management matters
Setting Sights on the Future Heat stress research, drones among technological advancements on horizon Story By Lisa Henderson for Cattlemen’s News
M
odern consumers want assurances that the beef they buy for their families is raised under appropriate animal welfare guidelines. Toward that end, researchers are continuously seeking methods to improve animal care at every stage of production.
Tackling Heat Stress
ly reflective and chemically inert,” says Steve Bartle, research director at the BCI. “It is also the same substance that is approved for use in feeds, food coloring and sunscreens.” The K-State experiment used feedlot heifers (n = 30, 29 black and 1 red; 591 lbs +/- 60.8 lbs) to evaluate the theory of a reflective coating. Using randomly assigned heifers, the coating was applied on the dorsal midline with an electronic airless sprayer except for the area over
Animal scientists have long known heat stress can have serious animal welfare and economic implications for feedlot cattle. Former University of Nebraska animal scientist Terry Mader conducted research that documented feedlot cattle losses due to heat stress have exceeded 5,000 head in seven of the last 20 years, and non-death costs are estimated at five to 10 times greater than death loss- Unmanned aerial vehicles like this one shown at a University of Missouri farm field day could es. Environmen- help farmers and ranchers improve animal care tal conditions and performance in the future. — Photo from including ambi- University of Missouri College of Agriculture. ent temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation can affect the shoulders, which served as a control. To continuously heat load. record internal body temperaNew research at Kansas State ture, vaginal thermometers University (K-State) is aimed attached to blank CIDRs were at reducing the negative ef- inserted into six heifers in each fects of heat stress. Results treatment. published by the Beef Cattle Institute at K-State shows that Heat stress can cause various coating cattle hides with a re- problems, including reduced flective substance might signif- breeding efficiency, weight icantly reduce the heat stress gain, feed intake and even of the cattle. The experiment death. “Using a reflective substance on the hide of the cow used titanium oxide coatings. is another way we can look at Cattle with darker hides are reducing heat stress in cattle,” at higher risk for heat stress. Bartle says. Since it is estimated that 75 to experiment proved 77 percent of domestic beef The through the use of an infrared cattle are black, the majority of America’s beef herds could be thermal imaging sensor that vulnerable to heat stress and in areas covered by the reflecproducers are at risk for cattle tive substance, there was a 5.7 to 10.3 greater heat reflectance economic losses. than in the non-covered control The reflective coating used to areas in the shoulder region. reduce the heat stress is “highwww.joplinstockyards.com
Kansas State University researchers are hoping to reduce the negative effects of heat stress. Results published by the K-State Beef Cattle Institute shows that coating cattle hides with a reflective substance such as titanium oxide might significantly reduce the heat stress of cattle. — Photo from Kansas State University.
This research has had a conditional patent for the past year, and a full patent has been submitted. Those involved in this study include Elsie McCoy, K-State PhD candidate, Chris Reinhardt, K-State extension feedlot specialist, Dan Thomsen, K-State professor of veterinary medicine and Bartle. “This idea is still an ongoing process, but all data so far has been positive,” Bartle said. “It is early, but we have high hopes going forward.”
Watching from Above Another technology that might provide both feedlot and ranch opportunities is the use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Much of the recent news concerning drones and animal agriculture involves some activist groups who seek ways to criticize animal agriculture and misinform consumers. But, farmers and ranchers are also finding ways to use drones to improve animal care and performance. In Australia, feedlot operators are finding practical applications for the use of drones. According to the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association, the group has enlisted the expertise of chief pilot and managing director Rob Gilmour from Hummingbird Drone Solutions, to outline the practical application of drones and how they can positively impact cattle feeding.
for drone use in a feedlot are many, including using highdefinition imagery to monitor cattle in the pens and the monitoring of water tanks and feed bunks. “I believe drones will, over the next 3-5 years, become a reliable tool for feedlots to conduct remote inspections,” Gilmour said. A report from RnR Market Research in March suggests the worldwide market for drones is set to explode. Currently, the worldwide market is about $494 million, but RnR expects that to balloon to $3.69 billion by 2022. Agriculture, according to the RnR report, will play a significant role in that growth. The use of cameras on stable flying platforms that are used to help implement precision farming is one of the primary uses. Crop visualization allows farmers better spray control and helps isolate areas in addition to actually letting drones perform the spraying. The RnR report said, “Agricultural drones use automated process to make farming more productive. Drones provide better, more flexible visualization. Smart drone agricultural uses cameras and provides the prospect of trillions of dollars in farming economic growth. Smart commercial drones connect seamlessly and securely to the Internet and to each other.”
Gilmour says the applications JUNE 2016
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