Effects of beef calf health during receiving on subsequent performance during stocker and finishing phases of production

Authors: BECK, PAUL - Oklahoma State University; Beck, Matthew; RIVERA, DANIEL - University Of Arkansas; KEGLEY, ELIZABETH - University Of Arkansas; HORN, GERALD - Oklahoma State University

Submitted to: Applied Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2024
Publication Date: 8/1/2025
Citation: Beck, P.A., Beck, M.R., Rivera, D., Kegley, E.B., Horn, G.W. 2025. Effects of beef calf health during receiving on subsequent performance during stocker and finishing phases of production. Applied Animal Science. 41(4):284-297. https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2024-02576.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2024-02576

Interpretive Summary: Prior management can have long-term impacts on beef cattle productivity. However, the effects of castration status and the incidence and severity of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) on cattle productivity across production systems is still understudied. Accordingly, scientists from ARS (Bushland, TX), Oklahoma State University, and the University of Arkansas aimed to investigate the long-term implications of prior management on beef cattle productivity. Cattle that were received as bulls prior to the stocker phase were 2.4 times more likely to contract BRD than cattle that were received as steers. Further, bulls were 2.27-times more likely to suffer from BRD mortality. As the number of BRD treatments during the receiving period increased, there was a reduction in receiving average daily gain. This poorer performance outcome resulted in lighter cattle at grazing initiation and cattle that received more BRD treatments never caught up to their healthy counterparts. When followed through finishing, cattle that were treated for BRD during the stocker receiving period had lighter hot carcass weights at slaughter, with leaner carcasses than those that were not treated. These results suggest that producers need to purchase bulls at a significant discount if they hope to have equal net returns to steers and that negative health outcomes have long lasting implications for beef production.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this analysis was to determine the effects of purchasing cattle as steers or bulls and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) treatment of stocker calves during receiving on performance during subsequent stages of production. This post hoc analysis used mixed steer and bull calves with full health data records (n = 1,965) from 9 experiments, steer calves with receiving health data and subsequent grazing performance data (n = 2,032) from 10 experiments, and steer calves with receiving health data with subsequent grazing and finishing performance data (n = 423) from 2 experiments. Data were analyzed as random effects or generalized linear mixed models with experiment as the random effect in the R software. Calves received as intact bulls (n = 1,064) were 2.41-, 2.25-, 2.68-, or 2.94-times more likely to have a first, second, third, and fourth treatment, respectively, than calves that were received as steers (n = 901). Bulls were also 1.16-times more likely to have chronic morbidity and 2.27-times more likely to have BRD mortality than steers. As the number of BRD treatments increased, ADG during receiving decreased. This carried over for reduced BW during turnout on pasture and at the end of grazing. When steers were followed through finishing, increased number of BRD treatments during the stocker receiving period reduced BW at slaughter, hot carcass weight, and marbling and increased the number of days on feed to achieve a calculated 28% empty body fat carcass (based on equations by Guiroy et al., 2001). Bovine respiratory disease has long-term implications on performance, not only during the receiving period but also on BW and productivity following the stocker grazing phase and finishing. We observed no compensatory gain on pasture or during finishing from reduced performance due to health issues in the receiving phase. Increased BRD morbidity and less favorable health outcomes for calves arriving as intact bulls would require at least a $0.50/kg discount for intact bulls for equivalent net returns to steers.