Growth and dry matter intake curve analysis of crossbred male calves in Ethiopia

Figures & data

Table 1. Least squares means of body weight at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age of crossbred growing bull calves.

Age (months)	Genetic group	N	Mean ± SE	LS
0 (At birth)	Overall	48	28.27	**
	50% FB	24	26.42 ± 0.78^b
	75% FB	24	30.13 ± 0.78^a
3	Overall	48	70.06	NS
	50% FB	24	69.25 ± 0.75
	75% FB	24	70.87 ± 0.75
6	Overall	48	100.26	NS
	50% FB	24	101.58 ± 2.95
	75% FB	24	99.00 ± 2.95
12	Overall	48	174.46	NS
	50% FB	24	180.75 ± 4.49
	75% FB	24	168.17 ± 4.49
18	Overall	48	249.83	*
	50% FB	24	263.13 ± 8.42^a
	75% FB	24	236.54 ± 8.42^b
24	Overall	48	362.15	*
	50% FB	24	378.04 ± 10.34^a
	75% FB	24	346.25 ± 10.37^b

Means with different superscripts with in column are significantly (p < 0.05) and highly significantly p < 0.01 different; LS = Level of significant; NS = Non-Significant; * = p < 0.05;** = p < 0.01; 50% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 50% Exotic blood level, 75% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 75% Exotic blood level; N = Number of observations.

Table 2. Estimated growth curve parameters for body weight of Frisian Boran crossbred bull calves.

Parameter	Genotype		LS
	50% FB	75% FB
	Mean ± SE	Mean ± SE
A (kg)	727.00 ± 78.44^b	730.20 ± 84.80^a	*
B	2.85 ± 0.80^a	2.78 ± 0.92^b	*
K (kg/day)	0.0019 ± 0.0002^a	0.0017 ± 0.0002^b	*
T* (Day)	547.95 ± 60.00^b	595.68 ± 68.04^a	*
W* (kg)	257.46 ± 18.75^b	268.63 ± 20.05^a	*
U0	0.036 ± 0.0011^b	0.0425 ± 0.0011^a	*
U6	0.14 ± 0.0051	0.13 ± 0.0051	NS
U12	0.25 ± 0.0073	0.23 ± 0.0073	NS
U24	0.51 ± 0.0154	0.47 ± 0.0154	NS
T0.75A (Day)	539.70 ± 54.03	540.00 ± 57.07	NS
K*(kg/day)	0.52 ± 0.012^a	0.46 ± 0.012^b	*

Means with different superscripts with in row are significantly (p < 0.05) and highly significantly p < 0.01 different; LS = Level of significant; NS = Non-Significant; * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; 50% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 50% Exotic blood level, 75% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 75% Exotic blood level; A = Mature body weight; B = Integration constant; K = Relative growth rate; T* = age at time of inflection point; W* = Body weight at time of inflection point; K* = Maximum weight gain at time of inflection point; U_t = Degree of maturity at age t i.e. U₀, U₆, U₁₂ and U₂₄=  The proportion of mature size attained at birth; 6, 12 and 24 months age of animal, respectively; T_0.75A= Age of animal reached to 75% of mature weight.

Figure 1. Estimated and observed curves of 50% FB and 75% FB crossbred Bull calves for body weight (A) and total experimental DM intake (B).

Figure 2. Estimated curves of 50% FB and 75% FB crossbred bull calves for body weight (A) and total experimental DM intake (B).

Table 3. Estimated growth curve parameters for dry matter intake of Frisian Boran crossbred bull calves.

Parameter	Genotype		LS
	50% FB	75% FB
	Mean ± SE	Mean ± SE
A (kg)	246.0 ± 7.25^b	280.06 ± 9.12^a	*
B	3.08 ± 0.02^b	3.16 ± 0.05^a	*
K (kg/day)	0.0051 ± 0.0005^a	0.0046 ± 0.0005^b	*
T* (day)	219.05 ± 4.15^b	251.84 ± 6.12^a	*
DMI* (kg)	90.50 ± 3.15^b	103.03 ± 5.32^a	*
U6	0.3454 ± 0.025^a	0.2988 ± 0.035^b	*
U12	0.6434 ± 016^a	0.5865 ± 0.016^b	*
U24	1.036 ± 0.066^a	0.823 ± 0.059^b	*
T0.75A (day)	537.0 ± 24.56	538.8 ± 28.14	NS
K* (kg/day)	0.4652 ± 0.023	0.4709 ± 0.023	NS

Means with different superscripts with in row are significantly (p < 0.05) and highly significantly p < 0.01 different; LS = Level of significant; NS = Non-Significant; * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; 50% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 50% Exotic blood level; 75% FB = Friesian Boran cross with 75% Exotic blood level; A = DMI at maturity; B = integration constant for DMI; K = Relative DMI rate; T* = age at time of inflection point for DMI; DMI* = DMI at time of inflection point; K* = Maximum DMI at time of inflection point; U₆, U₁₂ and U₂₄=  The proportion of mature DMI taken at 6, 12 and 24 months age of animal, respectively; T_0.75A= age of animal reached to 75% of DMI at mature age.

Table 4. Correlation coefficients between growth curve parameters for body weight and dry matter intake of Frisian Boran crossbred bull calves.

Body weight	Dry matter Intake
	A (DMI)	B (DMI)	K (DMI)	t* (DMI)	DMI*	U6 (DMI)	U12 (DMI)	U24 (DMI)	t0.75A (DMI)	K* (DMI)
A	0.83**	−0.44*	−0.74**	0.78**	0.85**	−0.88**	−0.89*	−0.87	0.84**	−0.52*
B	0.69**	−0.28	−0.61**	0.86**	0.65**	−0.75**	−0.85**	0.65**	−0.46*	−0.83**
K	−0.62**	0.56**	0.78**	−0.67**	−0.66**	0.88**	0.75**	0.60**	−0.80**	0.45*
t*	0.66**	−0.46*	−0.67**	0.70**	0.68**	−0.78**	−0.80**	−0.78**	0.54**	−0.44*
w*	0.73**	−0.47*	−0.64**	0.69**	0.75**	−0.78**	−0.74**	0.74**	−0.46*	0.58**
U0	−0.54**	0.44*	0.64**	0.74**	−0.64**	0.79**	0.77**	0.74**	−0.54	0.58**
U6	−0.36	0.28	0.58**	−0.61**	0.70**	0.63**	−0.56**	0.56**	-.52**	0.63**
U12	−0.57**	0.27	0.57**	−0.55**	−0.47**	0.64**	0.75**	0.58**	−0.52**	0.47**
U24	−0.63**	0.29	0.59**	−0.53**	−0.60**	0.73**	0.64**	0.42*	−0.48**	0.53**
t0.75A	0.58**	−0.40*	−0.60**	0.63**	0.68**	−0.78**	−0.65**	0.54**	0.66**	0.60**
K*	0.61**	−0.24	−0.32	0.52*	0.72**	−0.51*	−0.54**	0.50*	0.56**	−0.20

* = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01; A = Mature body weight; B = Integration constant; K = Relative growth rate; T* = age at time of inflection point; W* = Body weight at time of inflection point; K* = Maximum weight gain at time of inflection point; U_t = Degree of maturity at age t i.e. U₀, U₆, U₁₂ and U₂₄=  The proportion of mature size attained at birth; 6, 12 and 24 months age of animal, respectively; T_0.75A= Age of animal reached to 75% of mature weight; DMI = Dry mater intake; A (DMI) =  DMI at maturity; B (DMI) =  integration constant for DMI; K (DMI) =  Relative DMI rate; T* (DMI) =  age at time of inflection point for DMI; DMI* = DMI at time of inflection point; K* (DMI) =  Maximum DMI at time of inflection point; U_{6 (}DMI)_, U₁₂ (DMI) and U₂₄ (DMI) =  The proportion of mature DMI taken at 6, 12 and 24 months age of animal, respectively; T_0.75A (DMI) = age of animal reached to 75% of DMI at mature age.