Feedlot cattle with calm temperaments have higher average daily gains than cattle with excitable temperaments.

B. D. Voisinet-Bartlett, T. Grandin , S. Fitzgerald-O Connor, J. D. Tatum, J. Struthers. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, U.S.A.

514 cattle, comprised of mixed steers (n = 367) and heifers (n= 147), were transported to two separate feedlot facilities.

Breeds studied included :

Braford (n = 181)
Simmental/Red Angus (n = 92)
Red Brangus (n = 72)
Simbrah (n = 65)
Angus (n = 43)
Brahman/Red Angus/Senepol Composite (n = 35)
Tarentaise/Angus cross (n = 26)

Cattle were temperament rated :

Scores of 1 - designating an animal that is calm and motionless
through 5 - designating an animal that is rearing or violently struggling, were assigned to each animal.

Temperament evaluation was carried out during routine weighing and processing, approximately every 60 days. Cattle were fed to a constant fat thickness of 9 to 13 mm (target= 11 mm) over the 12th rib as determined by periodic ultrasound measurements.

Significant differences in mean chute score existed between breeds. Animals that had 25% or more brahman (bos indicus) influence had a higher mean temperament rating (3.81 +/- .04) than animals that had little ( < 25%) or no brahman influence (1.87 +/ - .06) (bos taurus). Mean temperament score effects were analyzed while statistically controlling for extraneous effects of breed, sire nested within breed and gender.

Mean temperament score evaluated across all cattle had a significant effect on average daily gains (P<.05).

Cattle that had a mean temperament score of 1 had significantly higher average daily gains (1.21 +/- .05 kg/day) than did cattle that had mean temperament scores of 2 or greater (P<.05).

Though the effect was not significant in heifers and Brahman cross cattle the trend of cattle having low temperament scores and high daily gains or high temperament scores and low daily gains remained evident. These data show that cattle with calm temperament ratings will have increased performance in the feedlot because of increased average daily gains.

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