Effect of Genetic Crossing Between Native Bovine Cows with Holstein Friesian Bull on Body Water and Solids Content in Growing Calves Under Winter and Summer Seasons

Alsaied Alnaimy Habeeb^* & Ahmed Elsayed Gad

Department of Biological Applications, Radioisotopes Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Alsaied Alnaimy Habeeb, Department of Biological Applications, Radioisotopes Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Cairo, Egypt, dr_alnaimy@yahoo.com or alnaimy252011@gmail.com

Keywords: Calves; Crossing; Gain; Body Water; Body Solids

Abstract

Effect of genetic crossing on body water and body solids contents in growing calves under winter and summer seasons is the objective of this study. Twenty four calves after weaning including 12 native calves and 12 crossing 50% (F₁ from ? Egyptian cow x ? Holstein Friesian) were used in two experiments. The 1^st experiment was conducted during winter season on twelve calves including 6 native calves and 6 F₁ calves with average 6-7 months of age and average live body weight of 150 kg. The 2^nd experiment was conducted during summer season on another twelve calves with the same age and body weight including 6 native calves and 6 F₁ calves. Changes in each of live body weight (LBW), total body water (TBW), total body solids (TBS) and daily body weight gain (BWG) in native or F₁ calves under each of winter and summer seasons were estimated. Results showed that heat stress of summer season induced significant decrease in LBW through three months in native calves by 27.2 kg and in F₁ by 32.9 kg. F₁ calves were better than native calves by 23.2 kg and 17.5 kg under winter and summer seasons, respectively. TBW as percentage of LBW values increased significantly due to exposure calves to summer season. TBS as absolute values through three months decreased significantly by 6.9 kg in native calves and by 9.0 kg in F₁ calves due to exposure calves to summer season. Daily live BWG and daily solids BWG in calves decreased significantly at the rate of 333.9 and 88.4 g, respectively. F₁ calves were better than native calves in live BWG by 20.4 kg in 90 days with daily of 226.1 g and in solids BWG by 8.2 kg /90 days the rate of 91.6 g daily. It can be concluded that the best values in each of BWG either expressed as a live or solids were in F₁ crossing calves under winter conditions and the worsted values were in native calves during summer season.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).