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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • SEPTEMBER 2017


Breeding cows to beat a changing climate Research


This scorching, dry summer in BC with its destructive wildfires, almost no rain and heat stress factors impacting


by MARGARET EVANS


livestock and crops has everyone worried. Over 6,500 square kilometres of forest and grassland have been burned or charred. Environment Canada, in its probability forecasting for the three months from August to October, says temperatures will remain above normal for all of the province by factors of anywhere from 50% to 90%. The question becomes: Is this a one-year anomaly or is a trending arc of climate change? Like all livestock, cattle


suffer from heat. Factor in stifling humidity, and stress levels are born out in weight loss, loss of meat quality and shortened gestation times. Yet, more than half the world’s cattle live in hot and humid environments. To counteract the dire consequences of warming,


scientists at the University of Florida are working to breed the cow of the future by using genomic tools and studying the heat-tolerant qualities of the Brangus cow. The breed is a cross between an Angus (Bos taurus) and a Brahman (Bos indicus). The goal is to breed a


superior cow that can cope with heat yet still maintain weight for meat production. “When exposed to high temperatures, some cattle are able to regulate their body temperature and maintain it within normal limits (36.7°- 39.1°C or 98°-102.4°F) and their welfare is not compromised and their production is not diminished,” says Raluca Mateescu, associate professor with the department of animal sciences in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “But other cattle are not able to do that and therefore their productive functions such as growth, reproduction and meat quality are compromised. “It is really the combination of heat and humidity that


Its tolerance to high temperatures makes Brangus a breed for the future. RALUCA MATEESCU PHOTO


leads to heat stress. Animals can often endure higher temperatures if humidity is low. [But] the risk for heat stress increases dramatically as humidity increases, even at lower ambient temperatures.


It has been reported that the threshold ambient temperature at which feed intake of beef cattle starts to decrease varies by relative humidity (RH), and is about 30.8°C for RH less than 80% and 27.8°C for RH greater than 80%.”


Hardy, friendly


Brangus are hardy, friendly and popular beef cattle. An eligible animal for registration as a Brangus is 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman.


January 25th-27th, 2018


Brahman is a breed of Zebu cattle imported from India distinguished by the hump on its shoulders, drooping ears and thick loose skin which allows it to shake off ticks. “We also have other crosses [but] all of them will have some percentage of Bos indicus in them because the Bos indicus cattle are the ones adapted to tropical and sub- tropical environments,” says Mateescu. “But Brangus seems to work very well and it brings the meat quality attributes and growth performance from Angus with some of the adaptability traits from Brahman.” Mateescu says that the heat tolerance in the Brangus comes from the Brahman cattle.


“Bos indicus cattle exhibit


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increased resistance to many environmental stressors relative to Bos taurus but tend to have slower growth, lower fertility and poor meat quality as they have not been as intensively selected for these traits as specialized Bos taurus breeds. Use of genomic tools to produce an animal with superior ability for both thermal adaptation and food production represents an energy-efficient sustainable approach to meet the challenge of global climate change.” The research team has


received a three-year $733,000 federal grant which will allow them to track DNA segments from the two breeds to identify which genetic regions are important to regulating temperature. They want to develop the knowledge and tools the cattle industry needs to increase tolerance to heat stress while improving production, reproduction and meat quality. “Productivity is a key element in achieving food security and increasing productivity of food animals is the best strategy to affordably and sustainably meet global dietary needs,” says Mateescu. “Heat stress has a significant negative impact on US and global livestock productivity and the prospect of global climate change will only intensify its importance. “Although swine, poultry


and dairy cattle are severely affected by heat stress, their confinement and intensive production systems make climate control via housing design and management interventions feasible. Beef cattle, particularly those in the cow-calf segment, are typically reared in extensive systems with limited opportunities for controlling environmental stress. Genetic improvement is one of few feasible strategies for ensuring sustainable production of beef protein in an increasingly hotter world.” Local farmers and ranchers


have been very interested in the research because potential outcomes will have a direct impact on their operations. "This [study] offers a


powerful new approach to address the challenges of climate change and develop climate-smart productive cattle for a future, hotter world," says Mateescu.


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