How the calving order of cows affects the performance of Nellore calves

ABSTRACT. This study aimed to verify the effect of age of dam on the performance of male and female Nellore calves, using the following variables: average daily gain (ADG), adjusted weight for 205 days of age (W205), and number of days to reach 160 kg (D160). Information were collected from a commercial herd consisting of 1,122 calves and 1,009 heifers and their mothers. To classify animals with similar performance based on the cows’ calving orders (age of dam), the multivariate cluster analysis was adopted through the complete linkage hierarchical method. The best performance was observed in the calves of cows in their sixth calving at most; for heifers, the best performance was seen in those born to cows in their eighth calving at most. Cows in their eighth calving should be discarded.