Supplementing Trace Minerals to Beef Cows during Gestation to Enhance Productive and Health Responses of the Offspring. Academic Article

abstract

• 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.

authors

• Cooke, Reinaldo

published proceedings

• Animals (Basel)

author list (cited authors)

• Harvey, K. M., Cooke, R. F., & Marques, R.

citation count

• 1

complete list of authors

• Harvey, Kelsey Margaret||Cooke, Reinaldo Fernandes||Marques, Rodrigo da Silva

publication date

• January 2021

publisher

• MDPI  Publisher

published in

• Animals  Journal

keywords

• Beef Cows
• Developmental Programming
• Gestation
• Health
• Offspring
• Production
• Trace Minerals

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.3390/ani11041159

start page

• 1159

end page

• 1159

volume

• 11

issue

• 4

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11041159