Insecticide ear tags numerically improve grazing cattle performance

Stocker cattle grazing pastures during the summer months face challenges due to horn flies, which can result in reduced weight gains and less efficient use of forages. One strategy for controlling horn flies is insecticide-impregnated ear tags. The use of pesticide ear tags may be an effective management practice to improve overall productivity during a grazing season. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of insecticide ear tags as a means of improving growth of stocker calves grazing native pastures in the Flint Hills region of Kansas

Backgrounding health associated with area of the truck where cattle were housed during transport

Cattle are commonly moved between geographic regions by using commercial transport carriers, and the vast majority of cattle are transported at least one time during their lives. Both handling and travel associated with moving cattle between locations have been identified as potentially stressful events. The objective of this research was to identify potential associations between calf location within the transport carrier and subsequent calf wellness in the short term (40 to 60 days) following shipment. Health outcomes and average daily gain (ADG) were used to measure calf wellness during the backgrounding period. Although some research has described the overall effect of hauling cattle, we are aware of no recent literature describing the effects of location within the vehicle on subsequent animal wellness and performance

Backgrounding health associated with area of the truck where cattle were housed during transport

Cattle are commonly moved between geographic regions by using commercial transport carriers, and the vast majority of cattle are transported at least one time during their lives. Both handling and travel associated with moving cattle between locations have been identified as potentially stressful events. The objective of this research was to identify potential associations between calf location within the transport carrier and subsequent calf wellness in the short term (40 to 60 days) following shipment. Health outcomes and average daily gain (ADG) were used to measure calf wellness during the backgrounding period. Although some research has described the overall effect of hauling cattle, we are aware of no recent literature describing the effects of location within the vehicle on subsequent animal wellness and performance

Comparison of Synovex-S® and two levels of Revalor-S® in heavy-weight Holstein steers

In two field trials, 434 Holstein steers averaging 849 lbs were assigned randomly to three single implant treatments: 1) Synovex- S®, 2) Revalor®-S 120 (120 mg trenbolone acetate (TBA) + 24 mg estradiol), and 3) Revalor®-S 140 (140 mg TBA + 28 mg estradiol). Revalor-implanted steers gained .05 to .10 lb per day faster, but this improvement was not statistically significant (P>.05). Both Revalor-implanted groups produced trimmer carcasses with less (P<.05) backfat than Synovex steers. All other carcass characteristics and beef sensory properties, including taste panel evaluations of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, were not influenced by implant used

Characteristics of pelleted wheat middlings that affect summer storage

Pelleted wheat middlings samples were collected from four Kansas flour mills in March, April, and May, 1997 to characterize their moisture content and bulk density as they would be purchased directly from the mills by a livestock producer. The average moisture content of pelleted wheat middlings was 14% as they left the mills but declined during the spring to 13.6%. Pellets purchased from Kansas mills during the summer months are likely to contain 13.0 to 13.5% moisture. The average bulk density was approximately 40 lb/ft3 , which is equivalent to about 50 lb/bu. Based on the equilibrium moisture contents determined from the collected samples, if air at typical Kansas summertime temperatures is above 65% relative humidity, pellets will absorb moisture during storage

Feeding a Novel Trace Mineral at Lower Levels to Grazing Stocker Cattle Does Not Impair Performance

When grazing stocker cattle on native Flint Hills pasture, optimizing growth rate is important in determining overall profitability. The correct selection of mineral supplements is an important decision that can be used to help promote overall productivity during a grazing season

Evaluation of Trace Mineral Sources on Newly Arrived Stocker Cattle

Light weight stocker calves experience variable degrees of physiological and psychological stressors as they are assembled from various marketing points and transported to their destination. Susceptibility to disease in young, long hauled calves is greatly enhanced and the consequence of sickness is a major cause for poor production outcomes. Enhanced nutritional trace mineral programs that contain zinc, copper, and manganese from organic or hydroxy sources may be more efficacious as a means of minimizing disease or realizing improved performance than the sulfate form of these respective trace minerals

Using a mixture of cottonseed hulls and cottonseed meal to replace alfalfa hay in diets for stressed feeder calves

One 28-day receiving experiment was conducted using 625 exotic × British cross heifers to evaluate growth performance and morbidity on receiving diets that contained either alfalfa hay or a pellet composed of 65% cottonseed hulls and 35% cottonseed meal as the roughage source. Heifers fed the cotton byproduct pellet consumed more feed (P<0.01) but tended to be less efficient than those fed alfalfa hay. Daily gain was comparable between diets (P>0.05), and the percentages of heifers diagnosed, treated, or retreated for respiratory disease were similar

Receiving Stocker Cattle Performance is Similar With Either Corn or Sorghum Wet Distillers Grains

Distillers grains are an excellent energy and protein feed source for beef cattle. Corn distillers grains have been fed to beef cattle for many years, but sorghum distillers grains are becoming more popular and may be more cost effective than corn. Sorghum is very comparable to corn in terms of energy, but has a higher crude protein value. All distillers grains are available in a wet and dry form. The moist texture of wet distillers grains can help to reduce sorting at the bunk and appears to improve intake in young calves. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of corn and sorghum wet distillers grains on performance and digestibility of receiving stocker calves

Supplementation of Methionine or Choline Did Not Improve Health or Growth Performance in High-Risk, Newly Received Beef Heifers

Objective:This study was conducted to determine if supplemental methionine or choline improves health or growth performance in high-risk, newly received beef heifers. Study Description:In a 3-year experiment, 1,440 beef heifers (480 per year; 493 lb initial weight; Tennessee origin) were received in 15 truckloads (five per year) in October of 2020, 2021, and 2022. Heifers were limit-fed in 60-day receiving trials to evaluate the effects of supplemental methionine or choline on health and growth performance. Cattle received one of five treatments: control (no added methionine or choline); 5 or 15 g/day available methionine (8.33 or 25 g/day Smartamine M; Adisseo USA Inc., Alpharetta, GA; ruminally protected methionine); or 1.17 or 3.5 g/day available choline (26 or 78 g/day ReaShure; Balchem Corp., Montvale, NJ; ruminally protected choline). Results:Small differences among treatments were observed for final body weight, average daily gain, and gain:feed (P ≤ 0.10), but none of the treatments differed from the control. No differences among treatments were observed for respiratory morbidity or mortality (P≥ 0.30). The Bottom Line:Supplemental methionine or choline did not affect health or growth performance of high-risk, newly received heifers