Date: June 27, 2003
McDONALD'S AND ANTIBIOTICS
McDonald's, the largest single purchaser of beef in the country, has announced that its suppliers of various animal products must eliminate, or in some cases greatly reduce, the use of certain antibiotics for growth promotion. (The drugs would continue to be acceptable for therapeutic use in animals.) These antibiotics are the same as, or closely related to, drugs used for therapeutic purposes in humans. The motivation for this action is concern for possible reduction in the effectiveness of the drugs for human use. McDonald's has already taken other similar action, such as requiring suppliers of eggs to allow certain minimum space for caged laying hens. While such things are not regulations, the McDonald's, Wal-Marts, etc. may eventually have more control over livestock production than any regulator ever dreamed of. Big Brothers of the future might turn out to be capitalists, not government bureaucrats.
BRITISH OR CONTINENTAL?
The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center has made recent comparisons of the most numerous British breeds (Angus, Hereford, Red Angus) and most numerous Continental breeds (Charolais, Gelbvieh, Limousin, Simmental). Compared to MARC research of some 30 years ago, the two types are much more similar today in size and growth. However, in the recent work, British breeds averaged 86% Low Choice or higher and 23% Yield Grade 4, while the Continentals averaged only 58% Low Choice or higher but also only 3% Yield Grade 4. Which and how much of each type to use depends greatly on what you need to change, marbling or red-meat yield.
ELECTROLYTES TO REDUCE HAULING STRESS?
There has been some interest in providing electrolyte solutions to hauled animals to reduce stress, supposedly by favorable effects on acid-base physiology. Australian researchers used 2-year-old steers to compare: 1) controls offered feed and water without hauling; 2) water and feed deprived for 60 hours without hauling; and 3) hauled, deprived for feed and water for 12 hours, then hauled again for 48 hours (over a distance of 2200 miles). Although there were some differences among groups in some blood measures, the researchers said these differences were mostly due to loss of body water. They concluded that "offering electrolyte solutions to dehydrated, hauled, nutrient-deprived, stressed cattle is unlikely to resolve the stressors more efficiently than water alone.
MILK EPD - DOES IT WORK?
Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina workers collaborated on a study of high Milk EPD and low Milk EPD Angus sires of similar growth bred to Angus females. High sires averaged +26 for Milk EPD and + 44 for Yearling EPD, while corresponding averages for Low sires were -13 and +46. Female offspring of High sires produced more actual milk than females by Low sires. Weaning weights out of High-sired females averaged 34 lb heavier, very close to the predicted difference based on sire Milk EPD of 39 lb. Results did not differ among the five locations, i.e., there was no genetic-environmental interaction.
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