigate genetic relationship of age at first calving (AFC) with body development and reproduction capacity in female Hanwoo. The data sets of 52,299 reproduction records of 19,566 heads calved from 2011 to 2019 and conformation records of 19565 heads born from 1997 to 2017 were analyzed by separating them based on age at first calving. In the analysis, conformation traits included the body condition score (BCS), height (HT), body width (BW), hip bone length (HL), hip bone width (HW), and final score (FS). The heritability and genetic correlation of AFC with conformation traits and calving interval (CI) were analyzed. The heritability for AFC was 0.716, 0.087, and 0.097 for the before and after 24 months and combined data, respectively. The genetic correlation of AFC before 24 months with BCS was -0.778, -0.600 with BW, and 0.442 with HT. The genetic correlation of AFC after 24 months with HT was -0.826, -0.706 with BW, -0.623 with HL, -0.456 with HW, and -0.675 with FS. When the first calving age of young heifers approached 24 months, BCS and BW decreased, and HT increased. When first calving is delayed to after 24 months, the conformation traits become smaller, which indicates that conformation to some extent affects the delay in AFC. The genetic correlation between CI and AFC was -0.116, 0.307, and 0.250 for the before and after 24 month of AFC and combined data, respectively. When first calving date approached 24 months, CI was reduced. The obtained results suggest that it is important that first calving occurs at an appropriate age. Additional research is needed to perform proper genetic evaluation of first calving age in Hanwoo cattle in Korea.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1360-1368
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• 2020

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the associations of heifer reproductive performance with survival up to the first calving, first-lactation milk yield, and the probability of being culled within 50 days after first calving. Methods: Data from 33 large Holstein-Friesian commercial dairy herds were gathered from the official milk recording database in Hungary. The data of heifers first inseminated between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014 were analyzed retrospectively, using Cox proportional hazards models, competing risks models, multivariate linear and logistic mixed-effects models. Results: Heifers (n = 35,128) with younger age at conception were more likely to remain in the herd until calving, and each additional month in age at conception increased culling risk by 5.1%. Season of birth was related to first-lactation milk yield (MY1; n = 19,931), with cows born in autumn having the highest milk production (p<0.001). The highest MY1 was achieved by heifers that first calved between 22.00 and 25.99 months of age. Heifers that calved in autumn had the highest MY1, whereas calving in summer was related to the lowest milk production (p<0.001). The risk of culling within 50 days in milk in first lactation (n = 21,225) increased along with first calving age, e.g. heifers that first calved after 30 months of age were 5.52-times more likely to be culled compared to heifers that calved before 22 months of age (p<0.001). Calving difficulty was related to higher culling risk in early lactation (p<0.001). Heifers that required caesarean section were 24.01-times more likely to leave the herd within 50 days after first calving compared to heifers that needed no assistance (p<0.001). Conclusion: Reproductive performance of replacement heifers is closely linked to longevity and milk production in dairy herds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1680-1685
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• 2002

Reproductive data collected from more than 20,000 Japanese Black cows of Hyogo and Shimane Prefectures were analyzed. Averages of age at first calving, gestation length, days open and calving interval were 25.1 mo, 289 d, 112 d and 401 d, respectively. Variance components were obtained by REML procedure and the heritability estimate of age at first calving was 0.22. In gestation length the heritability estimate was 0.40 and no permanent environmental effect was estimated. Estimated variance components of calving interval were similar to those of days open and the heritability and repeatability of calving interval were 0.05 and 0.09, respectively. Random farm effects accounted for approximately 10% of phenotypic variations in all traits. Genetic and farm correlations between age at first calving and calving interval were 0.27 and 0.39, respectively. It was found that temporary environment was an important source of variation for calving intervals of Japanese Black.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.313-317
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• 1997

Data collected from crossbred dairy cattle at the Institut Haiwan, Kluang, were used to evaluate the effects of breed of sire, percentage of Bos taurus inheritance and season of birth on some calving traits. Breed of sire effect was significant on age at first service (p < 0.01), age at first calving (p < 0.01) and postpartum interval to first service (p < 0.05) but not on calving interval (p > 0.05). Linear contrasts indicate that crossbred-sired cows had first service 593 days earlier and first calving 508 days earlier than purebred-sired cows. Cows sired by Friesians, however, had the earliest first service (466 days) and were among the earliest at first calving (917 days). However, the crossbred-sired cows had slightly longer post-partum interval to first service (13 days longer) and calving interval (20 days longer). Percentage of B. taurus inheritance affected (p < 0.01) all the calving traits studied. In general, the cows with 50% inheritance had the best calving performance. Season of birth had no effect (p > 0.05) on them.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.565-570
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• 1989

The influence of age at first calving on the milk production of crossbred dairy cows produced under major dairy cattle crossbreeding projects in Pakistan was studied from the year 1974 to 1980. These animals were bred and raised at the Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadarnagar (LPRI), Livestock Experiment Station, Karachi (LES) and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF). Local Sahiwal (SWL) cattle were crossed with the European breeds, Holstein Friesian (HF) and Jersey (J) at LPRI and UAF. At LES, native Red Sindhi (RS) were crossed with the HF and J breeds. At LES and UAF, the crossbred progeny, thus, produced comprised of halfbreds only while at LPRI 3/4 HF, 3/4 J, 1/4 HF and 1/4 J groups were also available for this study. The average age at first calving was considerably higher among the native breeds. At LES, the RS calved for the first time at an age of approximately 56 months. Corresponding values for SWLs at LPRI and UAF were 44 and 64 months, respectively. The 1/2 HF and 1/2 J crossbreds calved first at the age of approximately 25, 26, 34, 36, 37 and 38 months at LPRI, LES and UAF respectively. For 3/4 HF, 3/4 K, 1/4 HF and 1/4 J groups of LPRI the average age at first calving was 29, 26, 34 and 33 months. Considerable differences in age at first calving between the crossbreds and native breeds were observed. Due to early maturity, the former attained the peak level of milk production in third lactation whereas the latter groups, because of late maturity, reached this level in their fourth lactation. This study suggested that early maturity in Zebu cattle (Box indicus) could be induced through crossbreeding with European cattle (Bos Taurus).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1338-1350
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• 2012

This review focuses on the nutritional effects from birth until age at first calving on growth, mammary developmental changes, and first-lactation milk yield in heifer calves. The advancement in the genetic potential and the nutritional requirements of the animals has hastened the growth rate. Genetic selection for high milk yield has suggested higher growth capacity and hence increasing nutritional inputs are required. Rapid rearing by feeding high energy or high concentrate diets not only reduces the age of sexual maturity but also lowers the time period of attaining the age of first calving. However, high energy diets may cause undesirable fat deposition thereby affecting future milk yield potential. Discrepancies exist whether overfed or overweight heifers at puberty can influence the mammary development and future milk yield potential and performance. The data on post-pubertal nutritional management suggested that body weight at calving and post-pubertal growth rate is important in first lactation milk yield. There is a continuous research need for strategic feeding that accelerates growth of dairy heifers without reduction in subsequent production. Nutritional management from birth, across puberty and during pregnancy is critical for mammary growth and for producing a successful cow. This review will mostly highlight studies carried out on dairy breeds and possible available opportunities to manipulate nutritional status from birth until age at first calving.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-96
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• 2016

This retrospective study evaluated the effect of age at first calving on the productive and reproductive performance in Holstein dairy cattle. Data were collected on 2,297 lactations from 19 dairy farms, including dates of birth, insemination, pregnancy, calving, and lactation and milk production (305-day milk yield at first lactation and lifetime milk yield). Lactation data were grouped based on age at first calving into the early (< 24 months, n = 414), moderate (24 ${\leq}$ and ${\leq}$ 28 months, n = 1,268), and late (> 28 months, n = 615) groups. The 305-day milk yield at first lactation was higher (p < 0.005) in the late group (8,461.9 kg) than in the early (8,130.8 kg) and moderate (8,261.9 kg) groups. Lifetime days in milk were shorter (p < 0.01) in the early group (1,045.7) than in the moderate (1,143.1) and late (1,110.7) groups, whereas the lifetime milk yield was higher (p < 0.05) in the moderate group (34,171.8 kg) than in the early group (31,791.6 kg). The second calving interval (days) differed (p < 0.0001) between the early (416.9), moderate (438.9), and late (455.3) groups. The culling rate at the first and second lactations tended to be higher (p = 0.08) in the early group (31.2%) than in the moderate group (26.0%), whereas it was intermediate in the late group (29.3%). In conclusion, dairy heifers aged 24-28 months at first calving showed a higher productive performance through an increased lifetime milk yield and a decreased culling rate.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.161-164
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• 1999

Dairy performances of Pabna cows and its crossbreds with Sahiwal (SL) and Friesian (F) in the Baghabarighat dairying area of Bangladesh were evaluated. Four SL and three F sires were used for the crossbreeding. The exotic sire effect of individuals on their daughters were also evaluated in this study. It showed that the genetic group had a significant (p<0.05) effect on birth weight, age at first heat, calving interval, lactation length and lactation yield. The lowest birth weight (17.9 kg), longest age at first heat (39.2 m) and calving interval (16.3 m) shortest lactation length (199 d) and lowest lactation yield (728 L) were found in Pabna cows. The highest birth weight (22.5 kg). shortest age at first heat (25.5 m) and calving interval (13.7 m), longest lactation length (253 d) and highest lactation yield (1936 L) were found in the F crossbreds. Within the same breed, the effect of individual sire was significant (p<0.05) on age at first heat, lactation length and lactation yield. Individual sire effects of SL bulls differed significantly (p<0.05) but F sires had a non-significant (p>0.05) effect on calving interval in their progeny. The fat % and SNF % in milk and number of services required for conception did not differ (p>0.05) among inter-and intra- breed sire groups.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.8.1-8.14
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• 2016

In this research data representing 72,946 primiparous cows from 724 herds with 638,063 total test day records calved between 2001 and 2011. These data were analysed to determine the effect of age at first and season of calving on parameters of the Wood lactation curve. Also, genetic trend of the lactation curve parameters in different calving years were evaluated. The results indicate that the highest rate of atypical lactation curve was related to cows that calved in summer (28.05 %). The maximum phenotypic relationship between initial milk yield and total 305-d milk yield was observed in cows calved in spring (0.40). The role of peak yield is more than peak time on 305-d total milk yield in primiparous Holstein. One month increase in age at first calving from 18 to 26 month raised 305-d milk yield by around 138 kg and from 27 to 32 month decreased by 61 kg. The persistency of lactation between 101 and 200 days is higher than that of 201-305 days. Our results indicate that the shape of lactation curve is largely dependent on the season of calving (higher level of milk production in cows which calved in autumn and winter). The heritabilities of parameters of lactation curve and persistency measures were low. The genetic trends for peak time, peak yield and 305-d milk yields were positive and estimated to be 0.019, 0.021 and 8.13 kg/year respectively. So the range from 24 to 26.5 month of calving is the optimum calving time in primiparous Holstein for maximizing 305-d milk yield.