Influence of Prepartum Nutrition on the Reproductive Performance of Beef Females and the Performance of Their Progeny

Corah, L.R.; Dunn, Thomas; Kaltenbach, C. C.

doi:10.2527/jas1975.413819x

Cited by 181 publications

(138 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Variation in feed energy available to the dam during this period resulted in differences in birth weight, ranging from 0 to 8.2 kg (Dunn et al, 1969;Tudor, 1972;Laster, 1974;Corah et al, 1975;Bellows and Short, 1978;Kroker and Cummins, 1979;Bellows et al, 1982). Similarly, variable protein supply of the diet during the third trimester may or may not (Anthony et al, 1986a;Holland and Odde, 1992) alter birth weight of calves, while restricted or supplemental dietary protein during early or mid-pregnancy had little effect on birth weights (Perry et al, 1999 and.…”

Section: Intrauterine Growth Retardationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Greenwood

Café

2007

Animal

155

113

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Severe, chronic growth retardation of cattle early in life reduces growth potential, resulting in smaller animals at any given age. Capacity for long-term compensatory growth diminishes as the age of onset of nutritional restriction resulting in prolonged growth retardation declines. Hence, more extreme intrauterine growth retardation can result in slower growth throughout postnatal life. However, within the limits of beef production systems, neither severely restricted growth in utero nor from birth to weaning influences efficiency of nutrient utilisation later in life. Retail yield from cattle severely restricted in growth during pregnancy or from birth to weaning is reduced compared with cattle well grown early in life, when compared at the same age later in life. However, retail yield and carcass composition of low-and high-birth-weight calves are similar at the same carcass weight. At equivalent carcass weights, cattle grown slowly from birth to weaning have carcasses of similar or leaner composition than those grown rapidly. However, if high energy, concentrate feed is provided following severe growth restriction from birth to weaning, then at equivalent weights post-weaning the slowly-grown, small weaners may be fatter than their well-grown counterparts. Restricted prenatal and pre-weaning nutrition and growth do not adversely affect measures of beef quality. Similarly, bovine myofibre characteristics are little affected in the long term by growth in utero or from birth to weaning. Interactions were not evident between prenatal and pre-weaning growth for subsequent growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality characteristics, within our pasture-based production systems. Furthermore, interactions between genotype and nutrition early in life, studied using offspring of Piedmontese and Wagyu sired cattle, were not evident for any growth, efficiency, carcass, yield and beef-quality parameters. We propose that within pasture-based production systems for beef cattle, the plasticity of the carcass tissues, particularly of muscle, allows animals that are growth-retarded early in life to attain normal composition at equivalent weights in the long term, albeit at older ages. However, the quality of nutrition during recovery from early life growth retardation may be important in determining the subsequent composition of young, light-weight cattle relative to their heavier counterparts. Finally, it should be emphasised that long-term consequences of more specific and/or acute environmental influences during specific stages of embryonic, foetal and neonatal calf development remain to be determined. This need for further research extends to consequences of nutrition and growth early in life for reproductive capacity.

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Section: Intrauterine Growth Retardationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Greenwood

Café

2007

Animal

155

113

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“…Also, the percentage of live calves at weaning was greater for HBCS, averaging 99% and 88% for HBCS and LBCS cows, respectively (P = 0.01). A reduction in live calves at weaning caused by nutrient restriction (Corah et al, 1975) or a lack of supplementation (Stalker et al, 2006) during the last trimester of gestation has been reported. However, like Stalker et al (2007) we did not observe an effect of supplementation on live calves at weaning.…”

Section: Calf Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Late gestation supplementation of beef cows differing in body condition score: Effects on cow and calf performance1,2

Bohnert

Stalker²,

Mills

et al. 2013

Journal of Animal Science

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A 2-yr study utilizing 120 mature, crossbred (Angus × Herford) cows/year, evaluated the influence of cow BCS and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) supplementation during late gestation on cow performance and productivity of subsequent offspring. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial in a randomized complete block design with 2 BCS and with or without DDGS supplementation. Cows were nutritionally managed to enter the last trimester of gestation with a BCS of approximately 4 (LBCS) or 6 (HBCS) and were thereafter managed in a single herd (initial BCS were 4.4 and 5.7 for LBCS and HBCS treatments, respectively). During the last trimester, 12.7 kg/cow of low quality meadow hay (6.4% CP; DM basis) was provided each day. Supplemented cows were gathered and sorted into pens (12 pens; 5 cows/pen; 6 pens/BCS) every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and received the equivalent of 0.9 kg/cow daily of DDGS (31% CP; DM basis; supplement was consumed within 30 min on each supplementation day). Calf birth weight was greater for HBCS compared to LBCS (P = 0.001) and for supplemented compared to nonsupplemented cows (P = 0.04). Cow weight at weaning was greater for HBCS compared with LBCS (P < 0.001); however, no differences were noted because of supplementation (P = 0.16). Weaning weight was greater for the offspring of supplemented compared to nonsupplemented cows (P = 0.02). There were no differences in postweaning calf performance (growing lot and feedlot) or carcass characteristics (P > 0.05) due to treatments. Nevertheless, HBCS cows had approximately 10% more live calves at birth and at weaning (P ≤ 0.01) compared to LBCS cows. Consequently, the total weaned calf weight per cow was 26 kg greater for HBCS compared with LBCS (P = 0.004). Pregnancy rate was greater (P = 0.05) for HBCS than LBCS cows (92% vs. 79%, respectively) but not affected by supplementation (P = 0.94). This research demonstrates the potential consequences of not maintaining cows in adequate BCS at calving. Also, though it appears that supplementation of beef cows with DDGS during late gestation has a positive effect on weaning weight, there was no apparent developmental programming effect on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of calves.

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“…However, in a few studies cow nutrition has been linked to calf mortality (e.g. when cows were kept on an energyrestricted diet during late gestation leading to reduced birthweight; Corah et al 1975).…”

Section: Animal Behaviour and Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetics and developmental programming of welfare and production traits in farm animals

Sinclair

Rutherford

Wallace

et al. 2016

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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Abstract. The concept that postnatal health and development can be influenced by events that occur in utero originated from epidemiological studies in humans supported by numerous mechanistic (including epigenetic) studies in a variety of model species. Referred to as the 'developmental origins of health and disease' or 'DOHaD' hypothesis, the primary focus of large-animal studies until quite recently had been biomedical. Attention has since turned towards traits of commercial importance in farm animals. Herein we review the evidence that prenatal risk factors, including suboptimal parental nutrition, gestational stress, exposure to environmental chemicals and advanced breeding technologies, can determine traits such as postnatal growth, feed efficiency, milk yield, carcass composition, animal welfare and reproductive potential. We consider the role of epigenetic and cytoplasmic mechanisms of inheritance, and discuss implications for livestock production and future research endeavours. We conclude that although the concept is proven for several traits, issues relating to effect size, and hence commercial importance, remain. Studies have also invariably been conducted under controlled experimental conditions, frequently assessing single risk factors, thereby limiting their translational value for livestock production. We propose concerted international research efforts that consider multiple, concurrent stressors to better represent effects of contemporary animal production systems.

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Influence of Prepartum Nutrition on the Reproductive Performance of Beef Females and the Performance of Their Progeny

Cited by 181 publications

References 5 publications

Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Prenatal and pre-weaning growth and nutrition of cattle: long-term consequences for beef production

Late gestation supplementation of beef cows differing in body condition score: Effects on cow and calf performance1,2

Epigenetics and developmental programming of welfare and production traits in farm animals

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