Charolais Journal

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2021-10-04

Published version

Habituation Protocols Improve Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Beef Cattle Exposed to Students in an Animal Handling Class

Animals · 2021 · 15 citations

• Animal science
• Medicine
• Psychology

≤ 0.05) from the start of the experiment to 14 days after treatment initiation. Both habituation protocols showed benefits, but heifers that received the positive tactile stimulation in the chute had the greatest behavior improvements. Furthermore, these heifers responded more calmly during student-animal interactions in class, which is beneficial for the students' and animals' safety.

Livestock Update. November/December 2013

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2013-12-06

Includes articles on beef herd management, selling feeder cattle, Culpeper bull sale, Hokie harvest sale, and Shepherds' Symposium

Livestock Update. October 2010

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2010-10-01

Contains articles on October beef management, upcoming Hokie Harvest sale, and schedule for upcoming Beef Quality Assurance Cattle Handling meeting.

Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2005-09-01 · 59 citations

Body condition scoring uses a numeric score to estimate body energy reserves in the cow. Research indicates that there is a strong link between the body condition of a cow and her reproductive performance.

Creep Feeding Beef Calves

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 2005-09-01 · 10 citations

Creep feeding is the practice of supplying supplemental feed (usually concentrates) to the nursing calf.

Effects of feeding supplemental fat to beef cows on cold tolerance in newborn calves1

Journal of Animal Science · 2003-04-01 · 30 citations

Our objectives were to examine the effects of added fat in late-gestation cow diets on neonatal response to cold. In Exp. 1, pregnant fall-calving heifers received control (n = 5), safflower seed (n = 5), or whole cottonseed (n = 5) diets. The hay-based, isonitrogenous, and isocaloric diets, fed for 47 d prepartum, contained 1.5, 4.0, and 5.0% fat for control, safflower, and whole cottonseed diets, respectively. At calving, calf BW and vigor score, as well as fat, lactose, and IgG in colostrum were not affected (P > 0.30) by diet. Heifers fed the safflower diet tended to have greater colostral solids (P < 0.10) than heifers fed the control or whole cottonseed diets. At 6.5 h of age, calves were placed in a 5 degrees C cold room for 90 min. Calf vigor, shivering, body temperature, and blood samples were taken every 15 min. During cold stress, calf body temperature decreased 0.7 degrees C (P < 0.03). Across all diets, shivering and serum glucose concentrations increased (P < 0.05), whereas calf vigor and cortisol concentrations decreased (P < 0.02) during cold exposure. In Exp. 2, pregnant spring-calving cows (n = 98) received a control (n = 47) or whole cottonseed (n = 51) supplement. Hay-based diets fed for 68 d prepartum contained 2.0 and 5.0% fat for control and whole cottonseed diets, respectively. Calf BW, vigor, shivering, dystocia score, time to stand, time to nurse, serum glucose concentrations, and serum IgG were not affected (P > 0.50) by diet. Between 30 and 180 min, body temperature of calves from dams fed the whole cottonseed supplement decreased (P < 0.05) more than calves from dams fed the control supplement. Serum glucose concentrations in calves were not affected by diet (P > 0.30). Serum cortisol concentrations tended (P < 0.09) to be greater for calves from dams fed whole cottonseed than control calves. When ambient temperature was < 6 degrees C, calves born to dams fed whole cottonseed had greater (P < 0.05) BW, tended (P < 0.1) to stand earlier, and had greater serum IgG concentrations. We conclude that calves from dams fed high-fat diets containing safflower or whole cottonseed respond similarly to cold stress, but these responses may not be consistent with greater cold resistance. In addition, high-fat dietary supplementation of late-gestation cows may only be beneficial during calving seasons with prolonged cold weather.

Effects of oral vitamin E supplementation during late gestation in beef cattle that calved in late winter and late summer

American Journal of Veterinary Research · 2001-06-01 · 11 citations

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects of breed and oral vitamin E supplementation during late gestation on serum vitamin E and IgG concentrations in beef cows that calved in late winter and late summer and in neonatal calves. ANIMALS: 73 Angus and 43 Hereford primiparous and multiparous cows and their calves. PROCEDURE: Cows in groups that were homogeneous regarding breed and age distribution were randomly allotted to groups that were orally supplemented (n = 59) or not supplemented (57) with vitamin E beginning 30 days prior to onset of 65-day calving seasons. Supplemental vitamin E was provided in a vitamin-mineral mix offered free-choice until parturition. RESULTS: Cows that calved in late winter and were supplemented orally with vitamin E had higher serum vitamin E concentrations at calving and after calving than did unsupplemented cows; differences between groups before calving were not significant. Calves from supplemented multiparous cows had higher vitamin E concentrations than did calves from unsupplemented cows. Winter-born calves from supplemented Hereford cows had heavier 205-day adjusted weaning weights than did winter-born calves from unsupplemented Hereford cows. Supplementation did not affect vitamin E or IgG concentrations in the herd that calved in late summer and did not affect calf growth. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Oral vitamin E supplementation during late gestation may be economically beneficial in certain cow-calf operations in which late-gestation cows are consuming stored forages.

Virginia 4-H beef breeding project guide

VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · 1998-01-01

prepared by Mark L. Wahlberg, Dan E. Eversole and Robert A. Brown

Oral and parenteral vaccination of mice with protein-ergotamine conjugates and evaluation of protection against fescue toxicosis

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology · 1998-02-01 · 5 citations