Importância do desmame de bezerras na maturidade sexual de novilhas leiteiras

Abstract

In the production of cattle, the creation of dairy calves is considered one of the most important phases, as these animals will participate in the new productive herd of the farm. Thus, the objective of this work is to inform the importance of early weaning of dairy heifers, aiming to improve the reproductive efficiency of the herd. Regardles of the rearing system used, the objective is to obtain greater weight at weaning, emphasizing that heavier calves at weaning have a reduction in age at puberty. Intensive nutrition programs, from weaning to puberty, provide accelerated gains, allowing animals to reach the ideal weight to enter puberty earlier, and it is necessary to prevent heifers from becoming obese and impairing the development of the mamary gland. Thus, the insertion of heifers earlier in the production system would be the quickest return on investment, the longest production, decreasing the number of heifers in breeding.