Department of Animal Science
Date of this Version
2009
Citation
Proceedings, Western Section, American Society of Animal Science Vol. 60, 2009
Abstract
Eighty-eight crossbred weaned steer calves (250 + 26 kg) were used to evaluate weight loss (shrink) when transported to a mock sale barn on differing days prior to sale. The calves were weaned 14 days and fed free choice grass hay and 0.9 kg of DDGS at UNL’s Dalbey-Halleck Research Unit. Two days before initiation of treatments all calves were fed grass hay ad libitum and initial BW were recorded on two consecutive days. Calves were assigned randomly to treatment as a completely randomized design. On d 2, 1d restricted and 1d ad libitum treatments were transported 150 km to UNL ARDC feedlot near Mead, Nebraska. 0d treatment remained at the Dalbey-Halleck Research Unit. All treatments were allowed free choice grass hay and water. At 0800 on d 3, 0d treatment was loaded into trailers and transported to the ARDC feedlot. At 0800 on d 3, 1d restricted treatment was withheld from grass hay and water. At 1000 on d 3, all calves were co-mingled and processed to obtain a sale BW. The mixed procedures of SAS were used for statistical analysis, with steer as the experimental unit. No differences were observed in final BW (P=0.98) or percent shrink (P=0.80) with 2.2%, 1.7%, and 0.6% shrink for 1d restricted, 1d ad libitum and 0d treatments, respectively. Total weight loss from two days pre-mock sale date to the mock sale date was 7.0, 6.0, and 1.8 kg for 1d restricted, 1d ad libitum and 0d treatments, respectively. Transporting date prior to sale date did not significantly affect selling weight when calves were allowed access to feed and water at the sale facility and had been trained to eat hay prior to the sale date. However, a numerical difference was observed between shipping cattle prior to sale date.
Comments
Used by permission