The purpose of this study is to measure how much stress cattle experience when they are moved from a familiar to an unfamiliar environment, and how much stress can be reduced using low-stress handling techniques. Ranchers often purchase animals at auctions or from other locations at lower prices, but they may not be aware of how much animal performance - weight, condition, reproductive performance - is adversely affected by stress when animals are placed in a new environment. Changing the environment and improper animal handling practices both cause stress. When young animals leave their social interactions and are not familiar with the new type of vegetation and terrain, animal performance is poor. In addition, when young animals are exposed to new environments, stress levels increase, which can cause illness. I am determining how environment (familiar and unfamiliar) and handling (low stress and not) affect levels of stress (fecal cortisol levels) at weekly intervals throughout a 1-month trial, performance (body weight and condition) at the beginning and end of the trial.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.