July 15, 2010 - When it comes to a successful cow-calf operation many producers focus on the perfect bull. But, according to Purina Mills Nutritionist Doug Hawkins, the genetics and history of the cow are just as important. That is why fetal programming and sustained nutrition can be major factors in this year's calf crop and calf crops for years to come.
"We think about the bulls and we try to buy the best bulls we can -- and a lot of times we forget about the cow," Hawkins said. "We forget about her genetics and what her impact is on future production in your herd."
Fetal programming is not a new technique, but it is new to the cattle industry.
"This is something that is not new," Hawkins explained. " Fetal programming has been studied in humans and other species for a while it is just now coming into the cattle industry. What fetal programming is is the event prior to birth that imprints the lifetime performance of an animal. What I mean by 'prior to birth,' I mean what is happening in utero, when that fetus is developed -- from the time the sperm hits the egg and it becomes an embryo and is being developed in the womb of the female, until that female has that baby."
Fetal programming, or some form of it, has been evident since before the Holocaust when circumference of children's heads, their weights and their heights were all recorded before, during and after the great famine of the period.
Environmental factors can cause an organism's genes to behave or express themselves differently, even though the genes don't change," he said. "We all have genes and those genes are expressed differently. What happens is, the environment can effect how those genes operate or function -- and that would be also passed on to your children. Maybe it is as easy as producing a particular hormone or protein. These things can be passed on from generation to generation, so it is being passed on due to environmental effects."
These events showed how the environmental effects on one generation can have lifetime consequences on the health and development of generations to come.
"This refers to the maternal events during the development of the fetus," Hawkins explained. "So we are talking about while that fetus is being developed. They can have lifetime effects on the calf after that calf is born. So we are affecting that calf while it is in utero, and it is going to take that on into the weaning phase, and into the feedyard phase and end up on your plate as well. Each trimester is critical, first trimester, second trimester, third trimester of development."
According to Hawkins, cattle are the only managed livestock species where producers plan on the female losing weight while she is pregnant or loses weight while she is pregnant.
"Lots of times they do not receive what is called consistent nutrition in early stages of gestation," Hawkins explained. "A lot of time they are loosing condition because they have a calf sucking on them they may be chasing green grass out there. At this time period, we may or may not be trying to get those cows bred. Getting into June, July, August, we may get into some dry conditions, well the grass goes down quite a bit. Certain parts of the area, you know June, we are supposed to have a pretty good grass season. Right now, it has been pretty dry in some parts of the state, the grass is probably only running probably 5 (or) 6 percent protein. Those cows are probably just holding on right now.
"We get to the winter, cows will lose conditions, they will get wet, the forage will be poor quality and those cows will start sliding backwards," he continued. "A lot of time, even if you are supplementing, those cows will still start sliding backwards."
To keep cattle from losing body score and stressing out their fetus during pregnancy, Purina focuses on what they call sustained nutrition with products that are designed to leave out continuously for free choice.
"Leave them out and the cows will eat what they need -- depends on what your forage is and how much energy that cow needs," Hawkins said. "Cows will eat somewhere between 350 and 400 pounds of supplement per year and maintain a body condition score of 5.5 to 6 during that whole time period. She won't get up to 7 or 8 or 9, she will just maintain that body condition score of 6."
The better, more consistent body score through continuous sustained nutrition does come at a price, but with benefits.
"Usually it cost anywhere from $65 to $100 a cow to keep that product out year-round like that," he said. "We have seen increased weaning weight and increased conception rates as well, and that is also being passed on to their calves."
These continuous nutrition for the cow adds to consistent fetal nutrition during all three trimesters.
"Your cows are going to milk much better, you are going to decrease your postpartum interval -- that is the time period from the time she has that calf till the time she is able to be bred back," he explained. "That is going to get a calf on the ground quicker next year. If you can shorten that postpartum depression by 15 to 45 days, that is going to be more money in your pocket the next year."
Therefore, to build a more profitable herd, producers should not only concentrate on the history and genetics of their bulls, but also their cows. A sustainable nutrition program may need to be considered to maintain a consistent body score and cause less stress on the cow and her unborn calf.
