STILLWATER, Okla.-(OSU Extension)--A team of scientists and practitioners are riding herd on one of the most challenging concerns of the cattle industry: Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD).
BRD is the most common disease among feedlot cattle in the United States, accounting for approximately 75 percent of feedlot morbidity and 50 percent to 70 percent of all feedlot deaths. BRD causes between $800 million to $900 million annually in economic losses from death, reduced feed efficiency and antimicrobial treatment costs.
"Immune response and morbidity issues relative to cattle growth and carcass quality affect every level of the beef industry, from the producer to the packer, all the way to the consumer as end-user," said lead-investigator Clint Krehbiel, with Oklahoma State University.
A relatively recent development of research conducted by Krehbiel and his collaborators shows cattle that have three or more bouts of disease produce lower-quality meat.
"As the number of antimicrobial treatments increased, average daily gain in the background phase decreased, cost-per-unit increased and net returns declined," Krehbiel said. "Moreover, marbling scores, color stability and overall acceptance of the final beef product by consumers decreased as the number of antimicrobial treatments increased."
In other words, health issues on the farm or at the feedlot can have a direct relationship on the product purchased in the store. Everybody in the food chain loses dollar value.
Researchers have discovered that days on feed needed to reach a common 12th rib fat thickness increased by seven days for every unit increase in antimicrobial treatment required.
"Increased days on feed, lower final body weight and lower carcass value resulted in an $11.36 loss in income for every time an animal was treated," Krehbiel said. "Therefore, decreasing the average number of times an animal is treated for BRD by one treatment would result in a...savings to...feedlot cattle producers."
