Effects of drylot dimension and group size on growth, physiological, and puberty responses of replacement beef heifers
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ID: 320366
2026
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Abstract
Lay Summary Rearing heifers in drylots with high stocking density (14 m2/heifer) facilitates feeding and management, and intensifies beef production as availability of grazing areas becomes limited. However, heifers reared at such high stocking density experience heightened chronic stress and delayed puberty attainment compared with heifers on pasture. In other livestock species, increasing drylot dimensions without changing stocking density yields more total space available and larger contiguous area available for physical activity, social interactions, and dynamic behavioral needs. Hence, this experiment evaluated beef heifers reared in drylots with a high stocking density (14 m2/heifer) but differing in drylot configuration (10 heifers in 140 m2 or 20 heifers in 280 m2), and compared them with heifers reared on pasture. All heifers received the same diet to ensure that differences in reproductive development were not driven by nutrition. Heifers reared at high stocking density in smaller drylots experienced greater indicators of chronic stress and delayed puberty compared with pasture heifers, despite similar growth rates. Increasing drylot dimension and group size attenuated physiological indicators of chronic stress, and improved puberty attainment to levels similar as in pasture heifers. Therefore, drylot dimensions and group size should be considered to foster welfare and reproductive development of beef heifers reared in drylot systems.
| Reference Key |
openalex_W7167799483
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| Authors | Camila P Prado, Reinaldo F Cooke, Shea Mackey, Autumn Pickett, Guilherme A Monteiro, Izadora S de Souza, Courtney L Daigle, Kelsey M Harvey |
| Journal | Translational animal science |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/tas/txag097
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| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
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