Weaning and Preconditioning Nutrition Role in Health Maintenance

Transcription

1 Weaning and Preconditioning Nutrition Role in Health Maintenance C. R. Krehbiel Department of Animal Science, UNL; B. K. Wilson, C. J. Richards Department of Animal Science, OSU; and D. L. Step Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica St. Joseph, MO 2017 Feedlot Receiving Calf Health & Well-Being Conference Pre and post weaning factors affecting immunity and subsequent feedlot health, performance and carcass quality Preweaning Prenatal nutrition Colostrum intake BVDV-PI Preweaning health Preshipment management Postweaning Transportation Commingling Receiving management Receiving diet Metaphylactic treatments Duff and Galyean (2007) 1

2 Animal / Environment Modifications Before Weaning Nursing Grazing Water Pond Social dominance Is function of the dam Weaning Separation Bunk Feeding New way to get feed Adapt to new feed sources Water Waterer Establish new social dominance Management practices Weaning methods Preconditioning Vaccinations Castration/Dehorning Transportation Arrival and processing Nutrition Handling 2

3 Stress Non-specific response of the body to any demand placed on it An abnormal or extreme adjustment in the physiology of an animal to cope with adverse effects of its environment and management Social Psychological Physiological The purpose of proper animal husbandry is to reduce the risk to the animal by stressors; weaning stress, commingling, environmental, handling, nutritional, and people stress Reduce the risk of clinical disease and enhance performance and carcass merit Mortalities in feedlots 3

4 Deaths per 1,000 placements Mortalities by cause Total Dig Other Resp Loneragan, 2004 Feedlot calf health (Shawn Walter, Professional Cattle Consultants, 2014) 4

5 Problem Integration of the industry (A feedlot perspective) Management Practice Extremely Effective Feed Bunk 3 (81.1%; 64.8%) BRD Vaccines (2 weeks prior to weaning) BRD Vaccines (Weaning) Weaning (4 weeks prior to shipment) Castration/Dehorning (4 weeks prior to shipment) 2 (85.4%; 65.8%) 4 (80.4%; 51.2%) 5 (79.0%; 67.2%) 1 (91.7%; 65.2%) Internal/External Deworming 6 (70.9%; 36.6%) Adapted from USDA NAHMS Feedlot 11 Weaning strategies Pasture, fence-line wean No suck devices stops nursing while maintaining companionship Confinement, wean with minimal separation Confinement wean, complete separation (Price et al., 2003; Haley et al., 2005; Boland et al., 2008; Mathis et al., 2008; Bailey et al., 2016; Wiese et al., 2016) 5

6 Pasture weaning Definition: Calves remain on pasture while cows are removed or pastured adjacent to the calves. Advantages Less labor, less stress, lower feed costs Disadvantages Gains may be less and treatment is more difficult (0.50 to 0.68 kg/calf/day). Need more than an adequate fence. Supplementation can help with gains depending on the quality of the forage. (Price et al., 2003; Mathis et al., 2008) Anti-suckling devices Weaned and separated calves vocalized (bawl) 20 times more often than calves weaned in two stages with anti-suckling devices when separated from cows at the same time. Calves weaned with anti-suckling devices walked about 15% more while nursing was prevented in the first stage, but after separation from their dams, conventionally weaned calves took approximately twice as many steps as calves weaned in two stages. Gains were similar by day 50 post weaning. (Haley et al., 2005; Boland et al., 2008; Wiese et al., 2016) 6

7 Confinement weaning Advantages; feed TMR, easier to spot abnormal behavior, easier to pull and treat. Disadvantages; more commingling and pecking order stress, closer contact between animals, greater chance for transmission of pathogens Environmental challenges may be greater, mud, wet weather. Weaning strategies JAS :

8 Improving image and decreasing risk Weaning strategy alters behavior but has minimal impact on performance over a 28 to 70 day period The purpose of proper animal husbandry is to reduce the risk to the animal by stressors; weaning stress, commingling, environmental, handling, nutritional, and people stress Reduces the risk of clinical disease which enhances performance (Price et al., 2003; Haley et al., 2005; Boland et al., 2008; Mathis et al., 2008; Bailey et al., 2016; Wiese et al., 2016) Management of stress Management of the cause of stress Preconditioning decreases weaning/shipping stress Bunk fed before shipping will improve: Gain Feed intake Feed efficiency Morbidity Will also increase cost-of-gain Cost/lack of facilities Management of the effects of stress Quantified changes observed in the animal 8

9 Overall receiving health Weaning program (day of treatment) Item Market Ship Wean 45 Wean Vac45 SEM Morbidity, % 41.9 a 35.1 a 5.9 b 9.5 b 4.2 Treated 1X, % 31.9 a (7) 22.2 a (13) 5.0 b (18) 7.7 b (12) 3.8 Treated 2X, % 4.0 ab (9) 9.2 a (23) 0.9 b (29) 1.8 b (15) 2.2 Treated 3X, % 6.0 a (25) 3.7 ab (30) 0.0 b (-) 0.0 b (-) 1.5 Case fatality, % ab Means within row with different superscripts differ (P < 0.05). (Step et al., 2008) Market vs. Vac-45 Market Vac-45 % Treated % Death Loss ADG, kg Health Cost $13.54 $8.95 (Step et al., 2008) 9

10 Objectives of the receiving program Optimizing conditions for promoting health and nutrition of the cattle Minimize the risk of disease and digestive disorders during the receiving phase Achieving a specific target weight for the cattle Produce weight gain at low cost Feed intake is the single most important driving force affecting production of feedlot cattle (Galyean et al., 1995) Unstressed cattle consume feed in quantities sufficient to maintain adequate energy intake. Feed intake decreases by more than 50% in cattle with BRD and fever (Chirase et al., 1999). May take 10 to 14 days before feed intake returns to normal. 10

11 Feed intake Low feed intake makes correction of nutritional deficiencies difficult, which could further compromise immune function and potentially increase susceptibility to infection (Cole, 1996). Feed intake Dry matter feed intake of newly arrived calves (% of body weight) Days from receiving Healthy (SD) Sick (SD) 0 to (0.51) 0.90 (0.75) 0 to (0.50) 1.43 (0.70) 0 to (0.50) 1.84 (0.66) 0 to (0.43) 2.68 (0.68) Hutcheson and Cole (1986) 11

12 Energy intake Unstressed cattle typically consume feed in quantities sufficient to maintain adequate energy intake. In stressed cattle, voluntary intake of low-energy diets (highroughage) is less than that of high-energy ( 60%) concentrate diets. Given a choice, stressed calves selected diets with 72% concentrate during the first week after arrival. Performance by newly received stocker calves is typically optimized with higher-concentrate ( 60%) diets. Lofgreen, 1983 Comparison of receiving rations 75% concentrate Item Hay Alone Hay Daily feed intake, lb Milled ration Hay Total Daily gain Feed:gain Lofgreen,

13 Comparison of receiving rations Item 75% concentrate Hay Alone Hay Number of calves Purchase wt., lbs Percent death loss Percent treated Percent retreats Cost/lb of gain Lofgreen, 1979 Effects of concentrate level on health during a 28- day receiving trial % 75% 80% 85% Morbidity, % No. Trts/animal treated Adapted from Fluharty and Loerch, (1996) 13

14 Energy intake - Summary Receiving diets with 60% or greater concentrate will increase feed intake, ADG, and feed efficiency. One possible negative aspect of higher-concentrate receiving diets is increased morbidity rate and/or severity of morbidity? Feed good-quality grass hay at receiving for 3 to 7 days (Lofgreen, 1983; 1988). Amount of protein A 500 lb steer gaining 2.2 lbs per day has a CP requirement of 1.4 lbs per day (NASEM, 2016). Shipping stressed calves typically only consume 1.5% of BW (7.5 lbs) during the first two weeks after arrival. Therefore, diets would have to be formulated at 19% CP to meet this requirement. 14

15 DM and CP Intake (540 lb Steers) Item Protein, % Week 1 DMI 6.2 (1.2) 6.2(1.2) 7.0(1.3) 7.0(1.3) Week 2 DMI Total DMI Week 1 CPI Week 2 CPI Total CPI Fluharty and Loerch, 1995 ADG and Feed:Gain (540 lb Steers) Item Protein, % Week 1 ADG Week 2 ADG Total ADG Week 1 F:G Week 2 F:G Total F:G Fluharty and Loerch,

16 Minerals and Vitamins Data on the effects of vitamins and trace minerals on health of receiving cattle is continuing to grow, but is often times inconclusive. Zinc, copper, selenium and iron are involved in immunocompetence. Performance and morbidity of feeder calves during a 30-day receiving trial with increasing levels of supplemental chromium Level of chromium, ppm No Calves BW, lb Initial Final Daily gain, lb 1.45 a 1.85 b 1.54 ab 1.85 b DMI, lb/d Overall 8.79 a b 8.62 c b Gain/DMI Morbidity, % d 2 to a 0 b 23.8 ab 23.8 ab a,b Values in the same row with different superscripts differ (P<0.05) Chromium supplied by a high chromium yeast source Corn Silage based diet Adapted from Moonsie-Shageer and Mowat, (1993) 16

17 Minerals Requirement is the same for stressed and non-stressed cattle (NASEM, 2016). Trace minerals could be concentrated in the receiving period to compensate for low intake. Vitamins Vitamin E Determining vitamin E requirements for ruminants is difficult. Intra and inter cellular antioxidant Maintenance of structural and functional integrity of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle. The requirement is recommended to be 400 to 500 IU/day for stressed calves. 17

18 Nutrient concentrations Due to decreased intake, nutrient amounts should be increased for the first two weeks after arrival or until the cattle are consuming feed, on a DM basis, of 2% of BW or more. Suggested dietary concentrations for stressed calves (NASEM, 2016) Nutrient Unit Suggested Range Dry matter % Crude protein % NEm Mcal/kg NEg Mcal/kg Calcium % Phosphorus % Potassium % Magnesium % Sodium % Copper mg/kg Iron mg/kg Manganese mg/kg Zinc mg/kg Cobalt mg/kg Selenium mg/kg Iodine mg/kg Vitamin E IU/d

19 Stewardship: A Philosophy of Life Careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one s care and leaving behind a better place for the next generation. Cattle producers have a stewardship responsibility to manage available resources (land and livestock) while conserving and improving the resources. Reduce demand on available pasture and water resources Maintain health and adequate gains in young calves Maintain adequate BCS in cows for winter and calving season (G. Stokka, 2012) Summary Before leaving home of origin Vaccinated Castrated and healed Dehorned and healed Weaned (45 days) Trained to a feed bunk 19

20 Results of good management Decreased cattle stress and shrink Improved immune function Less reliance on metaphylaxis/ancillary therapies Increased body weight and subsequent performance Increased marketing opportunities Sustainability Questions? 20