Problems with Congestive Heart Failure and Lameness That Have Increased in Grain-Fed Steers and Heifers.
Authors: Grandin Temple
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
Rising incidences of congestive heart failure and lameness in grain-fed cattle suggest that selection pressures for rapid growth and enhanced carcass traits may be undermining fundamental cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in commercial herds. Temple's examination of post-mortem hearts at slaughter facilities revealed that 34% of animals in some grain-fed groups displayed abnormal cardiac enlargement, with congestive heart failure now occurring across a wider range of altitudes rather than remaining confined to high-elevation operations as historically observed. Lameness prevalence has escalated dramatically to 8% of grain-fed cattle arriving at U.S. slaughter plants—a stark contrast to near-zero incidence documented two decades prior—alongside concurrent increases in poor hoof structure and leg conformation defects. These findings warrant critical appraisal of current breeding objectives and feeding protocols, as both conditions severely compromise animal welfare and may contribute to unaccounted mortality losses in the latter stages of the feeding programme. For practitioners working across veterinary, farriery, and nutritional disciplines, this work highlights the need to advocate for more balanced genetic selection criteria and closer monitoring of musculoskeletal and cardiac health markers in young stock destined for intensive grain feeding.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor grain-fed cattle breeding programs for unintended consequences of growth selection; consider genetic trade-offs between production traits and skeletal/cardiac health
- •Lameness and heart disease in beef cattle represent significant welfare concerns that may impact economic viability and require preventive management strategies
- •Early detection of leg conformation problems and hoof abnormalities in young stock may help identify at-risk animals before slaughter
Key Findings
- •Congestive heart failure now occurs at lower elevations in grain-fed cattle, with 34% of some groups showing abnormally swollen hearts at slaughter
- •Lameness in grain-fed steers and heifers has increased to 8% at U.S. slaughter plants, up from nearly zero 20 years ago
- •Genetic selection for rapid growth and large ribeye is associated with increased lameness and heart problems
- •Abnormal hoof structure and poor leg conformation are increasingly observed in grain-fed cattle