Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• mohammad asadi ¹
• reza kamali ²
• nader asadzadeh ³

¹ Corresponding Author, Department of Animal Sciences Research, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Gorgan, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Mohammad.asadi_s97@gau.ac.ir

² Department of Animal Sciences Research, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Gorgan, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: R.kamali@ areeo.ac.ir

³ Department of Animal Sciences Research, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran. E-mail: n.asadzadeh@areeo.ac.ir

Abstract

Objective: The various challenges that cows face in late pregnancy have lasting effects, affecting aspects of the calf's metabolism at birth and post-colostrum immunity. On the other hand, the increase in oxidative stress and excessive production of free radicals during the transfer period affects the growing fetus. This effect can alter the ability of calves to defend themselves against pathogens and cope with stressors, leading to changes in body weight, performance and skeletal development during the critical first month of life. Identifying and optimizing the effect of specific nutrients in the animal health program can be an efficient management strategy to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation associated with the transition period, followed by immune disorders and impaired health and growth of calves; In this regard, vitamins and minerals are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Providing essential micronutrients to the mother during pregnancy is an effective way to meet the needs of the baby.
Material and Methods: This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of injecting minerals and vitamins in the late pregnancy of cows on performance, stool consistency, some blood metabolites, antioxidant status and skeletal growth indicators of their calves. For this purpose, 32 pregnant cows were selected based on the calving cycle, age, body weight and body condition score and were divided into 4 treatments and 8 repetitions in the form of a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments included: 1) control group (no vitamin and mineral supplement injection), 2) treatment receiving injectable vitamin supplement, 3) treatment receiving injectable mineral supplement and 4) treatment receiving vitamin and mineral supplement injection together. Supplements were injected 28 days before calving. After birth, calves born from each group were examined for 35 days. Blood samples were taken from calves at the end of the ex-perimental period (35 days after birth) to measure blood parameters.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that birth weight, day 35 weight, daily weight gain and total dry matter consumption of calves born from mothers receiving minerals, vitamins and minerals and vitamins were increased compared to the control group (P≥0.05). In the treatments receiving minerals, vitamins, and minerals and vitamins, an increase in colostrum IgG, IgG consumed by each calf, and serum IgG of calves was observed at birth and three days after birth (P≥0.05). Also, maternal injection of minerals and vitamins improved stool consistency and reduced the number of animals suffering from diarrhea; So that the best result was obtained from the simultaneous injection of minerals and vitamins (P≥0.05). On the other hand, the concentration of glucose, total protein and albumin of calves receiving maternal minerals, vitamins and minerals and vitamins were associated with a significant change compared to the control treatment (P≥0.05). Maternal injection increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase and decreased the total antioxidant status in calves compared to control calves (P≥0.05). The superoxide dismutase enzyme activity of calves born from the group receiving minerals and vitamins at the same time was associated with an increase, and the highest change in catalase activity was related to calves receiving treatment of minerals, and minerals and vitamins. In the calves born from the treatments receiving minerals, vitamins and minerals and vitamins, the height of the withers on the 28st day was increased compared to the control calves (P≥0.05).
Conclusion: In general, the simultaneous injection of minerals and vitamins to animals in the transition period before calving is recommended due to better performance and improvement of the immune system and health of their calves.

Keywords

• Calves
• Minerals
• Performance
• Transition period
• Vitamins