engleski

Application of Fetometry in Fetal Growth and Predicting Birth Weight in Charolais Cows

Incidence of dystocia in cows bred with Charolais bulls is 14.3% compared to 1.9% for cows mated by Hereford bulls and 3.5 % for matings by bulls of other breeds. There are also marked differences in dystocia levels in matings by particular Charolais bulls. After routine rectal and ultrasound examination of a Charolais herd we have chosen 12 pluriparous pregnant cows. They were kept in the same herd and mated by the same bull. They were all five months pregnant and 4-6 years old. Weekly ultrasound examination was performed during the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th month of pregnancy. We determined growth of placentomes (4 by each examination and each cow using middle value as a standard), eye and head diameter and thorax range (if reachable). We also monitored parturition and compared birth weight for each calf. We compared fetal sex for each calf and compared it with fetal growth and birth weight. We found strong correlations between diameters of placentomes and intensity of fetal growth based on fetometrical measurements. We also found strong linear correlations between the intensity of fetal growth and birth weight according to middle value of average cross section of placentomes. Cross section of placentomes incresed 3-5 mm daily We didn't find significant correlations between sex of calfs (male or female) with intensity (?) of fetal growth nor birth weight. We didn't observe dystocia in any of monitored cows.

fetometry ; birth weight ; fetal growth ; cow ; charolais

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