Abstract
The number of calves weaned relative to the number of cows exposed to bulls is one of the most important economic traits in beef cattle production. High costs of production make it of the utmost importance to achieve the highest weaning rate possible with the forage resources available. Thus, it is important to assess the productivity of various breed groups in alternative production systems in order to design economical production programs. Little information is available on the comparative reproductive behavior of Brahman, European-origin and crossbred cattle under contolled environmental conditions imposed by nutritional or management regimes. At the time the trial was initiated, information was not available on the comparative reproductive performance of different breed groups. Reliable data on the reproductive rates on native versus improved pastures in Florida were unavailable. Reports from Florida (Koger et al., 1962; Gonzales-Padilla et al., 1969), Texas (Cartwright et al., 1964) and Louisiana (Turner, Farthing and Robertson, 1968) have indicated heterosis for weaning rate in Brahman-British crossbred cows. Copyright © 1971. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1971 by American Society of Animal Science.