Forage and breed effects on behavior and temperament of pregnant beef heifers

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Abstract

Background

Integration of behavioral observations with traditional selection schemes may lead to enhanced animal well-being and more profitable forage-based cattle production systems. Brahman-influenced (BR; n = 64) and Gelbvieh × Angus (GA; n = 64) heifers consumed either toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) or one of two nontoxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (NT) cultivars during two yr. Heifers were weighed at midpoint and termination of grazing. Grazing behavior (grazing, resting in the shade, lying, or standing without grazing) was recorded (n = 13 visual observations per yr in June and July) for each pasture. During yr 2, exit velocity (EV) and serum prolactin (PRL) were determined.

Results

Grazing behavior was influenced ( P < 0.05) by an interaction between fescue cultivar and breed type. Gelbvieh × Angus heifers assigned to E+ pastures had the lowest percentage of animals grazing and the largest percentage of animals resting in the shade. Brahman-influenced heifers had faster EV ( P < 0.001) than GA heifers (0.52 vs. 0.74 ± 0.04 s/m, respectively). Body weight (BW) was affected ( P < 0.01) by an interaction of tall fescue cultivar and d, and an interaction of tall fescue cultivar and breed type. Heifers grazing NT pastures were heavier ( P < 0.01) than heifers grazing E+ pastures at midpoint and termination. Gelbvieh × Angus heifers grazing NT pastures were heavier ( P < 0.01) than GA and BR heifers grazing E+ and BR heifers grazing NT pastures. An interaction of forage cultivar and breed type occurred on serum PRL ( P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Collectively fescue cultivar, EV, and concentrations of serum PRL were associated with grazing behavior. Heifers grazing NT pastures were observed to be grazing more than heifers assigned to E+ pastures, regardless of breed type, which may have contributed to changes in BW and average daily gain (ADG) in heifers. Integration of behavioral observations along with traditional selection schemes may lead to enhanced animal well-being and more profitable forage-based cattle production systems.

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Most cited references 20

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Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows.

K. Breuer, P.H Hemsworth, J.L. Barnett … (2000)

This study examined the relationships between the attitude and the behaviour of the stockperson towards cows and the behavioural response to humans and the milk production of cows at 31 commercial dairy farms over one lactation. The attitude of the stockperson was measured on the basis of the stockperson's opinion of the cow's behaviour and how the stockperson evaluated his own behaviour. The behaviour of the stockperson was measured by recording the nature and frequency of the tactile interactions and some visual and auditory interactions directed towards the cows. The behavioural response of cows to humans was assessed by observing their approach behaviour to an unfamiliar experimenter in a standard test and production records were collected for the entire lactation at each farm. Correlation and regression analyses using farm averages were used to examine relationships between human and cow variables. Several cow behaviour variables, indicative of fear of humans, were moderately (P<0.05) to highly (P<0.01) correlated with milk yield and composition and regression analysis indicated that fear of humans accounted for 19% of the variation in milk yield between farms. The results suggest that at farms where milk yield was low, cows showed less approach to the experimenter in the standard fear test than at farms where milk yield was higher. A composite attitude score, based on the responses of stockpeople to questions about patting and talking to cows, ease of movement of cows and cows recognising unfamiliar stockpeople, was moderately (P<0.05) to highly (P<0.01) correlated with the behaviour of the stockperson. While a number of stockperson behaviour variables were correlated (P<0.05) with milk yield, the former variables were generally poorly correlated with cow behaviour. Therefore these preliminary findings provide evidence that, as seen in the pig industry, sequential relationships may exist between the attitude and behaviour of the stockperson and the behaviour and productivity of commercial dairy cows. Research is required to further examine these relationships because of the possible implications on cow productivity and welfare.

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Board-invited review: St. Anthony's Fire in livestock: causes, mechanisms, and potential solutions.

Matthew Strickland, Michael D. Flythe, Charles F. Rosenkrans … (2011)

After a brief history of ergot alkaloids and ergotism, this review focuses on the metabolism and mechanisms of action of the ergot alkaloids. The authors provide models of how these alkaloids afflict grazing livestock under complex animal-plant/endophyte-environmental interactions. Alkaloid chemistry is presented to orient the reader to the structure-function relationships that are known to exist. Where appropriate, the medical literature is used to aid interpretation of livestock research and to provide insight into potential modes of action and alkaloid metabolism where these are not known for livestock. In closing the paper, we discuss management of ergot alkaloid intoxication in livestock and future research needs for this field of study.

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Analysis of endophyte toxins: fescue and other grasses toxic to livestock.

J. Porter (1995)

Research on livestock toxicoses caused by Acremonium (endophyte)-infected grasses strongly implicate the ergopeptine alkaloids with A. coenophialum-infected fescue and paxilline and the lolitrem alkaloids with A. lolii-infected perennial ryegrass as the causative agents. Isolation, identification, and detection of these toxins involves extraction with appropriate solvents, clean-up procedures, and chromatographic methods with known standards. Thin-layer, high-performance liquid and gas chromatography along with ultraviolet and mass spectrometric (i.e., electron impact, chemical ionization, tandem mass) characterizations have been reported. These methods have varying degrees of success depending on the matrix from which the alkaloids have been extracted. Ergovaline is the primary ergopeptine alkaloid isolated from cultures of A. coenophialum and also from infected fescue grass and seeds toxic to livestock. Other compounds isolated from the endophyte-infected fescue include: lysergic acid amide (ergine), the clavine class of ergot alkaloids (chanoclavine I, agroclavine, elymoclavine, penniclavine), the pyrrolizidine alkaloids (N-formylloline, N-acetylloline, N-methyloline, N-acetylnorloline), and the unique pyrrolopyrazine alkaloid peramine. The loline alkaloids and peramine have been more associated with the insect-deterrent properties of the endophyte-infected fescue than with livestock toxicoses. Also, both peramine and the ergopeptine alkaloids (ergovaline, ergotamine) have been isolated from A. lolii-infected perennial ryegrass. More recently, paxilline and lolitrem B have been detected in laboratory cultures of A. coenophialum isolated from tall fescue. The ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass may be more related to decreased animal productivity (weight gains, reproduction problems), whereas the lolitrems cause the staggers syndrome. The detection, isolation, identification, and analyses of these compounds from Acremonium-infected grasses is presented.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Anim Sci Biotechnol

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Anim Sci Biotechnol

Title: Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology

Publisher: BioMed Central

ISSN (Print): 1674-9782

ISSN (Electronic): 2049-1891

Publication date Collection: 2013

Publication date (Electronic): 28 May 2013

Volume: 4

Issue: 1

Page: 20

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

[2 ]USDA-ARS, US Dairy Forage Research Center, Marshfield, WI, 54449, USA

[3 ]USDA-ARS, Forage Animal Production Research Unit, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA

[4 ]Department of Agricultural Sciences, Morehead State University, 327 Reed Hall, Morehead, KY, 40351, USA

Article

Publisher ID: 2049-1891-4-20

DOI: 10.1186/2049-1891-4-20

PMC ID: 3684508

PubMed ID: 23710543

SO-VID: 1da76811-4dd8-475c-b025-1477c1f9bfc8

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Forage and breed effects on behavior and temperament of pregnant beef heifers

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Most cited references 20

Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows.

Board-invited review: St. Anthony's Fire in livestock: causes, mechanisms, and potential solutions.

Analysis of endophyte toxins: fescue and other grasses toxic to livestock.

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