Growth Performance Of Offspring Research Articles

Effects of parental genetic distance on offspring growth performance in Pinus massoniana: significance of parental-selection in a clonal seed orchard

Pinus massoniana is the most widely cultivated tree in southern China and an important afforestation, timber species. Seed orchards are the main source of high-quality seeds of P. massoniana, and parental selection is key to seed orchard construction. In this study, the relationships among genetic-quality stability, growth-performance and parental genetic-distance (GD) were analyzed based on 18 shared half-sib families from 3 progeny tests (established in 1995, 1996 and 1997) of P. massoniana seed orchard. Based on the growth stability of the offspring among different years, the stable groups (SGs) (9 families with the lowest growth fluctuation) and unstable groups (USGs) (9 families with the greatest growth fluctuation) were selected. Using 27 simple sequence repeat markers, we identified the parental-combinations for the most individuals in SGs and USGs from 18 known females and 217 candidate males. The parental GDs in the SGs changed less than those in USGs. Furthermore, based on the growth-performance of offspring, the excellent group (EG) (4 families in the top level), middle group (MG) (4 families in the medium level) and worst group (WG) (4 families in the last level) were selected. Compared with the MG and WG, the EG contained more parental-combinations with GD > 0.6, indicating this group could produce more high-quality variation. Hence, parents with a small range of GDs should be selected to ensure the sustainable and stable production of seeds with excellent genetic quality in the construction of P. massoniana seed orchards, while hybrid parents with greater GDs should be selected in the breeding process of P. massoniana to obtain more offspring with excellent genetic quality.

Transcriptome sequencing reveals genetic mechanisms of reproduction performance stimulated by dietary daidzein in laying breeder hens

Daidzein (DA) is a kind of isoflavone that is extracted primarily from soy plants and that has become increasingly popular as a dietary supplement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary DA supplementation for laying breeder hens on laying performance, reproductive organ development, hatching performance of seed eggs, and growth performance of offspring and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. A total of 180 55-week-old laying breeder hens were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups and, after 3 weeks of acclimation, were fed either a control diet (CON) or a DA-supplemented diet (DAS, CON+30 mg/kg DA) for a total of 12 weeks. DAS treatment improved the laying rate, luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, and small yellow follicle (SYF) numbers without negative effects on the hatchability of breeder eggs or the growth performance of offspring. High-throughput RNA sequencing was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes in the SYF granulosa layer in the two groups. Transcriptome analysis showed that 161 genes (fold change ≥2 or ≤0.5; P-value<0.05) were significantly differentially expressed between the two groups, including 139 upregulated genes and 22 downregulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) functional annotation analysis revealed potential genes, processes and pathways involved in cell proliferation and differentiation related to the improvement of laying performance stimulated by DA. Dietary DA supplementation for laying breeder hens improved laying performance and reproductive performance with no negative impacts on hatchability or offspring growth. A series of differentially expressed genes in SYF granulosa cells were significantly upregulated in the DAS group relative to the CON group. This study provides insight into the genetic architecture of the transcriptome of the SYF granulosa layer in layer breeding hens and proposes candidate genes that respond to dietary DA.

PSIII-19 Supplementation of mint oil and yeast cell in lactation diets on performance of offspring during the early-post weaning period

Abstract Social and dietary stress at weaning can increase oxidative stress in piglets and impact performance during the early post-wean period. A study was conducted to assess yeast cell and mint oil supplementation during suckling and post-wean periods on offspring growth performance. A total of 481 piglets (6.25 ± 3.35 kg BW) from 45 sows were randomly allotted to pens balanced by weight and litter (6-8 pigs/pen) within maternal diet. Pens of pigs received the same dietary treatment as the sow during the suckling phase: control diet (CON), control + yeast cell at 0.2% (YC), control + mint oil at 10 ppm (MO), and control + yeast cell and mint oil (YCMO) for 35 d post-wean in a 4-phase feeding regimen (phase 1, d0-6; phase 2, d7-13; phase 3, d14-19; phase 4, d20-35). Performance was analyzed as randomized complete block with pen as experimental unit and Tukey’s adjustment as means separation test. Piglets from YC sows were heavier (P &lt; 0.05) than CON with MO and YCMO intermediate at weaning (6.9, 6.5, 6.7 and 6.6 ± 0.2 kg, respectively) and day 6 post-wean (7.12, 6.68, 7.01, and 6.75 ± 0.09 kg, respectively) and no difference among groups at day 13 (9.1 ± 0.16 kg), 19 (11.3 ± 0.19 kg) and 35 (19.7 ± 0.35 kg). Overall, daily gain was greater (P &lt; 0.05) CON-fed pigs than YCMO pigs (0.40, 0.39, 0.38, 0.37 ± 0.01 g/d in CON, YC, MO, and YCMO, respectively). Overall feed intake was greater (P &lt; 0.05) for YCMO than MO resulting in lower (P &lt; 0.05) gain:feed in YCMO-fed pigs vs CON and MO with YC-fed pigs intermediate (0.538 vs 0.617, 0.621, and 0.585, respectively). Exposure to yeast cell or mint oil during the suckling and early post-wean periods provided some benefit to offspring performance.

Supplementing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) broodstock diets with choline and methionine improves growth in offspring

AbstractNutritional programming represents the mechanism through which broodstock feeding strategies have lifelong effects on the offspring generation. The objective of this study was to determine whether supplementing rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss broodstock diets with choline and methionine affects offspring growth performance. Experimental diets were produced by top‐dressing a commercial broodstock diet with (a) 12,000 ppm methionine, (b) 7,400 ppm choline, (c) 12,000 ppm methionine and 7,400 ppm choline, or (d) water (control). Six rainbow trout families were fed experimental diets beginning 18 months post‐hatch through spawning; the offspring consumed a commercial diet. The broodstock diet did not affect maternal body weight, body condition, egg size, or egg yield (p &gt; .05). Eggs from choline‐treated broodstock contained 10% more choline than control eggs (p &lt; .05). Offspring from choline‐treated broodstock were smaller than controls at 146 days post‐hatch (dph) (p &lt; .05). At the final harvest (439 dph), offspring from the control broodstock weighed 12–18% less than offspring from broodstock consuming the supplemented diets (p &lt; .05). However, there was a significant diet‐by‐family interaction on offspring growth (p &lt; .05); supplemented diets improved performance in three of the six broodstock families. These findings indicate that supplementing broodstock diets with methionine and choline causes a nutritional programming effect that benefits growth in offspring.

Effects of Angus or Hereford Sires Bred to Predominately Angus Cows on Steer Offspring Growth Performance and Carcass Traits

Effects of Angus or Hereford Sires Bred to Predominately Angus Cows on Steer Offspring Growth Performance and Carcass Traits

Transcriptomics-Related Mechanisms of Supplementing Laying Broiler Breeder Hens with Dietary Daidzein to Improve the Immune Function and Growth Performance of Offspring.

Daidzein (DA) is an isoflavone that is primarily extracted from soy plants. This study evaluated the effects of supplementing laying broiler breeder hens with dietary DA on the immune function and growth performance of their offspring and the underlying mechanism. A total of 720 breeders were divided into three treatment groups that were fed either a control diet (CON), a DA-low-supplemented diet (DLS, CON+20 mg/kg DA), or a DA-high-supplemented diet (DHS, CON+100 mg/kg DA) for 8 weeks, and eggs were collected for hatching during the final week. The broiler offspring received a basal diet for 42 days, and blood, livers, and immune organs were collected at 21 and 42 days of age. DLS treatment promoted embryonic development and increased growth hormone levels, body weight, feed intake, and carcass traits on days 21 and 42 of broilers. Additionally, the IgA and IgG concentrations, antibody titers, and antioxidant capacity of broilers were increased at 21 days of age, and B lymphocyte differentiation was increased at 42 days. Besides, DLS treatment upregulated the expression of genes related to embryonic and muscle development in offspring and regulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and Toll-like receptor signaling. DHS treatment decreased the percentage of abdominal fat in the broilers at 42 days, but it did not significantly affect embryonic development, growth performance, or IgA and IgG concentrations. In summary, providing dietary DA supplementation at 20 mg/kg to broiler breeders can improve their immune function and growth performance.

Maternal chitosan oligosaccharide supplementation during late gestation and lactation affects offspring growth

Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), a natural compound derived from chitin, has growth promotion property. However, the nature of the relationship between maternal COS supplementation and offspring growth is not yet understood. Therefore, we intended to determine the effects of maternal COS supplementation in late gestation and lactation on the offspring growth performance. Twenty-four pregnant Yorkshire sows were distributed into two equal groups (n = 12) and fed either with a basal diet (control group) or a basal diet containing 100 mg/kg COS, from gestation day 85 until lactation day 21. Serum samples were collected from six sows of average body weight, from each group on farrowing day (lactation day 1) and lactation day 21, whereas colostrum and milk samples were respectively obtained on lactation days 1 and 21. We found that maternal COS supplementation significantly increased (p < .05) the average piglet weaning weight per litter. Supplementation of COS in the sow diet elevated (p < .05) the serum interleukin-10, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM concentrations, as well as total antioxidant capacity. Moreover, higher (p < .05) colostrum IgM and milk lactose contents were simultaneously observed in COS-treated sows compared to the control sows. In summary, COS supplementation during late gestation and lactation can boost antioxidant capacity and humoural immunity of sows, and contributes to improving colostrum and milk quality, ultimately, enhancing the offspring growth performance.

Impact of maternal heat stress in conjunction with dietary zinc supplementation on hatchability, embryonic development, and growth performance in offspring broilers

The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal dietary supplementations with different zinc (Zn) sources could reduce the deleterious effect of maternal heat stress on hatchability performance and progeny growth performance. A completely randomized design (n = 6) with 2 maternal environmental temperatures [normal 21 ± 1°C (NT) vs. high 32 ± 1°C (HT)] × 3 maternal dietary supplemental Zn levels [Zn-unsupplemented control diet (CON), the control diet + 110 mg of Zn/kg of diet as either inorganic ZnSO4 (iZn) or organic Zn with a moderate chelation strength (oZn)] was used. HT decreased (P < 0.05) fertility, hatchability, chick hatch weight, and embryonic survival. HT also decreased (P ≤ 0.05) progeny BW, ADG, and ADFI at one to 21, 22 to 28, and 29 to 42 d of age as well as breast muscle ratio and plasma aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities at 42 d of age. Maternal dietary Zn supplementation with either iZn or oZn increased (P < 0.004) Zn contents in yolk and liver, non-weak chick ratio, as well as progeny BW, ADFI, and survivability at one to 21 d of age. Notably, the addition of oZn increased (P < 0.05) hatchability and progeny thigh meat quality by reducing b* value. The progeny ADG at one to 21 d and 22 to 28 d of age and BW at 28 d of age from maternal NT were not affected (P > 0.46) by maternal dietary Zn supplementation, but the above 3 indices from HT-iZn (P < 0.05) and HT-oZn (P < 0.003) were higher than those from HT-CON. Our results indicate that maternal heat stress impairs hatching performance, embryonic development, and progeny growth performance, inducing metabolic changes, while supplementation of Zn in maternal diets regardless of Zn sources improved hatch chick quality and survivability of offspring and alleviated the negative effect of maternal heat stress on growth performance of offspring during the starter period. In addition, maternal dietary supplementation with the organic Zn improved hatchability and progeny meat quality.

系統・環境：トドマツ幼苗のパフォーマンスを変える因子は？

系統・環境：トドマツ幼苗のパフォーマンスを変える因子は？

Parent Identification in a Multi Location Trial Seed Orchard of Acacia Mangium Using Microsatellite Markers

Variation of parent gametes' contribution might affect the growth patterns among offspring produced from seed orchards. This paper studies the mating system statuses and to identify parent trees that produce good growth performance of offspring in seedling seed orchard of A. mangium . The study was conducted in two seed orchards, i.e. a first generation seedling seed orchard (F1 SSO) of A. mangium, used as the parent population hereafter and a multi location trial (MLT) as an offspring population. Based on 10 microsatellite markers, mating system in the F1 SSO was under panmictic equilibrium condition. The good growth trees in the MLT originated from various parent genes contribution in the F1 SSO. Several behaviors were observed: a). the best trees in MLT dominantly originated from singlepair trees, between maternal and paternal trees, in F1 SSO; b). a maternal tree was pollinated by two paternal trees; c). a paternal tree pollinated several maternal trees. Flowering synchronization and genetic compatibility among trees might be responsible for these mating system patterns. In order to maximize seeds production, studies on male and female flowers characteristic should be employed to assess flowering synchronization among individual trees in the seed orchard.

The influence of maternal energy restriction during mid-gestation on beef offspring growth performance and carcass characteristics

The influence of maternal energy restriction during mid-gestation on beef offspring growth performance and carcass characteristics

Short Communication: Growth and attainment of puberty in calves from cows supplemented with linseed meal during late gestation and early lactation

Ilse, B. R., Anderson, V. L., Buchanan, D. S., Odde, K. G., Lardy, G. P. and Vonnahme, K. A. 2012. Short Communication: Growth and attainment of puberty in calves from cows supplemented with linseed meal during late gestation and early lactation. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 92: 443–447. To test the objective that a linseed meal (LSM) supplement in beef cows during late gestation and early lactation would impact offspring growth performance, steer carcass composition, and attainment of puberty in heifer calves, multiparous beef cows received either LSM or a control supplement for the last 60 d of gestation (exp. 1; n=72) or during the first 60 d of lactation (exp. 2; n=91). In both experiments, birth weight, weaning weight, and ADG of calves were not affected (P&gt;0.31) by LSM supplementation. There was no effect (P&gt;0.09) of supplementation on carcass characteristics of steer progeny fed to market weight. In exps. 1 and 2, attainment of puberty in heifer calves was not influenced (P&gt;0.58) by supplement type. Linseed meal supplementation during late gestation or early lactation does not appear to affect calf growth, onset of puberty in heifer calves, or steer carcass quality.

Comparison of the growth performance of offspring from cultured versus wild populations of arctic charr,Salvelinus alpinus(L.), kept at three different temperatures

The effects of three different temperatures on the growth and maturation of the offspring of cultured versus wild populations of juvenile arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) were investigated. The fish (start weight 17 g) were reared for 5 months at constant temperatures of 12, 14 and 16°C under a continuous light regime (LD24:0). Growth performance was significantly influenced by both temperature and source population. The offspring from the farmed fish displayed significantly higher mean weights at all temperatures compared with the offspring from the wild fish. The results indicate that the optimal temperature for growth (Topt) decreases with increasing fish size in the offspring of both cultivated and wild fish. Significant differences in length–weight relationship were found, with the offspring of wild fish displaying higher condition factor throughout the experiment. The results demonstrate that the offspring from multiple generation farmed population of arctic charr are better adapted to high temperatures compared with the offspring (F1 generation) from a wild population of arctic charr, and the former are also able to maintain growth at higher temperatures. There was a significant difference in maturation between the two populations, as the offspring from cultured fish displayed significantly lower level of maturation: 0%, 4% and 2% mature compared with 24%, 40% and 42% in the offspring from wild fish at temperatures of 12, 14 and 16°C respectively. The offspring from farmed strains of arctic charr thus appear to be the most suitable population for aquaculture.

Assessment of reproduction and growth performance of offspring derived from somatic cell cloned pigs

Since cloned pig was successfully produced, a new opportunity for porcine breeding industry to conserve genetic resources has been opened. However, there has been no report to investigate whether both somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) pigs and their offspring have the characteristics of the donor breed. In this study, we compared the reproductive and growth performance of American Large White boars cloned by SCNT with the donor boar, and analyzed the test parameters, including semen quality, re-service rate, rate of parturition, and average daily gain. The results showed that these cloned boars and the donor boar had no significant differences in the tests (P > 0.05) and the growth performance of their offspring was similar to the naturally bred American Large White pigs. In summary, the reproductive and growth performance of cloned pigs are similar to the donor pig and within the normal range. This suggests that pigs cloned by SCNT have the potential to be used in reproduction and breeding.

Maternal periconceptional undernutrition in Merinos d'Arles sheep: 1. Effects on pregnancy and reproduction results of dams and offspring growth performances

Maternal undernutrition during gestation can condition offspring adult health, with the periconceptional period pointed out as a key period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal periconceptional undernutrition on pregnancy and offspring growth performance in sheep.52 Merinos d'Arles ewes were fed to requirements (control group, C), whereas 64 ewes received 50% of their dietary needs from −15 to +30 days post-conception (restricted group, R). Thereafter, both groups were fed according to needs. Maternal body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS) and Non Esterified Fatty Acids (NEFA), progesterone, leptin and cortisol plasma concentrations were monitored weekly during the restriction period and the following month, then monthly until weaning. Lambs were weighed weekly until weaning at 22 kg BW, then monthly. Plasma leptin was monitored monthly in lambs.The BW, BCS, and leptin concentrations were significantly decreased, whereas NEFA and cortisol concentrations were increased in R dams. Maximum progesterone concentration was higher in R ewes that had a high (10–25%) vs. low (0–10%) BW loss during restriction (27.9 ± 2.59 vs. 20.8 ± 2.00 ng/mL, P < 0.05). Overall, gestation was significantly longer in the R group (151.0 ± 0.3 vs. 149.4 ± 0.4 days, P < 0.001). There was no difference between groups for pregnancy rates, prolificacy, birth weight and lamb mortality, but the proportion of male lambs was significantly higher in the R group, only for singletons (16/26 vs. 9/26, P < 0.05). Lamb growth was not significantly modified by treatment. Leptin concentrations at birth were significantly lower in R vs. C males (6.15 ± 0.13 ng/mL vs. 7.42 ± 0.36 ng/mL, P < 0.05), whereas in females, leptin concentrations were significantly higher in R vs. C lambs at 4 mo of age (7.31 ± 0.27 ng/mL vs. 6.41 ± 0.29 ng/mL, P < 0.05).These results indicate that maternal periconceptional undernutrition in a hardy breed does not significantly affect lamb birth weight and growth rates, in contrast to previous reports in other breeds, suggesting that caution must be taken when extrapolating programming data between breeds and breeding conditions.

Effects of restricted feeding of prepubertal ewe lambs on reproduction and lactation performances over two breeding seasons

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of restricted feeding before puberty on reproduction, lactation and offspring growth performance in replacement ewe lambs over two breeding seasons. At weaning, 41 Dorset ewe lambs were assigned to one of three diets: an ad libitum control diet with medium-quality forage (MQF; 13.3% crude protein (CP), 1.81 Mcal metabolizable energy per kg, 42.8% ADF; diet A-MQF); a restricted diet with the same forage as A but less feed concentrate (diet R-MQF); or a high-quality forage (HQF) diet (14.8% CP, 2.15 Mcal ME/kg, 34.7% ADF; diet F-HQF). The quantity of concentrate offered to the group R-MQF and F-HQF ewe lambs was adjusted to obtain 70% of the control ewe lambs’ growth rate. The diets were offered for 75 days following weaning to cover the allometric phase of mammary gland development. Prepubertal restriction did not affect (P > 0.10) the gestation rate, number of lambs born or the body weight and body condition score of ewes at lambing or at the end of lactation. Ewes from groups R-MQF and F-HQF tended to produce more milk during their first lactation compared to those from group A-MQF (P = 0.07). During the second lactation, groups R-MQF and F-HQF had better standardized milk production than group A-MQF (P < 0.05), and group R-MQF produced more milk than group F-HQF (P < 0.05). Milk fat and protein content were not affected by treatments (P > 0.10) Fat and protein yield were affected by treatments only at the second lactation (P < 0.10 and P < 0.05, respectively). Lamb birth and weaning weights were not affected by prepubertal restriction of feeding in their mother (P > 0.10). However, the average daily gain of second breeding season lambs was higher for the R-MQF group than the F-HQF group (P < 0.05), and a similar trend was observed for total gain (P < 0.10). Restricted feeding before puberty does not impair future reproductive performance; however, it has a positive impact on lactation and on lambs’ growth performance.

ECOWEIGHT 2.0 – C programs for modelling the economic efficiency of production systems in beef and dairy cattle (short communication)

Abstract. Two C programs were written on the basis of a bio-economic model for a wide range of cattle production systems. The model simulates the life-cycle production of a beef or dairy cow herd and the growth performance of offspring in rearing and fattening. The Markov chain approach was used to simulate herd dynamics. The program calculates the structure of the integrated production system in its stationary state, the economic efficiency of the system expressed as a function of biological traits of animals and of management and economic parameters, the number of discounted expressions for direct and maternal traits transmitted by breeding animals and the economic weights for 16 economically important traits for beef and 21 traits for dairy cattle. The program is freely available on request.

Oceanographic and climatic factors differentially affect reproduction performance of Antarctic skuas

We studied how environmental conditions affect reproduction in sympatric skua species that differ in their reliance on marine resources: the exclusively marine foraging south polar skua Catharacta maccormicki, the terrestrially foraging brown skua C. antarctica lonnbergi and mixed species pairs with an intermediate diet. Egg size, clutch asymmetry and hatching dates varied between species and years without consistent patterns. In the south polar skuas, 12 to 38% of the variation in these parameters was explained by sea surface temperature, sea ice cover and local weather. In mixed species pairs and brown skuas, the influence of environmental factors on variation in clutch asymmetry and hatching date decreased to 10-29%, and no effect on egg size was found. Annual variation in offspring growth performance also differed between species with variable growth in chicks of south polar skuas and mixed species pairs, and almost uniform growth in brown skuas. Additionally, the dependency on oceanographic and climatic factors, especially local wind conditions, decreased from south polar skuas to brown skua chicks. Consistent in all species, off- spring were more sensitive to environmental conditions during early stages; during the late chick stage (>33 d) chick growth was almost independent of environmental conditions. The net breeding success could not be predicted by any environmental factor in any skua species, suggesting it may not be a sensitive indicator of environmental conditions. Hence, the sensitivity of skuas to environ- mental conditions varied between species, with south polar skuas being more sensitive than brown skuas, and between breeding periods, with the egg parameters being more susceptible to oceano- graphic conditions. However, during offspring development, local climatic conditions became more important. We conclude that future climate change in the Maritime Antarctic will affect reproduction of skuas more strongly through changes in sea ice cover and sea surface temperature (and the result- ing alterations to the marine food web) than through local weather conditions.

Effect of maternal myostatin antibody on offspring growth performance and body composition in mice

Myostatin (GDF8) is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. The finding that animals with a knockout or mutation of the myostatin-encoding gene show increased muscle mass suggests that myostatin negatively regulates muscle growth. The study reported here was designed to investigate the effect of induction of maternal myostatin antibody on the growth performance and body composition of the mouse. Female mice were induced to produce myostatin antibody by immunization with synthetic myostatin peptide prior to mating with male mice. The body masses of offspring were measured weekly and the body compositions of offspring were determined at 8 weeks of age. The results showed that myostatin antibody was detected in both immunized female mice and their 8-week-old offspring. The growth performance of offspring from the myostatin antibody-induced (mstn Ab-induced) group was higher than that from the control group at 8 weeks of age. The body composition of both male and female offspring from the mstn Ab-induced group contained higher crude protein and lower crude fat than those from the control group (P<0.05). The litter number from the maternal mstn Ab-induced group was less than that from control mice, while embryo development was normal in both groups. However, the amount of developing follicle in ovaries of the mstn Ab-induced group was lower than that in the control group. It is concluded that induction of maternal mstn Ab enhances the growth performance of offspring and influences the offspring body composition by increasing the crude protein and reducing crude fat.

Advertisement call duration indicates good genes for offspring feeding rate in gray tree frogs ( Hyla versicolor )

Indicator or ”good genes” models of sexual selection predict that mating preferences allow females to choose mates that are genetically superior. Female gray tree frogs (Hyla versicolor) prefer male advertisement calls of long call duration, which can be indicators of enhanced offspring growth performance. We tested the effects of father’s call duration and the presence of a caged predator (dragonfly naiad) on tadpole activity and growth in a factorial experiment, controlling for maternal and environmental effects. The effect of food availability (a repeated measure) on tadpole activity was also examined. Tadpoles responded to predator presence and to high food availability by decreasing activity and feeding. Tadpoles exposed to a caged predator were smaller after 14 days than those exposed to an empty cage, suggesting that spending less time feeding carries the cost of reduced growth. Offspring of males with long versus short calls responded similarly to the presence of a predator. Nonetheless, offspring of long-calling males spent more time feeding than did offspring of short-calling males, except when a predator was present but no food was available. Increased time spent feeding may contribute to enhanced offspring growth and, therefore, to the indirect benefit that a female may realize by selecting a mate with long calls. However, because the behavioral differences depended on the environment, and because the fitness consequences of such behavioral differences should also vary with the environment, the benefit of mating with a long-calling male may depend on the conditions encountered by the offspring.