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Influence of Preweaning and B-Vitamin Supplementation of The Feedlot Receiving Diet on Calves Subjected to Marketing and Transit Stress

US Department of Agriculture, Bushland, TX 79012 Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, Knoxville 37916 and and Texas A&M University Center, Amarillo 79106

Abstract

The effects of preweaning and posttransit B-vitamin supplementation on calf health, performance and blood components were studied with 186 feeder steer calves from eight Tennessee farms. At each farm, one-half of the calves were weaned and fed a 50% concentrate diet for 30 d before being moved to an auction barn (PW). The remaining calves stayed with their dams until the day they were moved to the auction bam. All calves went through the same auction barn-orderbuyer barn conditions before transport to Texas. At the feedlot, calves were fed a B-vitamin supplement at one of three levels (none, medium and high). PW calves gained 5 kg (P<.05) more than the control calves at the farm of origin. Total marketing and transit weight losses were similar for both groups. During the first month in the feedlot, PW calves consumed more feed (P<.05), gained more slowly (P<.10) and had poorer feed conversions (P<.05) than control calves. After 2 mo in the feedlot performance was similar for both groups. Calves fed the medium B-vitamin level had poorer feed conversions (P<.05) after 2 mo in the feedlot than control calves or calves fed the high B-vitamin level. Morbidity and mortality rates were not significantly affected by treatments, although PW calves required more (P<.05) days of antibiotic treatment for respiratory disease than control calves. PW calves tended to have lower packed cell volumes than control calves. Dietary effects on plasma glucose and urea N were inconsistent although PW calves tended to have higher plasma glucose and urea N concentrations than control calves.

¹ Research animal scientist, USDA Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, ARS, Bushland, TX 79012.

² Professor, Dept. of Anim. Sci., Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville 37916.

³ Professor, Texas A&M Univ. Research and Extension Center, Amarillo 79106.

⁴ Mention of a trade name, proprietary product or specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may be suitable.