Influence of age and weight of Girolando heifers on uterine and ovarian development

• Published in: Revista brasileira de zootecnia Vol. 49
• Main Authors: Fernandez, Hellen de Sousa, Freitas, Daniela Cristina Rocha de, Grillo, Gustavo Fernandes, Silenciato, Lara Nogueira, Camargo, Sérgio Trabali, Ferreira, Joaquim Esquerdo, Palhano, Helcimar Barbosa, Mello, Marco Roberto Bourg de
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia 01-01-2020
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE; morphometry; puberty; VETERINARY SCIENCES; weight growth; weight growth; morphometry; puberty
• ISSN: 1516-3598; 1806-9290; 1806-9290
• DOI: 10.37496/rbz4920200028

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to correlate the age and weight of Girolando heifers with uterine and ovarian development. Sixty heifers between 12 and 36 months old were weighed and subjected to ultrasound assessment to measure the diameters of each uterine horn and ovaries, monthly. These measures continued until their first ovulation. The animals were divided, for data analysis, according to their age into five groups: GI (12 to 14 months), GII (15 to 18 months), GIII (19 to 24 months), GIV (25 to 30 months), and GV (31 to 36 months). The dispersion diagram was used to assess the correlation between data collected monthly from uterus/ovaries and weight/age. An average daily growth of 0.0032 mm was recorded for the right ovary (RO) and 0.0051 mm for the left ovary (LO). The average size of the RO in GI was 17.58 mm and the LO was 15.28 mm; in GII, the RO was 16.72 mm and the LO was 15.89 mm; in GIII, the RO was 18.37 mm and the LO was 16.55 mm; in GIV, the RO was 19.09 mm and the LO was 17.49 mm; and in GV, the RO was 19.89 mm and the LO was 18.96 mm. The uterine horns showed an average daily growth of 0.0064 mm and 0.0071 mm for the right (RU) and left (LU) uterine horn, respectively. The average sizes of the uterine horns per group were: RU, 11.46 mm and LU, 11.48 mm; RU, 12.41 mm and LU, 12.63 mm; RU, 13.16 mm and LU, 13.19 mm; RU 14.30 mm and LU, 14.58 mm; and RU, 16.12 mm and LU, 16.68 mm for the groups GI, GII, GIII, GIV, and GV, respectively. The heifers showed an average daily weight gain of 0.224 kg and the groups GI, GII, GIII, GIV, and GV had an average weight of 220.5, 239.3, 287.6, 332.9, and 380.1 kg, respectively. Therefore, weight growth correlates with the growth of the ovaries and uterine horns; furthermore, these data correlate positively as the animals age.