Some Effects of Feeding Supplemental Fat to Beef Cattle

Meeting nutrient requirements of the replacement of heifer and the pregnant or lactating heifer and cow is of critical importance in assuring optimum reproductive performance. It is well recognized that these nutrients include protein, energy, minerals, vitamins, dry matter, and water. Recent research has indicated adequate fat may be an additional nutrient that needs to be present in the diet. This presentation will review some of our recent work on the effects of feeding additional fat on potential cold tolerance in the newborn calf, development of the replacement heifer, rebreeding of the lactating dam, and weaning weight of her calf