title: Biomarker responses to weaning stress in beef calves.
abstract: The study objective was to investigate the physiological effects of weaning on beef calves and identify a panel of blood-based welfare biomarkers. On the day (d) of weaning (d 0), 16 spring-born, single-suckled, beef bull calves that previously grazed with their dams at pasture, were assigned to one of two treatments: (1) control (n = 8), calves were loose-housed with their dam, (2) weaned (n = 8), calves were abruptly separated from their dam and loose-housed. Jugular blood was collected on d -4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 relative to weaning (d 0) and assayed for inflammatory and steroid variables. Total leukocyte counts were measured in whole blood. It is concluded that neutrophil number is a robust biomarker of stress and that plasma CXCL8 is a sensitive indicator of stress in weaned and control calves. In future studies, these two biomarkers should be central to the characterisation of stress responses.
authors.affiliation: Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland; Department of Biology, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Aran
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Loughlin
authors.affiliation: Livestock Systems Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland. Electronic address: bernadette.earley@teagasc.ie.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Earley
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*; D012621:Seasons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016209:Interleukin-8; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Biomarkers; CXCL8; Cattle; Cortisol; Haematology; Stress; Weaning