W. R. Hollenbeck

Performance and health effects of Zuprevo 18% in newly received, highly stressed beef cattle

Experimental Procedures A total of 729 high-risk calves, over 4 phases from 2012–1013, were procured from an order buying facility in Dickson, TN. Calves were individually identified, weighed, tested for persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhea (BVD-PI), and randomly assigned to treatment group pre-shipment. Eight animals that tested positive for BVD-PI were removed from the group before shipment. Calves were then transported to the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Upon arrival, calves were housed in dirt-surfaced pens overnight with free access to long-stemmed prairie hay and water. Within 24 hours of arrival, calves were individually weighed (mean weight 462 lb); vaccinated with Cavalry 9 (Schering-Plough Animal Health; Omaha, NE) and either Vista 5 (Intervet; Millsboro, DE) or Vista Once (Intervet); dewormed using Safe-guard (Intervet) oral drench; and implanted with Ralgro (Schering-Plough Animal Health). In addition, calves were mass-medicated with Zuprevo (Merck Animal Health; Summit, NJ) or not (Control). Calves were allocated to 56 pens, each containing 12 to 14 animals. There were 24 pens (309 head) of Control animals and 32 pens (412 head) of calves allocated to the Zuprevo treatment during the four study phases.

Restricting Intake and Increasing Energy Improves Efficiency in Newly Received Growing Cattle and Zelnate Has No Effect

Objectives: Study effects of two limit-fed diets formulated to provide two levels of dietary energy and offered at two different intake rates to target similar gains and analyze the efficacy of a novel DNAimmunostimulant administered on arrival. Study Description: A 56-day pen study was conducted utilizing 370 Angus × Brahman heifers shipped from Florida (1,455 mi) to study the effects of limit-feeding at 2 intakes based on prior research conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit, Manhattan, KS, to achieve similar gains and effects of Zelnate under the dietary conditions. The Bottom Line: Limit-feeding a higher-energy, lower-roughage diet at 2.2% of body weight daily is a more efficient feeding strategy than offering a higher-roughage, lower-energy diet at 2.4% of body weight daily to achieve similar gains, and Zelnate administered on arrival had no effect on performance or health.

Total Tract Dry Matter Digestibility and Proportions of Ruminal Propionate Are Increased in High-Energy Limit-Fed Diets Based Primarily on Wet Corn Gluten Feed

Objectives: Study digestion and characteristics of digestion of high-energy limit-fed diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed. Study Description: Six ruminally-cannulated Jersey crossbred steers were used to measure total tract diet digestibility, passage rate, volatile fatty acid, and ammonia production, and ruminal pH when limit-feeding high-energy diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed. The Bottom Line: High-energy limit-fed diets based primarily on wet corn gluten feed are 15% more digestible and produce a higher concentration of energy yielding volatile fatty acid compared to lowenergy full-fed diets without apparent disruptions in ruminal fermentation or health.

Increased Dietary Energy in Limit-fed Diets Does Not Affect Immune Function, Inflammation, or Stress, but Health Status Does

Objectives: Measure effects of limit-feeding high-energy diets on the immune system, stress, and inflammation as well as differences in these parameters between healthy and sick animals under the dietary conditions. Study Description: Heifers from 4 dietary treatments were used to study the effects of limit-feeding and increased dietary energy on immune function, inflammation (indicated by elevated levels of haptoglobin), stress, and differences in these parameters between healthy and morbid animals consuming the different diets. The Bottom Line: Limit-feeding high-energy diets does not negatively affect immune function, cause stress, or promote inflammation, and morbid animals have significantly higher haptoglobin levels.

Syngenta Enhanced Feed Corn (Enogen) Containing an Alpha Amylase Expression Trait Improves Feed Efficiency in Growing Calf Diets

Objective: To determine the growing calf response when fed Enogen Feed corn silage containing an alpha amylase expression trait. Study Description: Crossbred steers of Tennessee origin (n = 352) were used to determine the effects on performance when fed Enogen Feed corn silage with either Enogen Feed corn or control corn at ad libitum intake. The Bottom Line: When fed in an ad libitum fashion to growing calves, Enogen Feed corn silage improves the efficiency of feed conversion by 4.4% and average daily gain by 6.0%.

Evaluation of Salt, Trace Mineral Sources, and Growth Implants on Performance of Stocker Cattle Grazing Native Flint Hills Pasture

Objective: Determine the efficacy of providing salt alone or with injectable trace minerals compared to a complete mineral supplement and growth implants for improving the growth of stocker calves grazing native grass pastures in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Study Description: A total of 248 steers originating from Texas and New Mexico were used to determine the effects on performance when provided with salt blocks with or without an injectable trace mineral, compared to performance when provided with a complete mineral supplement. Moreover, the response of two commonly-used growth implants were evaluated. The Bottom Line: While there was no growth response to salt block and injectable trace mineral supplementation when compared to a complete mineral supplementation, there was a significant growth response with growth implants.

Wet Distiller’s Grains and Wet Corn Gluten with Dry-Rolled or Whole-Shelled Corn in High-Energy Limit-Fed Diets Do Not Affect Growing Cattle Performance

Objective: Compare wet distiller’s grains plus solubles and wet corn gluten feed with dry-rolled or wholeshelled corn in a novel programmed-feeding strategy being developed at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Description: A total of 320 crossbred steers were used to determine the effects of two corn by-products and methods of corn processing, utilizing a high-energy limit-fed feeding strategy. The Bottom Line: Kansas producers have the option of feeding corn by-product and whether or not to process corn in a high-energy limit-fed feeding strategy without the risk of negatively affecting performance.

Programming a Variety of Gains Is Possible by Controlling Intake of a Single High-Energy By-Product-Based Diet Early in the Receiving/Growing Period Without Affecting Efficiency

Objective: Analyze the effects on performance when feeding a high-energy by-product-based diet to newly received growing cattle. Description: A total of 400 Angus × Hereford heifers originating from Montana were used to determine the effects on performance when intake of a high-energy corn by-product-based diet is increased to near ad libitum intake. The Bottom Line: One high-energy diet based on wet corn gluten feed can be offered to achieve a variety of gains efficiently by only altering the amount of feed offered.

Effects of dietary energy level and intake of corn by-product-based diets on newly received growing cattle: antibody production, acute phase protein response, stress, and immunocompetency of healthy and morbid animals.

Effects of dietary energy level and intake of corn by-product-based diets on antibody production, acute phase protein response, stress, and immunocompetency of healthy and morbid newly received growing cattle were evaluated. Four dietary treatments were formulated to supply 0.99, 1.10, 1.21, and 1.32 Mcal NEg/ kg DM and were offered at 100%, 95%, 90%, and 85% of ad libitum based on 0.99/100 treatment intake, respectively. Thirty-two pens were utilized with approximately 12 animals/pen. Four animals from each pen (32/dietary treatment) were randomly selected and used to serve as a subset to monitor immune function and acute phase proteins following a split-plot design. In addition, two animals were randomly and independently selected from each pen (16/dietary treatment) and used to measure fecal cortisol metabolite. Additionally, animals removed from the pen one (M1), two (M2), or three (M3) times and classified as morbid were bled in conjunction with a healthy control (H) removed at the same time and the serum analyzed for the same parameters. A quadratic response to time (P < 0.01) was detected for haptoglobin concentrations and for antibody titers for bovine viral diarrhea type 1 (BVD-I) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR; P < 0.01). Haptoglobin was lowest on arrival, highest on day 14, and similar to baseline levels by day 27. Titer levels for BVD-I and IBR were lowest on arrival, higher on day 14, and significantly higher on day 27. Titers for bovine viral diarrhea type 2 (BVD-II) responded linearly (P < 0.05) with lower levels on arrival and highest levels on day 27. Haptoglobin was elevated in morbid animals compared to healthy pen mates (P < 0.05). Titer levels for BVD-I and IBR were also higher in healthy animals compared to animals pulled for morbidity (P < 0.01). Fecal cortisol was higher on arrival than on day 14 (P < 0.05). Dietary treatment had no effect on any of the parameters investigated. In summary, high-energy receiving diets based on fermentable fiber from by-products can be fed to newly received growing cattle without negative effects on antibody production toward vaccines, inflammation, or overall stress. In addition, haptoglobin concentrations and titer levels for BVD-I and IBR viruses are higher in healthy animals compared to sick animals.

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.