Big gains for keeping cattle on feed right up to transport

At the same time, doing away with the common practice of withdrawing feed prior to transport increases muscle glycogen levels in feedlot cattle, a key indicator of animal welfare and beef quality.

The results of the landmark study, led by Australian Country Choice and involving measurement to the tune of 1.6 million data points, also showed reduced duration of feed withdrawal increased meat yield, thus lifting the amount of beef produced per animal and contributing to the red meat industry's sustainability credentials.

No effect was recorded on total effluent weight during transport.

The results from the Meat & Livestock Australia funded study were outlined by veterinary consultant and research scientist Dr Melissa George, Bovine Dynamics, at this year's Australian Lot Feeders' Association conference, SmartBeef Bites, held virtually this month.

It is expected the results will drive change in the area of feed withdrawal practices.

They will also likely lead to work around management techniques for holding effluent volumes on trucks and establishing discharge points over long hauls.

Truck livestock effluent has been identified as a potential environmental, commercial and social risk for the beef industry.

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Almost 5000 head of non-pregnant heifers, hormone growth promotant-free, were involved in the year-long research run over four seasonal blocks.

Induction weights on average were 372.9kg and the heifers were fed a steam-flaked barley ration for 63 days, recording an average daily gain of 1.7kg to have an average exit weight of 480.7kg.

The average dressing percentage was 52.1pc and hot carcass weight 250kg.

The cattle were fed at ACC's Brindley Park Feedlot at Roma and processed at its Cannon Hill abattoir in Brisbane.

Pens were assigned to one of four feed withdrawal durations: zero hours, four, eight and 12 hours.

The results showed cattle do consume feed overnight - in fact on average the heifers consumed an extra 4kg from 8pm to 8am.

That translated to those cattle being on average 4.5kg heavier on exit than those off feed for 12 hours.

Four hours post feedlot exit, at Dalby, those 'zero hours' cattle were 4.4kg a head heavier and at Cannon Hill, eight hours post feedlot exit, they were 3.1kg heavier.

But it was the hot carcase weight results that were the most exciting.

"There was a significant linear effect of duration of feed withdrawal on HCW with cattle on zero hours off feed 1.8kg/head heavier than those off for 12 hours," Dr George said.

What does that mean to a feedlot?

For a typical 20,000 head capacity yard, which feeds 70,000 head of short-fed cattle a year, that is 126,000kg of HSCW gained, Dr George's calculations showed.

At $8 a kilogram HSCW that is $1,080,000 per year gained. With a feed cost factored in of $112,000 (at 40c/kg as-fed), that gives a $968,000 advantage per year.

Under the same calculation format, the difference between zero hours and four hours of withdrawal gives a $611,000 gain per year.

Further, the carcase grading results showed no meaningful impact of feed withdrawal on marbling, meat colour, fat colour, eye muscle area, fat cover, pH or Meat Standards Australia index, Dr George said.

There was also no meaningful impact on microbiological contamination (shelf life) of hide or carcass.

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