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The objective was to investigate the effects of late-gestation supplementation of Ca salts of fatty acids to beef cows on the finishing phase growth performance and carcass characteristics of the steer progeny. Ninety-six multiparous, fall-calving, Angus × Simmental cows (BW = 601 ± 76 kg) were stratified by BW, BCS, and age and randomly allotted into 8 endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures with 12 cows/pasture. Cows were supplemented with soybean hulls mixed with either 155 g/cow/d of EnerGII (SFA/MUFA; enriched with palmitic and oleic acids) or 80 g/cow/d of Prequel + 80 g/cow/d of Strata (PUFA; enriched with linoleic acid, EPA, and DHA) for the last 77 ± 6 d of gestation. Steer progeny (n = 70) were weaned at 186 ± 6 d of age and transported to feedlot. Steers were fed receiving diets for 3 weeks and transitioned to finishing diets and adapted to GrowSafe feed bunks for individual daily feed intake measurement. Steers were weighed every 28 d during the finishing phase. Steers were slaughtered at commercial abattoir at 432 ± 6 d of age, and carcass data were obtained from USDA camera grading system. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, and repeated measure was used for BW. There were no differences (P ≥ 0.13) for BW, ADG, DMI, or feed conversion during the finishing phase. There was no differences (P ≥ 0.22) observed in hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, 12th rib fat thickness, yield grade, ribeye area, marbling score, or KPH fat. In conclusion, maternal supplementation of Ca salts of fatty acids during late gestation did not affect steer progeny growth performance during the finishing phase or carcass characteristics.

The objective was to determine the effects of supplementing calcium salts of PUFA or SFA + MUFA during late gestation on performance of fall-calving beef cows through calving. Mature, Simmental x Angus cows confirmed pregnant to a synchronized artificial insemination (AI) and fetal sexed were selected prior to the start of the experiment. At 200 d of gestation, cows (n = 96; BW = 603 ± 72 kg) were stratified by age, AI service sire, fetal sex and BW and allotted to 8 groups. Groups were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments (4 groups per treatment): SFA + MUFA (0.155 kg of EnerGII per cow per day on a DM basis) and PUFA (0.08 kg of Strata and 0.08 kg of Prequel per cow per day on a DM basis). The SFA + MUFA supplement included palmitic and oleic acid. The PUFA supplement included eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and linoleic acid. All cows grazed endophyte-infected tall fescue and were supplemented 2 kg DM per cow per d of soybean hulls for 78 d during late gestation in addition to their treatment supplement. Body condition score and BW were collected at trial initiation, during supplementation, before calving, and after calving. Pen was the experimental unit and BW, BCS, and calf BW were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. The BW and BCS at trial initiation, during supplementation, before calving, and after calving of the cows supplemented PUFA were not different (P ≥ 0.38) than the BW and BCS of cows supplemented SFA + MUFA. Calf birth BW from cows supplemented with PUFA were not different (P = 0.87) than calf birth BW from cows supplemented with SFA + MUFA. Supplementing cows PUFA during late gestation in fall-calving cows did not affect BW, BCS or calf birth BW.