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Short Communication: Relationship Between Body Growth And Mammary Development In Dairy Heifers, L F. Silva, M J. Vandehaar, Brian K. Whitlock, R P. Radcliff, H A. Tucker

Brian K Whitlock, PhD, DVM, DACT

Our objective was to determine if prepubertal rate of body weight (BW) gain, independent of diet, was related to mammary development of dairy heifers. Data from two studies recently conducted at Michigan State University were used to identify factors, within a dietary treatment group, that would account for variation in first lactation milk production or amount of mammary parenchymal DNA at the time of puberty. Factors analyzed for variation in milk production during first lactation were: postpartum BW, prepubertal BW gain, gestational BW gain, postpartum BW gain, body condition score (BCS) at breeding, and BCS at calving. Factors analyzed for …