Maternal nutrient restriction during late gestation reduces vigor and alters blood chemistry and hematology in neonatal beef calves.

Abstract

Fall-calving primiparous beef females [body weight: 451 ± 28 (SD) kg; body condition score: 5.4 ± 0.7] were individually-fed either 100% (control; CON; n = 13) or 70% (nutrient restricted; NR; n = 13) of metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance, pregnancy, and growth from day 160 of gestation to parturition. Calves were reared naturally by their dams and monitored for latency times from birth to first sternal recumbency, attempt to stand, and stand; vigor scores were assigned at 2, 5, 10, and 20min of age. Rectal temperatures and jugular blood were obtained at 0 (pre-suckling), 6, 12, 24, and 48h of age, and blood chemistry, hematology, cortisol, and insulin were determined. Data were analyzed with fixed effects of late gestational nutritional plane (single data point) or nutritional plane, hour, and their interaction (data over time, repeated measures). Calving date was a fixed effect; calf sex was included when P < 0.25. We previously reported that late gestational nutritional plane did not affect gestation length or calf size at birth, but calving assistance and fetal malpresentations occurred more often in NR. Nutritional plane did not affect (P = 0.65) duration of parturition, but calves born to NR dams had slower times to attempt to stand (P = 0.09), slower times to stand (P = 0.02), and had poorer 20min vigor scores (P = 0.05). Serum immunoglobulin G and A concentrations at 48h were greater (P ≤ 0.03) for NR calves. Rectal temperature of NR calves was less (P = 0.02) at 0h, but greater (P = 0.04) at 24h compared with CON. Circulating glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, cortisol, and insulin were not affected by nutritional plane (P ≥ 0.18). Total protein and globulin from 6 to 48h were greater (P ≤ 0.02) in NR calves. Calves from NR dams had greater (P < 0.08) gamma-glutamyl transferase at 6, 12, and 48h. Serum aspartate aminotransferase was greater (P ≤ 0.07) from 0 to 24h and creatine kinase was greater (P ≤ 0.04) from 6 to 24h in NR calves. At 0h, potassium was greater (P = 0.03) in NR calves. Calves born to CON had greater chloride (P = 0.08; main effect), sodium (P ≤ 0.09) from 0 to 48h, and anion gap (P = 0.02) at 6h. Hematocrit from 6 to 24h and red blood cells and hemoglobin at 6 and 12h were greater (P ≤ 0.09) in CON calves. These data indicate that nutrient restriction during late gestation resulted in less vigorous calves with more indicators of trauma in early life.