Beef Cattle Research
Graduate student: Abby Hodder
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Supervisory committee: Ed Pajor and Frank van der Meer.
Graduate student: Julian Cortes
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Supervisory committee; Ed Pajor and Eugene Janzen
Details:
Digital Dermatitis (DD) has been confirmed in feedlots in Southern Alberta. Although DD is well-known in the dairy industry, there is limited knowledge on disease dynamics of this disease in beef. Therefore, this project aims to determine the unique characteristics of DD in beef cattle. Potential early behavior indicators of DD and associations with varying DD stages will be determined using feeding behavior, gait analysis and other indicators. When processed through the chute, feet will be lifted for close lesion inspection, description, and pain evaluation based on the stage of disease. Skin biopsies will be collected from around the DD lesion. Treatments will be applied and treatment outcomes evaluated. We will derive new knowledge on lameness detection, treatment and bacteria involved; this will allow us to better understand DD as an emerging disease in feedlots, ultimately leading to improvements in detection, prevention and control strategies and improved productivity and economic returns.
Graduate student: Chris McMullen
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Co-supervisor: Edouard Timsit
Supervisory committee; Trevor Alexander and Frank van der Meer
Details:
Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) to this day remains as one of the costliest diseases to beef cattle producers in North America. With growing concern over antimicrobial use and resistance, novel technologies and approaches for dealing with BRDC have become a prominent area of research. One of these areas includes studying the bacterial environment, or microbiome, of the upper respiratory tract and how it relates to development of BRDC. While much has been done in the field of human medicine regarding the microbiome of the respiratory tract, the study of this in cattle is still relatively new. However, the potential benefits of studying this in cattle could be significant. This new knowledge will be used to hopefully develop tools that can aid in selective breeding of animals that are less susceptible to BRDC and to optimize management approaches to lower BRDC incidence in feedlots
This project will take aim at two different topics. The first study will look to characterize the microbiome of the upper respiratory tract in beef cattle that have never been given antimicrobials metaphylactically. Animals from this population that develop BRDC, along with a healthy pen mate, will have a deep nasopharyngeal swab sample collected from each animal. Metagenomic sequencing and bacterial culturing will be used to characterize the bacteria present in each animal. The sick animals will then be compared to the healthy animals to look for any patterns in the bacterial environments as they may relate to decreased susceptibility to the development of BRDC. The second study will look at how the microbiome of calves may change over time, from branding to approximately 40 days at a feedlot. As with the first study, samples will be collected and processed to characterize the microbiome of each calf at different time points in its life. Animal health histories will then be combined with this data to look for any potential patterns regarding how changes in microbiome structure may affect BRDC susceptibility
The development of genetic selection tools for traits that impact female longevity and sustainability.
Graduate student: Kajal Devani
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Supervisory committee: Graham Plastow, John Crowley, Ed Pajor
Details:
Introduction:
Recently, Canadian beef producers have identified the need to increase the sustainability of the Canadian beef industry. Factors that influence sustainability include animal health and welfare, the use of antibiotics, animal pain management, the use of environmental resources, and the environmental impact of the Canadian beef industry. Teat size and udder conformation are traits that can have a large effect on the longevity and sustainability of beef females. In fact, according to BIF (2010) udder and teat quality are among the most important functional traits of beef females. Newborn calves often have difficulty nursing from large teats or pendulous udders, which can lead to a malnourished calf that does not thrive as expected. Poor teat and udder structure also make females susceptible to intramammary infection, pain, antibiotic treatment, and premature culling. Since these traits are known to be heritable there is opportunity for the development of genetic selection tools that beef producers can use to select for improved trait structure.
Methodology:
A statistically powerful discovery population of 2,500 cows was scored for teat and udder conformation to determine the heritability, variance and covariances of the traits within the Canadian population. Using best linear unbiased prediction estimation predictions of genetic merit will be calculated for the discovery population and related animals. Each cow will also be genotyped using the Illumina Bovine 130K SNP chip allowing for a genome wide analysis study to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers that describe variation observed in the scored traits. Quantified effects of these markers can be incorporated into the BLUP evaluations to generate more accurate predictions of genetic merit for the animals. These identified markers can also be incorporated into a low density genomic selection SNP marker panel for producer use.
Discussion:
Genetic investigation of traits that affect the longevity and sustainability of the beef cow herd can potentially be very valuable to a significant Canadian industry. An economic analysis of the results can determine the potential value of this impact. This project has been designed to deliver genetic selection tools that are accurate and practical for Canadian beef producers to adopt.
Exploring risks and changes in feeding and drinking behaviour in relation to two major diseases in feedlot cattle
Graduate student: Barbara Wolfger
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Supervisory committee: Michel Levy, Ed Pajor, Herman Barkema and Karen Schwartskopf-Genswein
Details
In the economics of feedlots Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the 3rd biggest cost factor after food and animal purchase. In order to reduce treatment costs and associated losses with this disease complex, detecting animals in early stages of disease appears to be important. We are looking at antibodies levels on arrival for some major pathogens in the disease-complex and at cortisol levels that are measured in hair of animals that just arrived at the feedlot. Cortisol, measured in hair, is expected to be associated with long-term stress and therefore to be elevated in animals that are more susceptible for BRD.
Our main focus however is to validate an automated recording system for drinking and feeding behavior (Growsafe LTD). Two feedlots in southern Alberta were equipped with this system. During the observation period pen-checkers identified sick animals and treated them if necessary. Blood samples were taken from those animals and hematology as well as acute phase proteins were measured to get more information about the status of disease. The next step now is to look at feeding and drinking behavior of those animals from the days the pen-checkers identified an animal as diseased (“pulling”) up to 10 days prior. We anticipate creating an algorithm that will identify animals according to their feeding and drinking behavior 3-4 days before the animals show a “sick” behavior, which can be detected by the feedlot staff.
Supervisor: Karin Orsel
Supervisory committee: Herman W. Barkema. Ed A. Pajor, Michel Levy, Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein
Publications:
Wolfger, B., Levy, M., Barkema, H.W., Pajor, E.A., Plastow, G., Orsel, K.
“Tools in early identification of diseased feedlot animals”; UCVM Research Day 2012, Calgary (Alberta), Canada
Wolfger, B., Barkema, H.W., Plastow, G., Silasi, R., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K.S., Pajor, E.A., Levy, M., Huisma, C., Sunstrum, A., Orsel, K.
“Pattern recognition of feeding and drinking behavior as a tool in early identification of diseased feedlot animals”; International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics 2012, Maastricht, Netherlands
Wolfger, B.1, Levy, M.1, Barkema, H.W.1, Pajor, E.A.1, Plastow, G.2, Orsel, K.1
“Comparison of traditional laboratory parameters with acute phase proteins in visually identified diseased feedlot calves”; International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics 2012, Maastricht, Netherlands
Project funder: Alberta Innovates-Biosolutions. In collaboration with Dr Plastow at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.