Effects of Maternal Supplementation with an Injectable Trace Mineral Containing Copper, Manganese, Zinc, and Selenium on Subsequent Steer Finishing Phase Performance and Carcass Characteristics

Selenium Injection in Dam Rabbits During Gestation Has Important Effects on Progeny Productive Performance

Micromineral elements have a fundamental participation in the processes of organogenesis and fetal development. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selenium (Se) injection in pregnant female rabbits, during organogenesis or rapid fetal growth, on the productive performance of their progeny. An experiment was carried out with 30 New Zealand female rabbits, with an average age of 6 months. At the end of mating (day 0), using a randomized complete design, the female rabbits were distributed into three experimental groups, which were assigned to the following treatments: Control, female rabbits were injected intramuscularly (IM) with 0.5 ml of saline on days 13 and 23 of gestation; Early administration, female rabbits that were injected IM with Se (0.10 mg/kg BW) on day 13 of gestation (organogenesis) and 0.5 ml of saline on day 23 of gestation; and Late administration, female rabbits that were injected IM with 0.5 ml of saline on day 13 of gestation and Se (0.10 mg/kg BW) on day 23 of gestation (rapid fetal growth). No differences were found on kindling performance of dams and pre-weaning growth of rabbit offspring. However, an injection of Se to pregnant rabbits affected the growth and development of their progeny, with the treatment leading to changes in the yield of some carcass traits (forelimb weight and forelimb muscle weight) and weights of some organs (liver, lungs, and spleen). The Se treatment (both early and late) also resulted in lower concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol when compared to the control group. These effects were different when Se injection was performed during organogenesis or rapid fetal development. The results from this study suggest that there are beneficial effects of gestational Se injection of rabbit dams on important productive traits of their progeny.

Impact of Parenteral Maternal Supplementation with Trace Minerals and Vitamins on Neonatal Calf Antioxidant System and Growth in a Dairy Herd

Oxidative stress may affect new born calves due to high stress suffered around birth. We hypothesized that maternal supplementation with micronutrients and vitamins in late gestation enhance the neonatal calf's antioxidant system, decreasing the occurrence and duration of diarrhea, and improving growth from birth through weaning. To test this hypothesis, 80 multiparous cows were cluster-assigned to treatment groups. Treated group (TG) cows received mineral and vitamin supplementation while control group (CG) cows received saline solution. Feed intake and fecal score were measured daily until the ninth week. Weight and body measurements were registered weekly, and blood samples were collected from postpartum cows and calves after birth and at 7, 14, and 63 days of life. Although CG calves had greater fecal scores (p = 0.01), diarrhea characteristics did not differ. Calves in the TG showed greater starter intake (p = 0.04). Feed efficiency showed a trend with treatment-age interaction (p = 0.06). Calves in the CG had wider hips in the first week (p = 0.03), but not by the ninth week. Total antioxidant status, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and haptoglobin did not differ between treatment groups. Serum metabolites showed no differences. Supplementation did not impact calf antioxidant system or growth in the first two months.

The effect of maternal organic manganese supplementation on performance, immunological status, blood biochemical and antioxidant status of Afshari ewes and their newborn lambs in transition period

It has been documented that adequate maternal manganese (Mn) status is vital for performance and health of ewes and their newborn lambs. However, required level and form of dietary Mn in ruminants are not well defined. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of maternal organic Mn supplementation on performance, immunological status, blood biochemical and antioxidant status of Afshari ewes and their newborn lambs in transition period. For this purpose, various organic Mn concentrations were utilized as a supplementary ingredient in formulating the diets of ewes. The ewes were randomly allocated into three groups, fed with 0, and 80 mg/kg organic Mn supplemented diet. At the end of the experiment, the parameters including the performance of newborn lambs, as well as biochemical factors, immune status and antioxidant status in ewes and their newborn lambs were evaluated. The results showed a significant increase in the plasma concentrations of Mn, glucose, insulin, thyroid hormones (T3 , T4 ) and enzymatic antioxidants (SOD, GPX , CAT) in ewes and their newborn lambs that were treated with maternal organic Mn. Moreover, inorganic Mn treatments, the concentration of IgG in newborn lamb's plasma, and colostrum of ewes increased. According to this research, organic Mn acts as a valuable and safe supplementary material that could be exploited for enhancing health of ewes and their newborn lambs.

A Trace Mineral Injection before Joining and Lambing Increases Marking Percentages and Lamb Weights on Diverse Farms in Victoria, Australia

This study was conducted on five commercial farms across Victoria, Australia, between September 2018 and November 2019, where the TM status of ewes was within normal ranges before joining. Mix breed ewes (n = 1484) were randomly allocated to receive either nil treatment (Control) or two injections of an ITM product containing zinc (40 mg/mL), manganese (10 mg/mL), selenium (3 mg/mL), and copper (10 mg/mL); 0.2 mL per 10 kg BW (Multimin® plus Copper for Sheep, Virbac (Australia) Pty Ltd., Milperra, NSW, Australia) 30 days before the start of joining and 30 days before the start of lambing. Approximately 90 days after joining, pregnancy status and conception rate were determined by ultrasound. The marking rate was determined approximately four weeks after the end of lambing, and lamb weights were determined at weaning (12 weeks after the end of lambing). In all farms, ITM treatment did not affect the conception rate. The average conception rate was 156 ± 11.0% (p > 0.05). The marking rate of ITM ewes was 9% higher than control ewes (95% Confidence Interval 3−21%). Lambs born to ITM ewes were 2.31 kg heavier at weaning than lambs born to control ewes (p < 0.001). Although not significant, ewe mortality across farms was 1.3% lower in the ITM group than in the control group. On average, ewes treated with ITM pre-joining and pre-lambing produced more and heavier lambs that represent an extra AU$ 2338 per 100 ewes net benefit for the producer. These results help to understand strategic TM supplementation for animal health, performance and farm profitability beyond the treatment of clinical deficiencies.

Improving Beef Progeny Performance Through Developmental Programming

Maternal nutritional management during gestation appears to modulate fetal development and imprint offspring postnatal health and performance, via altered organ and tissue development and tissue-specific epigenetics. This review highlighted the studies demonstrating how developmental programming could be explored by beef producers to enhance offspring performance (growth, immune function, and reproduction), including altering cow body condition score (BCS) during pregnancy and maternal supplementation of protein and energy, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), trace minerals, frequency of supplementation, specific amino acids, and vitamins. However, this review also highlighted that programming effects on offspring performance reported in the literature were highly variable and depended on level, duration, timing, and type of nutrient restriction during gestation. It is suggested that maternal BCS gain during gestation, rather than BCS per se, enhances offspring preweaning growth. Opportunities for boosting offspring productive responses through maternal supplementation of protein and energy were identified more consistently for pre- vs. post-weaning phases. Maternal supplementation of specific nutrients (i.e., PUFA, trace minerals, and methionine) demonstrated potential for improving offspring performance, health and carcass characteristics during immunological challenging scenarios. Despite the growing body of evidence in recent years, the complexity of investigating developmental programming in beef cattle production is also growing and potential reasons for current research challenges are highlighted herein. These challenges include: (1) intrinsic difficulty of accurately measuring cow milk production multiple times in cow-calf systems; (2) larger focus on Bos taurus vs. Bos indicus breeds despite the predominance of Bos indicus-influenced beef breeds in tropical/subtropical environments and their specific, and sometimes opposite, physiological and performance outcomes compared to Bos taurus breeds; (3) limited focus on interaction between prenatal and postnatal management; (4) sex-specific outcomes following similar maternal nutrition during gestation; (5) greater focus on nutrient deficiency vs. excess; (6) limited implementation of immunological challenges; and (7) lack of multigeneration and longer periods of offspring evaluation. This review provides multiple evidence that such obstacles need to be overcome in order to significantly advance the scientific knowledge of developmental programming in beef cattle and promote global beef production.