Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle

The increasing incidence of bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) in feedlot cattle poses a significant challenge to the beef industry from economic loss, reduced performance, and reduced animal welfare attributed to cardiac insufficiency. Changes to cardiac morphology as well as abnormal pulmonary...

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Main Authors: Justin W. Buchanan, Lex E. Flagel, Michael D. MacNeil, Ashley R. Nilles, Jesse L. Hoff, Joseph K. Pickrell, Randall C. Raymond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Genetics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1148301/full
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author Justin W. Buchanan
Lex E. Flagel
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Ashley R. Nilles
Jesse L. Hoff
Joseph K. Pickrell
Randall C. Raymond
author_facet Justin W. Buchanan
Lex E. Flagel
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Ashley R. Nilles
Jesse L. Hoff
Joseph K. Pickrell
Randall C. Raymond
author_sort Justin W. Buchanan
collection DOAJ
description The increasing incidence of bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) in feedlot cattle poses a significant challenge to the beef industry from economic loss, reduced performance, and reduced animal welfare attributed to cardiac insufficiency. Changes to cardiac morphology as well as abnormal pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in cattle of mostly Angus ancestry have been recently characterized. However, congestive heart failure affecting cattle late in the feeding period has been an increasing problem and tools are needed for the industry to address the rate of mortality in the feedlot for multiple breeds. At harvest, a population of 32,763 commercial fed cattle were phenotyped for cardiac morphology with associated production data collected from feedlot processing to harvest at a single feedlot and packing plant in the Pacific Northwest. A sub-population of 5,001 individuals were selected for low-pass genotyping to estimate variance components and genetic correlations between heart score and the production traits observed during the feeding period. At harvest, the incidence of a heart score of 4 or 5 in this population was approximately 4.14%, indicating a significant proportion of feeder cattle are at risk of cardiac mortality before harvest. Heart scores were also significantly and positively correlated with the percentage Angus ancestry observed by genomic breed percentage analysis. The heritability of heart score measured as a binary (scores 1 and 2 = 0, scores 4 and 5 = 1) trait was 0.356 in this population, which indicates development of a selection tool to reduce the risk of congestive heart failure as an EPD (expected progeny difference) is feasible. Genetic correlations of heart score with growth traits and feed intake were moderate and positive (0.289–0.460). Genetic correlations between heart score and backfat and marbling score were −0.120 and −0.108, respectively. Significant genetic correlation to traits of high economic importance in existing selection indexes explain the increased rate of congestive heart failure observed over time. These results indicate potential to implement heart score observed at harvest as a phenotype under selection in genetic evaluation in order to reduce feedlot mortality due to cardiac insufficiency and improve overall cardiopulmonary health in feeder cattle.
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spelling doaj.art-b2b345f4a20f483bb4a436760ebd3fee2023-06-08T08:40:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212023-06-011410.3389/fgene.2023.11483011148301Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattleJustin W. Buchanan0Lex E. Flagel1Michael D. MacNeil2Michael D. MacNeil3Michael D. MacNeil4Ashley R. Nilles5Jesse L. Hoff6Joseph K. Pickrell7Randall C. Raymond8Simplot Livestock Co., Grand View, ID, United StatesGencove Inc., New York, NY, United StatesSimplot Livestock Co., Grand View, ID, United StatesDelta G, Miles City, MT, United StatesDepartment of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontain, South AfricaSimplot Livestock Co., Grand View, ID, United StatesGencove Inc., New York, NY, United StatesGencove Inc., New York, NY, United StatesSimplot Livestock Co., Grand View, ID, United StatesThe increasing incidence of bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) in feedlot cattle poses a significant challenge to the beef industry from economic loss, reduced performance, and reduced animal welfare attributed to cardiac insufficiency. Changes to cardiac morphology as well as abnormal pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in cattle of mostly Angus ancestry have been recently characterized. However, congestive heart failure affecting cattle late in the feeding period has been an increasing problem and tools are needed for the industry to address the rate of mortality in the feedlot for multiple breeds. At harvest, a population of 32,763 commercial fed cattle were phenotyped for cardiac morphology with associated production data collected from feedlot processing to harvest at a single feedlot and packing plant in the Pacific Northwest. A sub-population of 5,001 individuals were selected for low-pass genotyping to estimate variance components and genetic correlations between heart score and the production traits observed during the feeding period. At harvest, the incidence of a heart score of 4 or 5 in this population was approximately 4.14%, indicating a significant proportion of feeder cattle are at risk of cardiac mortality before harvest. Heart scores were also significantly and positively correlated with the percentage Angus ancestry observed by genomic breed percentage analysis. The heritability of heart score measured as a binary (scores 1 and 2 = 0, scores 4 and 5 = 1) trait was 0.356 in this population, which indicates development of a selection tool to reduce the risk of congestive heart failure as an EPD (expected progeny difference) is feasible. Genetic correlations of heart score with growth traits and feed intake were moderate and positive (0.289–0.460). Genetic correlations between heart score and backfat and marbling score were −0.120 and −0.108, respectively. Significant genetic correlation to traits of high economic importance in existing selection indexes explain the increased rate of congestive heart failure observed over time. These results indicate potential to implement heart score observed at harvest as a phenotype under selection in genetic evaluation in order to reduce feedlot mortality due to cardiac insufficiency and improve overall cardiopulmonary health in feeder cattle.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1148301/fullfeedlot mortalitynon-infectious heart diseasevariance componentsgenetic evaluationcattle heart score
spellingShingle Justin W. Buchanan
Lex E. Flagel
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Michael D. MacNeil
Ashley R. Nilles
Jesse L. Hoff
Joseph K. Pickrell
Randall C. Raymond
Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
Frontiers in Genetics
feedlot mortality
non-infectious heart disease
variance components
genetic evaluation
cattle heart score
title Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
title_full Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
title_fullStr Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
title_full_unstemmed Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
title_short Variance component estimates, phenotypic characterization, and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
title_sort variance component estimates phenotypic characterization and genetic evaluation of bovine congestive heart failure in commercial feeder cattle
topic feedlot mortality
non-infectious heart disease
variance components
genetic evaluation
cattle heart score
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1148301/full
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