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Feeling the heat: a retrospective investigation of thermal load impacts on calf loss
Author
McCosker, KDCowley, RA
Wooderson, M
Whish, G
Materne, C
Smith, D
Fordyce, G
Mayer, D
Holloway, C
Wirf, B
Pettit, C
Oxley, T
Carter, T
Publisher
XII International Rangeland Congress
Publication Year
2025
Body

Northern Australia's beef industry annually experiences high heat loads and variable pasture conditions, yet their impact on reproductive wastage remains relatively unquantified. This study analysed retrospective herd data (26,903 cow-production years; 17 herds) to identify predictors of foetal and calf loss (FCL) in northern Australia, integrating climatic, pasture, and animal-level variables. Multilevel logistic regression revealed animal class, lactation status, relative pasture utilisation rate, body condition score and calving period as major factors. Counterintuitively, monthly heat stress indices (CCI) showed no direct association (p=0.59), potentially masked by monthly averaging or its effect moderated by other factors contained in the model. These r results further underscore the importance of grazing and nutritional management in mitigating reproductive losses in northern beef cattle herds.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Additional Information
This paper is part of the larger XII International Rangelands Congress Proceedings. Page Numbers: 1493-1497. Theme: Theme 6 / Animal productivity
ISSN
978-0-646-72121-7
Conference Name
International Rangeland Congress
Collection
International Rangelands Congress
Keywords
northern Australia
heat load
calf loss
pasture utilisation
body condition