Oral hydration therapy with water and bovine respiratory disease incidence affects rumination behavior, rumen pH, and rumen temperature in high-risk, newly received beef calves.

The study objectives were to determine the effect of oral hydration therapy and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) on rumination behavior, rumen pH, and rumen temperature. A random subset of high-risk, auction-sourced bulls from 3 truckload blocks (initial BW = 188.9 ± 19.1 kg) were fitted with a collar containing a 3-axis accelerometer to quantify rumination time and activity (n = 58) and administered a rumen pH and temperature data logging bolus (n = 33). At arrival, subset calves (n = 2 per pen) were balanced across treatment pens (n = 15 per treatment; n = 10 animals per pen) and randomized to receive 0.57 L water/45.4 kg BW from a modified oral drenching apparatus (H2O) or no water administration (CON). Standard arrival processing procedures were implemented including surgical castration. Modified-live virus respiratory vaccination was delayed until day 28. Technicians assigned a clinical illness score (CIS) daily; calves with CIS ≥ 2 and rectal temperature ≥ 40 °C were considered a BRD case (RCASE) and treated with an antimicrobial. The fixed effect of BRD cases vs. nontreated cohorts (RCON) was determined retrospectively using data from the accelerometer collar (n = 19 and 29) and rumen bolus (n = 12 and 21, for RCASE and RCON, respectively). Daily means and hourly means across days throughout the 56-d observation period were generated. Fixed effects were analyzed using the mixed model procedure with repeated measures. Daily rumen temperature was altered (P = 0.04) such that peak rumen temperature occurred earlier for H2O, whereas CON had increased (P ≤ 0.01) rumen temperature following delayed vaccination on day 28. Calves diagnosed with BRD had a transiently decreased (P = 0.04) active minutes between days 9 and 32, decreased (P < 0.01) active minutes between 0800 and 2000 h, decreased (P < 0.01) rumination time between 2000 and 0400 h, greater (P < 0.01) rumen temperature until delayed vaccination on day 28, and greater (P < 0.01) hourly rumen temperature between 0900 and 0300, and altered (P < 0.01) rumen pH. Earlier peak rumen temperature observed in H2O may indicate physiological modification enabling a more pronounced inflammatory response. Differences in rumination behavior and activity may be useful for early BRD detection.