- Email: [email protected]
Interaction Between Consulting Veterinarians and Nutritionists in the Feedlot
Vet Clin Food Anim 23 (2007) 171–175
Interaction Between Consulting Veterinarians and Nutritionists in the Feedlot Robert A. Smith, DVM, MSa,*, Larry C. Hollis, DVM, MAgb a
Veterinary Research and Consulting Service, LLC, 3404 Live Oak Lane, Stillwater, OK 74075-9309, USA b Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
As cattle feeding has evolved from being a simple way to upgrade the price of an individual farmer’s corn crop to a multimillion dollar specialized commercial business enterprise, the need for increasingly skilled professional advisors has also evolved. Today’s successful feedlot managers surround themselves with advisors from many related fields to help them keep abreast of the constant flow of changes occurring in the industry. Two key advisors are the feedlot’s veterinarian and nutritionist. They have the same overarching goalsdto help the feedlot operate efficiently, profitably, ethically, and legally, while producing a high-quality beef product. In many ways their jobs are similarddeveloping programs that meet the needs, abilities, and facilities of each individual feedlot, educating management of the science behind and value of these programs, educating and training feedlot personnel responsible for implementing the programs, and obtaining feedback and evaluating progress to make continuous improvement in the programs. For the feedlot’s production goals to be met, the consulting veterinarian and consulting nutritionist need to function together as part of the overall management team. To be an effective team member, each needs to have a knowledge of and appreciation for what the other brings to the table. As with any team, communication between members is critical.
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (R.A. Smith). 0749-0720/07/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2007.05.001 vetfood.theclinics.com
172
SMITH & HOLLIS
Background of consulting nutritionists Most feedlot nutritionists have advanced training at either the Masters or Doctorate level in ruminant nutrition. Some start out immediately after graduation working for a feed or supplement manufacturing company. Some start out in academia or in a university livestock extension specialist role. Others spend time in a feedlot-related industry before moving into the role of feedlot nutritionist. Common features of those who serve long term include a high level of technical competence, a keen understanding of and appreciation for the cattle feeding industry, and excellent communication and people skills. Feedlot nutritionists generally fall into one of two categories: feed company nutritionists or independent consulting nutritionists. Those who represent feed supplement or additive manufacturers often provide a range of services that may be tied to product purchase volume. They may provide anywhere from minimal services such as ration formulation for smaller volume customers to complete consulting services (identical to that provided by the independent consulting nutritionists) for larger-volume customers. Independent consulting nutritionists normally offer a complete package of services and may deal with any number of feed supplement manufacturers.
Role of the consulting veterinarian The feedlot’s consulting veterinarian is responsible for advising on preventive medicine programs and therapeutic management of diseases that occur in the feedlot. To accomplish this, the veterinarian works closely with the cattle managerdsometimes called the head cowboy, as well as the pen riders, treatment crews, and processing crews. Training and education of these feedlot employees on recognition of common diseases, proper handling and administration of animal health products, beef quality assurance, animal welfare (including cattle handling), residue avoidance programs, and record keeping is an important part of the veterinarian’s job. Trained, motivated animal caretakers are a key component of a successful animal health program. The veterinarian should conduct an ongoing disease diagnostic program to accurately define diseases occurring in the feedlot. Necropsy examination of dead animals is the basic component of the program, and, frequently, diagnostic laboratory involvement is necessary to definitively diagnose diseases in the feedyard. Timely records analysis can define disease trends as well as successes and failures of the animal health program. There is a strong relationship between health and performance of feedlot cattle [1–3]; therefore, when health of cattle is compromised, gain, feed conversion, and cost of gain will also suffer. Bovine respiratory disease experienced by feedlot cattle, for example, results in lowered average daily
VETERINARIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS IN THE FEEDLOT
173
gain, higher cost of gain, and reduced carcass quality grade. This illustrates that the cost of disease includes more than just medical cost and losses caused by culling or death of affected animals. Instead, it has a direct relationship to the success of the feeding program designed by the consulting nutritionist. The consulting veterinarian is also qualified to advise feedlot managers of risks of health problems posed by cattle from various sources and backgrounds and to plan preventive measures accordingly. This exercise can also provide insight into the relationship of health and disease to cost of production and budgeting breakevens.
Role of the consulting nutritionist The consulting nutritionist is responsible for advising feedlot management on all matters pertaining to procurement of feed commodities, ration formulation, feed manufacturing, quality control, and delivery of feed. Just as the veterinarian spends time training and educating animal health crews, the nutritionist works closely with personnel in the feedmill, feed truck drivers, and the feed caller or bunk reader, the individual responsible for making decisions about which ration to feed and how much to feed to each pen of cattle in the feedyard. Commodities, such as corn, fat, or hay, are purchased through brokers, with very little history of the origin of these products. As a result, the nutritionist is responsible for designing quality-control programs for incoming products. Consistent manufacturing of diets in the feedmill is essential to minimize risk of digestive upsets, which can be fatal. When a feedlot manufactures its own feed supplement, very strict quality control, including checks and balances, is essential to minimize mixing errors and potential toxicities. The nutritionist is uniquely qualified to develop standard operating procedures and train personnel to minimize the possibility of mixing errors. The ‘‘calls’’ for the correct diet (reflecting energy levels) and the amount of feed to be offered each day must be consistent and correct, otherwise disastrous digestive upsets can occur. In addition, feeding the wrong ration or the wrong amount of ration can result in outbreaks of bovine respiratory disease. In addition to advising on the ‘‘mechanics’’ of feeding the cattle, the nutritionist assists feedlot managers as they solicit bids from commodity suppliers, establishes specifications for purchased commodities, and monitors changes in input costs that affect ration prices and subsequent cost of gain. When the ration formulation is to be changed, the nutritionist provides written instructions to the feedlot and to supplement providers.
174
SMITH & HOLLIS
Working together with common goals Health and performance of feedlot cattle are intertwined [4]; therefore, a team relationship between the nutritionist and the veterinarian can produce synergy. Both professionals have enormous responsibilities in their own area of expertise; however, one cannot adequately serve their client without the other. There are several practical examples to illustrate this. Pen riders see all cattle in the feedyard as individuals each and every day and while riding pens can assess fecal consistency, incidence of bloated cattle, and general demeanor of the cattle. Because of their close daily contact with the cattle, members of the cattle department can serve as sentinels for feed-related problems. Likewise, a decrease in feed intake in a pen of cattle often signals an impending respiratory break. Prompt communication between the feeding and cattle departments can result in early interventions, such as revaccination with respiratory vaccine and subsequent reduction in losses caused by disease. The feed caller has feed intake records available to him or her and often sees decreased intake as evidence of disease before it is clinically evident to the pen riders or the cattle manager. Daily meetings between the cattle manager and feed caller should be encouraged. Ration changes may need to be delayed when pens of cattle are experiencing high respiratory disease rates. When the cattle department is planning to reimplant or revaccinate cattle, feed consumption frequently drops on the day the cattle are worked. As a result, the feed caller often adjusts the amount of feed offered to the cattle on that day. Many health management tools are provided to the cattle in the feed, such as coccidiostats, ionophores, and antibiotics to control liver abscesses. The nutritionist and veterinarian should discuss and agree on disease control options that can be delivered in the feed as well as dosage and duration of treatment. Likewise, the consulting veterinarian should consider the impact of animal health practices, such as processing procedures or use of various animal health products on cattle performance, including gain, feed efficiency, carcass quality, and cost of gain. With some performance management tools, complementary responsibilities often are required. The nutritionist usually selects the implant programs that fit optimally with the feeding programs designed for each feedlot. The veterinarian normally works with the processing crew to ensure that the implanting procedure is properly performed so the full benefit can be obtained from the implant(s) selected. Periodic concurrent visits to the feedlot by the nutritionist and veterinarian offer many advantages. Face-to-face discussion about strategies for managing various classes of cattle is often more effective than phone discussions or e-mail. Conducting joint meetings between members of the feeding and animal health departments provides the opportunity to explain practices and programs within each section, hopefully resulting in
VETERINARIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS IN THE FEEDLOT
175
a more unified or team approach to cattle care and feeding. It is easy for members of each section in a feedlot to become isolated from other departments, and various levels of animosity can occur. Joint meetings led by the nutritionist and veterinarian can break barriers down and promote teamwork. It benefits the cattle and the economic bottom line when people perform their jobs with a positive attitude. Regular communication between the veterinarian and nutritionist is necessary. Each can serve as an observer for the other. For example, if the veterinarian diagnoses feed-related problems while performing clinical examination of animals in the feedlot or when doing necropsy examinations, he or she should notify the nutritionist of the observations, allowing the nutritionist to make more timely intervention to resolve problems. The nutritionist is in an ideal situation to spot problems for the veterinarian, such as hospital overcrowding, sick cattle not pulled for treatment, increased morbidity in specific groups of cattle, or other health-related problems. Both consultants should freely provide information related to their client(s) by sharing summary reports about their visits and communicating both problems and challenges through timely phone calls or e-mails.
Summary The consulting nutritionist and veterinarian typically spend more time at the feedyard than other advisors. Both bring unique credentials to the client, but at the same time much of their training has common roots. Their goal should be to provide the best possible advice and service to the feedlot for the benefit of the cattle, the cattle owners, and ultimately the consumer. This is best accomplished by maintaining open communication and a spirit of teamwork. The two professions have a profound positive impact on animal health, feeding performance, cattle well being, beef quality, and consumer acceptance. When accomplished, everyone benefits.
References [1] Gardner BA, Dolezal HG, Bryant LK, et al. Health of finishing steers: effects of performance, carcass traits and meat tenderness. Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report. Stillwater (OK): Oklahoma State University; 1998. [2] Smith RA. Effects of feedlot disease on economics, production and carcass traits. Proceedings of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners 2000;33:126–8. [3] Smith RA. Impact of disease on performance. J Anim Sci 1998;76:272–4. [4] Galyean ML, Perino LJ, Duff GC. Interaction of cattle health/immunity and nutrition. J Anim Sci 1999;77:1120–34.
Interaction Between Consulting Veterinarians and Nutritionists in the Feedlot Robert A. Smith, DVM, MSa,*, Larry C. Hollis, DVM, MAgb a
Veterinary Research and Consulting Service, LLC, 3404 Live Oak Lane, Stillwater, OK 74075-9309, USA b Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
As cattle feeding has evolved from being a simple way to upgrade the price of an individual farmer’s corn crop to a multimillion dollar specialized commercial business enterprise, the need for increasingly skilled professional advisors has also evolved. Today’s successful feedlot managers surround themselves with advisors from many related fields to help them keep abreast of the constant flow of changes occurring in the industry. Two key advisors are the feedlot’s veterinarian and nutritionist. They have the same overarching goalsdto help the feedlot operate efficiently, profitably, ethically, and legally, while producing a high-quality beef product. In many ways their jobs are similarddeveloping programs that meet the needs, abilities, and facilities of each individual feedlot, educating management of the science behind and value of these programs, educating and training feedlot personnel responsible for implementing the programs, and obtaining feedback and evaluating progress to make continuous improvement in the programs. For the feedlot’s production goals to be met, the consulting veterinarian and consulting nutritionist need to function together as part of the overall management team. To be an effective team member, each needs to have a knowledge of and appreciation for what the other brings to the table. As with any team, communication between members is critical.
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (R.A. Smith). 0749-0720/07/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2007.05.001 vetfood.theclinics.com
172
SMITH & HOLLIS
Background of consulting nutritionists Most feedlot nutritionists have advanced training at either the Masters or Doctorate level in ruminant nutrition. Some start out immediately after graduation working for a feed or supplement manufacturing company. Some start out in academia or in a university livestock extension specialist role. Others spend time in a feedlot-related industry before moving into the role of feedlot nutritionist. Common features of those who serve long term include a high level of technical competence, a keen understanding of and appreciation for the cattle feeding industry, and excellent communication and people skills. Feedlot nutritionists generally fall into one of two categories: feed company nutritionists or independent consulting nutritionists. Those who represent feed supplement or additive manufacturers often provide a range of services that may be tied to product purchase volume. They may provide anywhere from minimal services such as ration formulation for smaller volume customers to complete consulting services (identical to that provided by the independent consulting nutritionists) for larger-volume customers. Independent consulting nutritionists normally offer a complete package of services and may deal with any number of feed supplement manufacturers.
Role of the consulting veterinarian The feedlot’s consulting veterinarian is responsible for advising on preventive medicine programs and therapeutic management of diseases that occur in the feedlot. To accomplish this, the veterinarian works closely with the cattle managerdsometimes called the head cowboy, as well as the pen riders, treatment crews, and processing crews. Training and education of these feedlot employees on recognition of common diseases, proper handling and administration of animal health products, beef quality assurance, animal welfare (including cattle handling), residue avoidance programs, and record keeping is an important part of the veterinarian’s job. Trained, motivated animal caretakers are a key component of a successful animal health program. The veterinarian should conduct an ongoing disease diagnostic program to accurately define diseases occurring in the feedlot. Necropsy examination of dead animals is the basic component of the program, and, frequently, diagnostic laboratory involvement is necessary to definitively diagnose diseases in the feedyard. Timely records analysis can define disease trends as well as successes and failures of the animal health program. There is a strong relationship between health and performance of feedlot cattle [1–3]; therefore, when health of cattle is compromised, gain, feed conversion, and cost of gain will also suffer. Bovine respiratory disease experienced by feedlot cattle, for example, results in lowered average daily
VETERINARIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS IN THE FEEDLOT
173
gain, higher cost of gain, and reduced carcass quality grade. This illustrates that the cost of disease includes more than just medical cost and losses caused by culling or death of affected animals. Instead, it has a direct relationship to the success of the feeding program designed by the consulting nutritionist. The consulting veterinarian is also qualified to advise feedlot managers of risks of health problems posed by cattle from various sources and backgrounds and to plan preventive measures accordingly. This exercise can also provide insight into the relationship of health and disease to cost of production and budgeting breakevens.
Role of the consulting nutritionist The consulting nutritionist is responsible for advising feedlot management on all matters pertaining to procurement of feed commodities, ration formulation, feed manufacturing, quality control, and delivery of feed. Just as the veterinarian spends time training and educating animal health crews, the nutritionist works closely with personnel in the feedmill, feed truck drivers, and the feed caller or bunk reader, the individual responsible for making decisions about which ration to feed and how much to feed to each pen of cattle in the feedyard. Commodities, such as corn, fat, or hay, are purchased through brokers, with very little history of the origin of these products. As a result, the nutritionist is responsible for designing quality-control programs for incoming products. Consistent manufacturing of diets in the feedmill is essential to minimize risk of digestive upsets, which can be fatal. When a feedlot manufactures its own feed supplement, very strict quality control, including checks and balances, is essential to minimize mixing errors and potential toxicities. The nutritionist is uniquely qualified to develop standard operating procedures and train personnel to minimize the possibility of mixing errors. The ‘‘calls’’ for the correct diet (reflecting energy levels) and the amount of feed to be offered each day must be consistent and correct, otherwise disastrous digestive upsets can occur. In addition, feeding the wrong ration or the wrong amount of ration can result in outbreaks of bovine respiratory disease. In addition to advising on the ‘‘mechanics’’ of feeding the cattle, the nutritionist assists feedlot managers as they solicit bids from commodity suppliers, establishes specifications for purchased commodities, and monitors changes in input costs that affect ration prices and subsequent cost of gain. When the ration formulation is to be changed, the nutritionist provides written instructions to the feedlot and to supplement providers.
174
SMITH & HOLLIS
Working together with common goals Health and performance of feedlot cattle are intertwined [4]; therefore, a team relationship between the nutritionist and the veterinarian can produce synergy. Both professionals have enormous responsibilities in their own area of expertise; however, one cannot adequately serve their client without the other. There are several practical examples to illustrate this. Pen riders see all cattle in the feedyard as individuals each and every day and while riding pens can assess fecal consistency, incidence of bloated cattle, and general demeanor of the cattle. Because of their close daily contact with the cattle, members of the cattle department can serve as sentinels for feed-related problems. Likewise, a decrease in feed intake in a pen of cattle often signals an impending respiratory break. Prompt communication between the feeding and cattle departments can result in early interventions, such as revaccination with respiratory vaccine and subsequent reduction in losses caused by disease. The feed caller has feed intake records available to him or her and often sees decreased intake as evidence of disease before it is clinically evident to the pen riders or the cattle manager. Daily meetings between the cattle manager and feed caller should be encouraged. Ration changes may need to be delayed when pens of cattle are experiencing high respiratory disease rates. When the cattle department is planning to reimplant or revaccinate cattle, feed consumption frequently drops on the day the cattle are worked. As a result, the feed caller often adjusts the amount of feed offered to the cattle on that day. Many health management tools are provided to the cattle in the feed, such as coccidiostats, ionophores, and antibiotics to control liver abscesses. The nutritionist and veterinarian should discuss and agree on disease control options that can be delivered in the feed as well as dosage and duration of treatment. Likewise, the consulting veterinarian should consider the impact of animal health practices, such as processing procedures or use of various animal health products on cattle performance, including gain, feed efficiency, carcass quality, and cost of gain. With some performance management tools, complementary responsibilities often are required. The nutritionist usually selects the implant programs that fit optimally with the feeding programs designed for each feedlot. The veterinarian normally works with the processing crew to ensure that the implanting procedure is properly performed so the full benefit can be obtained from the implant(s) selected. Periodic concurrent visits to the feedlot by the nutritionist and veterinarian offer many advantages. Face-to-face discussion about strategies for managing various classes of cattle is often more effective than phone discussions or e-mail. Conducting joint meetings between members of the feeding and animal health departments provides the opportunity to explain practices and programs within each section, hopefully resulting in
VETERINARIANS AND NUTRITIONISTS IN THE FEEDLOT
175
a more unified or team approach to cattle care and feeding. It is easy for members of each section in a feedlot to become isolated from other departments, and various levels of animosity can occur. Joint meetings led by the nutritionist and veterinarian can break barriers down and promote teamwork. It benefits the cattle and the economic bottom line when people perform their jobs with a positive attitude. Regular communication between the veterinarian and nutritionist is necessary. Each can serve as an observer for the other. For example, if the veterinarian diagnoses feed-related problems while performing clinical examination of animals in the feedlot or when doing necropsy examinations, he or she should notify the nutritionist of the observations, allowing the nutritionist to make more timely intervention to resolve problems. The nutritionist is in an ideal situation to spot problems for the veterinarian, such as hospital overcrowding, sick cattle not pulled for treatment, increased morbidity in specific groups of cattle, or other health-related problems. Both consultants should freely provide information related to their client(s) by sharing summary reports about their visits and communicating both problems and challenges through timely phone calls or e-mails.
Summary The consulting nutritionist and veterinarian typically spend more time at the feedyard than other advisors. Both bring unique credentials to the client, but at the same time much of their training has common roots. Their goal should be to provide the best possible advice and service to the feedlot for the benefit of the cattle, the cattle owners, and ultimately the consumer. This is best accomplished by maintaining open communication and a spirit of teamwork. The two professions have a profound positive impact on animal health, feeding performance, cattle well being, beef quality, and consumer acceptance. When accomplished, everyone benefits.
References [1] Gardner BA, Dolezal HG, Bryant LK, et al. Health of finishing steers: effects of performance, carcass traits and meat tenderness. Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report. Stillwater (OK): Oklahoma State University; 1998. [2] Smith RA. Effects of feedlot disease on economics, production and carcass traits. Proceedings of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners 2000;33:126–8. [3] Smith RA. Impact of disease on performance. J Anim Sci 1998;76:272–4. [4] Galyean ML, Perino LJ, Duff GC. Interaction of cattle health/immunity and nutrition. J Anim Sci 1999;77:1120–34.