Nutritional Programming by Trace Minerals During Gestation

Over the last ten years many papers and lectures have been given on the topic of Nutritional Programing. The general results are that this is in fact occurring in beef cattle. In simple terms the way in which an animal is fed can affect the lifetime performance of both the cow and its offspring. Poor nutrition can reduce the physical performance through reduced growth and reproductive outcomes.

 

The female calf is born with a lifetime supply of eggs and if the cow is underfed chronically both the health and fertility of the heifer can be altered negatively. “Maternal nutrient status during fetal development also affects the lifetime productivity of female progeny by impacting ovarian reserves. Identifying specific nutritional strategies that are targeted at these critical periods of development provides a unique opportunity to optimize the efficiency and profitability of beef cattle systems.¹”

 

One such strategy is the replacement of inorganic minerals with chelated minerals during the last two months of gestation. Chelated minerals are minerals that use an organic carrier like amino acids to enhance absorption in the digestive tract. Through observation of nutritional shortfalls and the negative impact on the health and growth of the offspring it was postulated that providing strategic nutrients at the right time might give the effect of positive improvements in carcass characteristics and health responses. Three researchers, Dr. Kelsey Harvey, Dr. Reinaldo Cooke and Dr. Rodrigo da Silva Marques reviewed published literature on the topic and discovered an advantage, “ Calves born to AAC (organic) 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 attainment¹”.

 

Another Norwegian group of researchers2 evaluated using organic selenium in ewes and feeder lambs to improve the muscle quality through enhanced antioxidant status. This micronutrient is critical for heart function and immune response so in areas where soils are low in selenium the forages grown on these soils are also low in selenium. Supplementation with mineral or organic sources showed an advantage for the organic selenium supplement. Both ewes in the latter stages of gestation, and feeder lambs showed higher muscle and blood level of selenium. “Most prominent, however, was the difference in their lambs; whole blood mean selenium concentration in lambs from mothers that received organic selenium (mean 0.27 μg/g) was 30% higher than in lambs from mothers that received inorganic selenium (mean 0.21 μg/g). Slaughter lambs that received organic selenium had 50% higher meat selenium concentrations (mean 0.12 mg/kg wet weight) than lambs that received inorganic selenium (mean 0.08 mg/kg wet weight).²”

 

Chelated or Organically complexed minerals are used more efficiently by the body but come at a much higher price. This suggests that they be used for heifers and cows on a limited basis for the two months preceding calving and for three months after to ensure good ovulation and implantation of the embryo. This would apply in herds with sub optimal results over several years. For herds with 98% conception and 97% weaning no alteration of the feeding program would benefit the herd.

 

Mixing of these micronutrients into the ration can be achieved with a low coefficient of variance using a Highline AMX mixer which is sized properly for your herd size.

 

 

1. Supplementing Trace Minerals to Beef Cows during Gestation to Enhance Productive and Health Responses of the Offspring Kelsey Margaret Harvey 1, Reinaldo Fernandes Cooke 2, and Rodrigo da Silva Marques 3 Animals 2021, 11, 1159. https://doi. org/10.3390/ani11041159 Received: 4 March 2021 Accepted: 15 April 2021 Published: 18 April 2021

2. Organic selenium supplementation increased selenium concentrations in ewe and newborn lamb blood and in slaughter lamb meat compared to inorganic selenium supplementation Arvid Steen, Turid Strøm, and Aksel Bernhoft. Published: 31 March 2008 Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2008, 50:7 doi:10.1186/1751-0147-50-7 Received: 3 September 2007 Accepted: 31 March 2008