The use of walk over weigh to predict calving date in extensively managed beef herds
Michael N. Aldridge A E , Stephen J. Lee A , Julian D. Taylor B , Greg I. Popplewell C , Fergus R. Job D and Wayne S. Pitchford A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, SA 5371, Australia.
B School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, SA 5064, Australia.
C Popplewell Genetics, 33 Tom Schmidt Court, Mount Samson, Qld 4520, Australia.
D Australian Agricultural Company, Wylarah Station and Farm, Qld 4417, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: michael.aldridge@adelaide.edu.au
Animal Production Science 57(3) 583-591 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15172
Submitted: 2 April 2015 Accepted: 15 November 2015 Published: 23 March 2016
Abstract
Beef cattle reproductive rate in northern Australia is low and substantial effort is underway to make improvements. Collection of calf birth date to inform female reproductive rate data is often not practical. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative methods for collecting birth date data. The aim of the project was to trial an automated animal weighing technology (walk over weigh) to estimate calving date for cows in a northern breeding herd grazing in an extensive pasture system. Two-hundred and thirty-two Wagyu cows from a herd of 1195 with confirmed pregnancy tests were stocked in a paddock with a walk over weigh unit at the entry point of the water yard. Each calf born in the paddock was weighed, ear-tagged and a DNA sample collected. After processing, cleaning and smoothing the data, weight profiles of the 232 cows over a 119-day period were analysed. From the weight profiles and confirmed DNA parentage, 96 out of a possible 162 (59%) cows that calved had a correct calving date prediction. It is proposed that improvements in calving date prediction could be increased through engineering changes designed to slow cow movement over the walk over weigh unit. The trial demonstrated with the proposed changes that walk over weigh could be used to estimate calving date in extensive beef herds, with the expectation that this information could be used in genetic evaluation to improve reproductive rate in northern Australia.
Additional keywords: animal reproduction, tropical cattle.
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