Supplementing Trace Minerals to Beef Cows during Gestation to Enhance Productive and Health Responses of the Offspring.
Kelsey Margaret HarveyReinaldo Fernandes CookeRodrigo da Silva MarquesPublished in: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI (2021)
Nutritional management during gestation is critical to optimize the efficiency and profitability of beef production systems. Given the essentiality of trace minerals to fetal developmental processes, their supplementation represents one approach to optimize offspring productivity. Our research group investigated the impacts of supplementing gestating beef cows with organic-complexed (AAC) or inorganic sources (INR) of Co, Cu, Mn, or Zn on productive and health responses of the progeny. Calves born to AAC supplemented cows had reduced incidence of bovine respiratory disease and were >20 kg heavier from weaning until slaughter compared to unsupplemented cohorts. Complementing these findings, heifer progeny born to AAC supplemented cows had accelerated puberty attainment. Collectively, research demonstrates supplementing trace minerals to gestating beef cows may be a strategy to enhance offspring productivity in beef production systems.
Keyphrases
- gestational age
- heavy metals
- high fat diet
- healthcare
- public health
- preterm infants
- climate change
- mental health
- low birth weight
- health information
- intensive care unit
- type diabetes
- human health
- water soluble
- high resolution
- adipose tissue
- social media
- risk assessment
- mass spectrometry
- preterm birth
- skeletal muscle
- atomic force microscopy
- ionic liquid