[en] In the double-muscled (DM) Belgian Blue Beef (BBB) breed, caesarean section (CS) is used as a routine management tool to prevent dystocia. This practice is criticized on animal welfare grounds. With unassisted (natural) births, difficulties arise because of disproportion between the sizes of the newborn and inner pelvic sizes of the dam. In this study external morphological traits of newborns are compared with inner morphological traits of the dam. Results of this study indicate that in the DM-BBB, CS is the only means to successful calving. Therefore, no calving ease scores are available to select for less dystocia in this breed. Selection for fewer CS must be achieved by focusing on lower birth weight (BW) and decreased muscular conformation at birth, both having a sufficiently high heritability. Simultaneously, pelvic sizes of the dam should be increased. It is very likely that the look of the DM-BBB will change when selecting for less dystocia.
Disciplines :
Genetics & genetic processes Animal production & animal husbandry
Author, co-author :
Coopman, F.
Gengler, Nicolas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech > Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech
Groen, A. F.
De Smet, S.
Van Zeveren, A.
Language :
English
Title :
Comparison of external morphological traits of newborns to inner morphological traits of the dam in the double-muscled Belgian Blue Beef breed
ANDERSON, K. J.; BRINKS, J. S.; LEFEVER, D. G.; ODDE, K. G., 1993: The factors associated with dystocia in cattle. Vet. Med. 88: 764-776.
Anonymous, 1991: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1026/91 of 22 April 1991 Amending Regulation (EEC) No. 1208/81 Determining the Community Scale for the Classification of Carcasses of Adult Bovine Animals. Community legislation in force, Document 391R1026: p. 1-2.
ANTHONY, R. V.; PRATT, S. L.; HOLLAND, M. D., 1995: Placental-fetal is hormonal interactions: impact on fetal growth. J. Anim. Sci. 73: 1861-1871.
ARTHUR, P. F.; MAKARECHIAN, M.; PRICE, M. A., 1988: Incidence of dystocia and perinatal calf mortality resulting from reciprocal crossing of double-muscled and normal cattle. Can. Vet. J. 29: 163-167.
ARTHUR, P. F.; PARNELL, P. F.; RICHARDSON, E. C., 1997: Correlated responses in calf body weight and sire to divergent selection for yearling growth rate in Angus cattle. Livest. Prod. Sci. 49: 305-312.
BURFENING, P. J.; KRESS, D. D.; FRIEDRICH, R. L.; VANIMAN, D. D., 1978: Phenotypic and genetic relationships between calving ease, gestation length, birth weight and preweaning growth. J. Anim. Sci. 47: 595-600.
CARNIER, P.; ALBERA, A.; DAL ZOTTO, R.; GROEN, A. F.; BONA, M.; BITTANTE, G., 2000: Genetic parameters for direct and maternal calving ability over parities in Piedmontese cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 78: 2532-2539.
CHRISTIANSEN, S. B.; SANDØE, P., 2000: Bioethics: limits to the interference with life. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 60-61:15-29.
COOPMAN, F.; DE SMET, S.; GENGLER, N.; HAEGEMAN, A.; JACOBS, K.; VAN POUCKE, M.; LAEVENS, H.; VAN ZEVEREN, A.; GROEN, A. F., 2003: Estimating internal pelvic sizes using external body measurements in the double-muscled Belgian Blue Beef (DM-BBB) breed. Anim. Sci. 76: 229-235.
GLAZE, J. B.; VOGT, D. W.; LIPSEY, R. J.; ELLERSIECK, M. R., 1994: Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates of pelvic measurements and birth weight in beef heifers. Theriogenology 41: 943-950.
GROMMERS, F. J.; RUTGERS, L. J. E.; WIJSMULLER, J. M., 1995: Animal-welfare-intrinsic value-integrity developments in the appreciation of the domestic animal. N. J. Vet. Sci. 120: 490-494.
HANSET, R., 1981: Selection problems when antagonistic effects exist between production characteristics and calving ease difficulties. Livest. Pod. Sci. 8: 291-305.
HANSET, R., 2002: The Belgian White and Blue and the Caesarean Section; Can One Really Decrease the Frequency of the Caesarean Section in the Belgian White and Blue Without Losing its Typical Features. Publication Herd-Book du B.B.B. No 2002 03-27: pp 1-24.
HOLLAND, M. D.; ODDE, K. G., 1992: Factors affecting calf birth weight. Theriogenology 38: 769-798.
LIPS, D.; DE TAVERNIER J.; DECUYPERE E.; VAN OUTRYVE J., 2001: Ethical Objections to Caesareans: Implications on the Future of the Belgian White Blue. EURSAFE 2001, Food Safety, Food Quality, Food Ethics, Florence, pp. 291-294.
MICHAUX, C.; HANSET, R., 1986: Mode de vêlage et reproduction chez les génisses de race Blanc-Blue Belge des types viandeux et mixte. Ann. Méd. Vét. 130: 439-451.
MISZTAL, I. 2002. http://nce.ads.uga.edu/~ignacy/numpub/blupf90/docs/ remlf90.
MORRISON, D. G.; WILLIAMSON, W. D.; HUMES, P. E., 1986: Estimates of heritabilities and correlations of traits associated with pelvic area in beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 63: 432-437.
MURRAY, R. D.; CARTWRIGHT, T. A.; DOWNHAM, D. Y.; MURRAY, M. A., 1999: Some maternal factors associated with dystocia in Belgian Blue Cattle. Anim. Sci. 69: 105-113.
NAAZIE, A.; MAKARECHION, M.; BERG, R. T., 1991: Genetic, phenotypic and environmental parameter estimates of calving difficulty, weight and measures of pelvic size in beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 69: 4793-4800.
NICKS, B.; DÉSIRON, A., VANDENHEEDE, M., CANART, B. 1999: Effects of caesarean section on behaviour of Belgian blue cows and their calves. Belgian Blue Newsletter 18: 7-10.
NUGENT, R.A. III; NOTTER, D. R.; BEAL, W. E., 1991: Body measurements of newborn calves and relationship of calf shape to sire breeding values for birth weight and calving ease. J. Anim. Sci. 69: 2413-2421.
RICE, L. E., 1994: Dystocia related risk factors. Vet. Clin. N. Am. Food Anim. Pract. 10: 53-68.
RICE, L. E.; WILTBANK, J. N., 1972: Factors affecting dystocia in Beef heifers. J.A.V.M.A. 161: 1348-1358.
TAYLOR, ST. C. S.; MONTERIO L. S.; PERREAU, B., 1975: Possibility of reducing calving difficulties by selection. III. A note on pelvic size in relation to body weight of cattle. Ann. Genet. Sel. Anim. 7: 49-57.
VISSAC, B.; MÉNISSIER, F.; PERREAU, B., 1973: Étude du caractère culard. VII: Croissance et musculature des femelles, déséquilibre morphologique au vêlage. Gen. Sel. Ev. 5: 23-38.
WANG, C.S.; QUAAS, R.L.; POLLAK E.J., 1997: Bayesian analysis of calving ease scores and birth weights. Gen. Sel. Ev. 29: 117-143.
