Establishing a protocol for receiving cattle that are at-risk of having a mineral deficiency

View the project final report

Commodities

• Animals: bovine
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed management, mineral supplements, vaccines
• Education and Training: extension, on-farm/ranch research

The western US produces nearly 25% of the calf crop in the country and houses approximately 18% of the total feedlot cattle. However, this region is primarily comprised of arid rangelands with limited forage production and both seasonal and yearly extremes in forage quality. Specifically, many areas in the western US are known to be deficient in copper, zinc, manganese and/or selenium. Despite these known deficiencies, there are no standard protocols available to help producers successfully receive cattle that are at-risk for having a mineral deficiency. Trace minerals are required for proper immune cell function and are especially important in stressed or disease challenged animals, such as newly received feedlot cattle. In the western US, annual death losses of cattle total 336,000 and disease is the causative factor in 31.5% of these deaths. This research helped to determine the best practices for producers to assimilate at-risk cattle into their operations, resulting in both improved cattle health and economic viability of producers. In this project, two different research trials were conducted: 1) a mineral deficiency was created in stressed, receiving cattle and different strategies will be tested to determine which method best improves mineral deficiency, immune status and feedlot performance; and 2) the findings of research trial one were used in trial two in an applied setting where cattle coming from areas known to be mineral deficient were obtained and treated with the best practices determined in trial one. Additionally, information learned during the course of this research trial was disseminated to the public and producers through publication of extension fact sheets,  development of online materials, and presentations as well as trainings for extension agents and VoAg teachers to ensure these findings were accessible to a broad audience.

The overall goal of this research was to determine the best practices producers can employ when receiving feedlot cattle that are at-risk of being mineral deficient. The following objectives were  completed to reach the overall goal:
Objective 1. Determine the effects of different receiving strategies designed to mitigate mineral deficiency on subsequent cattle performance while in the feedlot.
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that provision of minerals to mineral deficient, or “at-risk,” cattle prior to vaccination will result in improved animal performance when compared to at-risk animals that are vaccinated while having a low mineral status.
Sub-objective 1.1. Determine the optimum intervention strategy in order to mitigate the effects of low mineral status within cattle. We analyzed different methods of providing mineral supplementation. In addition, we also investigated the time required for each supplementation method to produce adequate mineral levels within cattle. This provided integral information that allowed for the determination of how different mineral intervention strategies affect animal mineral status.
Sub-objective 1.2. Determine the effects of different intervention strategies on feedlot performance and carcass quality of receiving calves. This determined how different intervention strategies affect gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, fat deposition, carcass quality and incidences of morbidity and mortality while animals were in a feedlot setting. Collection of this data provided important insight into how different intervention strategies impacted subsequent performance of animals.
Sub-objective 1.3. Determine the economic impacts for producers associated with each different mineral intervention strategy and subsequent animal performance. In order to make this work relevant to producers, it was important that we complete an economic analysis to show producers how these different mineral intervention strategies may impact their bottom line.

Completion of objective 1 determined the necessary length of the intervention strategies to increase mineral status and the effects mineral status on feedlot performance, as well as the economic production costs associated with poor mineral status resulting from poor animal performance.

Objective 2. Determine how the mineral status of receiving cattle influences their ability to respond to vaccination.
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that receiving cattle that have a mineral deficiency will not respond as well to vaccination, resulting in increased incidence of morbidity and/or mortality.
Sub-Objective 2.1. Determine the effects of mineral status intervention on vaccine immune response of animals. This determined whether mineral deficiency alters vaccine response as well as which intervention strategies can be employed to improve vaccine response and, thus, the health of the animal.
Sub-Objective 2.2. Determine the effects of mineral status intervention on respiratory disease occurrence and vaccine immune response of animals. This data provided valuable insight into whether or not these different mineral intervention strategies impact both the number of occurrences and the severity of bovine respiratory disease episodes in these cattle.
Completion of objective 2 will provide insights into the effect of mineral status on disease and vaccine response in receiving feedlot cattle.

Objective 3. Execute an innovative and impactful outreach program on the implementation of strategies to improve mineral status in receiving cattle.
Outreach Plan: Improve communication among cow-calf producers, feedlot producers, and researcher and extension personnel by building a communication network facilitated by a partnership between producers and Utah State University.
Sub-objective 3.1. Publish and present data obtained from the research trials through traditional extension channels. The results of the research project will be shared through traditional channels such as publication in scientific journals and extension facts sheets. In addition, several field days designed to disseminate research results will be hosted by Utah State University.
Sub-objective 3.2. Development of educational materials for a “train the trainer” program to assess mineral status and supplementation protocols in beef cattle. Our extension team will institute a “train the trainer” program in which Utah county extension agents as well as appropriate personnel from other states will be trained to help their constituents determine the mineral status of their herds and measures to address mineral deficiencies. These trainings will occur both “in-person” and through development and use of on-line modules.
Sub-objective 3.3. Develop on-line learning modules that can be accessed by all members of the public around the country. We will develop online learning modules that can be accessed by anyone that has access to the internet. These learning materials will be geared towards educating producers, researchers, VoAg teachers, and extension agents on how different mineral supplementation strategies at receiving impact subsequent cattle performance and the economics of the operation.