Supplementation of distiller's grains during late gestation in beef cows consuming low-quality forage decreases uterine, but not mammary, blood flow.
Positive effects have been observed in offspring from beef cows supplemented with corn dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) during late gestation. The hypothesis of this study was that late gestational DDGS supplementation to beef cows would increase blood flow (BF) to the gravid uterus and mammary gland thus impacting birthweight and post-natal growth of the offspring. Experiment 1 investigated mammary gland BF in multiparous cows during late pregnancy. Beef cows were fed a control (CON1) diet of low-quality hay (n = 5) or a supplement diet (SUP1) of low-quality hay with DDGS [1.7 g/kg of body weight (BW); n = 6]. In Experiment 2, multiparous late pregnant beef cows were fed either a control (CON2) diet of a low-quality hay (n = 4) or a supplement diet (SUP2) of low-quality hay with DDGS (1.7 g/kg of BW; n = 5). Uterine and mammary gland BF were recorded every 21 days during late gestation. In Experiment 1, there were no effects of diet or day on mammary gland hemodynamics. In Experiment 2, total and ipsilateral uterine BF was less (p ≤ 0.04) in SUP2 vs. CON2 cows and similar BF to contralateral horns. Mammary gland BF was unaltered by maternal supplementation. Even when measured in two different years in two different environments, mammary gland BF remained unaltered to DDGS supplementation. Investigations on the mechanism that may impact uterine BF during late gestation remain to be known.