Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #274431
Title: Effect of maternal feed efficiency as growing heifers and lactating cows on feed intake and performance of their suckling offspring

Author
item BISCHOFF, K - University Of Florida
item BLACK, T - University Of Florida
item MERCADANTE, V.R. - University Of Florida
item MARQUEZINI, G.H. - University Of Florida
item Chase, Chadwick - Chad
item Coleman, Samuel
item LAMB, G - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2011
Publication Date: 7/14/2011
Citation: Bischoff, K.M., Black, T.E., Mercadante, V.G., Marquezini, G.L., Chase, C.C., Coleman, S.W., Lamb, G.C. 2011. Effect of maternal feed efficiency as growing heifers and lactating cows on feed intake and performance of their suckling offspring. Journal of Animal Science Supplement. 601-602.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We determined whether suckling calf DMI and performance was associated with feed efficiency, feed intake, and performance of thier dam as a growing heifer or lactating cow. Feed efficiency was established in 74 growing heifers that subsequently gave birth to their second calf as 3-yr old cows. For the heifer and cow phases, females had 14-d acclimation period before initiating a 70-d feed efficiency test period. Individual daily feed intakes were recorded using the GrowSafe System (GrowSafe Systems Ltd., Alberta, Canada) to determine average DMI. A forage-based diet consisting of 86.7% Tifton 85 Bermudagrass silage, 12.4% dried distillers grains plus soluble, 0.7% range mineral, and 0.2% salt was fed ad libitum to cow-calf pairs. Cows were milked on d 14 (lactation d 28 +- 7) and d 70 (lactation d 84 +- 7) of the test to determine individual energy corrected milk (ECM). Average DMI of calves was determined by the sum of DMI of feedstuffs and the DMI of ECM from suckling. Weights of calves were collected on d 0 and 70. During the 70-d test calves had ADG of 0.51 kd/d and consumed 0.44 kg/d of feed and 3.98 kg/d ECM (0.52 kg/d on a DM basis). The correlation between total DMI of calf and residual feed intake (RFI) of dam during lactation (P = 0.88, r = 0.0191) or RFI of dam as a heifer were similar (P = 0.97, r = 0.004). In addition, there was no correlation between DMI of the dam as a lactating cow (P = 0.172, r = 0.160) or as a heifer (P = 0.34, r = 0.112) to the total DMI fo the calf. The gain:feed (G:F) of the calf was not correlated to dam RFI as a cow (P = 0.30, r = -0.125) or heifer (P = 0.74 r = 0.039). There was no correlation in DMI from feed consumed to DMI from ECM (P = 0.50, r = 0.080). However, there was a correlation between G:F and DMI of feed of the calf (P < 0.001, r = 0.424); however, there was no correlation between DMI of ECM consumed and the G:F of calves (P = 0.04, r = -0.2368). We conclude that DMI and performance of suckling calves is not related to feed efficiency, feed intake, and performance of their dam as a growing heifer or lactating cow.