Interpretive Summary: Pregnancy affects maternal performance, feed intake, and digestion kinetics parameters in beef heifers
By: Gabriel Miranda Moreira, Gleidson Luz Aguiar, Javier Andrés Moreno Meneses, Karolina Batista Nascimento, Germán Darío Ramírez-Zamudio, Thais Correia Costa, Marcio de Souza Duarte, Daniel Rume Casagrande, Mateus Pies Gionbelli
Gestation is a physiological condition characterized by a high demand for nutrients to support fetal development, particularly during the late stages of pregnancy. During this time, the ruminal capacity is limited due to the loss of space by the growing pregnant uterus, potentially affecting feed intake. However, in beef cows, it has been observed that the decrease in feed intake during late pregnancy is not proportional to the reduction in rumen capacity. This suggests the existence of compensatory mechanisms that prevent severe depression in feed intake and ensure adequate fetal development. In the current study, we investigated the kinetics and ruminal parameters in cannulated zebu beef heifers throughout the second third of gestation until the prepartum period, considering their physiological status (pregnant or not).
Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.