USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) released the first report from its 2021 beef feedlot study. The agency worked with the National Agricultural Statistics Service to conduct a study focusing on cattle health and management on feedlots with at least 50 head.
The study was designed to show current feedlot cattle health management practices and allow for the analysis of trends in topics related to cattle health based on previous NAHMS studies. The NAHMS also conducted beef feedlot studies in 2011, 1999 and 1994.
“The NAHMS reports for cow/calf and feedlot have for decades provided solid, non-biased information to rancher and feedlot managers to help them understand how their colleagues in the beef industry manage cattle,” said Dee Griffin, DVM, director of the Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach Program at Texas A&M University, in a fact sheet.
NAHMS studies are voluntary and confidential. A total of 22 states participated in the 2021 study. Issues facing the industry were identified via responses from a questionnaire and from discussions with representatives from the feedlot industry.
Study highlights
More than half of feedlots placed at least some cattle born and raised on the operation, but only about 7% of cattle placed were born and raised on the operation. About 36% of smaller feedlots had all cattle placed being born and raised on the feedlot. Slightly over half of cattle were born and raised on the operation or came from a cow-calf, backgrounding or stocker operation. For cattle obtained outside of the operation, the higher percentage (37.3%) came from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah, Colorado and Kansas.
More than three-quarters of operations marketed their cattle conventionally, without any claims regarding antibiotics or hormones. About 8-10% of cattle were placed with the intention to meet claims of no or limited antibiotic use, or no hormone use.
About three-quarters of operations used any antibiotics, with 22.4% of operations administering antibiotics as a group. Most feedlots used a veterinarian in 2020 (85%), with the remainder reporting they did not need a vet. More than half of operations used a private veterinary clinic and called as needed.
“Reports published from this study will benefit the U.S. feedlot industry by providing current and scientifically valid estimates,” NAHMS said.
To view the report in its entirety, visit tinyurl.com/6w6vbec6. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
