Herd Health Research Summary
Funded by the Iowa State Beef Checkoff, these herd health research highlights offer practical insights to improve cattle well-being, performance, and profitability. This sheet summarizes key findings to support informed decision-making across all sectors of the cattle industry.
Lameness in Iowa Feedlot Cattle
2020
Dr. Terry Engelken
Iowa State University
Investigating the incidence, etiologies, and risk factors of lameness in Iowa feedlot cattle.
Residue Clearance at Slaughter House
2019
Dr. Patrick Gordo
Iowa State University
Development of a rapid, animal-side assay for screening biological fluids to detect violative drug residues and confirm tissue residue clearance at slaughter.
Metabolic Biomarkers
2019
Dr. Grant Dewell
Iowa State University
Enhancing bovine respiratory disease diagnosis through metabolic biomarkers.
Visual Sensing Behavioral Recognition
2019
Dr. Joshua Peschel
Iowa State University
Using visual sensors and automated behavior tracking to predict the health of individual cattle in confinement systems.
Feeding More Silage/Live Abscess
2019
Dr. Galen Erickson
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Improving profitability in integrated farming and feeding operations through increased use of corn silage and prevention of liver abscesses.
More Research Results:
Carcass Quality
Highlights actionable strategies to enhance feedlot profitability and beef quality, helping producers align performance with growing consumer demand for premium beef.
Gain & Performance
Highlights practical strategies to improve feed efficiency, carcass quality and cattle performance—with summaries to help producers make data-driven decisions.
Reproduction & Genetics
Highlights valuable insights to enhance herd productivity and reproductive success—supporting informed decision-making to improve breeding outcomes and overall herd performance.