Effect of Increasing Energy 30 days Prior to Artificial Insemination in Beef Heifers

A 3-yr study utilized 300 Angus-based, spring-born heifers to evaluate postweaning heifer development systems on gain and reproductive performance. Three groups of heifers were developed over the winter development period either grazing winter range or fed a dry lot diet targeted to 1.5 lb/d of gain in order to achieve 65% of their mature body weight at breeding. Thirty days prior to artificial insemination, heifers grazing winter rand entered the dry lot and were fed this same diet, one group of dry lot heifers remained on this diet, and the other received increased energy in the form of wet corn gluten feed. Post development body weight and average daily gain were greater among dry lot developed heifers. There were no differences in artificial insemination or final pregnancy rate. Results indicate that producers may use a 30-day increase in energy prior to artificial insemination to decrease overall development inputs in range heifers without compromising reproductive efficiency when compared to dry lot heifers receiving greater inputs

Effect of Methionine Supplementation During Late Gestation in Beef Females

Some amino acids are known to be essential to cattle and effect protein availability to the animal, especially during gestation when nutrient requirements are higher. Methionine is found to be one of the most limiting in low quality forage diets. Two 3-yr studies were performed to evaluate the impact of methionine supplementation during late gestation on intake, body weight, average daily gain, and subsequent calf performance in primiparous and multiparous females. In exp 1, 120 artificially inseminated pregnancy heifers were placed in a Calan gate feeding system (n=40/yr) and assigned 1 of 3 treatments during late gestation and fed ad libitum grass hay with either: no supllement, 2 lbs. distillers based supplement with 1 oz of rumen protected methionine. In exp 2, multiparous cows on upland winter range were fed 1 of 5 treatments; no supplement, ad libitum meadow hay, 1 lb. of a distiller\u27s based cube, 2 lb. of a distiller\u27s based cube, or 2 lb. of a distiller\u27s based cube plus 1 oz of a rumen protected methionine. Body weight, body condition score, reproductive responses, and subequent calf performance were recorded in both studies. No differences were observed in calving performance or progeny carcass characteristics in either experiment in response to methionine supplementation, so it may not be a necessary supplementation strategy