Ma. Catangui et al., AVERAGE DAILY GAINS OF BRAHMAN-CROSSBRED AND ENGLISH X EXOTIC FEEDER HEIFERS DURING LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO STABLE FLIES (DIPTERA, MUSCIDAE), Journal of economic entomology, 88(5), 1995, pp. 1349-1352
Long-term exposure of Brahman-crossbred and English x Exotic heifers t
o a medium (approximate to 14 stable flies per foreleg per minute at 1
600 hours) stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), population level caus
ed a continuous decline in average daily gains of both breeds from day
1 to day 84 of exposure (that is, from 12 to 14 mo of age). Neither b
reed was affected by stable fly feeding from 85 d until 112 d exposure
, when heifers were greater than or equal to 15 mo in age. At that age
, heifers compensated for weight loss during the previous 84-d exposur
e to stable fly feeding. Overall reduction in average daily gain was a
pproximate to 0.15 kg/d or 9% for both breeds, indicating that Brahman
-crossbred heifers were as susceptible to long-term exposure to a medi
um stable fly poulation as were English x Exotic heifers.