effect of weather patterns on preweaning growth of beef calves in the northern great plains气候模式对preweaning牛肉小牛在北部大平原的增长.pdfVIP

Vol.3, No.7, 929-935 (2012) Agricultural Sciences /10.4236/as.2012.37113 Effect of weather patterns on preweaning growth of beef calves in the Northern Great Plains * M. D. MacNeil , L. T. Vermeire 1 USDA, Agricultural Research Service , Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, USA; * Corresponding Author: macneil.deltag@ Received 14 September 2012; revised 21 October 2012; accepted 3 November 2012 ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Records from a 76-year investigation into effects Several studies have investigated effects of beef pro- of line breeding and selection of Hereford cattle, duction on greenhouse gas emissions and consequent and concurrent weather records, were used to climate change (e.g. [1-3]). It is suggested the cow-calf assess effects of weather patterns on growth of segment of beef production accounts for approximately suckling calves. Calf growth data were adjusted 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in North American for trends arising from selection and inbreeding, temperate zone production systems [2]. Here we turn the and for effects of age of dam and sex of calf to question around—how might climate change affect cow- calf production? Climate shifts might affect productivity produce clean estimates of year effects. Daily of ruminant livestock through direct effects on the ani- maximum