The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition
Resource efficient winter-feeding of mature pregnant beef cows requires knowledge of how different roughage-based feeding strategies affect cow intake and energy status. Four diets based on traditional timothy-meadow fescue silage (TM), festulolium silage plus urea (FE), reed canarygrass silage (RC)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/3/496 |
| _version_ | 1818115297391935488 |
|---|---|
| author | Mikaela Jardstedt Elisabet Nadeau Mette Olaf Nielsen Peder Nørgaard Anna Hessle |
| author_facet | Mikaela Jardstedt Elisabet Nadeau Mette Olaf Nielsen Peder Nørgaard Anna Hessle |
| author_sort | Mikaela Jardstedt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Resource efficient winter-feeding of mature pregnant beef cows requires knowledge of how different roughage-based feeding strategies affect cow intake and energy status. Four diets based on traditional timothy-meadow fescue silage (TM), festulolium silage plus urea (FE), reed canarygrass silage (RC) or barley straw supplemented with urea and rapeseed meal (BR), were fed ad libitum for 16 weeks prepartum to 36 Hereford cows. Postpartum, cows were fed the same diet before release on pasture. Individual data on cow intake, changes in body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS) and plasma metabolites, calf birth and weaning weights were recorded. The TM and FE diets resulted in increased BW and BCS prepartum (<i>p</i> < 0.001), while the RC and BR diets resulted in a catabolic state, as indicated by a loss of BCS, lower insulin levels and higher non-esterified fatty acid levels in cows fed BR (<i>p</i> < 0.001). There were no dietary effects on calf parameters (<i>p</i> > 0.29). Feeding RC or BR prepartum might be a possible alternative to traditional timothy-meadow fescue silage if cows are allowed to regain lost BCS during the grazing period. The influence on cow reproductive- and calf performance should be considered before making this management change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:04:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aafc2e3aee8549149c8f133dd9722796 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:04:23Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-aafc2e3aee8549149c8f133dd97227962022-12-22T01:21:33ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-03-0110349610.3390/ani10030496ani10030496The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around ParturitionMikaela Jardstedt0Elisabet Nadeau1Mette Olaf Nielsen2Peder Nørgaard3Anna Hessle4Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 234, 532 23 Skara, SwedenDepartment of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 234, 532 23 Skara, SwedenDepartment of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, DenmarkDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 3, 1870 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkDepartment of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 234, 532 23 Skara, SwedenResource efficient winter-feeding of mature pregnant beef cows requires knowledge of how different roughage-based feeding strategies affect cow intake and energy status. Four diets based on traditional timothy-meadow fescue silage (TM), festulolium silage plus urea (FE), reed canarygrass silage (RC) or barley straw supplemented with urea and rapeseed meal (BR), were fed ad libitum for 16 weeks prepartum to 36 Hereford cows. Postpartum, cows were fed the same diet before release on pasture. Individual data on cow intake, changes in body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS) and plasma metabolites, calf birth and weaning weights were recorded. The TM and FE diets resulted in increased BW and BCS prepartum (<i>p</i> < 0.001), while the RC and BR diets resulted in a catabolic state, as indicated by a loss of BCS, lower insulin levels and higher non-esterified fatty acid levels in cows fed BR (<i>p</i> < 0.001). There were no dietary effects on calf parameters (<i>p</i> > 0.29). Feeding RC or BR prepartum might be a possible alternative to traditional timothy-meadow fescue silage if cows are allowed to regain lost BCS during the grazing period. The influence on cow reproductive- and calf performance should be considered before making this management change.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/3/496beef cowbody condition scoreenergy statusgestationmetabolic profileroughage |
| spellingShingle | Mikaela Jardstedt Elisabet Nadeau Mette Olaf Nielsen Peder Nørgaard Anna Hessle The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition Animals beef cow body condition score energy status gestation metabolic profile roughage |
| title | The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition |
| title_full | The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition |
| title_short | The Effect of Feeding Roughages of Varying Digestibility Prepartum on Energy Status and Metabolic Profiles in Beef Cows around Parturition |
| title_sort | effect of feeding roughages of varying digestibility prepartum on energy status and metabolic profiles in beef cows around parturition |
| topic | beef cow body condition score energy status gestation metabolic profile roughage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/3/496 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mikaelajardstedt theeffectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT elisabetnadeau theeffectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT metteolafnielsen theeffectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT pedernørgaard theeffectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT annahessle theeffectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT mikaelajardstedt effectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT elisabetnadeau effectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT metteolafnielsen effectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT pedernørgaard effectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition AT annahessle effectoffeedingroughagesofvaryingdigestibilityprepartumonenergystatusandmetabolicprofilesinbeefcowsaroundparturition |