Emerging Cattle Health
New research on health and welfare were presented at working group.
by Kasey Brown, associate editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 5, 2014) — Health of cattle is imperative to the success of the beef industry, and research is continuously done to prevent or treat health issues. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Emerging Cattle Health Research and Issues Working Group highlighted some new research Feb. 5 at the 2014 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
The USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is conducting many animal health projects, highlighted Eileen Thacker, of the Veterinary Medical Science division. Some of the projects include antibiotic resistance, alternative medicines, tickborne and parasitic diseases, anaplasmosis, diagnostics and food safety.
For instance, she mentioned that in food-safety research, salmonella was found in lymph nodes, not just in feces — meaning it has potential to go into ground beef from beef trim. It is speculated that biting flies are a source of the bacteria, and research is ongoing. If they can determine how salmonella is infiltrating cattle, it can be prevented.
Shipping cattle to the mainland
Ashley Stokes, extension and research veterinarian for the University of Hawaii, presented research on stress when shipping cattle from Hawaii to the mainland. Hawaii is the most isolated landmass in the entire world, so cattle spend quite some time in specially designed “cowtainers.” The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-funded study followed two shipments of cattle to the mainland, one to Washington and one to California.
Stokes explained that this project is being proactive on cattle welfare during transport, and she aims to protect and improve the shipping process.
The calves’ temperatures were monitored, as were temperature and humidity of the cowtainers during the trip. The cowtainers have feeders, waterers, ventilated windows, and ample space for the cattle to move and lie down, though not enough for them to get hurt when the cowtainer is moved. The cowtainers also had a camera to monitor behavior.
The study showed that the combination of temperature and humidity is key, and neither reached the danger zone within the cowtainer. Body temperatures spiked during moments of stress, like loading and unloading, and when the cowtainer was moved. The stress of animals was monitored by substance P, white blood cell values and genetic evaluation with a micro ray. She said stress also showed small spikes during loading, unloading and moving the cowtainer, but the results showed that cattle overcame the stress quickly.
The design of the cowtainer, developed by cattlemen, really increases the welfare of the cattle, Stokes asserted. The cattle do not leave the cowtainer for the nine-day journey, but she said this actually increased their well-being. Constant access to feed and water, good ventilation, adequate space and daily cleaning kept the cattle comfortable, and reduced the potential for added stress and injury if they were unloaded again in O‘ahu.
Future research will look at how preconditioning affects transportation, she concluded.
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