Effects of dietary cation-anion difference and nicotinic acid supplementation on prepartum Jersey cows and calves: II—Effects on calf performance

Two DCAD (-40 or -80 mEq/kg) +/- 23 g/d supplemental nicotinic acid (NA) were fed to prepartum Jersey cows. The effects of NA and DCAD supplementation of prepartum Jersey cows on the growth and performance of their calves have not been studied. Briefly, 40 multiparous Jersey cows were blocked by calving date and assigned to treatments 4 wk prepartum in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design. Colostrum was collected within 90 min after parturition, and calves were not allowed to suckle. Calves were weighed and had blood sampled within 30 min of birth and were enrolled if their dams produced ≥2 L colostrum. Enrolled calves received ≥2 L and a maximum of 3.78 L. However, there were no differences in colostrum intake. The calves were blocked based on treatments of dams and fed twice daily from d 1 to 42: 3.78 L milk (13.3% to 8.5% BW from birth to 6 wk), pelleted calf starter with additional steam-flaked corn, and ad libitum water. A lower colostral IgG intake was observed in calves from -80 DCAD cows as compared with calves from -40 DCAD cows. An interaction was found for IGF-1 intake in which the greatest intake was observed in calves from cows fed -40/NA+. Colostral lactoferrin intake was greater in calves from cows fed NA. Xylose challenge data supported this, where calves from NA cows had greater plasma xylose. No differences were observed for calf plasma 24 h IgG, apparent efficiency of absorption, starter, milk solids, and water intakes, total DMI, weekly BW, final BW, skeletal measurements (overall and daily), weekly and final plasma glucose, and serum ketones. There was an interaction for calf final ketones, where the lowest were from -40/NA- and -80/NA+. Calves from cows fed the -80 DCAD and cows fed NA resulted in a tendency to decrease calf ADG. Feed efficiency results indicated that -80 DCAD and NA decreased calf feed efficiency. These data suggest that supplementing NA in a -80 DCAD diet is not recommended, and providing prepartum Jersey cows with a lesser NA dose may be beneficial due to its effects on calf xylose absorption and lactoferrin intake.