Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between handling methods, cattle behavior during handling, and average daily gain (ADG) of feed yard cattle.  Hereford steers (n = 496; initial body weight [BW] = 304 ± 35.6 kg) of similar genetic background were enrolled in this study after arrival at a commercial feed yard in Southwest Kansas. Two handling conditions prior to the working barn and two conditions of release from the squeeze chute were imposed. When cattle were moved from home pens to the working area, handlers were required to quietly walk all steers (SLOW); or handlers were permitted to bring steers to the processing area in the normal manner (FAST), which included handlers running, yelling, and cracking whips. Individual steers were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions of release from the squeeze chute. The first was a delay not longer than 30 s following the completion of procedures to allow cattle to stop struggling (DELAY); the second was release immediately following the completion of procedures (NORM). Vocalization and behavioral agitation (chute score) were measured in the squeeze chute and exit speed and exit behavior scores were assigned to all steers as they exited the squeeze chute the first time they were worked after entering the feed yard. Paired t-tests determined that cattle exiting the chute at a walk or trot vs. a run tended to have higher (P=0.08) ADG. Cattle vocalizing during restraint had lower (P=0.04) ADG than those that did not vocalize. The FAST group showed a tendency to vocalize more frequently than the SLOW group. There was a significant positive correlation between exit speed and vocalization (P= 0.0021, r= 0.14256) and a significant negative correlation between exit speed and ADG (P=0.0036, r=-0.13542). Handling was correlated with both behavior and ADG. Cattle that vocalize during handling and restraint may have reduced weight gains.

Key words: Average daily gain (ADG), cattle handling, feed yard, squeeze chute, weight gain.