ARS | Publication request: Effects of transportation duration on feeding behavior and feed efficiency of freshly-weaned Brahman x hereford calves

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science Southern Section Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 4, 2012
Publication Date: June 25, 2012
Citation: Loyd, A., Reuter, R., Bradbury, B., Vann, R., Banta, J., Carroll, J.A., Welsh Jr, T., Randel, R. 2012. Effects of transportation duration on feeding behavior and feed efficiency of freshly-weaned Brahman x hereford calves [abstract]. Journal of Animal Scinece. 90:13(Suppl. 2).

Technical Abstract: This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of long (L; 25.5 h) versus short (S; 5.5 h) duration transport on the feeding behavior and feed efficiency of Brahman x Hereford calves. Calves (8.5±0.4 mo of age) from Overton, TX, were blocked by sex (n=18 steers; n=14 heifers), BW, and temperament score and randomly assigned to a transportation treatment of L (n=16) or S duration (n=16). L calves were weighed, abruptly weaned, and transported 12 h on a 7.3 m livestock trailer (300 kg/m2 stocking density). L calves were unloaded and rested for 6 h before being transported again for 13.5 h. S calves were weighed, abruptly weaned, and transported for 5.5 h on another 7.3 m livestock trailer (300 kg/m2 stocking density). All calves were unloaded in Marietta, OK, at the same time and weighed. Calves received ad libitum access to water and a high roughage diet offered in GrowSafe® bunks for 28 d to monitor feed adaptation and for an additional 70 d to determine residual feed intake (RFI). L calves had greater shrink (5.3 vs. 3.0±0.2%; P<0.0001) than S calves due to transport. Although L calves tended to begin consuming feed quicker post-transport than S calves (0.08 and 0.32±0.1 d; P=0.10), there was no difference in the time it took calves to first attend the feed bunks or consume enough feed to meet estimated NEm requirements (P>0.30). Transportation duration did not affect (P>0.25) the number of meal events, head down time, feed intake, watering behavior, or ADG during the adaptation period. RFI did not differ (P=0.84) due to transportation duration. These results suggest that while long duration transportation increased BW shrink, post-transport feeding behavior, performance and feed efficiency are not compromised relative to calves transported for a much shorter duration.