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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS A HIGH QUALITY, HIGH DEMAND END-PRODUCT, UNITED STATES BEEF SERVES A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GROWING POPULATION. THE PRODUCERS OF THIS BEEF AT ALL LEVELS, FROM THE COW-CALF SECTORS TO THE FEEDLOTS TO THE PACKERS, CONTINUALLY LOOK TO IMPROVE PRODUCT AND EFFICIENCY IN THEIR OPERATIONS WHILE ALSO ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR OPERATIONS. SELECTION OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE FEED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCT QUALITY ARE EVOLVING, AND WE PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT IN THIS GOAL. WE THEORIZE THAT ACTIVITY LEVELS ARE POTENTIALLY THE RESULT OF AN ANIMAL'S LEVEL OF STRESS AND WILL INFLUENCE FEED EFFICIENCY AND MEAT QUALITY. WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ACTIVITY, FEED EFFICIENCY, STRESS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND MEAT QUALITY AMONG BEEF STEERS TO OBTAIN PRELIMINARY DATA TO SUPPORT OUR HYPOTHESES WITH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:DETERMINE WHETHER ACCELEROMETER ACTIVITY DATA IS CORRELATED WITH FEED EFFICIENCY, FLIGHT SPEED, AND MEAT QUALITY TRAITS.DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE HEALTH, STRESS, MOLECULAR PROFILE OR METHANE EMISSION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANIMALS WITH HIGH AND LOW STEPS AND MOUNTING BEHAVIOR.IN OBJECTIVE 1, WE WILL OBTAIN TOTAL STEPS TAKEN, AND THE MOUNTING BEHAVIOR OF EACH ANIMAL USING 3-AXIS ACCELEROMETERS FROM 701X (FARGO, ND, USA) OVER A 147-DAY FEED EFFICIENCY STUDY AND DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FLIGHT SPEED, FEED EFFICIENCY, AND MEAT QUALITY. IN OBJECTIVE 2, WE PROPOSE TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TOTAL STEPS AND MOUNTING BEHAVIOR WITH HEMATOLOGY, CYTOKINE, METABOLOMIC, METAGENOME, METHANE EMISSIONS, AND GENE EXPRESSION DATA.THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A MORE ACCURATE AND OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF BEEF STEER ACTIVITY/TEMPERAMENT, AND WILL IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO TEMPERAMENT (I.E., STRESS, IMMUNE RESPONSES). THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HERE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL PROVIDE DEFINITIVE LINKS TO BEEF PRODUCTION OUTCOMES BASED ON AN IMPROVED MEASURE OF AN ANIMAL'S BEHAVIOR OR TEMPERAMENT. THROUGH THESE NOVEL METHODS, THE CELLULAR AND METABOLIC EFFECTS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT, AND THE LINKS TO FEED EFFICIENCY, HEALTH, AND MEAT QUALITY MAY BECOME CLEAR. THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE FUTURE WORK TO DEVELOP APPLICATION-BASED TESTS THAT PRODUCERS CAN UTILIZE FOR SELECTION TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND MEAT QUALITY IN THEIR HERD.

$300,000FY2024National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

University Of Wyoming, Laramie WY

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS A HIGH QUALITY, HIGH DEMAND END-PRODUCT, UNITED STATES BEEF SERVES A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE GROWING POPULATION. THE PRODUCERS OF THIS BEEF AT ALL LEVELS, FROM THE COW-CALF SECTORS TO THE FEEDLOTS TO THE PACKERS, CONTINUALLY LOOK TO IMPROVE PRODUCT AND EFFICIENCY IN THEIR OPERATIONS WHILE ALSO ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR OPERATIONS. SELECTION OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE FEED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCT QUALITY ARE EVOLVING, AND WE PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT IN THIS GOAL. WE THEORIZE THAT ACTIVITY LEVELS ARE POTENTIALLY THE RESULT OF AN ANIMAL'S LEVEL OF STRESS AND WILL INFLUENCE FEED EFFICIENCY AND MEAT QUALITY. WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ACTIVITY, FEED EFFICIENCY, STRESS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND MEAT QUALITY AMONG BEEF STEERS TO OBTAIN PRELIMINARY DATA TO SUPPORT OUR HYPOTHESES WITH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:DETERMINE WHETHER ACCELEROMETER ACTIVITY DATA IS CORRELATED WITH FEED EFFICIENCY, FLIGHT SPEED, AND MEAT QUALITY TRAITS.DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE HEALTH, STRESS, MOLECULAR PROFILE OR METHANE EMISSION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANIMALS WITH HIGH AND LOW STEPS AND MOUNTING BEHAVIOR.IN OBJECTIVE 1, WE WILL OBTAIN TOTAL STEPS TAKEN, AND THE MOUNTING BEHAVIOR OF EACH ANIMAL USING 3-AXIS ACCELEROMETERS FROM 701X (FARGO, ND, USA) OVER A 147-DAY FEED EFFICIENCY STUDY AND DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FLIGHT SPEED, FEED EFFICIENCY, AND MEAT QUALITY. IN OBJECTIVE 2, WE PROPOSE TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TOTAL STEPS AND MOUNTING BEHAVIOR WITH HEMATOLOGY, CYTOKINE, METABOLOMIC, METAGENOME, METHANE EMISSIONS, AND GENE EXPRESSION DATA.THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A MORE ACCURATE AND OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF BEEF STEER ACTIVITY/TEMPERAMENT, AND WILL IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO TEMPERAMENT (I.E., STRESS, IMMUNE RESPONSES). THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HERE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL PROVIDE DEFINITIVE LINKS TO BEEF PRODUCTION OUTCOMES BASED ON AN IMPROVED MEASURE OF AN ANIMAL'S BEHAVIOR OR TEMPERAMENT. THROUGH THESE NOVEL METHODS, THE CELLULAR AND METABOLIC EFFECTS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT, AND THE LINKS TO FEED EFFICIENCY, HEALTH, AND MEAT QUALITY MAY BECOME CLEAR. THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE FUTURE WORK TO DEVELOP APPLICATION-BASED TESTS THAT PRODUCERS CAN UTILIZE FOR SELECTION TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND MEAT QUALITY IN THEIR HERD. · GrantIndex