Prediction of Body Weight from Body Size Measurements in Brown Swiss Feedlot Cattle Fed under Small-scale Farming Conditions

Abstract

Bozkurt, Y. 2006. Prediction of body weight from body size measurements in brown swiss feedlot cattle fed under small-scale farming conditions. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 29: 29–32.

To evaluate the use of some body measurements in predicting body weight of Brown Swiss cattle grown under small-scale farming conditions, relationships between body weight (BW) and body measurements such as heart girth (HG), wither height (WH), body length (BL), body depth (BD) and hip width (HW) were studied using data with 925 observations for each trait. HG was observed to be the best possible trait in predicting BW (R²-89.9%). Regressions showed that addition of quadratic and cubic terms contributed little benefit in predicting BW. All linear terms of all body measurements were significant. It is indicated that in management situations, where BW can not be measured, it can be predicted fairly accurately by measuring HG alone or with WH.

Key words:

• Prediction
• body weight
• body measurements
• Brown Swiss cattle
• beef production