Feeder Cattle Stress During Handling and Transportation

Abstract

ABSTRACT THE relationship between heart rate and stressor events which normally occur in the handling and transportation of feeder calves from producer to feedlot was determined. Heart rate was monitored with a bio-medical telemetry system and activity was monitored with a closed-circuit television system. In a laboratory ex-periment, three pairs of calves were subjected to various planned and ad lib stressor events such as placing in a squeeze chute, loading on a transport vehicle, and eating or drinking. The average heart rate increased by less than 10 beats/min (BPM) for mild stressor events such as gentle butting to more than 30 BPM for severe stressor events such as loading on a vehicle. A mathematical model was developed to predict the heart rate for various stressor events. In two other experiments, eight feeder calves from each of two truckloads were monitored during assembly, simulated auction sale, and while in transit (1600 km) from the producing area to the feedlot. These experi-ments showed that there was a significant difference in the stress, as measured by increased heart rate, between the two shipments. Much of the difference was attribut-able to differences in procedures and facilities. For ex-ample, efficient sorting of animals resulted in an increase of only 7 BPM while inefficient sorting resulted in an in-crease of 48 BPM. Heart rate appears to be related to stress and, therefore, may provide a fast objective way to measure stress and its effect upon subsequent animal health. Future research is planned to test this hypothesis as well as provide the information needed to develop more efficient handling and transportation procedures.