KANSAS CITY, MO. — Recent research has shown that some groups of fed feedlot cattle include a high percentage of the livestock showing signs of congestive heart failure. Over the years, this problem has gradually become worse. Emma Hamilton, Ashlynn Kirk, Karly Anderson, PhD, and Kurt Vogel, PhD, from Colorado State University and the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, conducted a preliminary study to determine if the increasing incidence of hoof abnormalities in fed cattle is associated with congestive heart failure. I have observed more and more groups of feedlot cattle with hoof abnormalities. The most common ones are crossed toes, or an oval-shaped slot between the hooves. Discussions with veterinarians and ranchers indicate that this may be related to breeding for an early heavy weaning weight. Both hoof abnormalities and congestive heart failure have a strong genetic basis. Hamilton presented her research at the Meat Institute’s Animal Care and Handling Conference in May.

The Great Plains area of the United States, including Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska is a major cattle feeding region. For the research, a convenience sample of 400 cattle processed at a single large plant was evaluated for congestive heart failure, hoof abnormalities and liver abscesses. They were a typical lot from a single large feedlot. They had no visible Brahman characteristics and there were no black and white Holsteins or Holstein x Angus crosses. The average hot carcass weight was approximately 992 lbs.

The levels of defects in the group were high. Eighty-five percent had a hoof abnormality, and 52% had signs of congestive heart failure. It ranged from mild to severe. Forty-three percent of the cattle had both a hoof abnormality and signs of congestive heart failure. Liver abscesses were relatively low with only 13% with one or more liver abscesses. The low level of liver abscesses may be related to the ration used at the feedlot. This feedlot fed steam flaked corn along with silage. It is likely that this ration contained more roughage compared to other feedlots.

Statistics were conducted to determine if the three problems were related. There was no relationship between the occurrence of congestive heart failure, hoof abnormalities or liver abscesses. Research shows that genetics is a cause of both congestive heart failure and hoof abnormalities. It is likely that genetic selection for high early weaning weight is related to hoof abnormalities and selection for ribeye area and other meat traits is related to congestive heart failure. Both of these problems have slowly become worse over the last 10 years. Congestive heart failure used to only occur at high altitudes. It is now occurring at much lower altitudes where the Great Plains cattle feeding industry is located. The Angus Association has a scorecard for evaluating hoof abnormalities and scorecards for identifying animals with congestive heart failure are also available. I strongly recommend that both of these conditions should be assessed at the slaughter plant. Hoof abnormalities can be easily scored when cattle are hanging on the rail and congestive heart failure is evaluated on the viscera table. These defects need to be monitored to ensure the industry can reduce them.