Utilising mobilisation of body reserves to improve the management of phosphorus nutrition of breeder cows
R. M. Dixon A I , L. J. Kidd B , D. B. Coates C G , S. T. Anderson D , M. A. Benvenutti E H , M. T. Fletcher F and D. M. McNeill B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland, PO Box 6014, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia.
B School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
C Formerly CSIRO Ecosystems Sciences, ATSIP, PMB, PO Aitkenvale, Qld 4814, Australia.
D School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
E Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland, PO Box 6014, Gayndah, Qld 4625, Australia.
F Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland, HFSI, Qld 4108, Australia.
G Present address: 35 Dunbil Avenue, Ferny Hills, Brisbane, Qld 4055, Australia.
H Present address: Qld DAF, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
I Corresponding author. Email: r.dixon77@uq.edu.au
Animal Production Science 57(11) 2280-2290 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17324
Submitted: 15 May 2017 Accepted: 26 July 2017 Published: 31 August 2017
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major constraint to the productivity of breeder herds grazing low-P rangelands due to adverse effects on growth and fertility. However, P supplementation during the wet season, when additional dietary P is most needed, is often difficult due to practical constraints. Body P reserves in breeders can be mobilised and alleviate dietary P deficiency within an annual cycle. Approaches to estimate bone P reserves and net mobilisation or replenishment of P from the analysis of rib and hip (tuber coxae) biopsies are discussed. In at least some circumstances, breeder cows grazing P-deficient pastures mobilise bone P to alleviate the effects of diet P deficiency. Recent experiments with breeders have investigated mobilisation of body P to alleviate the adverse effects of dietary P deficiency during pregnancy and early lactation, and subsequent replenishment of body P reserves. Both mature cows and first-calf cows (FCC) calving in a high P status and fed severely P-deficient diets during lactation were able to mobilise sufficient body P reserves to provide milk for moderate calf growth (viz. 0.6–0.8 kg liveweight (LW)/day for 3 months), but this was associated with rapid cow-LW loss and markedly decreased bone P content. First-calf cows appear to have lesser capacity than mature cows to mobilise body P. FCC fed P-adequate diets during late pregnancy maintained high voluntary intakes and had higher LW and bone P reserves at calving. When fed a P-deficient diet during early lactation, these greater bone P reserves were utilised. Bone P reserves can be replenished by P-adequate diets fed post-weaning. Breeder management that relies more on mobilising body P reserves when P demands are high and on replacing these body P reserves when P demands are lower offers an opportunity to alleviate the effects of dietary P deficiencies during the early wet season in situations where P supplementation is not possible.
Additional keywords: bone, body P reserves, P mobilisation, P accretion.
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