Record Details
Nutritional strategies to improve the reproductive performance of beef females
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Nutritional strategies to improve the reproductive performance of beef females |
| Names |
Cappellozza, Bruno Ieda
(creator) Cooke, Reinaldo Fernandes (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2015-02-26 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2015 |
| Abstract | In the first set of studies, 2 experiments evaluated the influence of supplement composition on ruminal forage disappearance, performance, and physiological responses of Angus × Hereford cattle consuming a low-quality, cool-season forage (8.7 % CP and 57 % TDN). In Exp. 1, 6 rumen-fistulated steers housed in individual pens were assigned to an incomplete 3 x 2 Latin square design containing 2 periods of 11 d each and the following treatments: 1) supplementation with soybean meal (PROT), 2) supplementation with a mixture of cracked corn, soybean meal, and urea (68:22:10 ratio, DM basis; ENER), or 3) no supplementation (CON). Steers were offered meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis L.) hay for ad libitum consumption. Treatments were provided daily at 0.50 and 0.54 % of shrunk BW/steer for PROT and ENER, respectively, to ensure that PROT and ENER intakes were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. No treatment effects were detected on rumen disappearance parameters of forage DM (P ≥ 0.33) and NDF (P ≥ 0.66). In Exp. 2, 35 pregnant heifers were ranked by initial BW on d -7 of the study, allocated into 12 feedlot pens (4 pens/treatment), and assigned to the same treatments and forage intake regimen as in Exp. 1 for 19 d. Treatments were fed once daily at 1.77 and 1.92 kg of DM/heifer for PROT and ENER, respectively, to achieve the same treatment intake as % of initial BW used in Exp. 1 (0.50 and 0.54 % for PROT and ENER, respectively). No treatment effects (P = 0.17) were detected on forage DMI. Total DMI was greater (P < 0.01) for PROT and ENER compared with CON, and similar between PROT and ENER (P = 0.36). Accordingly, ADG was greater (P = 0.01) for PROT compared with CON, tended to be greater for ENER compared with CON (P = 0.08), and was similar between ENER and PROT (P = 0.28). Heifers receiving PROT and ENER had greater mean concentrations of plasma glucose (P = 0.03), insulin (P ≤ 0.09), IGF-I (P ≤ 0.04), and progesterone (P₄; P = 0.01) compared to CON, whereas ENER and PROT had similar concentrations of these variables (P ≥ 0.15). A treatment × hour interaction was detected (P < 0.01) for plasma urea N (PUN), given that PUN concentrations increased after supplementation for ENER and PROT (time effect, P < 0.01), but did not change for CON (time effect; P = 0.62). In conclusion, beef cattle consuming low-quality cool-season forages had similar ruminal forage disappearance and intake, performance, and physiological status if offered supplements based on soybean meal or corn at approximately 0.5 % of BW (DM basis). The following experiment evaluated the influence of supplement composition on performance, reproductive, and metabolic responses of Angus × Hereford heifers consuming a low-quality cool-season forage (8.7 % CP and 57 % TDN). Sixty heifers (initial age = 226 ± 3 d) were allocated into 15 drylot pens (4 heifers/pen; 5 pens/treatment), and assigned to the same treatments as reported above. Heifers were offered meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis L.) hay for ad libitum consumption during the experiment (d -10 to 160). Beginning on d 0, PROT and ENER were provided daily at a rate of 1.30 and 1.40 kg of DM/heifer to ensure that PROT and ENER intakes were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Hay and total DMI were recorded for 5 consecutive days during each month of the experiment. Blood was collected every 10 d for analysis of plasma P₄ to evaluate puberty attainment. Blood samples collected on d -10, 60, 120, and 150 were also analyzed for PUN, glucose, insulin, IGF-I, NEFA, and leptin. Liver samples were collected on d 100 from 2 heifers/pen, and analyzed for mRNA expression of genes associated with nutritional metabolism. No treatment effect was detected (P = 0.33) on forage DMI. Total DMI, ADG, mean concentrations of glucose, insulin, and IGF-I, as well as hepatic mRNA expression of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were greater (P ≤ 0.02) for PROT and ENER compared with CON, and similar between PROT and ENER (P ≥ 0.13). Mean PUN concentrations were also greater (P < 0.01) for PROT and ENER compared with CON, whereas PROT heifers had greater (P < 0.01) PUN compared with ENER. Plasma leptin concentrations were similar between ENER and PROT (P ≥ 0.19), and greater (P ≤ 0.03) for ENER and PROT compared with CON on d 120 and 150 (treatment × day interaction; P = 0.03). Hepatic mRNA expression of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was greater (P = 0.05) in PROT compared with CON and ENER, and similar between CON and ENER (P = 0.98). The proportion of heifers pubertal on d 160 was greater (P < 0.01) in ENER compared with PROT and CON, and similar between PROT and CON (P = 0.38). In conclusion, beef heifers consuming a low-quality cool-season forage had a similar increase in DMI, growth, and overall metabolic status if offered supplements based on soybean meal or corn at 0.5 % of BW. The last experiment was designed to determine if frequency of protein supplementation impacts physiological responses associated with reproduction in beef cows. Fourteen non-pregnant, non-lactating beef cows were ranked by age and BW, and allocated to 3 groups. Groups were assigned to a 3 × 3 Latin square design, containing 3 periods of 21 d and the following treatments: 1) soybean meal (SB) supplementation daily (D), 2) SB supplementation 3 times/wk (3WK), and 3) SB supplementation once/wk (1WK). Within each period, cows were assigned to an estrus synchronization protocol; 100 μg of GnRH + controlled internal drug release (CIDR) containing 1.38 g of P4 on d 1, 25 mg of PGF₂α on d 8, and CIDR removal + 100 μg of GnRH on d 11. Grassseed straw was offered for ad libitum consumption. Soybean meal was individually supplemented at a daily rate of 1 kg/cow (as-fed basis). Moreover, 3WK were supplemented on d 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, and 18, whereas 1WK were supplemented on d 4, 11, and 18. Blood samples were collected from 0 (prior to) to 72 h after supplementation on d 11 and 18, and analyzed for PUN. Samples collected from 0 to 12 h were also analyzed for plasma glucose, insulin, and P4 (d 18 only). Uterine flushing fluid was collected concurrently with blood sampling at 28 h for pH evaluation. Liver biopsies were performed concurrently with blood sampling at 0, 4, and 28 h, and analyzed for mRNA expression of carbamoylphosphate synthetase I (CPS-I; h 28), and CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 (h 0 and 4 on d 18). Plasma urea-N concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. 3WK from 20 to 72 h, and greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. D from 16 to 48 h and at 72 h after supplementation (treatment × hour interaction; P < 0.01). Moreover, PUN concentrations peaked at 28 h after supplementation for 3WK and 1WK (P < 0.01), and were greater (P < 0.01) at this time for 1WK vs. 3WK and D and for 3WK vs. D. Expression of CPS-I was greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. D and 3WK. Uterine flushing pH tended (P ≤ 0.10) to be greater for 1WK vs. 3WK and D. No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.15) on expression of CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, plasma glucose and P4 concentrations, whereas plasma insulin concentrations were greater (P ≤ 0.03) in D and 3WK vs. 1WK. Hence, decreasing frequency of protein supplementation did not reduce uterine flushing pH or plasma P₄ concentrations, which are known to impact reproduction in beef cows. In summary for all the experiments presented herein: (1) pregnant and developing replacement beef heifers consuming a low-quality, cool-season forage equally utilize and benefit, in terms of growth and metabolic parameters, from supplements based on protein or energy ingredients provided at approximately 0.5 % of heifer BW/d, (2) energetic supplementation at approximately 0.5 % BW/d did not impair forage disappearance parameters in rumen-fistulated steers, and (3) decreasing soybean meal supplementation frequency to once a week did not increase uterine pH, plasma P₄, and expression of hepatic enzymes associated with steroid catabolism in ruminants. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Access Condition | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ |
| Topic | beef females |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/55336 |
