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The effects of feeding flaxseed during the receiving period on morbidity, mortality, performance, and carcass characteristics of heifers¹

M. J. Quinn^*, E. S. Moore, D. U. Thomson, B. E. Depenbusch^*, M. L. May^*, J. J. Higgins, J. F. Carter and J. S. Drouillard^*,2

^* Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and Department of Clinical Science and Department of Statistics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 66506-1600 Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58105

	Abstract

Top Abstract INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
Two experiments were conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Research Center to determine the effects of feeding ground flaxseed (flax) during the receiving period on the growth, health, and subsequent finishing performance of heifers. Crossbred heifers (Exp. 1: n = 363, 214 ± 1 kg of initial BW; Exp. 2: n = 377, 222 ± 1 kg of initial BW) were purchased during January and April of 2006. Heifers were fed receiving rations based on steam-flaked corn with 0, 2, 4, or 6% ground flax (DM basis) for 56 d. Following the receiving period, cattle in Exp. 1 and 2 were fed steam-flaked corn-based diets for 150 and 147 d, respectively, and then slaughtered. Heifers were implanted 91 and 109 d before slaughter for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. In Exp. 1, DMI during the receiving period tended to increase linearly (P = 0.09) with increasing flax in the diet. Average daily gain was 1.46, 1.56, 1.58, and 1.61 kg for heifers fed 0, 2, 4, and 6% flax, respectively (linear, P = 0.03). Final BW in Exp. 1 after the finishing period was increased (linear, P = 0.04) with increasing inclusion of flax in the receiving diets. In Exp. 2, growth performance and mortality during the receiving period were not different among treatments (P > 0.12). During the receiving period in Exp. 2, incidence of the first respiratory treatment tended to be greatest (P = 0.09) for heifers fed 4% flax. During the finishing period, DMI were 8.4, 8.4, 8.0, and 8.1 kg/d for 0, 2, 4, and 6% flax, respectively (linear, P = 0.05). In Exp. 2, LM areas were greatest (quadratic, P = 0.04) for cattle fed 2% flax at receiving. In general, feeding flax during the receiving period may have the potential to improve growth performance; however, performance between experiments was variable, and many factors excluding flax feeding may have contributed to this response.

Key Words: beef cattle • feedlot • flaxseed • heifer • receiving

	INTRODUCTION

Top Abstract INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
One of the largest economic costs for cattle feeders is mortality and reduced growth performance as a result of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) infection (Galyean et al., 1999). Cattle that are newly received in the feedlot are exposed to several factors that contribute to stress. Some of the more significant are transport, comingling, processing, and feed and water deprivation during transit. These periods of stress make cattle especially susceptible to disease through weakened immunity (Duff and Galyean, 2007). In addition, these animals typically display reduced feed intake (Hutcheson and Cole, 1986). It is important that diets are adequate in energy and other nutrients to maintain proper immunity. Adding fat to the diet is commonly practiced to increase energy density. Fortifying the diet with n-3 fatty acids may assist in the immune status of newly received cattle (Farran, 2000).

Omega-3 fatty acids have been researched extensively because of their apparent antiinflammatory and immune-aiding properties (Soyland et al., 1993; Alexander, 1998; LaBrune, 2000). Flaxseed is an oilseed that is rich in -linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), an n-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acids may aid during an immune response by suppressing certain proinflammatory compounds such as tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-; Jho et al., 2004), and may be beneficial in situations with highly stressed, newly received cattle in the feedlot (Farran, 2000). Tumor necrosis factor- is one cytokine involved with the destruction of infected tissues during a disease challenge such as BRD. Attenuating the immune response may improve responsiveness to antibiotic therapy by moderating exaggerated inflammation in response to disease, thereby reducing the overall production cost of stressed feeder calves.

The primary objective of this study was to examine what type of effect feeding ground flax to newly received heifers in the feedlot may have on health and performance, and a secondary objective was to determine whether any carryover benefits from feeding flax at receiving would improve finishing performance.

	MATERIALS AND METHODS

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All procedures for Exp. 1 and 2 were approved by the Kansas State University Animal Care and Use Committee.

Crossbred heifers (Exp. 1: n = 363, 214 ± 1 kg of initial BW; Exp. 2: n = 377, 222 ± 1 kg of initial BW) were purchased from a commercial sale barn in Edmonton, KY, and transported to the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Research Center in January (Exp. 1) and April (Exp. 2) of 2006. There were 2 arrival dates (1 and 2) 7 d apart for both the January and April receiving periods. Upon arrival, heifers were offered ad libitum access to long-stemmed prairie hay and water before processing. Twenty-four hours after arrival (d 0 of the experimental period), individual BW was measured, and heifers were vaccinated for viral and clostridial diseases (Bovishield 4 and Fortress 7; Pfizer Inc., Exton, PA) and given an external parasiticide (Phoenectin; VX Animal Health., St. Joseph, MO). Cattle exhibiting signs of lameness, respiratory dysfunction, or other illness at initial processing were removed from the experiment. Heifers were stratified by initial BW and allotted randomly, within strata, to 24 dirt-surfaced pens for each experiment (10.4 x 26.8 m) containing 15 to 16 heifers each. On d 8 of the experimental period, the animals were revaccinated with Bovishield 4. Cattle were allotted randomly to 1 of 4 experimental treatments consisting of 0, 2, 4, or 6% ground flax on a DM basis (Table 1). The ration was delivered once daily at approximately 0800 h. Cattle were weighed on a pen scale on d 0, 8 (revaccination), 28, and 56.

The finishing phase of Exp. 1 and 2 was initiated the day immediately after the adaptation to finishing diets and was continued until slaughter. During the finishing portion of Exp. 1 and 2, flax was not included in the diets to examine whether any carryover effects might be present during the finishing period when flax was fed at receiving. In Exp. 1, heifers were adapted to steam-flaked corn finishing diets over a period of 25 d and then fed finishing diets until slaughter. In Exp. 2, after the 56-d receiving period, heifers were adapted to finishing diets and received common diets for 58 d until the initiation of the finishing period. Cattle were implanted with 200 mg of trenbolone and 20 mg estradiol (Revalor-200; Intervet Inc., Millsboro, DE) 91 and 109 d before slaughter for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively.

Heifers were fed finishing diets based on steam-flaked corn; 0 or 25% corn dry distillers grains with solubles; corn steep liquor; corn silage; alfalfa hay; and a dry supplement providing 300 mg of monensin (Elanco Animal Health Inc.), 90 mg of tylosin (Elanco Animal Health Inc.), and 0.5 mg of melengestrol acetate (Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY) per heifer daily. Finishing diets were not the same for all heifers during the finishing phase of the study; however, receiving treatments (0, 2, 4, and 6% flax) were represented equally among each finishing diet. During the finishing period, pens of cattle were weighed every 28 d and immediately before shipment for slaughter to a commercial abattoir in Emporia, KS. Dry matter intake, ADG, and G:F were determined for each pen of cattle. Final BW was calculated by dividing HCW by a common dressing percentage of 63.5%.

Slaughter data, including HCW, incidence and severity of liver abscesses, and dressing percentage were obtained on the day of slaughter. After a 24-h chill, carcasses were evaluated for subcutaneous fat thickness over the 12th rib, KPH, LM area, and yield grade. Additionally, marbling score and USDA quality grades, as determined by USDA graders, were recorded for each carcass.

Feedstuffs used in the experimental diets for both the receiving and finishing periods of the study were collected on a weekly basis and composited monthly for submission to the Kansas State University Analytical Laboratory in Manhattan. Gas chromatography was used to determine the fatty acid profile of the ground flaxseed (data not shown; extraction of fatty acid methyl esters, Sukhija and Palmquist, 1988; detection by gas chromatography, Shimadzu GC-17A, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD; SP2560 capillary column, Supelco, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO).

Statistical Analyses

Both the receiving and finishing phases of Exp. 1 and 2 were conducted as randomized complete block designs with pen (n = 24 for Exp. 1 and Exp. 2) as the experimental unit. The MIXED procedure (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC) was used to analyze performance and carcass characteristics in this experiment. Block (arrival date) was considered the random effect in the analysis and treatment was the fixed effect for performance and carcass characteristics. The model statement for the finishing portion of the data included the effects of receiving treatment (0, 2, 4, or 6% flax), finishing diet, and block (receiving arrival date). No interactions were detected between receiving treatments and finishing treatments; therefore, only the main effects of treatments applied during the receiving period were discussed. Linear and quadratic effects of flax inclusion were tested by using orthogonal contrasts. Differences were considered significant if P was 0.05 and were considered tendencies if P was between 0.05 and 0.10.

	RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Top Abstract INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
Exp. 1

A linear tendency was observed (P = 0.09; Table 2) for DMI to increase with an increasing percentage of flax in the diet during the receiving period. These results contrast with the findings of Berry et al. (2004), in which cattle fed receiving diets with high NE_g content had less DMI than those fed diets with low NE_g content, but are consistent with the results of Fluharty et al. (1994), in which receiving steers had increasing DMI with increasing energy in the rations. Current NRC recommendations suggest that highly stressed receiving cattle generally do not respond well to added fat in rations (NRC, 2000). Increased DMI observed in the current study agree with Farran (2000), in which 2 receiving trials were conducted with heifers fed diets supplemented with tallow, ground flaxseed, full-fat soybeans, or a microalgae additive. According to Farran (2000), heifers fed fat sources as tallow or ground flaxseed, and the microalgae feed additive had greater DMI, ADG, and G:F compared with heifers fed full-fat soybeans.

One of the challenges associated with feeding flax is that ALA is extensively hydrogenated within the rumen; therefore, it may require that these fatty acids are fed in greater proportions of the diet to achieve optimal results (Montgomery, 2005). No differences were observed in mean rectal temperature, incidence of first respiratory treatment, incidence of second respiratory treatment, or mortality among treatments (P 0.23; Table 3). A linear reduction (P = 0.04; Table 3) was noted in the number of chronically treated (3 treatments for BRD) cattle with increasing quantity of flax in the diet. In other studies in which fat was included in the receiving ration or animals were fed greater energy rations (Fluharty and Loerch, 1997; Berry et al., 2004), no differences were observed in morbidity or mortality. However, there was no mention of the fatty acid profile of the experimental diets used in these studies or the proportions of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. When plasma concentrations of n-3 fatty acids of receiving heifers were increased significantly with flax feeding, no differences in morbidity or mortality were noted (Farran, 2000). Data from Lessard et al. (2002) suggest that postpartum dairy cows fed whole flaxseed had a reduced mononuclear cell response to immune challenge with ovalbumin injections after calving. In contrast, Lessard et al. (2004) reported no differences in lymphocyte proliferation for primiparous and multiparous cows fed whole flaxseed compared with those fed micronized soybeans or a calcium soap of palm fatty acids. Obvious physiological differences exist between newly received heifers and postpartum dairy cows; however, the main effect of n-3 fatty acids attenuating the inflammatory response has been documented in several species (Renier et al., 1993; Soyland et al., 1993; Farran, 2000).

Exp. 2

In Exp. 2, DMI, ADG, and G:F were not different among treatments (P 0.12; Table 2). These results agree with the observations of Fluharty and Loerch (1997), who found that newly arrived steers in the feedlot did not exhibit improved performance with increasing levels of calcium soaps of palm fatty acids in the diet. Results from Fluharty and Loerch (1997) and the present study suggest that some variability may occur in response to vegetable fats or fatty acids from flax addition to the diet. Fluharty and Loerch (1997) did report an increase in G:F for animals that were fed a blend of animal and vegetable fat.

No differences among treatments existed for mean rectal temperature, incidence of second or third respiratory treatment, or mortality in the current study (P 0.12; Table 3). Incidence of first respiratory treatment was greatest for heifers fed 4% flax (P = 0.09; Table 3), followed by 0, 2, and 6% flax. Morbidity data from Exp. 2 were unexpected, and would not support the theory that flax feeding may improve health status at receiving. Results from Exp. 2 of this experiment are consistent with those of Farran (2000), in which receiving heifers in 2 separate trials were fed ground flax and did not display reduced morbidity or mortality.

In Exp. 2, no carryover effects were observed in the finishing period for heifers fed flax at receiving for final BW, ADG, or G:F (P 0.47; Table 4). However, DMI during the finishing period was decreased linearly (P = 0.05; Table 4) with increasing levels of flax in the receiving period. In Exp. 2, no differences among treatments existed for HCW, marbling score, subcutaneous fat thickness, KPH, incidence of liver abscess, or calculated yield grade (P 0.22; Table 5). Dressing percentage tended to increase linearly (P = 0.10; Table 5) with increasing quantities of flax in the receiving diet. In addition, LM area was greater for heifers fed either 2 or 4% flax (quadratic, P = 0.04; Table 5), followed by those fed 6 and 0% flax in the receiving diet. The response to flax feeding at receiving observed on dressing percentage and LM area was interesting; however, the lack of difference for other growth traits suggests that overall, these differences may not be dependent on flax feeding. The carcass quality grade distribution for USDA Prime, Choice, or Select was not different among treatments (P 0.16) and averaged 0.25 ± 0.52%, 59.75 ± 5.00%, and 38.13 ± 4.17%, respectively. The number of USDA Standard grading carcasses was increased (linear, P = 0.10) with increasing flax in the receiving diets at 0.0, 0.0, 1.1, and 2.1% for 0, 2, 4, and 6% flax, respectively.

Total performance while in the feedlot did not differ (d 0 of receiving to slaughter; P 0.15; Table 6) for DMI, ADG, G:F, or mortality in Exp. 1 and 2. Although relatively few data are available concerning the effects of treatments imposed during the receiving period on subsequent finishing performance, producers have a preference for cattle that have undergone some sort of preconditioning treatment before feedlot arrival (Duff and Galyean, 2007). Lofgreen et al. (1975) fed receiving steers diets consisting of 55, 72, or 90% concentrate and observed that morbidity and mortality were not different for the 3 treatments, and subsequent performance in the feedlot (all cattle received common finishing diets after the receiving phase) was not affected by the receiving diet energy density. It is apparent that increasing performance and decreasing morbidity during the receiving period have substantial benefits on finishing performance. According to research completed by Gardner et al. (1999), cattle not treated for BRD have greater BW, ADG, HCW, and improved yield grades. Therefore, enhancing immunity with the use of nutrients such as n-3 fatty acids during the receiving phase may have important carryover benefits for finishing performance in the feedlot.

In Exp. 1, chronic treatment for BRD was decreased with flax treatment, but in Exp. 2 heifers fed 4% flax had a greater incidence of first treatment for respiratory disease. Mortality (Table 3) during the receiving phase was much greater in Exp. 1, and it is possible that the effects of flax feeding may not be realized with relatively little mortality as with Exp. 2.

Rectal temperature was not used as a criterion for treatment in the current study, based on the results of Farran (2000). Cattle fed flax and challenged intravenously with LPS displayed reduced rectal temperature compared with animals fed tallow and a microalgae feed additive (Farran, 2000). The results of Farran (2000) indicate that flax feeding may influence rectal temperature and may therefore affect morbidity results if temperature is used to qualify animals for BRD treatment. In both Exp. 1 and 2, flax feeding did not influence the rectal temperature of heifers treated for BRD (Table 3). Therefore, the use of rectal temperature for treatment of BRD may have been warranted in the present study. Such instances underline problems with using subjective scores to determine the morbidity of feeder cattle in receiving studies.

When comparing the morbidity and mortality rates of both experiments, it seems that because morbidity was based on a subjective clinical score, the relatively high morbidity rates in Exp. 2 with very little mortality may have been due to a reaction by the cattle health manager to the previous mortality experienced in Exp. 1. Low mortality rates in Exp. 2 suggest that perhaps cattle treated for BRD were not actually sick.

When evaluating the performance and health of heifers in Exp. 1, first, it seems that when heifers appear to have a high occurrence of BRD and relatively high mortality, feeding flax may improve receiving performance throughout the feeding period. Additionally, carcass-adjusted finishing final BW was increased with flax feeding in Exp. 1, but these increased BW may be a carryover effect of increased gain during the receiving period. Because of the unknown background of the heifers in both experiments, several factors may be affecting receiving performance independent of the experimental treatment.

Finishing final BW was not affected by flax feeding in Exp. 2, but DMI was reduced during the finishing period for heifers that were fed flax during the receiving period. In both experiments, overall performance was not affected by flax feeding during the receiving phase. In the instance in which flax produced greater growth during the receiving phase (Exp. 1), there was little effect on carcass characteristics. In Exp. 2, little growth response to flax feeding was noted, but dressing percentage and LM area were both increased.

Feeding flax to calves when initially received may be a viable and economical strategy to enhance performance during the receiving period. Flax feeding to newly arrived feeder heifers may also be beneficial by resulting in some carryover effects in the finishing period. Because of the large variability in response to flax feeding observed in the current study, further research in the area of n-3 fatty acid addition to increase the health status and performance of finishing cattle is justified.

	Footnotes

 
¹ This study was made possible by a grant from the North Dakota Oilseed Commission (Fargo). This is contribution number 07-239-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan.

² Corresponding author: jdrouill{at}ksu.edu

Received for publication May 15, 2007. Accepted for publication June 2, 2008.

	LITERATURE CITED

Top Abstract INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 


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This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jas.2007-0271v1 86/11/3054    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Quinn, M. J. Articles by Drouillard, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Quinn, M. J. Articles by Drouillard, J. S.