St. Willard et al., EFFECTS OF FREE GOSSYPOL IN THE DIET OF PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM BRAHMAN COWS ON CALF DEVELOPMENT COW PERFORMANCE, Journal of animal science, 73(2), 1995, pp. 496-507
Pregnant Brahman cows (n = 38) and heifers (n = 12) were assigned, 90
d before expected calving dates, to one of three treatment groups: 1)
0 g of free gossypol(FG).animal(-1).d(-1) (FGHD) from soybean meal (SB
M), controls; 2) 2 g of FGHD from SBM and cottonseed meal (CSM), low F
G; or 3) 4 g of FGHD from CSM, high FG, to determine the effects of di
etary FG on prepartum and postpartum cow performance, calf development
, and selected blood variables. Prepartum and postpartum cow BW, 4-h m
ilk production, and calf BW were similar (P > .10) among treatments. F
ollowing 84 d of treatment, cows receiving 4 g of FGHD tended (P < .10
) to have greater erythrocyte fragility (EF) than cows given 0 or 2 g
of FGHD. Mean EF for the 112-d postpartum period were greater (P < . 0
5) in cows given 4 than in those given 0 g of FGHD. Dietary FG consump
tion by the dam did not affect (P > .10) calf EF. Serum triiodothyroni
ne (T-3) and thyroxine (T-4) in cows and T-4:T-3 ratio in calves were
similar(P > .10) among treatments. After 84 d of treatment, cows recei
ving 4 g of FGHD had lower (P < .05) serum concentrations of alpha-toc
opherol and beta-carotene than cows given 0 g of FGHD. At parturition,
serum alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene were similar (P > .10) for a
ll cows and calves. On d 7 and 28 after calving, (alpha-tocopherol ten
ded to be lower (P < .10) and beta-carotene was lower (P < .05) in cal
ves given 4 than in those given 0 g of FGHD. Calf metacarpal medial co
rtex tended to be greater (P < .10) in calves from cows given 0 than i
n those from cows given 2 or 4 g of FGHD, and the lateral cortex (trea
tment x sex; P < .05) was smaller in male calves from cows given 4 tha
n in those from cows given 0 g of FGHD but was not affected in female
calves. By 96 to 105 d after calving, a greater number of (P <.05) cow
s consuming 4 and 2 g of FGHD experienced luteal activity, and a great
er (P < .10) number than of cows receiving 0 g of FGHD had conceived b
y 112 d after calving. In summary, pre- and postpartum consumption of
FG may have impaired some aspects of calf skeletal development and vit
amin metabolism, although longterm performance of cows and calves was
not affected.