This study evaluated the effects of decreasing the frequency of dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during third trimester of gestation on cow physiology and offspring preweaning growth. At 201 +/- 7 d prepartum (day 0 of the study), 120 Brangus crossbred cows were stratified by body weight (BW = 543 +/- 53 kg) and body condition score (BCS = 5.47 +/- 0.73), and then assigned randomly to 1 of 20 bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures (six cows and 4.7 ha/pasture). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures (five pastures/treatment) and consisted of cows offered no DDG supplementation (NOSUP) or precalving supplementation of DDG dry matter at 1 kg/cow daily (7x), 2.33 kg/cow every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (3x), or 7 kg/cow every Monday (1x) from day 0 to 77. All cows assigned to DDG supplementation received the same total amount of DDG dry matter (77 kg/cow) from day 0 to 77. All cow-calf pairs were managed similarly from day 77 until calf weaning (day 342). Supplementation frequency did not impact (P >= 0.16) any forage or cow reproduction data. Cow BCS on days 77 140, and 342 did not differ among 1 x, 3x, and 7x cows (P >= 0.29) but all supplemented cows, regardless of supplementation frequency, had greater BCS on days 77 140, and 342 compared to NOSUP cows (P <= 0.04). Cows offered 1 x supplementation had greater plasma concentrations of IGF-1 on days 35 and 140 compared to NOSUP, 3x and 7x cows (P <= 0.04), whereas 3x and 7x cows had greater plasma concentrations of IGF-1 on day 35 compared to NOSUP cows (Ps 0.005). Average plasma concentrations of glucose did not differ among 1 x, 3x, and 7x cows (P >= 0.44), but all supplemented cows had greater plasma concentrations of glucose compared to NOSUP cows (P <= 0.05). Birth BW of the first offspring did not differ between 3x and 7x calves (P = 0.54) but both groups were heavier at birth compared to NOSUP calves (P <= 0.05). On day 342, calves born from 7x cows were the heaviest (P <= 0.05), whereas calves born from 1 x and 3x cows had similar BW (P = 0.97) but both groups were heavier compared to calves born from NOSUP cows (P <= 0.05). In summary, decreasing the frequency of DDG supplementation, from daily to one or three times weekly, during third trimester of gestation of beef cows did not impact cow BCS but altered maternal plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and glucose, leading to reduced offspring preweaning growth. Lay Summary Decreasing the frequency of protein and energy supplementation to beef cattle is often used to reduce labor and feeding costs. We hypothesized that reducing the frequency of protein and energy during third trimester of gestation of beef cows would not impact maternal performance but would be detrimental to offspring growth due to greater fluctuations in maternal hormones and metabolites during pregnancy compared to daily concentrate supplementation. Supporting our hypothesis, decreasing the frequency of maternal protein and energy supplementation, from daily to either once or three times weekly during late gestation, did not decrease cow body condition score but altered the plasma concentrations of hormones and metabolites essential for fetal growth, and consequently, reduced offspring preweaning growth.