Influence of phosphorus supplementation on growth and reproductive characteristics of beef cows in the semi-arid bushveld of South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorDu Plessis, I.en
dc.contributor.advisorWebb, E.C. (Edward Cottington)en
dc.contributor.emailphoeka80@yahoo.comen
dc.contributor.postgraduateOrsmond, Michelleen
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-07T11:28:30Z
dc.date.available2008-09-04en
dc.date.available2013-09-07T11:28:30Z
dc.date.created2008-04-15en
dc.date.issued2008-09-04en
dc.date.submitted2008-08-20en
dc.descriptionDissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2008.en
dc.description.abstractIn this experiment, the influence of phosphorus supplementation on growth and reproductive characteristics of beef cows in the semi-arid bushveld of South Africa was studied. The parameters in this study included weight, intercalving period and conception rates of cows, as well as birth weight, weaning weight and weight gain of calves. The experiment consisted of three trials. Trial 1 involved Bonsmara cows with four dietary supplementation groups. These were control, phosphorus supplementation all year round, phosphorus supplementation in the summer months and summer phosphorus supplementation with a winter lick. Trial 2 dealt with Bonsmara cows and included two dietary supplementation groups, namely control and phosphorus supplementation all year round. Trial 3 compared four different breeds (Afrikaner, Simmentaler, Nguni and Bonsmara) and included two dietary supplementation groups, notably a control group and a Kimtrafos 12 P supplementation all year round. Phosphorus supplementation had no significant effect on cow weight in Trial 1 (p > 0.1), but was significant in Trial 2 (p< 0.001) with the supplemented group performing better than the control group. In Trial 3, phosphorus supplementation had a varied effect on cow weight, because it only had an effect for the months of June to November (p< 0.05). Phosphorus supplementation had no significant effect on birth weight in any of the trials. Treatment did however either show a tendency towards significance or was significant for weaning weight and weight gain in Trial 2 (p= 0.0272 and p= 0.0524 respectively) and Trial 3 (p= 0.0587 and p= 0.0464 respectivey), with the treated groups performing better than the control groups. There was no improvement in calving interval or conception rate for phosphorus supplemented cows in any of the trials.en
dc.description.availabilityunrestricteden
dc.description.departmentAnimal and Wildlife Sciencesen
dc.identifier.citationa 2007en
dc.identifier.otherE996/gmen
dc.identifier.upetdurlhttp://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08202008-123226/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/27405
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Pretoriaen_ZA
dc.rights© University of Pretoria 2007 E996/en
dc.subjectBonsmara cowsen
dc.subjectSemi-arid bushvelden
dc.subjectSouth africaen
dc.subjectBeef cowsen
dc.subjectReproductiveen
dc.subjectGrowthen
dc.subjectUCTDen_US
dc.titleInfluence of phosphorus supplementation on growth and reproductive characteristics of beef cows in the semi-arid bushveld of South Africaen
dc.typeDissertationen

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