Maternal-offspring behavior of Guzerat beef cattle

The objective of this work was to evaluate the characteristics of the maternal-offspring behavior of Guzerat bovines (Bos indicus) and the influence of this behavior on herd losses. A total of 73 gestating cows (multiparous and primiparous) and their respective calves were evaluated for the following behavioral traits: contact period between cow and calf (CPCC), cow age at calving, teat conditions, calf vigor at birth, need for human assistance (HA), and calf mortality until weaning. The mean weight of calves at birth was 29.12 kg. Vigor at birth was observed in 61.64% of calves; however, 27.4% of the calves required human assistance. Calf vigor was influenced by the CPCC, and calves without vigor needed more time with their mothers. Calves with low weight at birth required HA, whereas calves from cows with intermediate-sized teats did not. The absence of vigor at birth increased the mortality rate. The traits age of cows and vigor of calves at birth influence both the need for human assistance to calves in their first hours of life and herd losses.

Index terms:
calf; maternal ability; survival

Authorship

Bianca Vilela Pires ^**Corresponding author: bianca2510@outlook.com

Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Genética, Avenida Bandeirantes, no 3.900, Monte Alegre, CEP 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. E-mail: bianca2510@outlook.com, luaraa.freitas@gmail.comUniversidade de São PauloBrazilRibeirão Preto, SP, BrazilUniversidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Genética, Avenida Bandeirantes, no 3.900, Monte Alegre, CEP 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. E-mail: bianca2510@outlook.com, luaraa.freitas@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8587-1619

Luara Afonso de Freitas

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7454-9325

Gabriele Voltareli da Silva

Instituto de Zootecnia, Centro de Bovinos de Corte, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Rodovia Carlos Tonanni, Km 94, Caixa Postal 63, CEP 14160-900 Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil. E-mail: gabivoltdasilva@gmail.com, rodrigopsa@yahoo.com.br, lucia.plima@hotmail.com, lenira@iz.sp.gov.br, cyrillo@iz.sp.gov.br, claudiapaz@iz.sp.gov.brInstituto de Zootecnia, Centro de Bovinos de CorteBrazilSertãozinho, SP, BrazilInstituto de Zootecnia, Centro de Bovinos de Corte, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Rodovia Carlos Tonanni, Km 94, Caixa Postal 63, CEP 14160-900 Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil. E-mail: gabivoltdasilva@gmail.com, rodrigopsa@yahoo.com.br, lucia.plima@hotmail.com, lenira@iz.sp.gov.br, cyrillo@iz.sp.gov.br, claudiapaz@iz.sp.gov.br

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1941-5081

Gabriela Geraldi Mendonça

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Departamento de Nutrição e Produção Animal, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte, no 225, Campus Fernando Costa, Jardim Elite, CEP 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil. E-mail: gabrielageraldim@gmail.comUniversidade de São PauloBrazilPirassununga, SP, BrazilUniversidade de São Paulo, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Departamento de Nutrição e Produção Animal, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte, no 225, Campus Fernando Costa, Jardim Elite, CEP 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil. E-mail: gabrielageraldim@gmail.com

Rodrigo Pelicioni Savegnago

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6551-2168

Maria Lúcia Pereira de Lima

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5588-9658

Lenira El Faro

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1508-4097

Joslaine Noely dos Santos Gonçalves Cyrillo

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4390-630X

Claudia Cristina Paro de Paz

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7267-4552

*Corresponding author: bianca2510@outlook.com

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Figures | Tables

Figures (1)
Tables (6)

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Figure 1.
Principal component analysis based on the correlation between the variables. (A): mortality, calf mortality until weaning; HA, human assistance to offspring; vigor, calf vigor at birth (0 = without vigor, 1 = with vigor); S, calf sex; weight, weight of calf at birth; CPCC, contact period between cow and calf; teat, cow teat classification; AC, age of cow at calving. (B): vector graph between principal components 1 and 2. (C): vector graph between principal components 1 and 3. (D): vector graph between principal components 2 and 3.

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Table 1.
Number of observations and relative frequency of variables: sire, sex, birth weight, mortality, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), teat size, cow age at calving, vigor of calf, and human assistance according to the classification of Guzerat breed.

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Table 2.
Frequency of the effects of calf sex, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), bull, and cow age at calving in percentage, according to absence (0) or presence (1) of calf vigor at birth (V).

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Table 3.
Odds ratio analysis for the absence of vigor at birth (0), based on the effect of the cow and calf contact duration (CPCC) and cow age at calving in the Guzerat herd.

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Table 4.
Animal frequency (%) regarding the need for human assistance (HA) to Guzerat calves, according to the calf sex, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), birth weight, teat size, and cow age at calving.

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Table 5.
Odds ratio analysis regarding the need for human assistance (HA), based on the classificatory effects for calf sex, birth weight, and teat size of the Guzerat herd.

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Table 6.
Mortality rate of calves until weaning in percentage and p-value, based on the effects of calf sex, cow age at calving, and calf vigor.

Figure 1. Principal component analysis based on the correlation between the variables. (A): mortality, calf mortality until weaning; HA, human assistance to offspring; vigor, calf vigor at birth (0 = without vigor, 1 = with vigor); S, calf sex; weight, weight of calf at birth; CPCC, contact period between cow and calf; teat, cow teat classification; AC, age of cow at calving. (B): vector graph between principal components 1 and 2. (C): vector graph between principal components 1 and 3. (D): vector graph between principal components 2 and 3.

Table 1. Number of observations and relative frequency of variables: sire, sex, birth weight, mortality, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), teat size, cow age at calving, vigor of calf, and human assistance according to the classification of Guzerat breed.

Variables and categories		No. of observations	Relative frequency (%)
Sire
	959	11	15.06
	1002	19	26.03
	1006	18	24.66
	1063	10	13.70
	1077	9	12.33
	1105	6	8.22
Calf sex
	Male	39	53.43
	Female	34	46.57
Birth weight (BW)
	≤ 28 kg	33	45.21
	≥ 29 kg	40	54.79
Mortality
	0	63	86.30
	1	10	13.70
CPCC
	< 30 min	23	31.51
	30 - 60 min	28	38.36
	> 60 min	16	21.92
	Lost data	6	8.21
Teat size
	Large	11	15.07
	Intermediate	54	73.97
	Small	8	10.96
Cow age at calving (AC)
	Primiparous (≤ 3 years)	12	16.44
	Mature cows 1 (4 to 7 years)	42	57.53
	Mature cows 2 (≥ 8 years)	19	26.03
Vigor of calf (V)
	0	28	38.36
	1	45	61.64
Human assistance (HA)
	0	53	72.60
	1	20	27.40

Table 2. Frequency of the effects of calf sex, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), bull, and cow age at calving in percentage, according to absence (0) or presence (1) of calf vigor at birth (V).

Variable		Calf vigor at birth (%)		p-value⁽¹⁾
Variable		Absence (0)	Presence (1)	p-value⁽¹⁾
Calf sex				0.0831
	Male	51.28	48.72
	Female	23.53	76.47
CPCC				0.0399
	< 30 min	35.71	64.29
	30 - 60min	33.33	66.67
	> 60 min	80.00	20.00
Bull				0.6014
	959	54.55	45.45
	1002	36.84	63.16
	1006	27.78	72.22
	1063	50.00	50.00
	1077	33.33	66.67
	1105	33.33	66.67
Cow age at calving (AC)				0.0214
	Primiparous (≤ 3 years)	33.33	66.67
	Mature cows 1 (4 to 7 years)	40.48	59.52
	Mature cows 2 (≥ 8 years)	36.84	63.16

⁽¹⁾
Significant at 5% probability.

Table 3. Odds ratio analysis for the absence of vigor at birth (0), based on the effect of the cow and calf contact duration (CPCC) and cow age at calving in the Guzerat herd.

Variable		Absence of vigor at birth
Variable		Odds ratio⁽¹⁾	Confidence interval
CPCC
	< 30 min	0.14	0.012 - 1.61
	30 - 60 min	0.12	0.012 - 1.34
	> 60 min	RC	RC
Cow age at calving (AC)
	Primiparous (≤ 3 years)	RC	RC
	Mature cows 1 (4 to 7 years)	1.36	0.35 - 5.24
	Mature cows 2 (≥ 8 years)	1.17	0.25 - 5.33

⁽¹⁾
Significant at 5% probability. RC, reference class meaning above 60 min of contact.

Table 4. Animal frequency (%) regarding the need for human assistance (HA) to Guzerat calves, according to the calf sex, cow and calf contact duration (CPCC), birth weight, teat size, and cow age at calving.

Variable		Human assistance (%)		p-value
Variable		0	1	p-value
Calf sex				0.0009
	Male	69.23	30.77
	Female	76.47	23.53
CPCC				0.8489
	< 30 min	64.29	35.71
	30 - 60 min	66.67	33.33
	> 60 min	80.00	20.00
Birth weight (BW)				0.0466
	≤ 28 kg	60.61	39.39
	≥ 29 kg	82.50	17.50
Teat size				0.0386
	Large	54.55	45.45
	Intermediate	79.63	20.37
	Small	50.00	50.00
Cow age at calving (AC)				0.5249
	Primiparous (≤ 3years)	75.00	25.00
	Mature cows 1 (4 to 7 years)	76.19	23.81
	Mature cows 2 (≥ 8 years)	63.16	36.84

⁽¹⁾
Significant at 5% probability.

Table 5. Odds ratio analysis regarding the need for human assistance (HA), based on the classificatory effects for calf sex, birth weight, and teat size of the Guzerat herd.

Variable		Human assistance (HA)
Variable		Odds ratio⁽¹⁾	Confidence interval
Calf sex
	Male	1.44	0.51 - 4.10
	Female	RC	RC
Birth weight (BW)
	≤ 28 kg	3.06	1.05 - 8.97
	≥ 29 kg	RC	RC
Teat size
	Large	3.26	0.84 - 12.68
	Intermediate	RC	RC
	Small	3.90	0.84 - 18.16

⁽¹⁾
Significant at 5% probability. RC, female calves weight above 29.0 kg and with intermediate-sized teats.

Table 6. Mortality rate of calves until weaning in percentage and p-value, based on the effects of calf sex, cow age at calving, and calf vigor.

Variable		Mortality rate		p-value
Variable		0	1	p-value
Calf sex				0.5345
	Male	82.05	17.95
	Female	91.18	8.82
Cow age at calving (AC)				0.9333
	Primiparous (≤ 3years)	83.33	16.67
	Mature cows 1 (4 to 7 years)	88.10	11.90
	Mature cows 2 (≥ 8 years)	84.21	15.79
Calf vigor (V)				0.0495
	Absence of vigor (0)	75.00	25.00
	Presence of vigor (1)	93.33	6.67

⁽¹⁾
Significant at 5% probability.

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Maternal-offspring behavior of Guzerat beef cattle

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[1] *Corresponding author: bianca2510@outlook.com