Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421579
Research Project: Identifying and Mitigating Factors that Limit Beef Production Efficiency

Location: Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

Title: Maternal injectable mineral effects on male and female offspring growth and reproductive parameters

Author
item BRENNER, MAKAYLA - Montana State University
item MARQUES, RODRIGO - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University
item POSBERGH, CHRISTIAN - Montana State University
item Zezeski, Abigail
item Geary, Thomas
item MCCOSKI, SARAH - Montana State University

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2025
Publication Date: 1/24/2025
Citation: Brenner, M.A., Marques, R.S., Posbergh, C.J., Zezeski, A.L., Geary, T.W., McCoski, S.R. 2025. Maternal injectable mineral effects on male and female offspring growth and reproductive parameters. Animals. 15. Article 330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030330.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030330

Interpretive Summary: Trace mineral developmental programming has become a popular area of research. Most of the previous research has investigated the role of trace minerals in calf growth to weaning, calf health, and feedlot growth and performance. It is unknown what the effects of mineral treatment to cows during pregnancy has on reproductive performance of their calves. Thus, we explored the role of maternal injectable trace mineral on calf growth and calf reproductive measures. Bulls whose dams received injectable trace mineral during pregnancy had increased body weights and scrotal circumference at 14 months of age and improved sperm quality compared to bulls born to dams that did not receive injectable mineral during pregnancy. The current study suggests injectable mineral administration to the pregnant cow benefits bull offspring growth with minor improvements in fertility prior to the start of the first breeding season.

Technical Abstract: Limited trace mineral research has focused on the impacts of maternal trace mineral supplementation on offspring fertility. We hypothesized that maternal injectable mineral (INJ) administration during mid/late gestation would improve overall growth and reproductive parameters in offspring. Two-hundred and seventy-eight cows were enrolled in the study and blocked by body weight, parity, and day (d) of gestation, and randomly assigned to a treatment groups; a group (MM, n = 138) which received a single INJ (Cu = 15 mg/mL, Mn = 10mg/mL, Se = 5mg/mL, and Zn = 60mg/mL; Axiota, Ft. Collins, CO, USA) or control group (CON, n = 138) which did not. Following calving, adjusted birth weight and weaning weights were recorded. A subset of bulls was developed until one year of age (CON, n = 18; MM, n = 14) when two semen ejaculates were collected for sperm quality. Mineral injection calves were heavier at birth than CON (P = 0.05). A treatment by parity interaction was observed for an increase in progressive motility in MM bulls than CON (P = 0.10). Injectable mineral administration to the pregnant multiparous cow improved sperm progressive motility in bulls but no improvements were observed when assessed via flow cytometry.