PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF FEMALE CATTLE IN THE KIMBERLEY REGION OF NORTHWESTERN AUSTRALIA

Three experiments were done to determine the influence of supplementary feeding with crushed whole cotton seed and weaning on the productivity of breeding female cattle under range conditions in the Kimberley region, north-western Australia. In the first experiment, supplementary feeding cut losses of breeding cows from 47% to nil, and increased calf turn-off from 18% to 58%, in a sample of cattle from Argyle Downs cattle station during a severe dry season. In the second experiment, weaning calves at 4–6 months of age reduced weight loss in supplemented cows, from 21 to 8% over the last 100 days of the dry season, although the subsequent growth of supplemented weaned calves was inferior to that of non-weaned calves. In the third experiment, weaning of calves had no effect on body weight changes in supplemented cows, although non-weaned calves gained significantly faster than weaned supplemented calves. Control of cattle tick infestation by spraying increased blood haematocrit and haemoglobin values, but had no effect on total plasma proteins. A survey of feral cattle in the Kimberley area showed depressed blood haeboglobin, haematocrit and plasma protein values in breeding cows compared with other classes of cattle.