Target anxiety to offset disease in cattle

Experienced veterinary feedlot consultant Dr Kev Sullivan, from Bell Veterinary Services in Queensland, says being able to negate the effects of things like relocation and confinement anxiety, and fear of humans, goes a long way to offsetting disease in cattle.

A producer’s efforts to tackle stressors in cattle - be it physical or of the mind - is the key to addressing the the singlest largest animal health issue in the lotfeeding business, bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

BRD costs the industry millions - 66 per cent of health problems in a feedlot are linked to it and despite 25 years of advancements in everything from vaccines and antibiotics to genetics and cattle sorting systems, solving it has eluded us.  

“That figure doesn’t change whether you have a 10,000 head yard or a 2000 head yard,” Dr Sullivan said.

“Profitability changes from day to day and there is not a lot we can do about prices and markets but with the right pre-feedlot entry preparation we can make a big difference in terms of the number of head lost or getting sick and not meeting the desire market requirements.”

Dr Sullivan presented an overview of the latest in this field at this year’s Angus National Conference, held in Ballarat recently.

The reasons behind BRD were twofold, he said.

A “busted” immune system and the amount of stress they are under.

“Stress levels get high, the immune system can’t cope and bad organisms get a free kick,” he explained.

Stressors can be environmental, physical, physiological, psychological and nutritional.

“The one that has really come to the fore in the past 15 years is psychological stress,” Dr Sullivan said.

“We don’t know enough about the animals we work with every day to really understand them at the level we need to in order to actually help them.

“But we are getting better at it.”

The change of address from the paddock to the feedlot is major, Dr Sullivan said.

“They are in a completely foreign place with a whole bunch of other animals they’ve never seen before,” he said.

“The fretting that happens as a result is real.

“Fear of humans is also something that wasn’t thought much about until recently.

“Cattle are prey animals so they recognise and understand predators and can pick one a mile away.

“Two things we know that really bother cattle are confinement and handling so if we can prepare them, we can set the stage for a smooth transition.”

Look at ways of reducing stress.

“Stressors compromise the immune systems which disarms the respiratory defence and allows viruses to attack,” Dr Sullivan said.

So what practical strategies can producers look at?

Send sizeable cohorts (cattle need to be with mates), make sure the weight range is as small as can be (the little guy just can’t muscle his way in at a feed bunk), manage the transport (12 hours off  food shuts down a rumen) but, most importantly, yard wean.

Where cattle are feedlot-prepared properly, mortality just about disappears, Dr Sullivan said.

Vaccination for BRD only works if the animal’s immune system is functioning well.

Acclimation and cattle handling are the big things with yard weaning.

There must be interaction - it need only be ten minutes a couple of times a day - but the idea is to make them comfortable with handlers being around.

“Spend time with your cattle, they’re cool creatures,” he said.

Good quality feed, at 20 per cent protein, and good water is crucial.

Typically, the process will take five to ten days, but it can be done in four days.

How do you know if they are ready to be turned out?

“They will be comfortable walking past the handler,” Dr Sullivan said.

“They will know where they are expected to go and they will understand what is going to happen.

“Correct yard weaning teaches calves that confinement is ok.

“It takes the confinement anxiety out of the equation.”