MORTALITY, WASTAGE, AND LIFETIME PRODUCTIVITY OF BOS-INDICUS COWS UNDER EXTENSIVE GRAZING IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA .2. CONTINUOUS MATING IN THE SEMIARID TROPICS
Pk. Orourke et al., MORTALITY, WASTAGE, AND LIFETIME PRODUCTIVITY OF BOS-INDICUS COWS UNDER EXTENSIVE GRAZING IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA .2. CONTINUOUS MATING IN THE SEMIARID TROPICS, Australian journal of experimental agriculture, 35(3), 1995, pp. 297-305
Mortality and wastage rates and lifetime productivity were studied ove
r 4800 cow years from 1981 to 1990 with continuous mating and minimal
management in the semi-arid tropics at Kidman Springs, Northern Territ
ory. The proportional hazards model was used to estimate age-specific
mortality and wastage rates, adjusted for cohort effects. Annual breed
er mortality rate averaged 11.5%, with similar rates in the range 9.0-
12.0% for 2-9-year olds, increasing to 15.5% for 10-year-olds, 17.9% f
or 11-year-olds, and >20% for older cows. A further 20.8% of the cows
that calved failed to rear the calf to branding. Wastage included mort
alities and physical culls but minimal discretionary culls based on re
productive performance or maximum age. The wastage rate averaged 16.7%
, ranged from 11.1 to 14.4% for 2-9-year-olds, increased to 21.1% for
10-year-olds and 34.3% for 11-year-olds, and exceeded 50% for older co
ws. The heifer replacement rate to maintain a stable herd size was 16.
3%. Typical lifetime productivity up to 10 years of age in this harsh
north-western environment was 3.1 calves reared over a lifetime of 6.5
years in the breeding herd, at a rate of 44.5% calves per year. Timin
g of first pregnancy was identified as a useful predictor of lifetime
productivity when overall productivity was low. Cows that were lactati
ng as 2-year-olds reared 4.0 calves in their lifetime up to 10 years o
f age, cows pregnant at this age reared 3.2 calves, and nonpregnant co
ws reared only 2.6 calves.