Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences (Sep 2020)

Effects of energy-protein supplementation frequency on performance of primiparous grazing beef cows during pre and postpartum

  • Felipe Henrique de Moura,
  • Thaís Correia Costa,
  • Aline Souza Trece,
  • Luciano Prímola de Melo,
  • Marcos Rocha Manso,
  • Mário Fonseca Paulino,
  • Luciana Navajas Rennó,
  • Mozart Alves Fonseca,
  • Edenio Detmann,
  • Mateus Pies Gionbelli,
  • Marcio de Souza Duarte

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.19.0784
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 33, no. 9
pp. 1430 – 1443

Abstract

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Objective Twenty-four pregnant Nellore primiparous grazing cows were used to evaluate the effects of energy-protein supplementation and supplementation frequency during pre (105 d before calving) and postpartum (105 d after calving) on performance and metabolic characteristics. Methods Experimental treatments consisted of a control (no supplementation), daily supplementation (1.5 kg/d of concentrate/animal) and infrequent supplementation (4.5 kg of concentrate/animal every three days). During the pre and postpartum periods, concentrations of blood metabolites and animal performance were evaluated. Ureagenesis and energy metabolism markers were evaluated at prepartum period. Results Supplementation frequency did not alter (p>0.10) body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and carcass traits during pre and postpartum. The BW (p = 0.079), adjusted BW at day of parturition (p = 0.078), and ADG (p = 0.074) were greater for supplemented cows during the prepartum. The body condition score (BCS; p = 0.251), and carcass traits (p>0.10) were not affected by supplementation during prepartum. On postpartum, supplementation did not affect animal performance and carcass traits (p>0.10). The dry mater intake was not affected (p>0.10) by supplementation and supplementation frequency throughout the experimental period. Daily supplemented animals had greater (p0.10) the levels of blood metabolites, neither the abundance of ureagenesis nor energy metabolism markers. Conclusion In summary, our data show that the reduction of supplementation frequency does not cause negative impacts on performance and metabolic characteristics of primiparous grazing cows during the prepartum.

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