Impacts of Nutritional Management During Early Postnatal Life on Long-Term Physiological and Productive Responses of Beef Cattle

Kelsey M Harvey,Philipe Moriel,Reinaldo F Cooke

doi:10.3389/fanim.2021.730356

Kelsey M Harvey, Philipe Moriel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2021.730356

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Abstract

Effective early postnatal nutritional management is a crucial component of livestock production systems, and nutrient manipulation during this period has been shown to exert long-term consequences on beef cattle growth and physiology. Metabolic imprinting defines these biological responses to a nutritional intervention early in life that permanently alter physiological outcomes later in life. Early weaning has been used to study metabolic imprinting effects, given that it allows for nutritional manipulation of animals at a young age. This practice has been shown to enhance carcass characteristics in feedlot cattle and accelerate reproductive development of females. Another strategy to study the effects of metabolic imprinting without the need for early weaning is to provide supplements via creep feeding. Providing creep feed to nursing cattle has resulted in transient and long-term alterations in cattle metabolism, contributing to increased reproductive performance of developing heifers and enhanced carcass quality of feeder cattle. Collectively, results described herein demonstrate nutrient manipulation during early postnatal life exerts long-term consequences on beef cattle productivity and may be a strategy to optimize production efficiency in beef cattle systems.

Highlights

Food production will need to increase considerably in the decades to meet the demand of a growing population [Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2009]
Beef cattle are an integral component of achieving food security, and development of efficient and sustainable management strategies are fundamental to reach a level of animal production that can provide for the population by 2050 [Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2009]
Developmental programming, referred to as fetal programming, is the concept that alterations in nutrient or endocrine status during critical prenatal development stages may result in adaptations that permanently alter the trajectory of growth, physiology, and metabolism of the offspring (Barker and Clark, 1997; Wu et al, 2006)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Food production will need to increase considerably in the decades to meet the demand of a growing population [Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2009]. Developmental programming, referred to as fetal programming, is the concept that alterations in nutrient or endocrine status during critical prenatal development stages may result in adaptations that permanently alter the trajectory of growth, physiology, and metabolism of the offspring (Barker and Clark, 1997; Wu et al, 2006). The term metabolic imprinting defines these biological responses to a nutritional intervention occurring during a limited period of susceptibility in early postnatal life, which permanently alters physiological outcomes later in life (Patel and Srinivasan, 2011). Research described focuses on interventions applied before the animal reaches 9 months of age This concept has substantial implications for animal agriculture, and nutritional strategies targeted at these critical periods of development should be explored to optimize production efficiency and profitability in beef cattle systems

POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMING

EVIDENCE OF METABOLIC IMPRINTING IN CATTLE

Metabolic Imprinting in Normally Weaned Beef Calves

Fatty acid synthase

Findings

CONCLUSIONS