siderations to reduce stress shared

With fall here, many producers are beginning to plan shipment of this year’s calf crop or moving cattle from summer pasture to crop residues, fall/winter pastures or to a drylot. Every year, millions of head of cattle are transported from point A to point B. During this time, bumper-pull trailers, gooseneck trailers or cattle pots are giant billboards for the cattle industry.

Because of this fact, cattle producers should be ensuring they are doing their part of shedding a positive light on the cattle industry by following best management practices when transporting animals.

Important factors to consider when cattle are being transported include: loading conditions, time in transit, weather conditions, comingling, segregation of different sexes and weight classes into separate trailer compartments, driver experience, animal health status and physical condition.

Shipping stress

Shipping can be one of the most stressful times in a calf’s life. More stress on cattle during shipping may increase the animal's percentage of shrink loss. Reducing shrink by one percent alone could benefit the industry by more than $325 million. A past Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) survey indicated that feeder calves traveling to Texas or Nebraska feedyards traveled an average of 468 miles, with a range that varied up to 415 miles.

Furthermore, the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit and Market Cow and Bull Quality Audit found the average load of fed cattle travel over two and a half hours and more than 135 miles from the feedyard to the harvest facility and market cows and bulls traveled over nine hours and more than 395 miles from their origin to the harvest facility. These audits also found the amount of space provided to these animals during transit often fell short of animal handling recommendations for larger animals.

According to animal handling guidelines recommended by the North American Meat Institute, a 1,000- to 1,400-pound hornless animal should be provided 12 to 18 square feet of space. According to both audit results, fed cattle were allowed on average 12.2 square feet and market cows and bulls were allowed 12.4 square feet.

The previous data provides insight on the long distances cattle travel, which could have negative impacts on cattle welfare and performance due to stress. Stress from shipping can affect calves’ immunity and prolong the amount of time calves are off feed following shipping. With these disadvantageous effects related to stress, it is important that producers work to make the shipping process as stressfree as possible.

Research has resulted in several pre-shipping suggestions: Prior to trips longer than 12 hours, cattle should be fed and watered within five hours prior to loading; prior to trips longer than four hours, cattle should be fed within 24 hours prior to loading; cattle should be in good health and fit for transport; cattle should be handled as little as possible and as gently as possible prior to transport; and cattle should receive a minimum of five hours of rest following 48 hours of transport.

Resources for producers

One resource available to producers is the newly developed BQA Transportation (BQAT) online training modules at bqa.org. These modules can help producers improve shipping methods and reduce stress on cattle during shipping.

This resource provides checklists for producers to help make shipping cattle safe for both personnel and cattle. It also contains loading density suggestions for popular trailer layouts used in the industry. Taking time to work through the checklists prior to transport can save costs and headaches after the cattle are loaded.

Another online resource available for producers is the National BQA channel located on YouTube. Searching for the keyword “Transportation” will result in several informative videos covering transportation.

Finally, one important task for producers when shipping cattle across state lines is the entry requirements prescribed by each state animal health official. Producers have had to search through state regulations to ensure they meet all the requirements to transport cattle across state lines; however, a new feature offered at interstatelivestock.com allows producers to enter the state of origin and the shipping destination. The website will provide all cattle health requirements for transportation.

This feature is not only for cattle heading to the feedlot or inspected harvest facility; producers can also use it for sale and exhibition, as well as show and rodeo stock. With this new resource, producers can easily find all the requirements to successfully transport cattle to all 50 states.

Humane handling of cattle when transported is important not only to the producer, but also the industry. Producers should review these available tools and resources to ensure they are following the best management practices when transporting cattle.

This article was written by University of NebraskaLincoln Extension Educator and Director of Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Jesse Fulton. The article appears in the October BeefWatch online newsletter at beef.unl. edu.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 ~ FEEDER/CALF SPECIAL & CCV VIDEO

FEEDERS

Robert Faulkner 145 Mostly Blk Strs, 800#, All Natural, Running Out

CALVES

Mark & Connie Kersting 270 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 550-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, All Natural Guy Givens 250 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 525#, Branding Shots, All Natural, No Implants Tim and Lavern Anderson 245 Red/Blk Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding & Precond Shots, No Implants, Steers are Knife Cut Round Rock Ranch/Keith Moore 230 Red & Blk Angus, few Herf Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding Shots, All Natural, No Implants Jon & Katie Armstrong 110 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 550-650#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots Pronghorn Ranch/Jay Butler 170 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 375-450#, Branding & Precond Shots, No Implants Bar Double J Ranch 160 Blk Strs, 500-560#, Branding & Precond Shots, Knife Cut, All Natural Milton Moffett 140 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 410-420#, Branding & Precond Shots, All Natural, Calves a Slick Seth Brockman 110 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 525-575#, Branding & Precond Shots, All Natural Reverse L Spear Land & Livestock/Newkirk Ranch 110 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots, High Altitude Rafter 3 Bar Ranch/Andy Frey 100 F 1 Cross Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding & Precond Shots, Powerful Genetics, Home Raised Will & Ted Myers 100 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 575-650#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots, Running at 7500’ Bar B Land 100 Blk, few Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 500-575#, 3 Rounds of Shots, Weaned 30 days, Hay Fed Bill & Sherry Redden/Lonny Boyd 100 Red/Blk Strs & Hfrs, Branding & Precond Shots All Natural Masters Ranch 90 Red Angus Strs & Hfrs, 500-525#, Branding Shots, Red Angus Age & Source Miller’s Point Ranch/Ray Miller 80 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 475-525#, Branding Shots, All Natural Leroy Krejci 80 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 400-600#, No Shots, All Natural Zach Hotchkiss 80 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 625-650#, Branding & Precond Shots, All Natural, Strs are Banded Lost Springs Ranch/Chuck Engebretsen 80 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Branding & Precond Shots Peterson Livestock, LLC 79 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding & Precond Shots, High Elevation, Home Raised George Frazier 71 Bwf/Herf Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding Shots Hollis Givens 70 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding Shots, Summered at High Elevation, Been on Good Mineral Program Kimberly Epp 70 Red Strs & Hfrs, 500-550#, Weaned 4 Weeks, On Purina Weaning Pellets, Banded Clay Bolden 69 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 550-650#, Precond Shots Josh & Sara Fitzsimmons 65 Mostly Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 585-620#, Branding & Precond Shots, High Altitude 6600 to 11,000’ Toni Buettner 56 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, Weaned 45 days, Grass & Hay Fed, Strs are Banded Scott Gilmore 50 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 530-580#, Precond Shots: Zoetis Vac Program, Hfrs are Replacement Quality, High Elevation Jason Kern 46 Strs & Hfrs, 600# Chris Estes 45 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 550-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, Weaned 30 days, All Natural Kern Ranch 44 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Branding & Precond Shots, Weaned 5 weeks, Been on Hay & Creep Steve Paisley 41 Blk/Bwf, few Rwf/Herf Strs & Hfrs, 525-560#, Branding & Precond Shots Lacey Smith 35 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding & Precond Shots Rob Neiberger 30 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 600-630#, Branding & Precond Shots, Weaned 30 days, All Natural, Balancer Bulls & Angus Cows

Cattle Country Video - 1:00

Johnson’s 3J Livestock 200 Weaned Steer Calves. 45% Red, 45% CharX, 10# Blk. Base Wt: 570 lbs. Wt Stop: 585 lbs. Slide: .16 cents. Located: 25 miles SW of Casper, WY. Delivery: 11/15/2021. Rep: Ty Thomspon 307-340-0770. Johnson’s 3J Livestock 150 Weaned Heifer Calves. 50% Red, 50% CharX. Base Wt: 565 lbs. Wt Stop: 580 lbs. Slide: .16 cents. Located: 25 miles SW of Casper, WY. Delivery: 11/15/2021. Rep: Ty Thomspon 307-340-0770. Snowden Cattle 100 Steer Calves. 50% Blk, 50% Bwf. Base Wt: 540 lbs. Wt Stop: 575 lbs. Slide: .18 cents. Located: Topanas, CO. Delivery: 11/12/21 to 11/15/21. Rep: Scott Redden 970-596-3588 Beck Ranch 50 Steers. Blk/Bwf. Base Wt: 860 lbs. Slide: .08 cents. Delivery: 11-12-21 to 11-15-21. Located: 23 miles SE of Mtn View, WY. Rep: Danny Nicodemus 307-632-4325

BRED HEIFERS

Ochsner Roth Cattle Co. 120 Bwf Hfrs, AI Bred to “Mead Magnitude” a Blk Angus Bull with Proven Calving Ease, High “Growth Performance and Excellent Carcass Traits, Ultra-Sounded to Calve: Feb. 5th, 2022, Shots: ****128 Blk, few Bwf Hfrs, Bred to Low Birth Weight Blk Angus Bulls, Ultra-sounded to Calve: Feb. 6 thru Feb. 28 ****39 Blk Hfrs/ 9 Bwf Hfrs, Bred to Low Birth Weight Blk Angus Bulls, Ultra-sounded to Calve: Mar. 1 thru Mar. 31 Complete Vaccine Program: 2 Rounds of Bovi-Gold 5, One-Shot Pasteurella, Multimin, Ultravac 7/Somnus at weaning; Prior to Breeding:BoviGold FP+L5 HB Sidwell Herefords 40 Blk Hfrs, Bred to Sons of BR Rip Wheeler, CF: March 1 for 45 days ****20 Red, few Bwf Hfrs, Bred to Sons of BR Rip Wheeler, CF: March 1 for 45 days ****6 Red Hfrs, AI’d to Red Angus ABS’s “No Worries”, CF: Feb. 5 Shots: CattleMaster 4+VL5, Vison 7 w/Somnus, Back Poured w/Cylence Brian & Tracianne Zerbe 38 Blk Angus Hfrs, 950-1000#, AI’d to Baldridge Bronce & Zumbrunnen Virtue Bulls, Cleaned up with Low Birth Wt Zumbrunnen Registered Bulls, Ultrasounded to CF: March 10th for 45 days, Shots: BoviShield Gold, Vision 7 Pasturella, Preg Guard & Poured with Ivermectin Ted and Dixie Bentley 38 Red Angus Hfrs, AI’d to Genex Marksman on May 20th, Cleaned up with Red Angus Calving Ease Bulls for 42 days, Jim Kremers 10 Blk Hfrs, Bred to Blk Angus Bulls, CF: March 1

BRED COWS

Fox Ranches/Jason & Bob Fox 90 Blk Cows, 3’s coming 4’s, Bred to Blk Angus Bulls, Prg Ckd at ranch to CF: March 10th for 45 days, Shots: ViraShield 6 + VL5, Ultrabac 8, ScourBos & Poured, Run at 10,000 ft, Big & Fancy Frontier Cattle Co 41 Blk/Bwf Cows, Bred to Registered Blk Angus Bulls, CF: May 1st to June 15th, Ages: 6 head of coming 3 yr olds, 35 head of 4 & older, Shots: ViraShield 6 + VL5 & Drenched with SafeGuard, these cattle are always done calving by June 15th. John Wilkerson 35 Blk/Bwf Cows, 1200-1350#, Partial Dispersal due to Dry Conditions, 5-8 yr olds, Bred to Angus Bulls, CF: March 5 for 60 days, Complete Zoetis Vac. Program

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 ~ ALL CLASSES MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15 ~ BRED COW SPECIAL

SALE RESULTS -MON, NOVEMBER 1 - 4007 HD Vince Holton 16 Black Steer Calf 267 231.00C Vince Holton 106 Black Steer Calf 373 217.00C Shawn Seebaum 16 Black Steer Calf 420 205.00C Hales Ranch 12 Black Steer Calf 450 198.00C Levi Kosmicki 18 Black Steer Calf 439 196.00C Bridle Bit Cattle LLC 43 Black Steer Calf 479 192.00C Vince Holton 14 Black Steer Calf 514 179.00C Woody Family Ranch 68 Black Steer Calf 534 175.00C Magoon Ranch 29 Black Steer Calf 547 172.00C John Bringolf 20 Black Steer Calf 553 171.50C Kelly Francis 20 Black Steer Calf 618 170.00C Bridle Bit Cattle LLC 81 Black Steer Calf 578 167.00C Kelly Francis 29 Black Steer Calf 723 155.00C Bumgarner Ranches 61 Black Steer Calf 621 154.00C Home Ranch Co 7 Blk/Red Steer Calf 303 220.00C Bridle Bit Cattle LLC 11 Blk/Red Steer Calf 461 186.50C Justin Briggs 70 Mixed Steer Calf 540 171.00C Vince Holton 12 Black Heifer Calf 275 195.00C Randy Crozier 7 Black Heifer Calf 357 185.00C Vince Holton 69 Black Heifer Calf 399 178.00C Dustin Kilts 34 Black Heifer Calf 440 176.00C Zach Sherrod 13 Black Heifer Calf 380 174.00C Raymond Ruggles 12 Black Heifer Calf 457 170.00C Woody Family Ranch 20 Black Heifer Calf 422 169.00C Magoon Ranch 47 Black Heifer Calf 470 168.00C Scott Smith 8 Black Heifer Calf 491 164.00C Woody Family Ranch 43 Black Heifer Calf 501 155.00C Kelly Francis 25 Black Heifer Calf 584 151.50C Auggie Rose 11 Black Heifer Calf 531 148.00C Union LP 20 Black Heifer Calf 550 142.50C Kelly Francis 15 Black Heifer Calf 657 139.50C Scott Smith 33 Black Heifer Calf 570 137.00C Shawn Seebaum 6 Blk/Red Heifer Calf 499 148.00C Shawn Seebaum 22 BWF Heifer Calf 438 172.00C Sidwell Herefords 16 BWF Heifer Calf 557 145.50C Middle Bear Ranch 43 Red Heifer Calf 500 150.00C Dakota Forkner 13 RWF Heifer Calf 582 138.00C

SALE RESULTS -WED, NOVEMBER 3 - 4377 HD Tim Gifford 25 Black Steer 778 164.00C Bar J L Livestock 12 Black Steer 840 161.00C Eugene Walck 15 Mixed Steer 608 159.50C Reed Eilers 7 Mixed Steer 918 157.50C K F Land & Cattle 11Red Steer 841 157.00C Bugas Ranch 6 Black Heifer 785 156.00C Bar J L Livestock 5 Black Heifer 765 155.00C Leonard Carter 9 Black Heifer 830 152.00C Ryker Hyche 42 Blk/Red Heifer 730 157.50C Pape Ranches 112 Blk/Red Heifer 844 156.00C Sewell Ranching 16 Blk/Red Heifer 574 152.00C Ryker Hyche 12 Blk/Red Heifer 641 151.00C Pape Ranches 38 BWF/RWF Heifer 770 156.75C Pape Ranches 41 Hereford Heifer 843 146.50C Peterson Livestock 10 Black Steer Calf 317 223.00C Carbon Creek Cattle 30 Black Steer Calf 362 216.00C Helen Nicolls 4 Black Steer Calf 381 211.00C Peterson Livestock 80 Black Steer Calf 468 196.00C Clausen Ranches Inc 42 Black Steer Calf 450 191.00C Frontier Land Co 19 Black Steer Calf 476 184.00C Ralph Brokaw 26 Black Steer Calf 501 177.50C Clausen Ranches Inc 85 Black Steer Calf 553 175.00C Clausen Ranches Inc 31 Black Steer Calf 562 175.00C Lovercheck Land 55 Black Steer Calf 630 174.50C Randall Cole 35 Blac Steer Calf 543 170.50C Bridle Bit Ranch Co 31 Black Steer Calf 584 164.50C Frontier Land Co LLC56 Black Steer Calf 576 164.50C Barbara York 33 Black Steer Calf 622 159.50C Barbara York 11 Black Steer Calf 648 159.50C Randy Vincent 11 Black Steer Calf 665 158.50C Hahn Farms LLC 39 Black Steer Calf 728 149.00C Russ Wedemeyer 12 Hereford Steer Calf 483 175.00C Roy Lawson 8 Black Heifer Calf 426 187.00C Roy Jarrard 9 Black Heifer Calf 323 183.50C Randall Cole 41 Black Heifer Calf 463 172.50C Clausen Ranches Inc 45 Black Heifer Calf 446 169.00C Roy Lawson 12 Black Heifer Calf 497 164.00C Helen Nicolls 13 Black Heifer Calf 489 158.00C JFW Corp 88 Black Heifer Calf 568 147.00C Helen Nicolls 12 Black Heifer Calf 612 140.50C Bruchez & Sons LLC 49 Blk/Red Heifer Calf 554 144.00C Russ Wedemeyer 27 Hereford Heifer Calf 519 149.00C Lone I Ranch 31 Red Heifer Calf 385 182.00C