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Effect of growth rates on hormonal and pubertal status in Nellore heifers early weaned

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effect of growth rates on the hormonal status and puberty onset. Forty-eight Nellore heifers were weaned at 3.0 ± 0.1 (means ± standard error of the mean) months old were blocked according to body weight at weaning (84 ± 2 kg) and randomly assigned to treatments. The treatments were arranged in 2 × 2 factorial according to the feeding program. The first program was high (H; 0.79 kg/day) or control (C; 0.45 kg/day) average daily gain (ADG) from 3rd to 7th month of age (growing phase I). The second program was also high (H; 0.70 kg/day) or control (C; 0.50 kg/day) ADG from the 7th month until puberty (growing phase II), resulting in four treatments: HH (n = 13), HC (n = 10), CH (n = 13), and CC (n = 12). To achieve desired gains, heifers in high ADG program were fed ad libitum dry matter intake (DMI), and the control group was offered around 50% of ad libitum DMI of high group. All heifers received a diet with similar composition. Puberty was assessed weekly by ultrasound examination, and the largest follicle diameter was evaluated every month. Blood samples were collected to quantify leptin, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF1) and luteinizing hormone (LH). At 7 months of age, heifers in high ADG were 35 kg heavier than the control. Heifers in the HH had greater DMI compared with CH in phase II. The puberty rate at 19 months old was greater in the HH treatment (84%) than in the CC (23%), but there was no difference between HC (60%) and CH (50%) treatments. Heifers from HH treatment had greater serum leptin concentration than others at 13 months old, and serum leptin was greater in HH compared with CH and CC at 18 months old. High heifers in phase I had greater serum IGF1 concentration than the control. In addition, HH heifers had a greater diameter of the largest follicle than CC. There was no interaction between phases and age in any variable relative to the LH profile. However, the heifers’ age was the main factor that increased the frequency of LH pulse. In conclusion, increasing ADG was associated with greater ADG, serum leptin and IGF-1 concentration, and puberty onset; however, LH concentration was affected mainly by age of the animal. The increasing growth rate at younger age made heifers more efficient.

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Data Availability

The data sets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was financial supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2014/14136-4; 16/17598-4; 18/06242-0) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for on this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Amazonas, Estrada Parintins Macurany, Jacareacanga, Parintins, AM, 69152240, Brazil

    M.V.C. Ferraz

  2. Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Duque de Caxias North Avenue, n 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-000, Brazil

    M.H. Santos, G.B. Oliveira, J.P.R. Barroso & A.V. Pires

  3. São Paulo State University (UNESP), Clovis Pestana 793, Araçatuba, SP, 16050-680, Brazil

    G.P. Nogueira

  4. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA

    V.N. Gouvea

  5. Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA

    P.H.V. Carvalho

  6. Department of Animal Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Pádua Dias Avenue, n 11, PO Box 09, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    J.S. Biava, E.M. Ferreira & A.V. Pires

  7. Department of Biology and Animal Science, Sao Paulo State University, Ilha Solteira, SP, 15385000, Brazil

    D.M. Polizel

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  1. M.V.C. Ferraz
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  8. P.H.V. Carvalho
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Contributions

M.V.C. Ferraz: data curation, investigation, writing—original draft; M.H. Santos: investigation;. G.B. Oliveira: investigation. J.P.R. Barroso: investigation. D.M. Polizel: investigation; G.P. Nogueira: conceptualization, methodology; V.N. Gouvea: conceptualization, methodology; P.H.V. Carvalho: writing—review and editing; J.S. Biava: investigation, writing—original draft; E.M. Ferreira: writing—original draft; A.V. Pires: methodology, conceptualization, funding acquisition, supervision. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to A.V. Pires.

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The Animal Care and Use Committee from the University of São Paulo approved all procedures with animals.

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Ferraz, M., Santos, M., Oliveira, G. et al. Effect of growth rates on hormonal and pubertal status in Nellore heifers early weaned. Trop Anim Health Prod 55, 189 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03588-2

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