Does maternal size, nutrition and metabolic status affect offspring production traits in domestic species?

ABSTRACT

The Developmental Origins of health and Disease state that environmental conditions during pregnancy affect long term outcomes in offspring. In the present paper, effects of maternal size and breed as well as maternal nutrition on offspring size, growth and production traits are described. Although birthweight is mostly not affected, metabolic perturbations are often observed in adult offspring. In animal production, however, the relation between developmental conditions and long-term offspring outcome may remain unnoticed. Nevertheless, improving dams' health and nutrition before and during pregnancy may help improving production traits in domestic animals.