Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T12:03:49.677Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A combination of nutrition and genetics is able to reduce age at puberty in Nelore heifers to below 18 months

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 October 2017

M. V. C. Ferraz Jr ,
A. V. Pires ,
M. H. Santos ,
R. G. Silva ,
G. B. Oliveira ,
D. M. ,
D. M. Polizel ,
M. V. Biehl ,
R. Sartori  and
G. P. Nogueira
M. V. C. Ferraz Jr
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil
A. V. Pires*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil
M. H. Santos
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil
R. G. Silva
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil
G. B. Oliveira
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil
D. M. Polizel
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-000, Brazil
M. V. Biehl
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil
R. Sartori
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil
G. P. Nogueira
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba, SP 16050-680, Brazil
*
†E-mail: pires.1@usp.br
Get access

Abstract

Nelore heifers usually begin their reproductive life at ⩾24 months of age mainly due to suboptimal nutritional conditions and genetics. This study aimed to determine the effect of expected progeny difference (EPD) for age at first calving and average daily gain (ADG) on puberty in Nelore (Bos taurus indicus) heifers. A total of 58 weaned heifers (initial BW=174±6 kg; age=9±1 months) were allocated into 28 feedlot pens. Heifers were born from four sires, of which two had low EPD for age at first calving (L; n=33) and two had high EPD for age at first calving (H; n=25). Then, heifers of each EPD were randomly assigned to high ADG (HG; 0.7 kg) or low ADG (LG; 0.3 kg), resulting in four treatments: heifers from L sires were submitted to either HG (LHG; n=17) or LG (LLG; n=16), and heifers from H sires were submitted to either HG (HHG; n=12), or LG (HLG; n=13). The HG heifers were fed a 75% grain diet, whereas the LG heifers received 93% of forage in their diet. Blood samples were collected at 9, 14, 18, 24 and 28 months of age for IGF1 and leptin determination. There was a treatment effect (P<0.01) on the proportion of heifers that attained puberty by 18 (62%, 0%, 0% and 0%), 24 (100%, 6%, 54% and 0%) or 36 (100%, 100%, 100% and 38%) months of age for LHG, LLG, HHG and HLG treatments, respectively. In addition, mean age at puberty was different across treatments (P<0.01). Heifers from the LHG achieved puberty at the earliest age when compared with cohorts from other treatments (18.1, 28.9, 23.9 and 34.5 months for LHG, LLG, HHG and HLG, respectively). Serum IGF1 concentrations were higher for L heifers compared with H cohorts at 9, 14, 18, 24 and 28 months of age (P<0.01; treatment×age interaction), whereas circulating leptin concentrations were higher (P<0.01; age effect) as heifers became older, regardless of the treatments. In conclusion, only Nelore heifers with favorable genetic merit for age at first calving were able to attain puberty by 18 months of age. In heifers with unfavorable genetic merit for age at first calving, supplementary feeding to achieve high ADG was unable to shift the age at puberty below 24 months.

Keywords

age at first calvingBos taurus indicusIGF1leptinnutrition
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , March 2018 , pp. 569 - 574
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ABCZ 2013. Sumário de touros da Associação Brasileira dos Criadores de Zebuínos (ABCZ). Retrieved on 1 June 2013 from https://www.abczstat.com.br/comunicacoes/sumario/default.aspx?acesso=publico Google Scholar
ABCZ 2016. Sumário de touros da Associação Brasileira dos Criadores de Zebuínos (ABCZ). Retrieved on 5 December 2016 from https://www.abczstat.com.br/comunicacoes/sumario/apresentacao/Sumario-racas-NEL.htm.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 2006. Official methods of analysis, 18th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemsts, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Boligon, AA and Albuquerque, LG 2011. Genetic parameters and relationships of heifer pregnancy and age at first calving with weight gain, yearling and mature weight in Nelore cattle. Livestock Science 141, 12–16.Google Scholar
Brumatti, RC, Ferraz, JBS, Eler, JP and Formigonni, IB 2011. Development of selection index in beef cattle under the focus of a bio-economic model. Archivos de Zootecnia 60, 205–213.Google Scholar
Butler, ST, Marr, AL, Pelton, SH, Radcliff, RP, Lucy, MC and Butler, WR 2003. Insulin restores GH responsiveness during lactation-induced negative energy balance in dairy cattle: effects on expression of IGF-I and GH receptor 1A. Journal of Endocrinology 176, 205–217.Google Scholar
Cánovas, A, Reverter, A, Deatley, KL, Ashley, RL, Colgrave, ML, Fortes, MRS, Islas-Trejo, A, Lehnert, S, Porto-Neto, SL, Rincón, G, Silver, GA, Snelling, WN, Medrano, JF and Thomas, MG 2014. Multi-tissue omics analyses reveal molecular regulatory networks for puberty in composite beef cattle. PLoS One 9, e102551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooke, RF and Arthington, JD 2009. Plasma progesterone concentrations as puberty criteria for Brahman-crossbred heifers. Livestock Science 123, 101–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooke, RF, Bohnert, DW, Francisco, CL, Marques, RS, Mueller, CJ and Keisler, DH 2013. Effects of bovine somatotropin administration on growth, physiological, and reproductive responses of replacement beef heifers. Journal of Animal Science 91, 2894–2901.Google Scholar
Costa, RB, Camargo, GMF, Diaz, IDPS, Irano, N, Dias, MM, Carvalheiro, R, Boligon, AA, Baldi, F, Oliveira, HN, Tonhati, H and Albuquerque, LG 2015. Genome-wide association study of reproductive traits in Nellore heifers using Bayesian inference. Genetics Selection Evolution 47, 1–9.Google Scholar
Eler, JP, Silva, JA, Ferraz, JB, Dias, F, Oliveira, HN, Evans, JL and Golden, BL 2002. Genetic evaluation of the probability of pregnancy at 14 months for Nellore heifers. Journal of Animal Science 80, 951–954.Google Scholar
Fortes, MR, Li, Y, Collis, E, Zhang, Y and Hawken, RJ 2013. The IGF1 pathway genes and their association with age of puberty in cattle. Animal Genetics 44, 91–95.Google Scholar
Gasser, CL 2013. Joint alpharma-beef species symposium: considerations on puberty in replacement beef heifers. Journal of Animal Science 91, 1336–1340.Google Scholar
GENSYS 2013. Sumário de touros aliança Nelore 2013. Retrieved on 1 June 2013 from http://www.gensys.com.br/home/show_page.php?id=701 Google Scholar
Gunski, RJ, Garnero, AV, Bezerra, LAF, Corrado, MP and Lôbo, RB 2001. Idade ao primeiro parto, período de gestação e peso ao nascimento na raça Nelore. Revista Ciência Agronômica 32, 46–52.Google Scholar
Hansen, PJ 1985. Seasonal modulation of puberty and the postpartum anestrus in cattle: a review. Livestock Production Science 12, 309–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irano, N, Camargo, GM, Costa, RB, Terakado, AP, Magalhães, AF, Silva, RM, Dias, MM, Bignardi, AB, Baldi, F, Carvalheiro, R, Oliveira, HN and Albuquerque, LG 2016. Genome wide association study for indicator traits of sexual precocity in Nellore cattle. PLoS One 5, e0159502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnston, DJ, Corbet, NJ, Barwick, SA, Wolcott, ML and Holroyd, RG 2014. Genetic correlations of young bull reproductive traits and heifer puberty traits with female reproductive performance in two tropical beef genotypes in northern Australia. Animal Production Science 54, 74–84.Google Scholar
Maciel, MN, Zieba, DA, Amstalden, M, Keisler, DH, Neves, JP and Williams, GL 2004. Chronic administration of recombinant ovine leptin in growing beef heifers: effects on secretion of LH, metabolic hormones, and timing of puberty. Journal of Animal Science 82, 2930–2936.Google Scholar
Moran, C, Quirke, JF and Roche, JF 1989. Puberty in heifers: a review. Animal Reproduction Science 18, 167–182.Google Scholar
Nepomuceno, DD, Pires, AV, Ferraz, MVC Junior, Biehl, MV, Gonçalves, JRS, Moreira, EM and Day, ML 2017. Effect of pre-partum dam supplementation, creep-feeding and post-weaning feedlot on age at puberty in Nellore heifers. Livestock Science 195, 58–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NRC 1996. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 7th revised edition. National Academic Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Nunez-Dominguez, R, Cundiff, LV, Dickerson, GE, Gregory, KE and Koch, RM 1991. Lifetime production of beef heifers calving first at two vs three years of age. Journal of Animal Science 69, 3467–3479.Google Scholar
Patterson, DJ, Perry, RC, Kiracofe, GH, Bellows, RA, Staigmiller, RB and Corah, LR 1992. Management considerations in heifer development and puberty. Journal of Animal Science 70, 4018–4035.Google Scholar
Regatieri, IC, Boligon, AA, Costa, RB, Souza, FR, Baldi, F, Takada, L, Venturini, GC, Camargo, GM, Fernandes Júnior, GA, Tonhati, H, Oliveira, HN and Albuquerque, LG 2017. Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms and sexual precocity in Nellore heifers. Animal Reproduction Science 177, 88–96.Google Scholar
Ren, MQ, Wegner, J, Bellmann, O, Brockmann, GA, Schneider, F, Teuscher, F and Ender, K 2002. Comparing mRNA levels of genes encoding leptin, leptin receptor, and lipoprotein lipase between dairy and beef cattle. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 23, 371–381.Google Scholar
Roa, J, Galiano, DG, Castellano, JM, Pinilla, FGL and Tena-Sempere, M 2010. Metabolic control of puberty onset: new players, new mechanisms. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 324, 87–94.Google Scholar
Rosa, AN, Lôbo, RB, Oliveira, HN, Bezerra, LAF and Borjas, AR 2001. Peso Adulto de Matrizes em Rebanhos de Seleção da Raça Nelore no Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 30, 1027–1036.Google Scholar
Rosa, AN, Lôbo, RB, Oliveira, HN and Borjas, AR 2000. Variabilidade genética do peso adulto de matrizes em um rebanho Nelore no Estado de São Paulo. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 29, 1690–1695.Google Scholar
Schillo, KK, Hall, JB and Hileman, SM 1992. Effects of nutrition and season on the onset of puberty in the beef heifer. Journal of Animal Science 70, 3994–4005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sereno, JRB, Pellegrin, AO, Lara, MAC, Abreu, UGP, Sereno, FTPS and Chalita, LVAS 2001. Estimativa da idade e peso a primeira monta de novilhas no Pantanal. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 36, 1561–1565.Google Scholar
Terakado, APN, Pereira, MC, Yokoo, MJ and Albuquerque, LG 2015. Evaluation of productivity of sexually precocious Nelore heifers. Animal 9, 938–943.Google Scholar
Van Soest, PJ, Robertson, JB and Lewis, BA 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Yilmaz, A, Davis, ME and Simmen, RCM 2006. Analysis of female reproductive traits in Angus beef cattle divergently selected for blood serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration. Theriogenology 65, 1180–1190.Google Scholar