Behavioural effects of yearling grain-finished heifers exposed to differing environmental conditions and growth-promoting agents

Author:

Mader T. L.,Gaughan J. B.,Kreikemeier W. M.,Parkhurst A. M.

Abstract

Two groups of 108 Angus cross yearling heifers were utilised to determine the effects of growth-promoting agents on behaviour, when utilised under thermoneutral, hot and cold environmental conditions. Pens of heifers were observed throughout the day for feed intake pattern via bunk score, panting (hot), degree of bunching and shivering (cold). For cattle that were exposed to cold stress, feed intake was greater earlier in the day, with the majority of the feed consumed by 1500 hours and little or no feed consumed at night, while the opposite trend occurred under heat stress. Nearly 46% of the pens containing heat-stressed heifers had greater than 50% of their feed remaining in the bunk at 1900 hours. Pens of heifers exposed to thermoneutral conditions had a tendency to show elevated panting scores at 0700 hours, while heifers exposed to hot conditions did not, indicating some acclimation to heat stress had already taken place for the heifers exposed to hot conditions. Panting score did not appear to be affected by growth-promoting treatment. Under cold stress, 100% of the cattle displayed bunching behaviour throughout the day, while under hot and thermoneutral conditions, maximum bunching (25 to 30%) occurred at 1500 hours. Within an environmental condition, trenbolone acetate cattle tended to bunch more under thermoneutral and hot conditions, particularly in the morning, when compared with other treatment groups; control and oestrogen-treated cattle tended to bunch less under the same conditions, regardless of the time of day. Although data were inconclusive as to overall effects of growth promotants on mitigating cold stress, shivering scores were increased with a more aggressive growth-promoting treatment (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that if growth promotants, which are used in feedlot cattle, impact cattle exposed to adverse environmental conditions, then they tend to be more effective at mitigating heat stress than cold stress.

Publisher

CSIRO Publishing

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Cited by 5 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3