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New Research Provides Insight into Eating and Drinking Patterns of Newly-Received Feedlot Calves By Marilyn J. Buhman Insight into the eating and drinking behaviors of newly received feedlot calves might enable feedlot owners, managers, nutritionists, and veterinarians to develop applications to more efficiently produce beef. A cooperative research effort by West Texas A&M Feedlot Research, Cactus Feeders, Roche Vitamins Inc., and Grow-Safe Systems has documented the eating and drinking behavior of newly received feedlot cattle. This research effort, led by Marilyn Buhman, DVM, MS, also characterized changes in these behaviors associated with bovine respiratory disease complex, lung lesions, and vaccination at the base of the ear. One hundred and seventy, high-stress, lightweight calves were observed for the first 57 days on feed at Southwest Feedyard in Hereford, Texas, using an electronic monitoring system. This system records individual animal identification, location of individual animals at the feedbunk, and time of day when individual animals feed and (or) water. Duration of time spent at the feedbunk and (or) waterer is recorded along with the frequency of eating and (or) drinking. Average daily eating duration generally decreased as days on feed increased. Average daily eating duration for the first 57 days on feed was 82.9 (range of 4.6 to 148.6) minutes per day, with an average of 12.0 (range of 5.0 to 20.0) visits to the feedbunk per day. In addition calves had an average drinking frequency of 5.7 (range of 2.8 to 10.2) visits per day with a total drinking duration of 7.9 (range of 1.0 to 31.0) minutes per day. The research also revealed a large amount of variation between individual calves with regard to eating and drinking behavior. 
Buhman and co-author Louis Perino, DVM, Ph.D. also evaluated the ability of the electronic monitoring system to detect which calves were sick. Calves that were removed from the pen for BRDC were evaluated by the two veterinarians for health status. Differences were detected in eating and drinking behaviors of those calves classified as sick by Buhman and Perino. Sick calves had a greater frequency and duration of drinking 4 to 5 days after arrival, had a lower frequency and duration of eating and drinking 11 to 27 days after arrival, and had a greater frequency of eating 28 to 57 days after arrival. Unfortunately, due to the large amount of individual variation in eating and drinking by each calf, it is challenging to utilize this system on an individual animal basis. This system may be of most value in receiving pens, utilizing the data on a pen level basis instead of utilizing it on a prospective, individual calf basis. In addition to assessing health status, Buhman and Perino followed all calves to the packing plant and recorded lesions indicative of pneumonia at some point of the calf's life cycle. Calves with more signs of pneumonia in their lungs at slaughter had a lower frequency and duration of eating 11 to 27 days after arrival, but higher frequency and duration of eating occurred from 28 to 57 days. This may indicate calves had a lower eating frequency and duration during the time of clinical disease and compensated for disease during days 28 to 57. The effect of the location of administration of a subcutaneous Clostridial vaccine on the behaviors of eating and drinking was also evaluated. One-half of the calves were given the vaccine in the neck and the other half of the calves were given the vaccine at the base of the ear. The location of the vaccine did not affect eating or drinking behaviors. In addition, it did not have any effect on the growth performance or health of the calves. Knowledge of the feeding and drinking behavior of newly-received calves might allow for further understanding of issues such as bunk management, time of feed deliveries, feed and water-grade antibiotic usage, and maintaining consistent intakes. In addition, the integration of health management with the above issues will allow for more efficient beef production. |
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