Effect of dietary restriction and compensatory growth on performance, carcass characteristics, and metabolic hormone concentrations in Angus and Belgian Blue steers

Keady, S.M.; Keane, M. G.; Waters, Sinéad M.; Wylie, A.R.G.; O’Riordan, Edward G.; Keogh, Kate; Kenny, David A.

doi:10.1016/j.animal.2021.100215

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Given the current extreme climate change, characterized by recurrent droughts, freely available local feed resources that have high nutritive value and moisture content may be a viable alternative to concentrates and fodder crops [12,13]. Conventional feeds are, according to Keady et al [14], expensive, accounting for as much as 75% of the total production costs. Thus, it is essential to derive cost-effective strategies that reduce feeding costs without compromising animal performance [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conventional feeds are, according to Keady et al [14], expensive, accounting for as much as 75% of the total production costs. Thus, it is essential to derive cost-effective strategies that reduce feeding costs without compromising animal performance [14]. Amongst others, indigenous leguminous browse trees and spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) are available to supplement poor quality grasses, more so during forage scarcity [9,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economic Viability of Nguni Cattle Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Opuntia ficus-indica

et al. 2022

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Given the severe droughts caused by global warming, smallholder beef cattle farmers are faced with serious forage and feed scarcity. This becomes worse for resource-poor farmers who cannot afford commercial feeds. It is therefore crucial to assess the use of low-cost alternative feed resources to supplement free-range beef cattle and ensure sustainable livestock production in ways that stimulate free-range beef farmers’ participation in mainstream beef market. In an attempt to improve free-range beef cattle herds and explore the economic viability of utilizing Opuntia ficus-indica (spineless cactus) cladodes as a supplementary feed, we investigated the impact of cactus diets on animal growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nguni cattle heifers. Four dietary treatments were randomly assigned to thirty-two heifers aged 24 months, weighing, on average, 172.20 ± 27.10 kg, with each dietary treatment replicated to eight individually penned heifers for 90 days. The dietary treatments were control diet (pasture-based energy + protein sources), 10% cactus diet, 20% cactus diet and commercial diet (crop-based energy and commercial protein source). The energy concentration of the control diet was 9.35 MJ/Kg DM and the cactus was included on dry matter basis during formulation of compound diets. Thus, cactus was administered in a dry rather than wet form. The animals were confined in feeding pens 24/7 without access to pasture, with feed and water provided ad libitum. The heifers fed commercial and control diets attained significantly (p < 0.05) higher dry matter intake, average daily gains, fat thickness, carcass conformation scores and lower feed conversion ratio than those fed cactus diets. However, the final body weight gains and carcass weights, rib-eye muscle area and meat pH45min and 24h were comparable (p > 0.05) between heifers fed cactus diets and those fed commercial and control diets. The 10 and 20% cactus diets had greater gross margins (p < 0.05) of $17.47 and $18.62, respectively, than the other diets, due largely to reduced total variable costs. The comparability of carcass traits of heifers fed cactus diets and those fed non-cactus diets as well as higher economic returns from cactus inclusion warrants the use of cactus diets, particularly during drought when commercial feed prices rise.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economic Viability of Nguni Cattle Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Opuntia ficus-indica

et al. 2022

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Enteric methane emissions from zebu cattle are influenced by seasonal variations in rangeland fodder quality and intake

Gbenou,

Assouma,

Bastianelli

et al. 2024

animal

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Establishing the relationship between wildfire smoke and performance metrics on finished beef cattle in Western Rangelands

Macias Franco,

Elins Moreira da Silva,

Holton

et al. 2024

Translational Animal Science

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Identifying causal relationships is complicated. Researchers usually overlook causality behind relationships which can generate misleading associations. Herein, we carefully examine parametric relationship and causality between wildfire smoke exposure and animal performance and behavior metrics over a period of two years in Reno, Nevada. The animals in the 2020 smoke season were grain-finished (n = 12) and grass-finished (n = 12), whereas the animals during the 2021 season were fed under the same diet but finished with either a hormonal implant (n = 9), or without (n = 9). The dataset included daily records of feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), water intake (WI), average daily gain (ADG), and water intake behavior (time spent drinking, TSD; water intake events, WIE; no-water intake events, NWIE). Variable tree length Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) were utilized to investigate the relationships between AQI, particulate matter 2.5 um (PM2.5) and 10 um (PM10), NO2, SO2, ozone, and CO levels in the air (sensors < 1.6 km from animals) with the animal data. Additionally, linear mixed models with a 7d lag were used to evaluate parametric relationships among the same variables. All statistical analyses were performed on R Statistical Software (R Core Team 2023). Under the linear mixed model with a 7d lag, significant positive and negative associations were found for all parameters examined (P < 0.05). Negative associations were found between FI, WI, ADG, BW, WIE, NWIE, TSD and PM2.5 (P < 0.05) for at least one animal groups. Positive linear associations between wildfire smoke parameters and the metrics evaluated were more variable and dependent on year, treatment, and smoke parameter. When examining the credible intervals and the variable importance in the BART, relationships were more difficult to identify. However, some associations were found for Ozone, AQI, NO2, CO, and PM10 (P < 0.05). Overall, our results carefully examine the relationship between smoke parameters and cattle performance, and present interesting pathways previously unexplored that could guide early culling/finishing of animals to avoid economic losses associated with performance decrease in response to wildfire smoke exposure. Though interesting associations are found under linear mixed models, causality is difficult to establish, which highlights the need for controlled exposure experiments.

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Effect of dietary restriction and compensatory growth on performance, carcass characteristics, and metabolic hormone concentrations in Angus and Belgian Blue steers

Cited by 5 publications

References 48 publications

Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economic Viability of Nguni Cattle Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Opuntia ficus-indica

Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economic Viability of Nguni Cattle Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Opuntia ficus-indica

Enteric methane emissions from zebu cattle are influenced by seasonal variations in rangeland fodder quality and intake

Establishing the relationship between wildfire smoke and performance metrics on finished beef cattle in Western Rangelands

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