24 Effects of Spring versus Fall Calving on Fetal Growth, Vigor at Birth, and Neonatal Circulating Metabolites in Beef Calves
Abstract To determine the effect of season on perinatal nutrient availability, assessed through fetal growth, calf vigor, and neonatal circulating metabolites, multiparous and primiparous dams (age: 4.7 ± 2.4 yr; BCS: 5.3 ± 0.6) from 4 spring (2014–2017; n = 202) and 4 fall (2015, 2017–2019; n = 177) calving experiments were observed during parturition. Time to stand (spring: 67; fall: 104) was determined as minutes from birth to standing for 5 sec. After birth, calf BW and size (spring: 99; fall: 169; length, heart girth, abdominal girth, and cannon circumference) were recorded. Jugular blood samples were obtained from 63 spring and 89 fall calves at 0 (pre-suckling), 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postnatally. Data were analyzed either with the fixed effect of season (single point) or the fixed effects of season, hour, and their interaction with hour as a repeated effect (over time); calf sex was included when P < 0.25. Experiment was a random effect. Fall-born calves tended to have lighter (P = 0.09) BW and faster (P = 0.05) time to stand than spring-born calves. Season did not affect (P ≥ 0.18) other calf size measures. The season x hour interaction (P ≤ 0.07) affected circulating glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, urea nitrogen, globulin, and total protein. Spring-born calves had greater (P ≤ 0.009) 0 h glucose, 0 and 6 h NEFA, and 0, 6, 12, and 48 h triglycerides than fall-born calves. Fall-born calves had greater (P = 0.03) total protein at 24 h and tended to have greater (P ≤ 0.10) total protein and urea nitrogen at 48 h and globulin at 24 h. Season affected albumin, which was greater (P = 0.003) in fall-born calves. These data suggest that calving season influences perinatal nutrient availability, which may impact the transition to postnatal life.