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B. P. Littlejohn, D. A. Neuendorff, J. A. Carroll, R. C. Vann, T. H. Welsh, R. D. Randel, 088 Effects of Prenatal Transportation Stress on Days of Age at First Calving in Brahman Heifers and Their Calves' Growth and Temperament at Weaning, Journal of Animal Science, Volume 95, Issue suppl_1, December 2016, Page 44, https://doi.org/10.2527/ssasas2017.088
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Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of prenatal transportation stress (PNS) on days of age at first calving in Brahman heifers; as well as, to examine growth and temperament of those heifers' suckling calves at weaning. Mature Brahman cows were assigned to either control (n = 44; not transported) or stressed (n = 41; 2 h of transportation at 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 ± 5 d of gestation) treatment groups. Heifers (n = 20 PNS; n = 16 control) from that calf crop were exposed to a Brahman bull for a breeding season in 2013 (May 15 through December 15) and in 2014 (May 15 through August 1). Additionally, we evaluated the influence of heifers' prenatal experience on their calves' (n = 36) growth and temperament traits. Birth weight (kg) as well as weaning weight (kg), pen score (PS; 1 = calm and 5 = excitable), exit velocity (EV; m/sec) and temperament score [TS; (PS+EV)/2] were recorded. Non-proportional data were analyzed using Mixed Models procedures of SAS. Days of age at first calving was analyzed with treatment as a fixed effect and sire as a random effect. Neonatal death loss was assessed using chi square analysis (JMP Pro). Calf data were analyzed with treatment and sex as fixed effects and sire as a random effect. There was no difference (P = 0.62) in days of age at first calving between PNS (1,028.43 ± 43.57 d) and control (1,053.39 ± 46.97 d) heifers. There was no difference (P = 0.60) in death loss between calves born to PNS dams compared to control dams. There was a tendency (P < 0.1) for birth weight to be lower in PNS (33.11 ± 0.93 kg) than control (35.53 ± 1.04 kg) calves and males (35.53 ± 1.00 kg) to be heavier than females (33.11 ± 0.97 kg), but there was no interaction (P = 0.81). The 180-d adjusted weaning weight was not influenced by treatment (P = 0.33), sex (P = 0.23), or the interaction (P = 0.96). Neither PS, EV, nor TS were influenced by treatment (P = 0.47, 0.75, and 0.59; respectively), sex (P = 0.13, 0.75, and 0.23; respectively), or the interaction (P = 0.50, 0.99, and 0.62; respectively). Prenatal stress had no effect on days of age at first calving in Brahman heifers. Furthermore, prenatal transportation stress incurred by the calves' dams had limited effect on their growth and no effect on their temperament at weaning.
