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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162427

Title: PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF GROWTH ARE INFLUENCED BY SUPPLEMENTATION AND STEROID IMPLANTATION IN STEERS

Author
item Looper, Michael
item ROSENKRANS, JR, C - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item FLORES, R - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item Aiken, Glen
item Duke, Sara

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2004
Publication Date: 7/25/2004
Citation: Looper, M.L., Rosenkrans, Jr, C.F., Flores, R., Aiken, G.E., Duke, S.E. 2004. Physiological indicators of growth are influenced by supplementation and steroid implantation in steers. American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting. 82(Suppl. 1):492.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Forty-five crossbred steers (BW = 246 ± 5.4 kg) were utilized to determine the effects of timing of steroid implantation and supplementation on average daily gain, prolactin, triiodothyronine, thyroxine (T4), cortisol, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). All steers grazed bermudagrass paddocks (1 steer/0.8 ha). Each steer received either no supplementation (n = 30) or 1.4 kg/d per steer of a corn-soybean meal supplement (n = 15; 12% crude protein). Within supplementation strategy, steers were assigned to either no implant, one implant at d 0 and one implant at d 56 (EI), or one implant at d 56 (LI). Steers were weighed at the initiation and termination of experiment to determine average daily gain (ADG). Blood samples were collected on d 0, 62, and 108, and blood metabolites were quantified. Supplemented steers had greater (P < 0.0001) ADG than non-supplemented steers (0.93 ± 0.05 vs 0.57 ' 0.04 kg/d, respectively). Implanted steers (EI and LI) tended to have increased (P = 0.13) ADG compared with non-implanted steers. Concentrations of prolactin and T4 were decreased (implant x time; P < 0.05) in control and LI (one steroid implant) steers but not EI steers at 108 d compared to d-62 concentrations. Cortisol was influenced by a supplement x implant interaction (P < 0.05). Supplemented EI steers had increased cortisol compared to supplemented LI steers (58.8 ± 10.0 vs 35.3 ± 9.2 ng/mL for EI and LI steers, respectively). However, non-supplemented LI steers had increased concentrations of cortisol compared with non-supplemented EI steers (56.8 ± 6.6 vs 42.2 ± 6.4 ng/mL for LI and EI steers, respectively). Supplemented steers, independent of timing of implantation, had increased (P < 0.001) concentrations of IGF-I compared with non-supplemented steers (211.5 ± 19.9 vs 122.7 ± 11.8 ng/mL, respectively). Concentrations of T4 at d-0 were positively correlated (P < 0.05; r = 0.33) with ADG of steers. Management strategies may alter animal physiology, and those strategies should be considered when using physiological markers for the prediction or selection of animal growth.