Development of a chute-side test to use feedlot cattle temperament as an indicator of disease resilience

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One of the factors that has recently gained attention as a key element in determining cattle susceptibility or resilience to a disease is animal temperament. Defined as a set of behavioural traits that determines how an animal responds to any given situation, there are two ways how cattle temperament can modulate the physical and physiological response to health challenges. First, fractious temperaments predispose cattle to a higher risk of injuries (e.g. lameness) and can influence access to environmental and social resources (e.g. undesirable feeding patterns). Second, certain temperament patterns are associated with greater basal concentrations of stress hormones (i.e. cortisol), lower growth rates and a weaker immune response. The proposed research program aims to use the accurate and systematic characterization of beef cattle temperament to predict individual's associations with treatment failures and negative health outcomes. The beef cattle industry heavily relies on the visual observation of clinical signs to evaluate herd health, and so there is limited evidence on the predictive and preventative value the study of cattle temperament has on disease pathogenesis at an individual level. Nutritional and respiratory feedlot cattle diseases, such as rumen acidosis or bovine respiratory disease (BRD), result in significant losses to the beef cattle industry every year due to treatment expenses, reduced growth performance and mortality; this occurs amid a negative public perception of animal welfare and the use of antimicrobials. Recent advances in prevention and diagnostic tools have had little impact on the incidence and severity of these diseases, hence, a better understanding of the role of cattle temperament as a risk factor on its pathogeneses would allow us to better identify and manage cattle at a higher risk of getting sick. The global hypothesis of this research program is that the temperament of beef cattle can be measured on farm and be used as a predictor of disease susceptibility to manage high-risk cattle accordingly. To test this hypothesis, we will: 1) develop and evaluate the efficacy of chute-side tests to characterize animal temperament at the feedlot; 2) determine the relationship between different temperament profiles and multiple indicators of cattle health and welfare; and 3) assess alternative feedlot health programs that incorporate different health protocols tailored to specific cattle temperaments to reduce antimicrobials use, cattle morbidity and mortality. The deliverables of the proposed research program are a mechanistic understanding of the role of cattle temperament on how well they cope at the feedlot, and the use of this information to develop herd health programs that will mitigate the most prominent health issues affecting beef cattle health.