Effect of feeding different sources of fat during gestation and lactation on reproduction of beef cows and calf performance

Experiment 1: Over a 2-yr period, a total of 231 Angus crossbred cows were assigned randomly to one of three gestation diets to evaluate the effects of fat sources on birth weight, weaning weight and average daily gain of calves, calf condition at birth, calf mortality, body weight of cows, gestation length, calving percentage, and the percentages of retained placenta and dystocia. Isonitrogenous and isoenergetic supplements were based on whole flaxseed (FLA), calcium salts of palm oil (Megalaco, MEG) or no fat (CON). All cows were fed grass silage (90% of ad libitum intake) until 1 mo before calving. Cows were then fed grass silage for ad libitum intake until they were put on pasture. Cows were offered 600 g of supplement per head per day starting 43 d before the first calving for a period averaging 78 d. Diet had no effect on body weight (BW) of cows at calving. Birth weights of calves were similar among treatments. However, calf mortality percentage at birth was almost four times higher (P = 0.03) for cows fed CON compared with those fed FLA and MEG. More than 90% of cows rejected placenta within 12 h of calving and treatment had no effect. Cows fed FLA and CON tended (P <= 0.10) to have higher cumulative pregnancy rates (92.9 and 91.9%, respectively) than those fed MEG (76.7%). Experiment 2: From 2000 Jan. 19 to 2000 Sep. 05, 41 heifers received 600 g per head per day of one of the three supplements used in exp. I to determine the effect of fat supplementation during pregnancy and breeding. Diet had no effect on calf birth weight, but contrasts indicated that heifers fed MEG tended (P = 0.09) to have a lower pregnancy rate than those fed CON. These data suggest that cows and heifers fed grass silage and/or on pasture would not be deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, thus would not benefit from a supplement rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as flaxseed. However, fat supplementation contributed to lower calf mortality at birth in cows, but not in heifers.