Advancements in the Live Animal,
Carcass and End Point
Brahman Temperament & Metabolic Differences
by Troy Smith for Angus Productions Inc.
HOUSTON, Texas (April 20, 2012) — Ron Randel defines cattle temperament as an animal’s reaction to human handling and novel environments. For years, Randel and other Texas A&M University animal scientists have studied cattle temperament and its relationship to productivity. During the 2012 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Annual Meeting April 18-21 in Houston, Randel summarized results in a report delivered to the Live Animal, Carcass and End Point Committee.
Ron Randel
“Temperament is not just a convenience trait,” insisted Randel. “It affects economic outcome, and there is a lot of money involved.”
Randel said studies of temperament in Brahman cattle have evaluated temperament on the basis of exit velocity (the speed at which they exit a working chute) and pen scores based on visual observations of animals’ behavior responses to humans. While there has been some debate over the extent to which temperamental behavior might be learned, Randel said temperament is considered moderately heritable. When cattle involved in experiments were re-evaluated, over time, temperament scores did not change.
Important from an economic standpoint, said Randel, is the effect of temperament on an animal’s metabolism and, ultimately, measures of its productivity. The studies have shown that temperamental animals exhibit lower average daily gain, less-favorable feed conversion and lower carcass weights. Temperamental animals also produce less-tender beef.
Randel discussed the relationship between temperament and blood levels of stress hormones produced by the adrenal gland, including cortisol and epinephrine. Both play roles in glucose metabolism. The elevated levels of stress hormones in temperamental animals can affect immune function and hinder response to vaccination. Sickness behavior may also be masked.
“The bottom-line, take-home message for feedlot operators is that temperamental animals won’t show pen riders they are as sick as they really are,” stated Randel.
“Metabolic differences exist, based on temperament, which means (temperamental) cattle probably require different management strategies,” Randel added. “The studies substantiate what we thought we knew.”
Return to the Newsroom for links to the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied this presentation.
Editor’s Note: This summary was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API). Through an agreement with the Beef Improvement Federation, we are encouraging reprinting of the articles to those who will adhere to the reprint guidelines available on this site. Please review those guidelines or contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at 816-383-5270. PowerPoints are posted with permission of the presenter and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the presenter.
API's coverage of the event is made possible through collaboration with BIF and sponsorship of LiveAuctions.tv. For questions about this site, or to notify us of broken links, click here.
Headquartered in Saint Joseph, Mo., API publishes the Angus Journal, the Angus Beef Bulletin, the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, and the Angus e-List, as well as providing online coverage of events and topics pertinent to cattlemen through the API Virtual Library.
