Growth Curve Fitting in Livestock

Growth curve fitting is the mathematical modeling of animal body weight and size changes over time. Developed by animal biologists and statisticians in the 1970s-1980s (Fitzhugh), the method applies nonlinear regression to weight data, extracting parameters that characterize growth rate, time to maturity, and asymptotic mature weight. Curve fitting supports comparisons of genetics, nutrition, and management effects on growth efficiency and enables prediction of market weight and slaughter timing.