Weaning strategy influence on pulmonary hypertension risk and respiratory disease

Commodities

• Animals: bovine
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health
• Education and Training: extension, on-farm/ranch research

Bovine congestive heart failure
(BCHF) presents a risk to the production and economic
sustainability of beef operations. Utilization of pulmonary
arterial pressure (PAP) testing is the current method to
select against high-risk individuals in mating decisions, however,
data also indicates a strong link to bovine respiratory disease
(BRD). At weaning, calves undergo stress due to
transport,
separation from their dam, vaccines, dehorning,
etc.
Often, incidence of
BRD is heightened during the weaning period, potentially
creating damage to the pulmonary system
and impacting those animals risk to BCHF. Therefore, our goal is
to evaluate weaning strategy impacts on BRD
incidence, PAP
score, and respiratory microbiome in a collaborative project
between the University of Wyoming and beef producers.
Objectives are to:
1) evaluate the impact of weaning methods on
pulmonary arterial pressure score in post-weaned calves from
producer and research herds, 2) measure the incidence of respiratory
disease, characterize the
respiratory
microbiome,
and analyze in relation to pulmonary arterial pressure
score in
calves from various weaning backgrounds, and 3) utilize research results of pulmonary
arterial pressure score and respiratory microbiome at the time of
weaning to inform decisions on managing risk for pulmonary
hypertension and respiratory disease associated with weaning
strategy. 

Objective 1: Evaluate impact of weaning methods on pulmonary
arterial pressure score in post-weaned calves from producer and
research herds.

Objective 2: Measure incidence of respiratory disease and
respiratory microbiome in various weaning methods and
corresponding pulmonary arterial pressure score.

Objective 3: Utilize research results of pulmonary arterial
pressure score and respiratory microbiome at the time of weaning
to inform decisions on managing risk for pulmonary hypertension
and respiratory disease associated with weaning strategy.