Economic effects of nutritional constraints early in life of cattle
A. R. Alford A B C , L. M. Cafe A B , P. L. Greenwood A B and G. R. Griffith A BA Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
B New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: andrew.alford@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Animal Production Science 49(6) 479-492 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA08266
Submitted: 29 October 2008 Accepted: 16 February 2009 Published: 13 May 2009
Abstract
An experiment was conducted at the Grafton Agricultural Research Station on the northern coast of New South Wales whereby low and high pasture nutritional systems were imposed on a herd of Hereford cows during pregnancy and from birth to weaning in a factorial design. Offspring representing extremes of growth to birth and/or weaning were then selected for study of long-term consequences of growth early in life. Implications of the nutritional treatments of cows on subsequent weaning rates were also tested with data from previous studies. The extent to which these extreme maternal nutritional and offspring growth scenarios affected herd profitability was tested with the Beef-N-Omics decision support package. For the representative cattle enterprise modelled, gross margin per hectare ranged from $A114 to $A132. In all cases, the gross margin for those groups with fetal growth based on a higher level of nutrition exceeded that of their peers on a lower level of nutrition. It is more profitable for cows and calves to have access to a high standard of nutrition during pregnancy and up to weaning than for them to have access only to a poor standard of nutrition. Incorporating differential weaning rates following maternal nutritional treatments reduced gross margins per hectare by up to 30%. On average, a 1% reduction in weaning rate resulted in a 4.5% reduction in gross margin. Restricted cow–calf nutrition affects the future cow fertility, as well as the current calf progeny, economically.
Additional keywords: Australia, beef, birthweight, economics, evaluation, fetal programming, nutrition.
Acknowledgements
Financial and in-kind support of the Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality, NSW Department of Primary Industries, CSIRO Livestock Industries and the University of New England is gratefully acknowledged. We also acknowledge the considerable research efforts of Ms Helen Hearnshaw and Dr David Hennessy, technical and farm staff of NSW Department of Primary Industries at Grafton, Glen Innes and Armidale, Beef CRC staff at ‘Tullimba’ feedlot, and management and staff at John Dee abattoir, Warwick. Leanne Orr and Kirrily Pollock provided constructive comments on an earlier draft.
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1 These were REML analyses, including effects of birthweight, preweaning nutrition, sex by year cohort, sire genotype and their interactions, with feedlot entry weight as a covariate (linear, and where significant, quadratic) to predict means at equivalent feedlot entry weight.
