Association between changes in eating and drinking behaviors and respiratory tract disease in newly arrived calves at a feedlot.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate eating and drinking behaviors and their association with bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) and to evaluate methods of diagnosing BRDC.


METHODS
170 newly arrived calves at a feedlot.


METHODS
Eating and drinking behaviors of calves were recorded at a feedlot. Calves with clinical signs of BRDC were removed from their pen and classified retrospectively as sick or not sick on the basis of results of physical and hematologic examinations. Pulmonary lesions of all calves were assessed at slaughter.


RESULTS
Calves that were sick had significantly greater frequency and duration of drinking 4 to 5 days after arrival than calves that were not sick. Sick calves had significantly lower frequency and duration of eating and drinking 11 to 27 days after arrival but had significantly greater frequency of eating 28 to 57 days after arrival than calves that were not sick. Calves at slaughter that had a higher percentage of lung tissue with pneumonic lesions had significantly lower frequency and duration of eating 11 to 27 days after arrival but had significantly higher frequency and duration of eating 28 to 57 days after arrival. Agreement for calves being sick and having severe pulmonary lesions at slaughter was adequate. Agreement for calves being removed and having pulmonary lesions at slaughter was low.


CONCLUSIONS
Eating and drinking behaviors were associated with signs of BRDC, but there was not an obvious predictive association between signs of BRDC in calves and eating and drinking behaviors. Fair to poor agreement was observed between antemortem and postmortem disease classification.
Buhman
M J
MJ
Division of Agriculture, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX 79016, USA.
Perino
L J
LJ
Galyean
M L
ML
Wittum
T E
TE
Montgomery
T H
TH
Swingle
R S
RS
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*