Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIII, Issue 1
Written by Vasil NIKOLOV, Svetoslav KARAMFILOV
The growth of female calves of the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed was studied in a certified organic farm. The animals were weighed on a monthly basis. It was ascertained that the calves are born with a live weight of approximately 31.6 ± 0.81 kg, upon weaning at 210 days they weigh 204.0 ± 5.93 kg, at 15 months - 363.7 ± 13.04 kg, and at 18 months - 433.0 ± 11.57 kg. The average daily individual gain widely varies reaching up to 2.090 kg. The growth of the animals as a whole and within the different age groups is influenced by the year, season and month of birth. Upon joint examination of the age-year-season and age-year-month factors, however, the effect of the separate factors “dillutes” and the complex influence may be considered unreliable. The female calves which are bred naturally under the conditions in Bulgaria, regardless of the gain fluctuations during the different periods, reach an optimal servicing live weight (330-360 kg) at an optimal age (15-16 months).
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