# title
104 Maternal pre- and post-partum supplementation of Bacillus-based DFM enhanced cow and calf performance

# abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>                <jats:p>This study evaluated the effects of maternal supplementation of Bacillus-based direct-fed microbials (DFM) on physiology and growth performance of Bos indicus-influenced cow-calf pairs. On d 0 (~139 d before expected calving date), 72 fall-calving, Brangus crossbred beef heifers (25 to 37.5% Bos indicus; 20 to 22 mo of age) pregnant with their first offspring were stratified by their initial body weight (BW; 431  31 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 6.0  0.36; scale 1 to 9), and randomly allocated into 1 of 12 bahiagrass pastures (1 ha and 6 heifers per pasture). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures (6 pastures per treatment) and consisted of heifers supplemented with 1 kg/d of soybean hulls dry matter (DM) added (BAC) or not (CON) with a Bacillus-based DFM mixture (BovacillusTM; Chr. Hansen A/S, Hrsholm, Denmark) from d 0 to 242 (139  4 d prepartum to 104  4 d postpartum). Calves were weaned on d 242 (96  30 d of age) and then allocated into 1 of 16 drylot pens and limit-fed the same concentrate at 3.25% of BW until d 319. Maternal treatment effects were not detected (P  0.29) for herbage allowance, forage nutritive value, and heifer activity on pasture. Heifer BCS on d 39 and 63 tended (P  0.09) to be greater, whereas heifer BCS on d 91 was greater (P = 0.01) for BAC vs. CON heifers and did not differ (P  0.20) between treatments on d 179 and 242. Plasma concentrations of glucose did not differ from d 0 to 63 (P  0.14) but were greater (P = 0.005) on d 179 and tended (P = 0.09) to be greater on d 242 for BAC vs. CON heifers. First offspring BW at birth, ADG from birth to early weaning, and BW weaning did not differ (P  0.19), but BW at drylot exit (d 319) was greater (P = 0.05) for BAC vs. CON calves. Maternal treatment effects were not detected (P  0.42) for calf serum concentrations of IgG at birth, and post-vaccination plasma concentrations of glucose, cortisol and haptoglobin. However, serum titers against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) were greater (P = 0.04) for BAC vs. CON calves on d 287, whereas seroconversion against parainfluenza 3 virus (PI-3) was greater (P > 0.01) for BAC vs. CON calves on d 271. Thus, maternal supplementation of Bacillus-based DFM increased prepartum BCS gain and postpartum plasma concentrations of glucose of heifers and led to positive carryover effects on post-weaning BW gain and some indicators of humoral immune response to vaccination in their first offspring.</jats:p>

# authors[].organizations[].label
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# keywords[]
30 Agricultural, Veterinary And Food Sciences

# authorList[]
Izquierdo, V. S., Cappellozza, B. I., Silva, J., Santos, G., Miranda, A., Bittar, J., ... Moriel, P.