This report describes the epizootiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of an outbreak of leptospirosis caused by Leptospira canicola in feedlot calves. The infection appeared to be of high morbidity with a cumulative clinical incidence of 15.6%, cumulative subclinical incidence of 39% and high mortality (8.3%). Clinical disease was diagnosed in 4-8-month-old calves, while subcl...

Adding value to feeder cattle through feedlot retained ownership is a marketing alternative most producers often overlook. Universities, private consultants, cattle buyers and feedlot owners/managers have flooded the cattle industry with information pertaining to retained ownership. Yet producers are reluctant to view this as a marketing alternative. Most of this reluctance is due to a lack of ...

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral important for immune function and overall health of cattle. The nasopharyngeal microbiota in cattle plays an important role in overall respiratory health, especially when stresses associated with weaning, transport, and adaptation to a feedlot affect the normal respiratory defenses. Recent evidence suggests that cattle diagnosed with bovine respirator...

Data were obtained from 1980 to 1987 on animals belonging to one of three breeding systems: Hereford, small rotation, and large rotation. Differences among Angus-, Gelbvieh-, Pinzgauer-, and Tarentaise-sired calves within the small rotation system were generally not detected as significant for the preweaning traits of gestation length, calving ease, birth weight, gain to weaning, or creep feed ...

The use of animals from dairy farms is an alternative to meat production since it provides an increment of total income for farmers. This study aims to evaluate the performance of Holstein calves finished in two feeding systems (feedlot or pasture). Forty-three animals with 58 days old and 57 kg were divided in two treatments: 23 animals finished in feedlot with corn silage plus concentrate bas...

A 4-yr study using 217 cows/yr (3/4 Red Angus, 1/4 Simmental) evaluated effects of calving date and wintering system on cow and calf performance from birth to harvest. Cows were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments: 1) March (Mar) calving cows wintered on native range, 2) Mar calving cows wintered on corn residue, 3) June (Jun) calving cows wintered on native range, 4) Jun calving cows wintered on cor...

Crossbred, spring-calving cows (yr 1, n = 136; yr 2, n = 113; yr 3, n = 113) were used in a 3-yr experiment to evaluate the influence of supplemental protein prepartum and grazing subirrigated meadow postpartum on pregnancy rates and calf feedlot performance. A 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used in a switchback design. From December 1 to February 28, cows grazed dormant upland r...

Inflammation caused by bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing beef cattle producers and feedlot managers. Inflammation decreases DMI, ADG, and G:F in feedlot calves, decreasing growth rate and increasing days on feed, which results in economic losses during the feeding period. During the past decade, marketing of feedlot animals has changed from s...

Early weaning of calves to a high concentrate diet results in greater fat deposition and suggests early postnatal metabolic imprinting events may be exploited as a management tool to improve cattle value. Our objective was to implement a short, high energy dietary intervention before a typical grazing period to manipulate intramuscular fat deposition in finishing cattle. Fall-born, Angus-sired ...

Hip heights were measured on 286 three-breed cross calves at weaning, yearling and slaughter time and on 199 Angus calves at yearling time to study the relationships of hip height with growth, feedlot performance and carcass traits when cattle are slaughtered at an anticipated grade of low choice. Correlations between hip height and weaning, yearling and slaughter weight averaged .56. Yearling ...