Electrolyte supplementation for gestating beef cows under heat stress conditions: cow-calf performance,...

Electrolyte supplementation has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate heat stress by supporting acid-base balance and hydration; however, its application in pasture-based beef cow-calf systems has not been evaluated. This study assessed the effects of providing an electrolyte-fortified water solution to late-gestation beef cows managed on pasture during prolonged summer heat stress. Fifty-four fall-calving Angus-cross cows [(BW) = 582 ± 8.43 kg] and body condition score [(BCS) = 5.9 ± 0.1] were assigned to 10 bermudagrass pastures and allocated to: (1) Control (water only) or (2) Electrolyte-supplemented water (Bovine GoldLyte; 25 g/cow/day; n = 5 pastures/treatment) for approximately 90 days prepartum. Cow BW, BCS were collected on d 0, 28, 56, 84 and 168, and blood on d 0, 14, 28, 56 and 84. Water and electrolyte intake were collected three time a week from day 0 to 84. Respiration rate was measured every 14-d and intravaginal temperatures were measured from d 28 to 35 and d 56 to 63. Electrolyte intake averaged 26.7 ± 1.21 g/cow/day. Supplementation did not affect cow BW, BCS, calf birth weight, respiration rate, intravaginal temperature, or water intake (P ≥ 0.51). Control cows consumed more mineral-mix from weeks 5 to 10 (treatment × day; P < 0.001). Electrolyte supplementation did not alter blood pH, pCO₂, Na⁺, K⁺, ionized Ca, or hemoglobin (P ≥ 0.16), but cows receiving electrolytes showed decreased hematocrit (P = 0.09) and increased bicarbonate (P = 0.06), base excess (P = 0.04), and tCO₂ (P = 0.04). Cows supplemented with electrolyte had decreased albumin concentrations (treatment × day, P = 0.03) on day 56 (P = 0.09) and 84 (P = 0.01). In conclusion, electrolyte supplementation enhanced hydration and buffering capacity in heat-stressed gestating beef cows, but these physiological changes did not translate into improved performance or thermotolerance. Reduced mineral intake among supplemented cows may have offset potential benefits, suggesting that continuous electrolyte supplementation offers limited practical value for improving productivity or heat resilience in pasture-based beef systems.