Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > AN24213
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 64(18)

Mobilisation and replenishment of phosphorus reserves in Bos indicus cows. 1. Mid-pregnant mature cows post-weaning

R. M. Dixon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8107-9456 A * , L. Castells A , K. L. Goodwin B , L. J. Kidd C , S. T. Anderson D , R. J. Mayer E , P. Isherwood F , D. M. McNeill C G and M. T. Fletcher A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia. Email: llorenc.castells@gmail.com, mary.fletcher@uq.edu.au

B Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Brian Pastures, PO Box 118, Gayndah, Qld 4625, Australia. Email: kerry.goodwin@daf.qld.gov.au

C School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, Australia. Email: l.kidd@uq.edu.au

D School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia. Email: stephen.anderson@uq.edu.au

E Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Maroochy Research Facility, Nambour, Qld 4560, Australia. Email: rob.mayer1@hotmail.com

F School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, Australia. Email: pisherwood101@gmail.com

G Present address: School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. Email: David.McNeill@une.edu.au

* Correspondence to: r.dixon2@uq.edu.au

Handling Editor: Ed Charmley

Animal Production Science 64, AN24213 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN24213
Submitted: 30 June 2024  Accepted: 3 December 2024  Published: 23 December 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Lactating beef cows grazing phosphorus (P)-deficient pastures often mobilise body P to alleviate a P deficiency. Knowledge of the circumstances when body P is mobilised, and later replenished, is necessary for optimal management of the P nutrition of breeder herds.

Aims

To investigate mobilisation and replenishment of body P in mature Bos indicus-cross beef cows post-weaning.

Methods

Cows (n = 40) in their second trimester of pregnancy were individually fed ad libitum low-P (LP) or high-P (HP) diets containing moderate or high metabolisable energy (ModE-LP, HighE-LP, ModE-HP and HighE-HP) for 14 weeks.

Key results

Plasma inorganic P concentrations (Pi) in LP- or HP-diet cows (0.58 and 2.15 mmol/L respectively) indicated that diet P was deficient or adequate. Intakes of DM and metabolisable energy, liveweight gain, and P retention were higher (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) in cows fed the HP diets, and were also increased in the high metabolisable-energy diets. Efficiency in use of metabolisable energy for slow growth was lower in the HighE-LP than the ModE-HP cows. The cows fed the LP diets mobilised 4–5 g body P/day. Cows fed the Mod-HP and HighE-HP diets retained 1.1 and 8.8 g body P/day, and those ModE-HP cows with low bone P reserves retained ~2.3 g P/day. Rib cortical bone P did not change in HP cows but decreased (P < 0.05) in LP cows. The HP diets increased the bone volume, mineralised bone, and the thickness of the struts in trabecular bone in the tuber coxae. Osteoid tissue decreased (P < 0.05) in HighE-HP cows. Changes in plasma concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, carboxy-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-1) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) were in accord with substantial bone mobilisation in cows fed LP diets, and bone replenishment with HP diets.

Conclusions

Cows that had ingested P-deficient diets during lactation were able to further mobilise body P when fed LP diets post-weaning, but cows replenished body P when fed HP diets.

Implications

Mature cows with low body P reserves can replenish these reserves more rapidly when consuming diets high in both P and metabolisable energy.

Keywords: bone mineral replenishment, bone phosphorus, diet quality, energetic efficiency, liveweight change, P deficiency, plasma markers, plasma minerals.

References

Anderson ST, Kidd LJ, Benvenutti MA, Fletcher MT, Dixon RM (2017) New candidate markers of phosphorus status in beef breeder cows. Animal Production Science 57, 2291-2303.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

ARC (1980) ‘The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock.’ (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux: Farnham Royal)

Benzie D, Boyne AW, Dalgarno AC, Duckworth J, Hill R (1959) Studies of the skeleton of the sheep. III. The relationship between phosphorus intake and resorption and repair of skeleton in pregnancy and lactation. Journal of Agricultural Science 52, 1-12.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bortolussi G, Ternouth JH, McMeniman NP (1992) The effects of dietary nitrogen and calcium supplementation on Bos indicus cross cattle offered low P diets. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 19, 381-384.
| Google Scholar |

Bortolussi G, Ternouth JH, McMeniman NP (1996) Dietary nitrogen and phosphorus depletion in cattle and their effects on liveweight gain, blood metabolite concentrations and phosphorus kinetics. Journal of Agricultural Science 126, 493-501.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bowen MK, Poppi DP, McLennan SR, Doogan VJ (2006) A comparison of the excretion rate of endogenous purine derivatives in the urine of Bos indicus and Bos taurus steers. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 57, 173-177.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Breves G, Prokop M (1990) Dietary phosphorus depletion in sheep: long-term effects on bone structure. Journal of Animal Physiology and Nutrition 64, 74-79.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bryant K, Harms B (2016) ‘Soil resources of the Spyglass Beef Research Facility: Vol. 1. Overview.’ (Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane, Qld, Australia)

Callis G, Sterchi D (1998) Decalcification of bone: literature review and practical study of various decalcifying agents. Methods, and their effect on bone histology. Journal of Histotechnology 21, 49-58.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Chen XB, Gomes MJ (1992) Estimation of microbial protein supply to sheep and cattle based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives: an overview of technical details. Occasional Publication. International Feed Resources Unit, Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn Aberdeen, UK.

Chen XB, Meijia AT, Kyle DJ, Ørskov ER (1995) Evaluation of the use of the purine derivative: creatinine ratio in spot urine and plasma samples as an index of microbial protein supply in ruminants: studies in sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science 125, 137-143.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Coates DB, Dixon RM, Murray RM, Mayer RJ, Miller CP (2018) Bone mineral density in the tail-bones of cattle: effect of dietary phosphorus status, liveweight, age and physiological status. Animal Production Science 58, 801-810.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Coates DB, Dixon RM, Mayer RJ (2019) Between-year variation in the effects of phosphorus deficiency in breeder cows grazing tropical pastures in northern Australia. Tropical Grasslands- Forajes Tropicales 7, 223-233.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

CSIRO (2007) ‘Nutrient requirements of domesticated ruminants.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic, Australia)

Dempster DW, Compston JE, Drezner MK, Glorieux FH, Kanis JA, Malluche H, Meunier PJ, Ott SM, Recker RR, Parfitt AM (2013) Standardized nomenclature, symbols, and units for bone histomorphometry: a 2012 update of the report of the ASBMR Histomorphometry Nomenclature Committee. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 28, 2-17.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Dixon RM, Smith DR, Coates DB (2007) Using faecal NIRS to improve nutritional management of breeders in the seasonally dry tropics. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia 16, 135-145.
| Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Playford C, Coates DB (2011a) Nutrition of beef breeder cows in the dry tropics. 1. Effects of nitrogen supplementation and weaning on breeder performance. Animal Production Science 51, 515-528.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Playford C, Coates DB (2011b) Nutrition of beef breeder cows in the dry tropics. 2. Effects of time of weaning and diet quality on breeder performance. Animal Production Science 51, 529-540.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Kidd LJ, Coates DB, Anderson ST, Benvenutti MA, Fletcher MT, McNeill DM (2017) Utilising mobilization of body reserves to improve the management of phosphorus nutrition of breeder cows. Animal Production Science 57, 2280-2290.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Coates DB, Mayer RJ, Miller CP (2019a) Alternative rib bone biopsy measurements to estimate changes in skeletal mineral reserves in cattle. Animal 13, 119-126.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Fletcher MT, Goodwin KL, Reid DJ, McNeill DM, Yong KWL, Petherick JC (2019b) Learned behaviours lead to bone ingestion by phosphorus deficient cattle. Animal Production Science 59, 921-932.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Anderson ST, Kidd LJ, Fletcher MT (2020a) Management of phosphorus nutrition of beef cattle grazing seasonally dry rangelands: a review. Animal Production Science 60, 863-879.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dixon RM, Fletcher M, Anderson S, Kidd L, Benvenutti M, Mayer B, McNeill D, Goodwin K (2020b) Improved management of cattle phosphorus status through applied physiology. Final Report for MLA project B.NBP.0689, Meat and Livestock Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Doube M, Kłosowski MM, Arganda-Carreras I, Cordelières FP, Dougherty RP, Jackson JS, Schmid B, Hutchinson JR, Shefelbine SJ (2010) BoneJ: free and extensible bone image analysis in ImageJ. Bone 47, 1076-1079.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ekelund A, Spörndly R, Holtenius K (2006) Influence of low phosphorus intake during early lactation on apparent digestibility of phosphorus and bone metabolism in dairy cows. Livestock Science 99, 227-236.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Foote JZ, Russel AJF (1979) The relationship in ewes between voluntary food intake during pregnancy and forage intake during lactation and after weaning. Animal Science 28, 25-39.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Gartner BJW, Murphy GM, Hoey WA (1982) Effects on induced, subclinical phosphorus deficiency on feed intake and growth of beef heifers. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 98, 23-29.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

George SK, Dipu MT, Mehra UR, Singh P, Verma AK, Ramgaokar JS (2006) Improved HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of allantoin, uric acid and creatinine in cattle urine. Journal of Chromatography B 832, 134-137.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Goodwin JF (1970) Quantification of serum inorganic phosphorus, phosphatase, and urinary phosphate without preliminary treatment. Clinical Chemistry 16, 776-780.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Hart B, Mitchell GL (1965) Effect of phosphorus supplementation on the fertility of an open range beef cattle herd on the Barkly Tableland. Australian Veterinary Journal 41, 305-309.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hendricksen RE, Ternouth JH, Punter LD (1994) Seasonal nutrient intake and phosphorus kinetics of grazing steers in northern Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45, 1817-1829.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Henry Y, Gueguen L, Rerat A (1979) Influence of the level of dietary phosphorus on the voluntary intake of energy and metabolic utilization of nutrients in the growing rat. British Journal of Nutrition 42, 127-137.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Holroyd RG, O’Rourke PK, Clarke MR, Loxton ID (1983) Influence of pasture type and supplement on fertility and liveweight of cows, and progeny growth rate in the dry tropics of northern Queensland. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 23, 4-13.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Holroyd RG, Mason GWJ, Loxton ID, Knights PT, O’Rourke PK (1988) Effects of weaning and supplementation on performance of Brahman cross cows and their progeny. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 28, 11-20.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hunter RA, Siebert BD (1986) The effects of genotype, age, pregnancy, lactation and rumen characteristics on voluntary intake of roughage diets by cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 37, 549-560.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Iwaniec UT, Turner RT (2016) Influence of body weight on bone mass, architecture, and turnover. Journal of Endocrinology 230, R115-R130.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Jackson D, Dixon RM, Quigley S, Schatz T, Rolfe J, Corbett E, English B, Sullivan M, Wellington M, Callaghan M (2023) ‘Phosphorus management of beef cattle in northern Australia.’ 2nd edn. (Meat and Livestock Australia: Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Kerridge PC, Gilbert MA, Coates DB (1990) Phosphorus and beef production in northern Australia. 8. The status and management of soil phosphorus in relation to beef production. Tropical Grasslands 24, 221-230.
| Google Scholar |

Kidd LJ, Poppi DP, McNeill D, Quigley SP (2014) The use of tuber coxae bone biopsy to examine bone structure in growing Bos indicus steers fed diets with different dietary phosphorus content. In ‘World Buiatrics Conference’, July 2014, Cairns.

Knowlton KF, Herbein JH (2002) Phosphorus partitioning during early lactation in dairy cows fed diets varying in phosphorus content. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 1227-1236.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Little DA (1972) Bone biopsy in cattle and sheep for studies of phosphorus status. Australian Veterinary Journal 48, 668-670.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Little DA (1983) Bovine body composition and phosphorus storage: the in vivo assessment of body composition and phosphorus status, and the dietary phosphorus requirements of cattle for growth. PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Qld, Australia.

McCosker TH, Winks L (1994) Phosphorus nutrition of beef cattle in Northern Australia. Department of Primary Industries, Qld, Australia.

McLean RW, Hendricksen RE, Coates DB, Winter WH (1990) Phosphorus and beef production in northern Australia. 6. Dietary attributes and their relation to growth. Tropical Grasslands 24, 197-208.
| Google Scholar |

Miller CP, Coates DB, Ternouth JH, White SJ (1998) Phosphorus management for breeding cattle in northern Australia. Final Report of Project DAQ093. Meat and Livestock Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Naito Y, Shindo N, Sato R, Murakami D (1990) Plasma osteocalcin in preparturient and postparturient cows: correlation with plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, calcium, and inorganic phosphorus. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 3481-3484.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

O’Rourke PK, Entwistle KW, Arman C, Esdale CR, Burns BM (1991) Fetal development and gestational changes in Bos taurus and Bos indicus genotypes in the tropics. Theriogenology 36, 839-853.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Penzhorn EJ, Meintjies JP (1972) Influence of pregnancy and lactation on the voluntary feed intake of Afrikaner heifers and cows. Agroanimalia 4, 83-92.
| Google Scholar |

Puggaard L, Lund P, Liesegang A, Schested J (2014) Long term effect of reduced dietary phosphorus on feed intake and milk yield in dry and lactating dairy cows. Livestock Science 159, 18-28.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Quigley S, Poppi D, Schatz T (2015) Validation and demonstration of a diagnostic tool for phosphorus status of beef cattle. Final Project Report B NBP.0537. Meat and Livestock Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Read MVP, Engels EAN, Smith WA (1986a) Phosphorus and the grazing ruminant. 2. The effects of supplementary P on cattle at Glen and Armoedsvlakte. South African Journal of Animal Science 16, 7-12.
| Google Scholar |

Read MVP, Engels EAN, Smith WA (1986b) Phosphorus and the grazing ruminant. 3. Rib bone samples as an indicator of the P status of cattle. South African Journal of Animal Science 16, 13-17.
| Google Scholar |

Read MVP, Engels EAN, Smith WA (1986c) Phosphorus and the grazing ruminant. 4. Blood and faecal grab samples as indicators of the P status of cattle. South African Journal of Animal Science 16, 18-22.
| Google Scholar |

Rodehutscord M, Pauen A, Windhausen P, Brintrup R, Pfeffer E (1994) Effects of drastic changes in P intake on P concentrations in blood and rumen fluid of lactating ruminants. Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A 41, 611-619.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Schatz TJ, McCosker KD, Heeb C (2023) Phosphorus supplementation improves the growth and reproductive performance of female Brahman cattle grazing phosphorus deficient pastures in the Victoria River District, Northern Territory, Australia. Animal Production Science 63, 544-559.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Schild CO, Boabaid FM, Olivera LGS, Armendano JI, Saravia A, Custodio A, Algorta J, Alvarez C, Jaurena M, Dixon RM, Riet-Correa F (2023) Response of cows with osteomalacia grazing sub-tropical native pastures to phosphorus supplementation with loose mineral mix or feed blocks. The Veterinary Journal 298–299, 106013.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Schneider CA, Rasband WS, Eliceiri KW (2012) NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis. Nature Methods 9, 671-675.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Seeman E (2013) Age- and menopause-related bone loss compromise cortical and trabecular microstructure. Journal of Gerontology: Series A. Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 68, 1218-1225.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Shupe JL, Butcher JE, Call JW, Olson AE, Blake JT (1988) Clinical signs and bone changes associated with phosphorus deficiency in beef cattle. American Journal of Veterinary Research 49, 1629-1636.
| Google Scholar | PubMed |

Siemon NJ, Moodie EW (1973) Body weight as a criterion in judging bone mineral adequacy. Nature 243, 541-543.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Silva TACC, Quigley SP, Kidd LJ, Anderson ST, McLennan SR, Poppi DP (2021) Effect of a high crude protein content diet during energy restriction and re-alimentation on animal performance, skeletal growth and metabolism of bone tissue in two genotypes of cattle. PLosONE 16(2), e0247718.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Spangenberg HP (1997) Phosphorus supplementation to grazing beef cows at two sites in the Northern Cape. PhD thesis, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Ternouth JH (1989) Low phosphorus forages for ruminants. In ‘Recent progress on mineral nutrition and mineral requirements in ruminants’. pp. 19–26. (Kyoto University: Kyoto, Japan)

Ternouth JH, Coates DB (1997) Phosphorus homoeostasis in grazing breeder cattle. Journal of Agricultural Science 128, 331-337.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Ternouth JH, Sevilla CC (1990) The effects of low levels of dietary phosphorus upon the dry matter intake and metabolism of lambs. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 41, 175-184.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Ternouth JH, Bortolussi G, Coates DB, Hendricksen RE, McLean RW (1996) The phosphorus requirements of growing cattle consuming forage diets. Journal of Agricultural Science 126, 503-510.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Tuen AA, Wadsworth JC, Murray M (1984) Absorption of calcium and phosphorus by growing cattle during dietary protein deficiency. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of Australia 9, 144-147.
| Google Scholar |

Valk H, Sebek LBJ (1999) Influence of long-term feeding of limited amounts of phosphorus on dry matter intake, milk production, and body weight of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 2157-2163.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wadsworth JC, McLean RW, Coates DB, Winter WH (1990) Phosphorus and beef production in northern Australia. 5. Animal phosphorus status and diagnosis. Tropical Grasslands 24, 185-196.
| Google Scholar |

Wang X-L, Gallagher CH, McClure TJ, Reeve VE, Canfield PJ (1985) Bovine post-parturient haemoglobinuria: effect of inorganic phosphate on red cell metabolism. Research in Veterinary Science 39, 333-339.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Winks L (1990) Phosphorus and beef production in northern Australia. 2. Responses to phosphorus by ruminants: a review. Tropical Grasslands 24, 140-158.
| Google Scholar |

Winter WH (1988) Supplementation of steers grazing Stylosanthes hamata pastures at Katherine, Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 28, 669-682.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Winter WH, Coates DB, Hendricksen RE, Kerridge PC, McLean RW, Miller PC (1990) Phosphorus and beef production in northern Australia. 4. The response of cattle to fertiliser and supplementary phosphorus. Tropical Grasslands 24, 170-184.
| Google Scholar |

Winter EM, Ireland A, Butterfield NC, Haffner-Luntzer M, Horcajada M-N, Veldhuis-Vlug AG, Oei L, Colaianni G, Bonnet N (2020) Pregnancy and lactation, a challenge for the skeleton. Endocrine Connections 9, R143-R147.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |