{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T18:55:48Z","timestamp":1778093748646,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,21]],"date-time":"2024-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721520000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/00772\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00772\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/05183\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/05183\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2014Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UI\/BD\/150834\/2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UI\/BD\/150834\/2021"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Regularly weighing calves helps to assess the efficiency of the rearing period and contributes to animal welfare by allowing more precise feeding and medication application in dairy farming, but many farmers do not weigh their calves regularly. Improving the feasibility of this process is, therefore, important. The use of morphometric measurements has been used to estimate the weight of cattle. However, many studies have focused on adult animals or used a wide age range. As calves experience allometric tissue growth, specific models for certain ranges might be more accurate. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a weight estimation model specific for pre-weaned Holstein\u2013Friesian calves using morphometric measurements and to compare the model with another equation previously validated for the same breed with young and adult animals. From four dairy farms, 237 measurements of body weight, heart girth, abdominal girth, hip height, withers height, and body length were taken from Holstein\u2013Friesian male and female calves. Linear and non-linear regression analysis was used to test the relationship between body weight and morphometric measurements, with age, sex, and farm as possible explanatory variables. Selected models were compared with goodness of fit and agreement tests. The final model was able to accurately predict body weight (R2 = 0.96) with a mean difference of \u22121.4 \u00b1 3.24 kg. Differences in the relationship between body weight and morphometric traits were observed between farms, but not between males and females. The genetics of the animal population at farm level may be responsible for this variability and further studies are needed to understand this variability and improve weight prediction models. The developed model was able to perform better in the agreement tests than the previously validated model for Holstein\u2013Friesian animals, suggesting that different equations should be used depending on the growth phase the animal is in. In addition, a web application has been developed to facilitate the use of the developed model by farmers. This avoids the use of calibrated weight bands, which are usually calibrated for a broader age range or for beef cattle.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani14142129","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,22]],"date-time":"2024-07-22T08:24:59Z","timestamp":1721636699000},"page":"2129","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Predicting Body Weight in Pre-Weaned Holstein\u2013Friesian Calves Using Morphometric Measurements"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4218-498X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fl\u00e1vio G.","family":"Silva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV) and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Department of Animal Science, Universidade de Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Animal Science, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability (CISAS), Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, Agrarian School of Ponte de Lima, Rua D. Mendo Afonso, 4990-706 Ponte de Lima, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Emanuel","family":"Carreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Animal Science, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Joana M.","family":"Ramalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Tom\u00e1s","family":"Correia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, Malagueira, 7000-407 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00edlia","family":"Meira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Science, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4118-3283","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Concei\u00e7\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Animal Science, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7045-2075","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Severiano R.","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV) and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Department of Animal Science, Universidade de Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9430-9399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alfredo M. F.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Animal Science, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0022-2749","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joaquim L.","family":"Cerqueira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV) and Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Department of Animal Science, Universidade de Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability (CISAS), Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, Agrarian School of Ponte de Lima, Rua D. Mendo Afonso, 4990-706 Ponte de Lima, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6991","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2013-7494","article-title":"Effect of feeding colostrum at different volumes and subsequent number of transition milk feeds on the serum immunoglobulin G concentration and health status of dairy calves","volume":"97","author":"Conneely","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Dairy Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"550","DOI":"10.1111\/jvp.12042","article-title":"The pharmacokinetics and effects of meloxicam, gabapentin, and flunixin in postweaning dairy calves following dehorning with local anesthesia","volume":"36","author":"Glynn","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Vet. Pharmacol. 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