Influence of Pretransit Feeding Regimen and Posttransit B-Vitamin Supplementation on Stressed Feeder Steers

Abstract

A total of 275 steer calves from 17 farms in Tennessee were used to study the influence of pretransit management and posttransit B vitamin supplementation on calf performance and health. Pretransit treatments were : (1) weaned the day of sale and fed hay at the order buyer barn (Control - C), (2) weaned the day of sale and fed a 50% concentrate, high antibiotic diet in an order buyer barn for 3 days before transport (HE), and (3) weaned 30 days before leaving the farm, fed a 50% concentrate diet at the farm and fed hay at the order buyer barn (PW). Posttransit, the calves received a mixed diet with or without B vitamins. PW calves gained faster (P<.05) at the farm of origin than unweaned calves but required 27.2 kg of the PW diet/kg of extra weight gain. Total marketing and transit shrink was similar for C, HE and PW calves, although HE calves lost a greater percentage of their total shrink in transit. PW calves consumed more (P<.05) dry matter and water than C and HE calves during the first month after arrival, but dry matter and water consumption were similar for all calves by day 149 of the posttransit feeding period. B vitamin supplementation reduced (P<.05) morbidity in C steers and increased (P<.10) morbidity in PW steers. Daily gain and feed conversion were not significantly affected by treatment although PW calves tended to have poorer feed conversion than C and HE calves. During the first 56 days of feed, calves treated for BRD had poorer (P<.01) performance than calves not treated but daily gains were not significantly different by day 149 on feed. Copyright © 1979. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1979 by American Society of Animal Science.