By John Lovett
Summer heat can be costly for Arkansas cattle producers, slowing cattle growth and potentially reducing meat quality. A new study at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station aims to help fall-born calves better withstand heat stress during a critical growth phase.
Zena Herrera, an assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology in the department of animal science for the experiment station, said most heat-stress studies have focused on cattle during the finishing stage, the period immediately before slaughter when animals reach their heaviest weights.
Herrera, however, will be looking at heat stress at a much earlier stage. Her study will examine the effects of an anti-inflammatory feed additive administered during the backgrounding phase, the period between weaning and finishing.
“With fall calving systems, cattle are not in the finishing stage during the hottest months of the year,” Herrera said. “Instead, these animals experience summer heat stress while in the backgrounding phase when they continue to grow before entering finishing programs.”
The study, supported by a $20,000 grant from the Arkansas Beef Council, will evaluate whether a commercial feed additive containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can lessen the physiological effects of heat stress during the backgrounding phase and improve meat quality.
Heat stress can reduce animal growth by decreasing feed efficiency and can negatively affect meat quality, Herrera said.
Source : uada.edu