ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CATTLE SYSTEMS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: REVISED
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1002007
• Project No.: OKL02903
• Project Start Date: Nov 29, 2013
• Project End Date: Mar 31, 2017

Project Director
Place, SA, EL.

Recipient Organization
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
STILLWATER,OK 74078

Performing Department
Animal Science

Non Technical Summary
Cattle release enteric methane (CH4) emissions out of their mouth that result from fermentation processes in their stomach (rumen). Capturing and measuring these emissions is of interest, because CH4 is a greenhouse gas and represents a loss of the potential energy in the feed the animal consumes. In this pilot study, we will use head boxes made of clear polycarbonate plastic, which the animal places its head in, to measure CH4 emissions from Holstein dairy heifers. An animal training and sampling protocol will be developed from this study for using the head box system in any future studies. Furthermore, there is little to no data on enteric CH4 emissions from grazing stocker cattle on native grass or wheat pastures in US production systems. A study will be conducted to quantify enteric CH4 emissions from cattle grazing dormant winter and early summer native range or winter wheat pasture and their subsequent individual finishing performance, feed efficiency, water intake, and enteric CH4 emissions. Heat stress in cattle is both an economic and animal well-being issue for the US beef industry. Annual US beef industry losses from heat stress are estimated to be $369 million and a large proportion of those losses occur in states such as Oklahoma that have large cattle populations and high summer temperatures (St-Pierre et al., 2003). Using shade structures in feedlot housing systems has been shown to improve animal performance (e.g. gain-to-feed ratio) and well-being (Mitloehner et al., 2001, Mitlohner et al., 2002, Gaughan et al., 2010), and has the potential to improve profitability, especially in areas that experience hot summers (e.g. the Southern Great Plains).The impacts of heat stress abatement strategies, such as shade, on feedlot economics and feed nitrogen use efficiency of the feedlot is an unexplored research topic. A study will be conducted to determine if shade use can simultaneously impact animal well-being, N use efficiency, and the economics of finishing beef cattle. The research will provide valuable insights to the cattle feeding industry on how a practical heat stress mitigation technique (i.e. shade) may simultaneously affect the well-being of cattle, the environmental impact of beef per unit of production, and feedlot economics. The proposed work will address the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's priority science area of Climate Change, and specifically address the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change and keeping American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger

Animal Health Component

75%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

75%

Developmental

25%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
307	0430	1060	25%
306	0430	1060	25%
402	0430	1060	50%

Knowledge Area
307 - Animal Management Systems; 306 - Environmental Stress in Animals; 402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;

Subject Of Investigation
0430 - Climate;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

cattle

beef

sustainability

climate change

heat stress

greenhouse gas

methane

Goals / Objectives
1. Develop an animal training protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement. 2. Develop an animal sampling protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement in cattle. 3. Quantify enteric CH4 emissions from cattle grazing dormant winter and early summer native range or winter wheat pasture and their subsequent individual finishing performance, feed efficiency, water intake, and enteric CH4 emissions. 4. Evaluate the use of shade as a heat stress abatement strategy and its impact on animal well-being, performance, nitrogen use efficiency, and economics in feedlot steers.

Project Methods
1: 6 heifers between 14 and 18 mos. of age will be paired by body weight (BW) and used to assess the impact of being housed in a the ventilated head box system on feed intake and behavior, and determine intra- and inter-animal variability in CH4emissions from animals fed the same diet. In Ph. 1 (1wk), animals will be fed individually in pens that allow for visual and social contact with animals in neighboring pens. In Ph. 2 (1wk), each animal will be introduced to a metabolism stall with a head box attached for three 2 hour periods over the course of the week. Free choice feed and H2O will be available to the animals while in the head box, and they will be restrained by a head gate that will allow them to stand or lie down, but will limit their side-to-side and forward and backward mobility. For Ph. 3 (1wk), each animal will spend 6 consecutive hrs in the metabolism stall and head box for 3 x's over the course of the wk. For Ph. 4, each animal will be housed in the metabolism stall and head box for a 3d period. Animals will be feed individually in pens for another 21d (Ph. 5) after the initial 3d measurement period and then will be placed in the metabolism stall and head box for another 3d period (Ph. 6). Animals will be fed once per d and have access to free choice H2O during the entire measurement period. Rumination, respiration rate, and vocalization behavior will be monitored by live observation by trained observers in all phases. Accelerometers will be used throughout the study to determine the time each animal spends in the lying vs. standing position. Ambient temp. and RH will be monitored throughout the study. Hourly CH4and CO2emissions and O2consumption will be measured for the entire 3d period of Ph. 4 and 6 for each animal. Emission rates (ER) will be calculated by the following equation: E = (sum(Q) x (Cout-Cin))/n,where E is the gas emission rate from the head box (g/animal/hr),Coutis the average hourly mass concentration in the outlet air (g/m3),Cinis the mean hrly mass concentration in the ambient air (g/m3),Qis the ventilation rate at 20ºC and 1 ATM (m3/hr), andnis the number of total effective measurements. Daily ER for d1-3 of Ph.s 4 and 6 will be compared to determine the within animal day-to-day variation and animal-to-animal variation. ER of Ph. 4 and 6 will be compared to determine the repeatability of enteric CH4emissions of animals fed a consistent diet. Daily DMI will be recorded during all 6 phases and mean DMI from Ph. 1-3 and 5 will be compared to mean DMI in Ph. 4 and 6 to determine the impacts of the head boxes on feed intake. Lying vs. standing time, respiration rate, rumination behavior, and vocalization behavior will be compared for the non-gas measurement and gas measurement phases to determine the impact of the head box system on animal behavior.2:Once the 6 heifers in 1 have completed ph. 6, they will be fed for another 21d (Ph. 7) and then placed in the head boxes for another 3d measurement period (Ph. 8). Unlike the measurement periods in Ph. 4 and 6, where the animals are consuming anad libitumdiet, animals will be offered fed at a rate restricted to 2% of their BW on DM basis in ph. 8. This feed restriction strategy will be used to compare the inter- and intra-animal variability of CH4emissions during Ph. 6 compared to Ph. 8 to discern the impact of feed intake variability on CH4emissions. 3.40 cross-bred steers (~ initial BW of 240 kg) will be grazed in two consecutive years on either native range (NR) or winter wheat (WW) pasture (n = 20/yr) and will be finished at the WSBRC Insentec feeding barn. WW cattle will be on pasture from approximately Dec. to April, while NR will be grazed from approximately Dec. to Aug., depending on forage conditions. While on pasture, enteric CH4emissions will be measured for 3 two wk periods with a C-Lock GreenFeed system. Prior to the start date of either experiment, steers will be trained to use the system. Hand clipped samples of both NR and WW pastures will be collected throughout the grazing ph. and analyzed for nutrient content and digestibility. After the grazing period, steers will be housed in the Insentec feeding barn at the WSBRC and trained to use the automated feeders and waterers for determination of individual feed and H2O intake throughout the finishing period. Steers from both the NR and WW pastures will be trained to use the system in 1&2 to measure enteric CH4emissions. All cattle will be harvested at an average 1.27 cm BF thickness on the basis of their grazing treatment (NR or WW); thus, days on feed will not be the same for the two groups of cattle. All continuous data will be analyzed using Proc Mixed procedures in SAS to determine if there are significant differences between the 2 grazing treatments. Individual animals from NR and WW will be ranked by their average CH4emission rate during the grazing ph. and the finishing ph.. Ranks from the 2 ph.s will be compared using Spearman's rank correlations. Correlations between CH4emission rank and feed intake, feed efficiency (feed:gain), and H2O intake will be estimated. Daily CH4production across both ph.s per kg of HCW will be calculated to compare the enteric CH4emission intensity of the 2 grazing + finishing systems. 4:A total of 240 cross-bred steers with an approximate initial BW of 375 kg will be used in a 140d feeding study at the WSBRC at OSU. All steers will be blocked by BW and allocated in a randomized complete block design to 1 of 2 treatments, shade (SH) and no shade (NS). Shade structures will be constructed with an N-S orientation using 80% solar block shade cloth with the dimensions of 3.7 x 15.2 m to provide 3.7 m2of shade/steer. The shade structures will be placed in the center of the 12.2 x 30.5 m pens away from H2O and feed sources at a height of 6.1 m. The experimental unit will be the pen (15 steers/pen) with 8 reps/trt (n = 8) for all dependent variables with exception of H2O usage (n=4). Steers will be weighed on d 0, every 28 d throughout the trial, and prior to harvest. Free choice H2O will be available for all steers throughout the study and average H2O usage and peak demands will be determined with inline, digital-data-logging H2O flow meters. Feed N intake will be calculated with the following equation: Feed N intake (g/steer/d) = [feed N offered daily (kg/dfeedx %DMfeedx % Nfeed) - orts N (kg/dortsx % DMortsx % Norts) x 1000 g/kg]/number of steers per pen. Retained N, protein retention, and excreted N will be calculated using equations in the 2000 Beef NRC. Efficiency of feed N use will be calculated as: Retained N (g/steer/d)/ Feed N intake (g/steer/d). Gaseous N losses will be estimated by using the following equation from Cole et al. (2006):N volatilization (% of N intake) = [N:P of diet - N:P of manure]/N:P of the diet. Total N and P analysis of the feed will be used to determine N:P of the diet and air dried manure samples collected from the concrete apron in the pen on the last day on feeding will be analyzed to determine the N:P of manure. Ambient and pen environmental temp., RH, solar radiation, black globe temp., and wind speed will be continuously recorded. All cattle will be harvested at an average 1.27 cm BF thickness on an individual pen basis. At harvest, HCW, KPH fat percentage, 12thrib BF, marbling score, USDA Quality and Yield Grade will be collected. To calculate the economic impacts of shade use, construction and maintenance costs of shade, feed costs, vet./med. costs, labor and management costs, and purchase and selling prices of the cattle will be used to calculate the impact of shade on total cost of gain (over the 140 d feeding period) and cost-per-kg of gain. If shade favorably impacts the cost of gain, a payback period analysis will be conducted for the shade construction and maintenance costs.All continuous data will be analyzed using Proc Mixed procedures in SAS to determine if there are significant differences between treatments.

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includes beef producers (those in all phases of the industry, in Oklahoma and nationally), those involved in animal agriculture at-large, the general public (by providing needed information about the sustainability of their food supply), and fellow researchers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The pilot project conducted to complete goals 1 and 2 provided research training opportunities for two graduate students and four undergraduate students that helped with the data collection process. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A peer-reviewed manuscript is under development to report the results of the research completed thus far. To increase the awareness of sustainability issues in cattle production, the following presentations were delivered to cattle producers, extension personnel and animal scientists: "Sustainability: Key to Leaving a Legacy" on October 17th, 2015 at National Block & Bridle Conference in Tulsa, OK "Livestock Sustainability" on August 9th, 2015 at Livestock Congress in San Carlos, Costa Rica "Beef sustainability: What does that mean?" at Arizona Women in Agriculture Conference on July 17th, 2015 in Litchfield Park, AZ "Beef sustainability: What is it and what does it mean?" at Beef Improvement Federation Conference on June 10th, 2015 in Biloxi, MS "Animal Science Headlines: Fact vs. Fiction" at Cow-Calf Bootcamp on April 21st in Claremore, OK Department of Animal Science Seminar "Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability" on February 6th, 2015 in Stillwater, OK What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A research trial will be conducted in the coming year to compare the emissions data from cattle fed the same diets in the ventilated head box and GreenFeed system to validate the GreenFeed system, and determine the appropriate sample size and experimental design for Goal 3.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Cattle release enteric methane (CH4) emissions out of their mouth that result from fermentation processes in their stomach (rumen). Capturing and measuring these emissions is of interest, because CH4 is a greenhouse gas and represents a loss of the potential energy in the feed the animal consumes. This project addresses the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's priority science area of Climate Change, and specifically addresses the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change and keeping American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger. Goals 1 and 2. Develop an animal training protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement, and develop an animal sampling protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement in cattle. 1) Major activities completed/experiments conducted: An experiment was conducted in 2015 to meet goals 1 and 2 of the project. 2) Data collected: Six Holstein heifers were used in a longitudinal study that measured CH4 and carbon dioxide emissions, and oxygen consumption from the heifers with a ventilated head box system. Heifers were first trained to use the head boxes over two weeks spending three 2 hour periods, and three 6 hour periods within the head boxes prior to emissions data collection. Each heifer was measured for two 3 day periods when fed ad libitum, and one 3 day period with feed intake limited to 2% of body weight on a dry matter basis. Heifers were fed a 55% Bermuda hay, 45% grain mix (on a DM basis) diet throughout the study. When not in the ventilated head box system (that was attached to a metabolism stall inside a building), the heifers were housed in individual shaded outdoor pens that were adjacent to one another. Additionally, the respiration rates of the heifers (via visual observation at 0700h and 1400 h), lying and standing behavior (with Pendant G data loggers; Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA), and the ambient temperature and humidity (Pro V2 temp/RH loggers; Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA) were recorded daily. 3) Summary statistics and discussions of results: Daily CH4 emission rates per animal were 235.0 ± 6.19 L/day (least-squares mean +/- standard error), 228.3 ± 6.18 L/day, and 193.2 ± 8.88 L/day for the first and second ad libitum and feed restriction periods, respectively. Carbon dioxide emission rates were 3627.5 ± 90.72 L/day, 3632.4 ± 90.47, and 3184.0 ± 104.79 L/day for the first and second ad libitum and feed restriction periods, respectively. Oxygen consumption rates were 3390.59 ± 99.77 L/day, 3453.90 ± 99.57 L/day, and 3001.81 ± 111.36 L/day for the first and second ad libitum and feed restriction periods, respectively. The heifers total daily lying time when housed in the ventilated head boxes as compared to the outdoor pens was not different (P=0.07); however, the heifers had more frequent (P=0.004) and shorter lying bouts (P<0.0001) when housed in the ventilated head boxes as compared to the outdoor pens. The respiration rates of the heifers when in the ventilated head box system was higher than their respiration rates when housed in the outdoor pens (P<0.0001); however, the temperature and humidity were higher inside the building where the head box system measurements took place as compared to the outdoor pen environment, and a positive correlation between a calculated temperature-humidity index (THI) and respiration rates was found (R2 =0.381; P<0.0001). Feed intake was also different between the two ad libitum gas measurement periods as compared to the feed intake of the heifers when they were housed in the outdoor pens (dry matter intake (DMI) was 11% lower in head boxes compared to outside pens, P<0.0001). Taken together, the altered lying behavior and decreased DMI indicate that being housed in the ventilated head box system did effect the heifers normal behavior and the decreased DMI likely translated into lower daily CH4 emissions, as DMI is a major driver of enteric CH4 production. Overall, the ventilated head box system can collect accurate CH4 and carbon dioxide emissions and oxygen consumption data, but care will be taken in future experiments to adapt animals to the ventilated head boxes, and not extrapolate the data collected to non-confinement situations. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: The pilot project resulted in key information regarding the operation and training of animals to use the ventilated head box system that will be crucial for all future experiments using the system. Future experiments will assess practical, economic ways that cattle producers can improve their feed efficiency and reduce enteric CH4 emissions. One M.S. student successfully completed their degree as a result of the project and will continue their training in a Ph.D. program. Another M.S. student and four undergraduate students gained valuable research training during their help with the data collection. Goal 3. Quantify enteric CH4 emissions from cattle grazing dormant winter and early summer native range or winter wheat pasture and their subsequent individual finishing performance, feed efficiency, water intake, and enteric CH4 emissions. 1) Major activities completed/experiments conducted: We were successful in being awarded a USDA-NIFA equipment grant to partially cover the cost of a GreenFeed system (C-Lock, Inc., Rapid City, SD), which is necessary to conduct the planned research. The GreenFeed has been purchased and delivered to Stillwater. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussions of results: Nothing to report. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: Nothing to report. Goal 4. Evaluate the use of shade as a heat stress abatement strategy and its impact on animal well-being, performance, nitrogen use efficiency, and economics in feedlot steers. 1) Major activities completed/experiments conducted: Nothing to report. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussions of results: Nothing to report. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: Nothing to report.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Sustainability: What does it mean and why does it matter? Beef Improvement Federation. 47:11-17.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Invited presentation: "Sustainability: Key to Leaving a Legacy" on October 17th, 2015 at National Block & Bridle Conference in Tulsa, OK.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Invited presentation" "Livestock sustainability" on August 9th, 2015 at the Livestock Congress in San Carlos, Costa Rica
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Invited presentation: "Beef sustainability: What does that mean?" on July 17th, 2015 at the Arizona Women in Agriculture Conference in Litchfield Park, AZ.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Invited presentation: "Animal science headlines: Fact vs. fiction" on April 21st, 2015 at Cow-Calf Bootcamp Extension meeting in Claremore, OK.

Progress 11/29/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project includes beef producers (those in all phases of the industry, in Oklahoma and nationally), those involved in animal agriculture at-large, the general public (by providing needed information about the sustainability of their food supply), and fellow researchers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The design and construction process for the ventilated head boxes has provided the opportunity to train undergraduate and graduate students about how the system works, and the fundamentals of indirect calorimetry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? To increase awareness of sustainability issues in cattle production, the following presentations were given to cattle producers, extension personnel, and animal scientists: Invited presentation: "Living is a Dirty Business: Beef Industry Component" at Beef Industry Conference, April 11th, 2014 at Conoco Phillips Alumni Center in Stillwater, OK Invited presentation: "Animal Science Headlines: Fact vs. Fiction" at Cow-Calf Bootcamp on April 22nd, 2014 in Shawnee, OK Invited presentations: "Beef Sustainability" at four "Meet Your Beef" events for the NY Beef Council (http://www.nybeef.org/meatyourbeefmaytours.aspx) throughout New York State on May 20th-23rd 2014 Invited presentation: "Beef and Sustainability" at Grassfed Beef Conference on May 29th, 2014 in College Station, TX Invited presentation: "Sustainability and the impact of cattle on climate change" on July 23rd, 2014 to students and faculty from the Animal Science and Ecology Department at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Mexico in Stillwater, OK Invited presentation: "Sustainability: What does it mean to the beef industry?" on August 4th, 2014 at the Texas A&M Beef Short Course in College Station, TX Invited presentation: "Cow Efficiency: Implications for Beef Sustainability" on September 18th, 2014 at the Innovative Intensification in Cow-Calf Systems Symposium in San Antonio, TX Invited presentation: "Beef Sustainability: Where does Climate Change Fit?" on November 6th, 2014 at the Cattle & Climate Workshop in Stillwater, OK Invited presentation: "Sustainability: Implications for the Beef Industry" on November 15th, 2014 at the American Akauski Convention in Bastrop, TX Invited presenter and participant in a Beef Sustainability Roundtable Discussion (with representatives from McDonalds, JBS, and the Environmental Defense Fund) on December 9th, 2014 at the Iowa Cattle Industry Convention in Des Moines, IA What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In the next reporting period, the pilot study to achieve project goals 1 and 2 will be conducted.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Cattle release enteric methane (CH4) emissions out of their mouth that result from fermentation processes in their stomach (rumen). Capturing and measuring these emissions is of interest, because CH4 is a greenhouse gas and represents a loss of the potential energy in the feed the animal consumes. In a pilot study, we will use head boxes made of clear polycarbonate plastic, which the animal places its head in, to measure CH4 emissions from Holstein dairy heifers. An animal training and sampling protocol will be developed from this study for using the head box system in any future studies. The proposed work will address the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's priority science area of Climate Change, and specifically address the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change and keeping American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger. Goal 1. Develop an animal training protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement. 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted: The ventilated head box system was designed and constructed. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: nothing to report 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: nothing to report Goal 2. Develop an animal sampling protocol for a ventilated head box system for enteric CH4 emission measurement in cattle. 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted: The ventilated head box system was designed and constructed. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: nothing to report 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: nothing to report Goal 3. Quantify enteric CH4 emissions from cattle grazing dormant winter and early summer native range or winter wheat pasture and their subsequent individual finishing performance, feed efficiency, water intake, and enteric CH4 emissions. 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted: The an equipment grant proposal to USDA-NIFA-AFRI Foundation program was submitted to obtain funding to purchase a GreenFeed system (Rapid City, SD). The GreenFeed system is required to meet this project goal. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: nothing to report 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: nothing to report Goal 4. Evaluate the use of shade as a heat stress abatement strategy and its impact on animal well-being, performance, nitrogen use efficiency, and economics in feedlot steers. 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted: Nothing to report. 2) Data collected: Nothing to report. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: nothing to report 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: nothing to report

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Place, Sara, E. 2014. Cow efficiency: Implications for beef sustainability. In: Proceedings for Innovative Intensification in Cow-Calf Systems held in San Antonio, TX September 18th, 2014
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Invited presentation: Beef and Sustainability at Grassfed Beef Conference on May 29th, 2014 in College Station, TX
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Invited presentation: Living is a Dirty Business: Beef Industry Component at Beef Industry Conference, April 11th, 2014 at Conoco Phillips Alumni Center in Stillwater, OK
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Invited presentation: Animal Science Headlines: Fact vs. Fiction at Cow-Calf Bootcamp on April 22nd, 2014 in Shawnee, OK
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Invited presentation: Sustainability: What does it mean to the beef industry? on August 4th, 2014 at the Texas A&M Beef Short Course in College Station, TX
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Invited presentation: Beef Sustainability: Where does Climate Change Fit? on November 6th, 2014 at the Cattle & Climate Workshop in Stillwater, OK