Research Update: Larrison Hicks, Line Breeding, Nutritional Listener Questions
About this episode
Larrison Hicks discusses research on beef-dairy cross calves and the implications of early-life management on gut health and liver abscesses.
On this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, Larrison Hicks gave a research update on his project about beef–dairy cross calves, focusing on how early-life management, such as milk-feeding methods and probiotics, may influence gut development and the higher incidence of liver abscesses in calf ranch systems. Early findings showed no short-term benefits from probiotic supplementation, with more results pending. The hosts also discussed genetics, noting that line breeding closely related high-performing cattle increases the risk of defects and does not reliably produce superior offspring. Additional topics included managing aflatoxins in feed, the limited effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate in feedlot diets, and how excess fat can negatively impact rumen function in grazing cattle. 4:31 Research Update: Larrison Hicks 9:21 Line Breeding 13:43 Nutritional Listener Questions For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci , Facebook , and Instagram at @ksubci . Check out our website, ksubci.org . If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to bci@ksu.edu. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you…
More episodes of Cattle Chat
- Calving Challenges, Vaccination Decisions, and Managing Liver Flukes in Cattle
- Guest Cambree Schmaltz: CalfDex and Transporting Pregnant Cows
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