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Test duration for water intake, ADG, and DMI in beef cattle
Cashley M Ahlberg1, Kristi Allwardt2, Ashley Broocks2
1Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
Journal of Animal Science
|May 24, 2018
Summary
Accurate water intake (WI) phenotypes in beef cattle require a minimum test duration of 35 days. This study determined optimal test lengths for water intake, dry matter intake, and average daily gain, finding WI can be collected concurrently with DMI.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Nutrient Metabolism
- Livestock Production
Background:
- Water is a critical nutrient for beef cattle performance, yet water intake (WI) phenotyping lacks standardized guidelines.
- Existing Beef Improvement Federation guidelines cover feed intake (FI) and average daily gain (ADG) but not WI, hindering large-scale research.
- Accurate WI data collection is essential for understanding its impact on cattle performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the necessary test duration for collecting accurate water intake (WI) phenotypes in beef cattle.
- To compare the required test durations for WI, dry matter intake (DMI), and ADG.
- To provide data-driven recommendations for WI data collection protocols.
Main Methods:
- Collected individual daily WI and FI records for 578 crossbred steers over 70 days using an Insentec system.
- Steers were housed in pens with controlled feeding and watering access, and weighed every 14 days.
- Analyzed correlations between phenotypes from varying test durations (7-70 days) and the full 70-day period to determine minimum test lengths.
Main Results:
- A minimum test duration of 35 days was determined to be necessary for accurate WI phenotyping.
- Minimum test durations for dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily gain (ADG) were found to be 42 and 70 days, respectively.
- Results suggest WI can be accurately measured concurrently with DMI without extending overall test duration.
Conclusions:
- The study provides crucial data for establishing standardized WI phenotyping protocols in beef cattle.
- A 35-day test duration is sufficient for reliable WI data collection, aligning with efficient research practices.
- These findings support the integration of WI measurements into routine beef cattle performance testing.
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