Transit factors affecting shrink, shipping fever and subsequent performance of feeder calves.

Five shipments of feeder calves (965 head hauled in 11 drop-center trailers) were shipped 1,600 km by tractor trailer from Algood, Tennessee, to Bushland, Texas, during the fall seasons of 1976, 1977 and 1978. Shrink, incidence of shipping fever and subsequent feedlot performance of these feeder calves were analyzed. There were significant differences in shrink and subsequent feedlot performance between calves shipped on different dates. In only one instance was there a significant difference in shrink between trucks of steers shipped on the same date, and this was due to a difference of in-transit time between trucks. There were no significant differences in shrink, incidence of shipping fever of feedlot performance between calves shipped in different trailer compartments, nor were there any interactions between shipping dates and trailer compartments for shrink, incidence of shipping fever and feedlot performance. The number of calves treated for shipping fever did not differ significantly among trailer compartments, but did differ among shipment dates. Significant differences in morbidity between shipping dates indicate that the incidence of shipping fever is apparently affected by environmental conditions before, during and immediately after transit. The results indicate that multiple truckloads of calves, if traveling together, can be treated as a single unit for the statistical analysis of shrink, incidence of shipping fever and feedlot performance.

Effect of transport on feeder calves.

One hundred fifty feeder steers (mean body weight, 195 kg) were assigned to 1 of 3 transport groups and were deprived of feed and water (fasted) for 24 hours. Additionally, calves were transported on a commercial livestock trailer for 0 (control-fasted only), 12 (short haul), or 24 (long haul) hours. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein before calves were loaded on the transport vehicle and immediately after calves of the long-haul group returned to the research feedlot. Complete blood counts were performed and 32 mineral, enzyme, and biochemical constituents were measured. Calf morbidity, mortality, and average daily weight gain were evaluated during the next 56 days. Duration of transport did not affect average daily gain; however, calves of the short-haul group had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher morbidity and mortality than did those of the control and long-haul groups. In all groups, results of differential leukocyte counts were indicative of stress response. Significant (P less than 0.05) linear contrasts were observed between duration of transport and erythrocyte, leukocyte, segmented neutrophil, lymphocyte, and eosinophil counts and results of serum enzyme (alanine transaminase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, total lactate dehydrogenase [LD], and LD-1, LD-3, and LD-4 isoenzymes), iron, urea nitrogen, beta-globulin, glucose, and urea nitrogen-to-creatinine ratio determinations. Significant (P less than 0.05) quadratic contrasts were observed between duration of transport and serum unsaturated iron binding capacity, total iron binding capacity, and LD-5 percentage. Calf source had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect on almost all variables tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)