THE RELATIVE GROWTH COEFFICIENT AND SOME BADY MEASURMENTS IN FRIESIAN HEIFERS

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in Arabic Iraqi state Cattle station located in Nahuruan area (50 KM south of Baghdad). Sixteen Friesian Heifers from birth up to (6) months, were divided into four groups weaned at different ages on same quantities of full milk of ( 4 ) KG / day / heifer . Group 1,2,3 as well as 4 were fed on whole milk until 12 , 10 , 8 and 6 weeks from the beginning of the experiment. Concentrate was offered as (starter) 10 days from beginning of experiment up to the end of the study. Body weights and some measurements ( heart girth , abdomen round ,body length .chest width ,height of front and tailing ) were performed monthly from the beginning of the experiment up to the its end at (6) months of age . The effect of the weaned groups was significant on relative growth coefficient between the weights from beginning of the experiment and the months (2nd , 3rd , 6lh ) , while the fourth group apostates over the all groups were as group three postdated on the first and second groups in relative growth coefficient for the 5lh and 6th where that third group months .Negative correlation coefficient between relative growth coefficient and heart girth between 4th , 5th , months highly significant ( r= -0.65, -0.63, -0.77, -0.66) with all measurements from 2nd up to 5lh month was noticed, whereas it was positive with the 6lh measurement ( r = 0.62 ). Correlation between relative growth coefficient and abdomen round mostly tended to non -— significant with some highly negative significant values. Most of correlation values between relative growth and body length tended to be non significant with same of highly negative significant values. Most of values between relative growth coefficient of front and tailing were negative and non -significant, and the highly significant values were negative and exceeded (r = 0.8) for both measurement.