STUDIES INTO MATERNAL MILK TRANSFER AND G ROWTH-RATE OF SUCKLER CALVES FROM GERMAN RED AND WHITE BREED, GERMAN BLACK-AND-WHITE BREED AND FROM CROSSES GALLOWAY X HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN - AGE OF THE DAM AND TRAITS OFCALVES

Investigating all suckler calves during the winter calving and rearing period repeatedly by means of the body weight differential method mat ernal milk transfer and calf feed intake and growth rate were analysed . Great variation of amount of milk taken by the calves and of body gr owth rate could be found meaning that differences of mean values betwe en groups of calves by lactation number of cows or by growth rate of t he calves could only be weak. Frequency distribution of acute body wei ght changes > 3 kg and < 3 kg of calves and those of calf growth rate classes are quite different in calves grouped by lactation number of t he dam with acute body weight changes > 3 kg and growth late of 0,9 to 1,2 kg/d being more frequent in second to forth lactation number anim als.