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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #304000
Title: Evaluation of objective and subjective mobility variables in feedlot cattle supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride

Author
item BURSON, WILLIAM - Texas Tech University
item THOMPSON, ALEX - Texas Tech University
item JENNINGS, MICHAEL - Texas Tech University
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item Sanchez, Nicole
item RAGLAND, BRADY - Texas Tech University
item HERGENREDER, JERILYN - Texas Tech University
item BAGGERMAN, JESSICA - Texas Tech University
item SHARON, KATE - Texas Tech University
item SCHMIDT, TANNTER - Texas Tech University
item MURRAY, EVAN - Texas Tech University
item RIBEIRO, FLAVIO - Texas Tech University
item JOHNSON, BRADLEY - Texas Tech University
item RATHMAN, RYAN - Texas Tech University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2014
Publication Date: 7/25/2014
Citation: Burson, W.C., Thompson, A.J., Jennings, M.A., Carroll, J.A., Sanchez, N.C., Ragland, B.J., Hergenreder, J.E., Baggerman, J.O., Sharon, K.S., Schmidt, T.R., Murray, E.S., Ribeiro, F.R., Johnson, B.J., Rathman, R.J. 2014. Evaluation of objective and subjective mobility variables in feedlot cattle supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride. Journal of Animal Science Supplement. 92(E-Suppl. 2):75. (Abstract #147).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on mobility in feedlot cattle. Black-hided steers and heifers (n=96) were sourced from a commercial feedlot and transported to the Texas Tech University Beef Center in New Deal, TX. Cattle were weighed and scanned using real-time ultrasound. Resulting data were used to predict empty body fat percentage (pEBF %). Steers (n=48; body weight= 520 ± 30.4 kilograms; pEBF % = 26.2 ± 1.9) and heifers (n=48; body weight = 466 ± 29.5 kilograms; pEBF % = 26.7 ± 1.7) were blocked within gender by pEBF % in a completely randomized block design and randomly assigned to pen (2 pens/block; 4 head/pen) and treatment (6 pens/treatment): 1) control heifers (HC), 2) ZH heifers (HZ), 3) control steers (SC), 4) ZH steers (SZ). Movement differences were objectively assessed on day 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 with several measures of mobility: exit velocity from chute (EV), velocity traveling from the pen to chute (VT) and velocity traveling from chute to pen (VF). Chute scores (CS) were assigned to all cattle based on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 (1 = no distress, 5 = high distress). Prior to shipping, individual locomotion scores (LS) were recorded based on a 1 to 4 scale (1 = no lameness, 4 = severe lameness). No significant gender x treatment interactions were found for any measured variable (P = 0.46). A significant treatment x day interaction (P = 0.03) was detected for EV, indicating that ZH cattle became progressively slower throughout the treatment period. No significant effects were found for VT or VF (P = 0.31). Fisher’s exact test for count data was used to analyze the frequency distributions for both subjective measures. On d 20, a greater proportion (P = 0.01) of ZH cattle exhibited elevated chute scores (CS = 3) relative to control. There was a tendency (P = 0.09) for increased locomotion score (LS = 2) in ZH fed cattle. However, the proportion of cattle with locomotion scores indicating sufficiently sound movement (LS = 1&2) versus cattle that were moderate or severely lame (LS = 3&4) was not significantly different between treatment groups (P = 0.24). These data suggest that ZH supplementation may slightly limit mobility of cattle; nonetheless, the magnitude of these effects is not sufficient to deduce a detriment to cattle soundness.