Liveweight loss and recovery in cattle
Liveweight is often used as the basis for trading cattle and is the major determinant of carcase weight. However, due to time off water and feed through handling and transport, considerable weight, and therefore, financial loss can occur.
Liveweight includes the weight of the body tissues, and the contents of the gastrointestinal tract (gut fill) and bladder. Losses in any of these components, including tissue moisture, will reduce liveweight.
Change in gut fill has the greatest influence on liveweight. In adult cattle, gut fill can account for 12-25% of an animal’s liveweight.
The main factors determining the weight of gut fill include:
- the quantity of water ingested
- feed quantity and quality
- time since the animal drank or ate
- rate of passage of gut contents.
During the selling process, feed and water consumption has the greatest effect on liveweight change.
Grassfed versus grainfed
Pasture type and season affect the amount of gut fill, with fill increasing as feed quality and palatability decline. Cattle that graze on pasture, or are fed forage, have a greater weight of gut fill compared with cattle on a grain diet. Current evidence suggests no effect in the rate of weight loss from cattle consuming forages or grain.
Measuring liveweight loss
The rate of liveweight loss is measured relative to initial liveweight. Cattle reduce their body weight at a constant rate when deprived of feed and water. Body weight loss begins when cattle are moved from their grazing area and will continue at their destination unless feed and water is provided. This means that much of the loss in body weight occurs before animals leave the property, particularly, if they are mustered well in advance of transportation and are deprived of feed and water in the yards.
The prediction of body weight loss (kg) can be determined if the animal’s initial body weight (W1) and the time off feed and water (TFW) is known with the following equation
Weight loss = − 9.2715 +W1 × 0.0808 +TFW × 0.3642. (Table 1).
Table 1. Predicted liveweight loss (kg) up to 72 hours without feed and water for cattle of various liveweights
| Hours without feed and water | Estimated liveweight loss (kg) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 kg | 400 kg | 600 kg | |
| 6 | 9 | 25 | 41 |
| 12 | 11 | 27 | 44 |
| 24 | 16 | 32 | 48 |
| 48 | 24 | 41 | 57 |
| 72 | 33 | 49 | 65 |
Parker E (2026) Body weight and feed and water deprivation time predict cattle body weight loss from transportation. Animal Production Science 66, AN26109. doi:10.1071/AN26109.
Cattle are also deprived of feed and water while they are travelling, so liveweight loss during transportation is inevitable. Therefore, any unnecessary delays between mustering and selling need to be avoided to minimise liveweight loss. The time of feed and water deprivation is of greater importance than distance travelled.
Providing feed and water whenever possible during the selling process will reduce liveweight loss and improve animal welfare outcomes.
Liveweight recovery
In Australia, store (non-slaughter) cattle are normally sold either on a per head basis by private negotiation in the paddock, by auction at saleyards, or on a per kilogram liveweight basis soon after arrival at feedlots.
The effect of the selling process on subsequent weight gain is important to the new owner, such as feedlot operators. The total time of feed and water deprivation during the selling period, rather than the length of any interim fasting period, has the greatest influence on liveweight recovery.
Cattle require 3 to 21 days (generally 10 to 21 days) to recover their initial liveweight after periods of fasting and transportation. This is irrespective of whether they recover in a feedlot or on pasture.
Written by Jennifer Wythes, formerly QLMA Brisbane, reviewed by Sarah Hassal, MLA Project Manager – Northern Beef Adoption. This document was reviewed as part of the GrazingFutures Project. GrazingFutures is funded by the Queensland Government’s Drought and Climate Adaptation Program (DCAP) that aims to build drought and business resilience for Queensland livestock producers.