Objective: Evaluate hide tag scores of finishing cattle subjected to differing levels of bedding application during the winter and spring months in eastern South Dakota

Miller, K. D.

Smerchek, D. T.

Smith, Z. K.

English

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South Dakota State University Beef Day 96 Beef Day 2020 Feedlot  Effects of wheat straw bedding usage on hide tag scores during winter and spring in finishing feedlot cattle fed in eastern South Dakota  K. D. Miller, D. T. Smerchek, and Z. K. Smith  Objective Evaluate hide tag scores of finishing cattle subjected to differing levels of bedding application during the winter and spring months in eastern South Dakota.  Study Description Hide tag scores (TS; 1 to 5 point scale; 1=no tag, clean hide and 5=lumps of manure attached to the hide continuously on the underbelly and side of the animal from brisket to rear quarter) were collected on March 22 or March 25, 2019 (winter), and on May 10, 2019 (spring) from pens of 5 to 8 steers and heifers housed in 25 × 25 ft concrete pens at the Ruminant Nutrition Center in Brookings, SD. Treatments included: 1) 5.5 lb (as-is basis) of bedding per animal per day (HI; n=8 pens); 2) 4 lb (as-is basis) of bedding per animal per day (LO; n=15 pens); or 3) no bedding (NO; n=15 pens). Pen TS distribution was analyzed using a multinomial distribution approach appropriate for a completely randomized design.  Take home points Winter: There were more steers (P = 0.01) with TS 2 in HI compared to LO and NO (42.5 vs. 4.2 and 0.0 ± 7.27%, respectively). Cattle in HI had a greater (P = 0.01) number of TS 3 compared to LO and NO (55.0 vs. 25.8 and 5.0 ± 10.20%, respectively). Cattle in LO and NO had more (P = 0.01) TS 4 compared to HI (59.2 and 45.6 vs. 2.5 ± 10.48%, respectively). The greatest number (P = 0.01) of cattle with TS 5 was in the NO treatment (49.4 vs 10.8 and 0.0 ± 8.80% for NO, LO, and HI, respectively).  Spring: Steers in HI had the cleanest hides with the greatest number of TS 1 (P = 0.01; 5.0 vs. 0.0 and 0.0 ± 1.56% for HI, NO, and LO, respectively) and TS 2 compared to NO and LO (55.0 vs. 23.7 and 21.4 ± 7.58% for HI, NO, and LO, respectively). Cattle in HI had fewer (P = 0.01) TS 3 compared to NO and LO (37.5 vs. 69.5 and 65.6 ± 8.40%, respectively). No differences (P ≥ 0.13) for TS’s 4 and 5 were detected during the spring. Greater amounts of bedding results in less severe TS. Tag Scores became less severe as the season changed from winter to spring.     South Dakota State University Beef Day 97 Acknowledgements Sponsored in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the South Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station (HATCH- SD00H690-19).  Keywords:  bedding, feedlot, hide tag score 

Effects of Wheat Straw Bedding Usage on Hide Tag Scores During Winter and Spring in Finishing Feedlot Cattle fed in Eastern South Dakota

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&amp;context=sd_beefday_2020

Effects of Wheat Straw Bedding Usage on Hide Tag Scores During Winter and Spring in Finishing Feedlot Cattle fed in Eastern South Dakota

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