Effects of mid-gestation supplementation with dried distillers’ grains and soybean hull-based total mixed ration silages on maternal metabolism, uteroplacental hemodynamics, and offspring development in beef cows

Summary

Abstract Maternal nutrition during gestation is a key determinant of maternal physiological adaptations and offspring developmental outcomes. This study evaluated how two total mixed ration (TMR)-based silages offered during mid-gestation influenced nutrient utilization, systemic physiology, uterine hemodynamics, and performance of pregnant beef cows and their offspring. Thirty-three multiparous Tabapuã cows (Bos taurus indicus) received one of the following treatments from day 130 to 230 of gestation: (1) TMR silage composed of Marandu grass and dried distillers’ grains plus soluble (DDGS; n = 17); or (2) TMR silage composed of Marandu grass, soybean hulls (SH), and urea (n = 16). At day 230, all cows were regrouped and managed on pasture until calving. Cow–calf pairs remained together un