Article, 2024

Maternal pre- and postpartum supplementation of a Bacillus-based DFM enhanced cow and calf performance

Journal of Animal Science, ISSN 0021-8812, 1525-3163, Volume 102, Page skae110, 10.1093/jas/skae110

Contributors

Izquierdo, Vinicius S [1] Cappellozza, Bruno Ieda 0000-0002-1819-4013 [2] Silva, João V L 0009-0007-9115-1339 [1] Santos, Giovanna C M [1] Miranda, André [1] Bittar, João H Jabur 0000-0002-6440-6785 [1] Pickett, Autumn T [3] Mackey, Shea J [3] Cooke, Reinaldo Fernandes 0000-0002-7497-3601 [3] Vendramini, Joao Mauricio Bueno 0000-0003-3383-1620 [1] Moriel, Philipe 0000-0002-9349-7575 (Corresponding author) [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] University of Florida
    2. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];
  2. [2] Chr. Hansen (Denmark)
    3. [NORA names: Novonesis; Private Research; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  3. [3] Texas A&M University
    4. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD]

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of maternal supplementation of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on the physiology and growth performance of Bos indicus-influenced cow-calf pairs. On day 0 (~139 d before expected calving date), 72 fall-calving, Brangus crossbred beef heifers (20 to 22 mo of age) pregnant with first offspring were stratified by their initial body weight (BW; 431 ± 31 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 6.0 ± 0.36; scale 1 to 9), and randomly allocated into 1 of 12 bahiagrass pastures (1 ha and six heifers per pasture). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures (six pastures per treatment) and consisted of heifers supplemented with 1 kg/d of soybean hulls (dry matter, DM) that was added (BAC) or not (CON) with DFM containing Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis (Bovacillus; Chr. Hansen A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark). Treatments were provided from days 0 to 242 (139 ± 4 d prepartum to 104 ± 4 d postpartum). Calves were weaned on day 242 (96 ± 30 d of age) and then allocated into 1 of 16 drylot pens and fed the same concentrate at 3.25% of BW (DM) until day 319. Maternal treatment effects were not detected (P ≥ 0.29) for herbage allowance and forage chemical composition. Heifer BCS on days 39 and 63 tended (P ≤ 0.09) to be greater for BAC vs. CON heifers, whereas heifer BCS on day 91 was greater (P = 0.01) for BAC vs. CON heifers. Heifer BCS did not differ (P ≥ 0.20) between treatments on days 179 and 242. Plasma glucose concentration did not differ from days 0 to 63 (P ≥ 0.14) but were greater (P < 0.01) on day 179 and tended (P = 0.09) to be greater on day 242 for BAC vs. CON heifers. Calf BW at birth, ADG from birth to weaning, and BW at weaning did not differ (P ≥ 0.19) between treatments, but calf BW at drylot exit (day 319) was greater (P = 0.05) for BAC vs. CON calves. Maternal treatment effects were not detected (P ≥ 0.42) for calf serum concentration of IgG at birth and postvaccination plasma concentrations of glucose, cortisol, and haptoglobin. Serum titers against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) were greater (P = 0.04) for BAC vs. CON calves on day 287, whereas seroconversion against parainfluenza-3 virus (PI-3) was greater (P < 0.01) for BAC vs. CON calves on day 271. Thus, maternal supplementation of a Bacillus-based DFM increased prepartum BCS gain and postpartum plasma glucose concentration of heifers and led to positive carryover effects on postweaning BW gain and humoral immune response in their offspring.

Keywords

ADG, B. licheniformis, BAC, BCS, BCS gain, BW, BW gain, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial, Brangus, CON calves, CON heifers, Con, DM, IgG, Microbial, PI-3, allowance, bahiagrass, bahiagrass pasture, beef heifers, birth, body, body condition score, body weight, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, calf BW, calf performance, calf serum concentration, calves, carryover effects, chemical composition, composition, concentration, concentrations of IgG, concentrations of glucose, condition score, cortisol, cow-calf pairs, cows, crossbred beef heifers, day 0, days, direct-fed microbials, drylot pens, effect, effects of maternal supplementation, exit, fall-calving, forage chemical composition, foraging, gain, glucose, glucose concentration, growth, growth performance, haptoglobin, heifers, herbage, herbage allowance, hull, humoral immune response, immune response, initial body weight, maternal pre-, maternal supplementation, offspring, pairs, parainfluenza-3, parainfluenza-3 virus, pasture, pen, performance, physiology, plasma, plasma concentrations of glucose, plasma glucose concentration, positive carryover effects, postpartum, postpartum supplementation, postvaccination, postweaning BW gain, pre-, respiratory syncytial virus, response, scores, seroconversion, serum, serum concentrations of IgG, serum titers, soybean, soybean hulls, study, supplementation, syncytial virus, titers, treatment, treatment effects, virus, weaning, weight

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