The effect of gossypol in the diet of pregnant and postpartum Brahman cows on calf development and cow performance

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references.To determine the effects of dietary free gossypol (FG) in prepartum and postpartum Brahman cows on calf development and cow performance, thirty-eight pregnant cows and twelve pregnant heifers were assigned to one of three treatment groups: 1) Og FG.hd-l-d-I (FGHD) from soybean meal (SBM); 2) 2g FGHD from SBM and cottonseed meal (CSM); and 3) 4g FGHD from CSM. Prepartum and postpartum cow body weights were similar (P>.10) among treatments. Calf birth weight, 112-d gain and 205-d adjusted weaning weight also were similar (P>.10) among treatments. By 84 d on feed, cows fed 4g FGHD had higher (P.10) among treatments. Postpartum 4-hr milk production of the cows was not affected (P>.10) by treatment. By d 84 on feed, cows receiving 4g FGHD tended (P.10) among treatments. By d 84 on feed prior to calving, (x-tocopherol and 0-carotene were higher (P.10) among treatments in both cows and calves. On d 7 and 28 after calving, a-tocopherol tended to be lower (P<.10) and 0-carotene was lower (P<.04) in 4g than in Og FGHD calves. Calf metacarpal medial cortex (P<.07) and lateral cortex (treatment x sex; P<.04) were smaller in 4g FGHD calves than Og FGHD calves. By d 96-105 after calving, more (P<.03) cows consuming 4g and 2g FGHD had luteal activity than did the Og FGHD group. By d 112 postcalving, 2g and 4g FGHD cows had a higher conception rate (P<.06) than did the Og FGHD cows. In summary, some aspects of physiological function may be compromised, such as calf bone development and vitamin metabolism. The consumption of gossypol from CSM did not detrimentally affect long-term cow or calf production performance