Location: Livestock Issues Research
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1: Use high-throughput phenotyping, automated data capture, and data computational technologies to explore relationships among animal behavior, environment, and management practices on animal productivity and well-being.
Sub-objective 1.A: Utilize automated data capture technologies to study the influence of phenotype, environment and management strategies on production efficiency, well-being, and the prevalence of enteric and foodborne pathogens in beef cattle.
Sub-objective 1.B: Evaluate non-invasive infrared thermography for targeted metaphylactic antibiotic treatment to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in feedlot production while maintaining animal productivity, health, and well-being.
Sub-objective 1.C: Evaluate the ability of non-antibiotic alternatives to reduce and mitigate Salmonella pathogenesis and its negative impacts on overall well-being in dairy calves and swine.
Objective 2: Reduce the incidence and severity of liver abscesses in cattle through management strategies.
Sub-objective 2.A: Continue development of an experimental model to study liver abscesses in cattle.
Sub-objective 2.B: Utilize nutritional supplements to reduce the incidence and severity of liver abscesses in cattle.
Objective 3: Evaluate natural variations, hormonal regulation, and nutritional modulation of immune cell activity and inflammation in livestock.
Sub-objective 3.A: Utilize in vitro immune cell phenotyping to determine the influence of temperament on immunity and disease resistance in beef cattle.
Sub-objective 3.B: Evaluate the role of ghrelin in vitro and in vivo as a means to reduce inflammation and improve well-being in cattle and swine.
Sub-objective 3.C: Evaluate changes in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in cattle and swine fed various non-antibiotic feed additives including sorghum extracts and cotton seed oil products.
Approach
Animal health and well-being continues to be at the forefront of livestock production. Any progress to be made in responsibly producing livestock products must be made through providing tools to improve animal productivity and well-being. It is now understood that many factors influence animal well-being and productivity, including phenotype (i.e., temperament), nutrition, environment (i.e., climate changes), and health status. Further complicating the matter is the increased consumer pressure to decrease antimicrobial use in livestock, and the need to identify viable antibiotic alternatives in order to maintain animal productivity and health. Therefore, this research will increase understanding of the interactions among phenotype, nutrition, and environmental factors to improve/provide tools for producers to maximize productivity and well-being. Objective 1 will utilize high-throughput phenotyping and automated data capture and computation technologies to improve animal productivity and well-being. Additionally, non-invasive biomarker data capture techniques will be tested that can provide valuable information to producers. For Objective 2 we will continue development of an experimental model to study liver abscess development and strategies to reduce liver abscess incidence and severity in cattle. Lastly, Objective 3 will assess differences in immune cell function stemming from natural variations and non-antibiotic additives and will evaluate how these factors may be utilized to reduce inflammation and improve productivity. Together, these objectives will provide invaluable information to cattle and swine producers on the impact of phenotype, environment, and nutrition on livestock productivity, health and well-being, and provide tools to help producers continue to provide healthy animal products to consumers.
Progress Report
In the first year of the project plan, ARS researchers in Lubbock, Texas, conducted 7 studies aimed at gaining understanding and providing resources to improve animal productivity and well-being. For Sub-objective 1A, Lubbock, Texas scientists, in collaboration with university partners, studied whether Salmonella prevalence patterns in beef cattle change based on geographic region of origin and geographic region of finishing. Data from this study found that indeed differences in Salmonella prevalence exist based on the geographic regions. Furthermore, when cattle are switched to the other geographic region, they take on the Salmonella prevalence characteristics of the new geographic region. These data confirm that there is a greater prevalence of Salmonella in the Southern Plains region, and provides information to guide Salmonella reduction strategies for cattle finished in this region of the U.S. A study was also conducted under Sub-objective 1B, where ARS scientists along with university collaborators, tested to determine the efficacy of providing mass antimicrobial treatment (i.e., metaphylaxis), to the entire population (100%) or randomly to 0, 33, or 66% of the population of receiving beef cattle. Initial data from this study suggests that there were little differences in the overall amount of antimicrobials administered to cattle in the 100% and 66% groups, while cattle in the 0 and 33% groups were given more total antimicrobials, increasing the cost of production. These data suggest that metaphylactic treatment of receiving cattle upon arrival at a feedlot is likely a more cost-effective management tool to reduce antimicrobial use and improve early feedlot performance compared to random antimicrobial treatment. For Sub-objective 1C, Lubbock, Texas scientists, in collaboration with university and industry partners, evaluated the use of a Bacillus subtilus probiotic in feedlot beef cattle on the ability to reduce fecal and lymph node Salmonella concentrations. Data from this study demonstrated that there was a 46% reduction in Salmonella prevalence in cattle administered the probiotic, while also reducing incidence of morbidity. A follow-up study is currently being conducted to confirm these preliminary results. Two studies were conducted under Sub-objective 3A, where scientists in Lubbock, Texas and university collaborators continued work to refine a newly- developed liver abscess model in cattle, in order to study the etiology and genesis of liver abscesses. These studies demonstrated that acidotic diet and dosing of bacteria typically associated with liver abscesses is necessary, although the length of time needed to develop these abscesses is still unknown. Studies continue to implicate a role of Salmonella in the formation of liver abscesses, in conjunction with Fusobacteria necrophorum. Model development will continue into the second year of the project plan. Two studies were conducted under Sub-objective 2B to determine the effect of various supplements (probiotics and bacteriophages) on the ability to reduce the number of liver abscesses or target bacteria associated with liver abscesses in the rumen. Data from these studies found a 20-24% reduction in liver abscesses in cattle provided various probiotic supplements while using the in-house developed liver abscess model. Data analysis continues for these studies, which will provide preliminary data for future studies aimed at reducing liver abscesses in cattle.
Accomplishments
1. Salmonella, it’s all about location, location, location. Salmonella is the leading cause of illness due to eating contaminated food. In fact, over 1.35 million people are sickened by Salmonella infections each year in the U.S. Salmonella infections in cattle may not result in visible symptoms, making it difficult to realize the true health and production costs of these infections. Salmonella prevalence appears to change based on U.S. region, with greater amounts of Salmonella found in the Southern Plains region compared to the Northern Plains region. ARS scientists in Lubbock, Texas, and university collaborators studied whether cattle originating in the Northern or Southern Plains regions and finished in the other region would influence Salmonella shedding. This study found that fecal Salmonella prevalence in Northern cattle shipped to the Southern region increased 47% within 2 weeks of arrival. In contrast, fecal Salmonella prevalence in Southern cattle shipped to the Northern region decreased 73% within 2 weeks of arrival. This demonstrates that region of the U.S. significantly influences Salmonella prevalence in beef cattle. These data may be used to identify critical regions of the U.S. to focus methods for reducing Salmonella prevalence.
2. Probiotic supplement reduces liver abscesses in cattle. Liver abscesses continue to plague the cattle industry, costing producers and packers an estimated $60 million annually. However, the true cost of liver abscesses is unknown, as we cannot estimate the cost of loss in growth and performance. Thus, finding non-antibiotic supplements that reduce liver abscesses in cattle is of great importance to the beef industry. Using a model developed in house, ARS scientists in Lubbock, Texas, and university collaborators evaluated whether two different probiotic supplements would reduce the percentage of liver abscesses in beef-dairy cross calves. The model resulted in 70% of calves forming at least one liver abscess. Furthermore, preliminary results suggest that supplemented calves had a 20 and 24% reduction in liver abscesses compared to non-supplemented calves. These data suggest there may be alternatives to antimicrobials that are capable of reducing liver abscess prevalence in cattle.
3. Training the innate immune system of pigs. Genetic selection in pigs has focused on lean muscle growth. As a result, pigs are now more susceptible to disease. Thus, it is important to find ways to boost pig health and well-being. ARS Scientists in Lubbock, Texas, with university collaborators tested whether the immune response of pigs could be changed before birth. For this study, pregnant sows were given an immune stimulant, and their piglets were given the same stimulant after birth. Researchers found that piglets exposed to the immune stimulant during gestation were less responsive to the same stimulant after birth. Specifically, variables associated with inflammation were less in pigs exposed to the stimulant during gestation compared to non-exposed pigs. This study demonstrated that the immune response of pigs can be changed during gestation. This method may be a way to positively impact immune responses of pigs after birth.
Review Publications
Hoffman, A.A., Long, N.S., Carroll, J.A., Sanchez, N.C., Broadway, P.R., Richeson, J.T., Jackson, T.C., Hale, K.E. 2023. Infrared thermography as an alternative technique for measuring body temperature in cattle. Applied Animal Science. 39(2):94-98. https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2022-02360.
Long, N.S., Wells, J.E., Berry, E.D., Legako, J.F., Woerner, D.R., Loneragan, G.H., Broadway, P.R., Carroll, J.A., Sanchez, N.C.B., Fernando, S.C., Bacon, C.M., Helmuth, C.L., Smock, T.M., Manahan, J.L., Hoffman, A.A., Hales, K.E. 2022. Metaphylactic antimicrobial effects on occurrences of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. measured longitudinally from feedlot arrival to harvest in high-risk beef cattle. Journal of Applied Microbiology. Article 15691. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15691.
Coppin, C.M., Smock, T.M., Helmuth, C.L., Manahan, J.L., Long, N.S., Hoffman, A.A., Carroll, J.A., Broadway, P.R., Sanchez, N.C., Wells, J., Fernando, S.C., Hales, K.E. 2022. The effects of administering different metaphylactic antimicrobials on growth performance and health outcomes of high-risk, newly received feedlot steers. Translational Animal Science. 6(4). Article txac140. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txac140.
Word, A.B., Broadway, P.R., Sanchez, N.C., Carroll, J.A., Hales, K.E., Karr, K.C., Holland, B.P., Ellis, G., Maxwell, C., Canterbury, L.G., Leonhard, J.T., Lafleur, D., Hergenreder, J.E., Trojan, S.J. 2022. The effect of supplementing CLOSTAT® 500 (Bacillus subtilis PB6) to yearling steers in a commercial feedyard on health, Salmonella spp. prevalence, feedlot growth performance and carcass characteristics. Translational Animal Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txac131.
Sanchez, N.C., Broadway, P.R., Carroll, J.A. 2022. Sexual dimorphic innate immune response to a viral-bacterial respiratory disease challenge in beef calves. Veterinary Sciences. 9(12). Article 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9120696.
Sanchez, N.C., Dailey, J.W., Broadway, P.R., Davis, E.M., Bowen, B.M., Petry, A.L., Ballou, M.A., Hales, K.E., Carroll, J.A. 2023. A viable less-invasive alternative for continuous temperature measurement in weaned pigs. Livestock Science. 267. Article 105126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2022.105126.
Durunna, O., Carroll, J.A., Dailey, J.W., Damiran, D., Larson, K.A., Timsit, E., Parsons, R., Manafiazar, G., Lardner, B.A. 2023. Phenotypic and genetic parameters of circadian rhythms from core body temperature profiles and their relationships with beef steers’ production efficiency profiles during successive winter-feeding periods. Frontiers in Genetics. 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1154825.
Smock, T.M., Broadway, P.R., Sanchez, N.C., Carroll, J.A., Theurer, M.E., Hales, K.E. 2023. An updated profile of the bovine acute phase response following an intravenous lipopolysaccharide challenge. Journal of Animal Science. 101. Article skad133. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad133.
