Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, Tennessee State University, Nashville 37209-1561, USA.
J Anim Sci. 2013 Feb;91(2):957-69. doi: 10.2527/jas.2012-5157. Epub 2012 Dec 12.
Three summer experiments compared responses to transportation-related events in 2- to 4-yr-old Brahman (Bos indicus) and Hereford (B. taurus) steers. In Exp. 1, steers were hauled round-trip (4 h) or fasted in holding pens. Transport transiently increased (P < 0.01) plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations, decreased (P < 0.05) plasma triglyceride concentrations, and increased total leukocyte counts. Blood constituents were not altered for steers fasting in holding pens. Treatment-day BW shrink was greater (P < 0.01) in transported steers than penned steers. Blood constituent responses were unaffected (P < 0.05) by subspecies. Hereford experienced greater (P < 0.05) transport-day BW shrink than Brahman across treatments. Steers in Exp. 2 were hauled to a new farm for a 1-wk relocation period or hauled round-trip an equal time (0.67 h) and returned to the home station. Both treatments similarly experienced transport-day BW shrink and increased (P < 0.01) plasma cortisol and glucose. Subspecies did not affect (P < 0.05) blood constituent responses to transport. Hereford experienced greater (P < 0.05) transport-day shrink than Brahman. Relocation did not elicit (P < 0.05) changes in blood profiles beyond the day of transport. In Exp. 3, steers were loaded and unloaded without transport, transported round-trip (1 h), or fasted in a holding pen for 3 h. Cortisol increased (P < 0.01) after transport and after loading/unloading. Leukocytes and glucose increased (P < 0.01) after the 1 h transport. Steers transported experienced greater treatment-day BW shrink than those fasted or loaded and unloaded (P < 0.01; -3.13 vs. -1.36 and -0.35 ± 0.76%, respectively). The subspecies did not vary (P < 0.05) for blood constituent responses or shrink in Exp. 3. Animal responses were not evident 24 h after treatments in each experiment. In summary, transport caused stress, but Brahman steers were not more sensitive than Herefords. Hereford steers were susceptible to greater transport BW shrink than Brahman under the summer conditions.
三个夏季实验比较了 2-4 岁婆罗门牛（Bos indicus）和海福特牛（B. taurus）公牛对与运输相关事件的反应。在实验 1 中，牛被往返运输（4 小时）或在畜栏中禁食。运输使血浆皮质醇和葡萄糖浓度短暂增加（P < 0.01），降低（P < 0.05）血浆甘油三酯浓度，并增加总白细胞计数。在畜栏中禁食的牛的血液成分没有改变。与圈养的牛相比，运输的牛的处理日 BW 收缩更大（P < 0.01）。亚种群对血液成分的反应没有影响（P < 0.05）。海福特牛在处理过程中比婆罗门牛经历更大的（P < 0.05）运输日 BW 收缩。在实验 2 中，牛被运往新农场进行为期 1 周的搬迁期，或往返运输相同时间（0.67 小时）并返回原站。两种处理方式都经历了运输日 BW 收缩，并增加了（P < 0.01）血浆皮质醇和葡萄糖。亚种群对运输血液成分的反应没有影响（P < 0.05）。海福特牛比婆罗门牛经历更大的（P < 0.05）运输日收缩。搬迁不会引起（P < 0.05）除运输日之外的血液特征变化。在实验 3 中，牛在没有运输的情况下装载和卸载，往返运输（1 小时）或在畜栏中禁食 3 小时。运输后和装载/卸载后皮质醇增加（P < 0.01）。白细胞和葡萄糖在 1 小时的运输后增加（P < 0.01）。与禁食或装载/卸载的牛相比，运输的牛经历了更大的处理日 BW 收缩（P < 0.01；-3.13 比-1.36 和-0.35 ± 0.76%，分别）。在实验 3 中，亚种群对血液成分的反应或收缩没有差异（P < 0.05）。动物反应在每个实验的治疗后 24 小时内并不明显。总之，运输会引起应激，但婆罗门牛对运输的敏感性不比海福特牛高。在夏季条件下，海福特牛比婆罗门牛更容易出现更大的运输 BW 收缩。
