Preliminary results in temperament of Charolais bulls and heifers

Authors

  • János Tőzsér Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Cattle and Sheep Breeding, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1. , Szent István Egyetem, Mezőgazdaság- és Környezettudományi Kar, Szarvasmarha- és Juhtenyésztési Tanszék, , 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1.
  • Andrea Szentléleki Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Cattle and Sheep Breeding, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1. , Szent István Egyetem, Mezőgazdaság- és Környezettudományi Kar, Szarvasmarha- és Juhtenyésztési Tanszék, , 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1319-5315 (unauthenticated)
  • Katalin Maros Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Applied Ethology, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1. , Szent István Egyetem, Mezőgazdaság- és Környezettudományi Kar, Alkalmazott Etológia Tanszék, 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4437-6048 (unauthenticated)
  • Rita Zándoki Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Cattle and Sheep Breeding, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1. , Szent István Egyetem, Mezőgazdaság- és Környezettudományi Kar, Szarvasmarha- és Juhtenyésztési Tanszék, , 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8097-4196 (unauthenticated)
  • Zoltán Domokos Association of Hungarian Charolais Breeders, H-3525 Miskolc, Vologda út 1. , Magyar Charolais Tenyésztők Egyesülete, 3525 Miskolc, Vologda út 3.
  • Márton Bujdosó Charolais Ltd., H-6050 Lajosmizse, Dózsa Gy. u. 106. , Charolais Kft. 6050 Lajosmizse, Dózsa Gy. u. 106.

Keywords:

Charolais bull, heifer, scale-test, temperament score, flight speed score

Abstract

Authors compared temperaments of Charolais bulls (n = 18, age: 1st measurement:
262 days, 2nd measurement: 366 days, live weight: 1st measurement: 259 kg, 2nd measurement: 391 kg) and heifers (n = 13, age: 1st measurement: 259 days, 2nd measurement: 349 days, live weight: 1st measurement: 264 kg, 2nd measurement:
339 kg) in a Hungarian herd on two occasions applying two different methods. One of the two methods was the scale-test (temperament score, TEMP: assessing animals in a five-points scale while weighing), the other one was the flight-speed test (flight speed score, FSC: seconds needed for leaving the scale and moving to a set distance of 1.7 m). Although temperament scores of the two sexes did not differ at either of the measurements (1st measurement: bulls = 1.44 scores, heifers = 1.69 scores, 2nd measurement: bulls=1.39 scores, heifers = 1.92 scores), there was a significant difference in flight-speed scores at the second measurement (1st measurement:
bulls = 2.61 sec, heifers = 2.47 sec, n.s., 2nd measurement: bulls = 1.95 sec,
heifers = 2.86 sec, P < 0.05). Regarding the results of both measurements, there were significant differences between bulls and heifers in both temperament- and flight speed scores (TEMP: bulls = 1.42 scores, heifers = 1.81 scores, P < 0.10, FSC:
bulls = 2.28 sec, heifers = 2.67 sec, P < 0.10), implying that heifers were more nervous than bulls. Temperament scores showed a loose negative correlation with flight speed score in heifers (bulls rrank:-0.01, n.s., heifers rrank:-0.40, P < 0.05), so animals behaving calmer on the scale left the scale more slowly. With the use of these two tests, selection of two temperament animals would be possible, so authors suggest that both of the methods should be applied in the domestic practice.

Author Biography

  • János Tőzsér, Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Cattle and Sheep Breeding, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly u. 1., Szent István Egyetem, Mezőgazdaság- és Környezettudományi Kar, Szarvasmarha- és Juhtenyésztési Tanszék, , 2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1.

    corresponding author
    tozser@fau.gau.hu

References

Bucherauer, D. (1999). Genetics of Behaviour in Cattle. In: Fries, R.- Ruvinsky A.(ed) The Genetics of Cattle, CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

Burrow, H. M., Seifert, G. W., Corbet, N. J. (1988). A new technique for measuring temperament in cattle. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production, 17. 154–157.

Burrow, H. M. (1997). Measurement of temperament and their relationship with performance trits of beef cattle. Animal Breeding Abstracts, 65. 478–495.

Burrow, H. M., Corbet, N. J. (2000). Genetic and environmental factors affecting temperament of zebu and zebu-derived beef cattle grazed at pasture in the tropics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 51(1), 155–162. https://doi.org/10.1071/AR99053

Fordyce, G., Goddard, M. E., Seifert, G. W. (1982). The measurement of temperament in cattle and the effect of experience and genotype. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production, 14. 329–332.

Fordyce, G., Goddard, M. E., Tyler, R., Williams, G., Toleman, M. A. (1984). Maternal influence on the temperament of Bos indicus cross cows. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production, 15. 345–348.

Fordyce, G., Goddard, M. E., Tyler, R., Williams, G., Toleman, M. A. (1985). Temperament and bruising of Bos indicus cross cattle. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 25(2), 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1071/EA9850283

Gupta, S. C., Mishra, R. R. (1978). Temperament and its effect on milking ability of Karan Swiss cows. Proceedings of the XX. International Dairy Congress, 130.

Hearnshaw, H., Morris, C. A. (1984). Genetic and environmental effects on a temperament score in beef cattle. Austr. Journal Agric. Res., 35(5), 723–733. https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9840723

Khanna, A. S., Sharma, J. S. (1988). Association of dairy temperament score with performance in some Indian breeds and crossbred cattle. Indian J. of Anim. Sci., 58. 237–242.

Kuehn, L. A., Hyde, L. R., Comstock, B. L., Doubet, S. (1999). Docility EPD for Salers Cattle. J. Anim. Sci., 77. 100.

Kuehn, L. A., Golden, B. L, Comstock, C. R., Anderse, K. J. (1998). Docility EPD for Limousin Cattle. J. Anim. Sci., 76. 85.

Morris, S. T., Parker, W. J., Grant, D. A. (1994). Herbage intake, liveweight gain, and grazing behaviour of Friesian, Piadmontese x Friesian, and Belgian Blue x Friesian bulls. New Zealand Journal Agric. Res., 36(2), 231–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.1993.10417758

Oikawa, T., Fudo, T., Kaneji, K. (1989). Estimate of genetic parameters for temperament and body measurements of beef cattle. Japanese J. Zootechnical Sci., 60(9), 894–896. https://doi.org/10.2508/chikusan.60.894

O'Rourke, P. K. (1989). Validation of genetic parameters for breeding Bos indicus cross cattle in the dry tropics. Final Report on AMLRDC Project DAQ.54. Queensland. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane, Australia.

Ronda, R., Gutierrez, M. (1991). Dairy temperament of Holstein and Siboney cows. Revista-de-Salud-Animal, 13. 93–96.

Staikov, P. (1996). The effect of castration on the behaviour of male Bulgarian Simmental calves fattened in a half open shed. Zhivotnovodni-Nauki, 33. 15–20.

Stricklin, W. R., Heisler, C. E., Wilson, L. L. (1980). Heritability of temperament in beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci., 5(Suppl. 1), 109–110.

Tőzsér J., Maros K., Szentléleki A., Zándoki R., Wittmann M., Balázs F., Bailo A., Alföldi L. (2003/a). Temperamentum teszt alkalmazása egy hazai angus és holstein fríz tenyészetben. Állattenyésztés és Takarmányozás, 6. (megjelenés alatt)

Tőzsér J., Szentléleki A., Zándoki R., Maros K., Domokos Z., Sváb L., Kovács T. (2003/b). Charolais és magyar szürke tinók temperamentumának értékelése. „Új eredmények és tendenciák az animal welfare, a környezet és az etológia területén” c. konferencia, Gödöllő, 2003. június 5–6. 30–35.

Trillat, G., Boissy, A., Boivin, X., Monin, G., Sapa, J., Mormende, P., Le Neindre, P. (2000). Relations entre le bien-être des bovines et les caractéristiques de la viande (Rapport définitif-Juin). INRA, Theix, France, 1–33.

Voisinet, B. D., Grandin, T., Tatum, J. D., O’Connor, S. F., Struthers, J. J. (1997). Feedlot cattle with calm temperaments have higher daily gains than cattle excitable temperaments. J. Anim. Sci., 75(4), 892–896. https://doi.org/10.2527/1997.754892x

Downloads

Published

2003-07-15

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2003): Acta Agraria Kaposváriensis

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2003 Tőzsér János, Szentléleki Andrea, Maros Katalin, Zándoki Rita, Domokos Zoltán, Bujdosó Márton

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Tőzsér, J., Szentléleki, A., Maros, K., Zándoki, R., Domokos, Z., & Bujdosó, M. (2003). Preliminary results in temperament of Charolais bulls and heifers. Acta Agraria Kaposváriensis, 7(2), 9-17. https://journal.uni-mate.hu/index.php/aak/article/view/1646

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>