Long-Term Effects of Maternal Subnutrition in Early Pregnancy on Cow-Calf Performance, Immunological and Physiological Profiles during the Next Lactation

Simple Summary: Early pregnancy is a crucial stage in the fetus development. In this phase, from undifferentiated cells, equal to each other, tissues and organs start to develop. Nutrition and metabolic status of the cow during pregnancy affect the intrauterine environment and the nutrient source for the fetus. Therefore, cow diet during early pregnancy affects the fetus development and could have long-term consequences on the future calf. In this study, we assessed the effects of a poor maternal diet during the first third of gestation on the performance of cows and calves during the next lactation, as well as the effect on the transfer of immunity from cow to calf. We used Parda de Montana and Pirenaica cow-calf pairs, two Spanish autochthonous beef breeds. We concluded that maternal undernutrition reduced the body fat reserves of cows at calving, which affected most of the cow productive parameters and the colostrum immunoglobulin concentration. Furthermore, poor maternal diet altered the calf development and metabolic status, with reduced size and weight at weaning, especially in the Pirenaica breed, which prioritized the cow maintenance instead of the calf growth. Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of undernutrition during the first third of gestation on cow-calf performance, immunological and physiological profiles during the next lactation in two cattle breeds. Fifty-three Parda de Montana (PA) and 32 Pirenaica (PI) cows were inseminated, assigned to one of two diets (CONTROL or SUBNUT; 100% or 65% of their requirements) until day 82 of gestation, and fed 100% of the requirements during gestation and next lactation. Cow and calf performance were assessed during lactation. Colostrum and cow-calf plasma samples were analyzed to assess the passive transfer of immunoglobulins and to characterize energy metabolism. At calving, SUBNUT cows had a lower body condition score, which impaired most of the cow-calf parameters. All cows had considerable weight losses during lactation except for SUBNUT-PI cows. Colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration was lower in SUBNUT-PI cows, and milk fat content was higher in SUBNUT cows. SUBNUT calves had lower values of body measurements at weaning, and calves born from SUBNUT-PI dams had lower milk intake and the lowest average daily gain (ADG), which was reflected in their lower plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration. In conclusion, undernutrition in early gestation in suckler cows had long-term effects on offspring postnatal growth, this physiological evidence being more severe in Pirenaica cow-calf pairs.