AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP Past President Dr. Calvin Booker to discuss a syndrome sometimes exhibited in feedlot cattle known as “buller syndrome” or “buller steer syndrome.” Buller steer syndrome occurs when an animal is excessively ridden by its pen mates. This can negatively impact animal health and welfare by causing injuries to the animals affected such as musculoskeletal injuries, cellulitis and even death. It can also cause economic damage to not only the individual animal being ridden but also impacting growth performance and profitability in the other animals in the pen. The highest risk is the first 1-3 weeks after arrival to the feedlot as social hierarchy is being established. There is an increased risk with intact males on arrival which Dr. Booker explains is yet another reason for veterinarians to work with cow-calf clients to encourage early castration. Larger pen sizes, interruptions to the cattle due to processing, handling or the feeding schedule, weather, and implant schedules that overlap the effects of hormones can all increase the risk of this syndrome in a pen of cattle. Removing the affected animal and providing supportive care is the best management for the syndrome, while ensuring feedlots incorporate best practices for prevention when possible. We discuss the benefits of networking within AABP so that we can learn about the areas of the cattle in which we do not work with on a day-to-day basis.
Relevant publications:
1. Taylor LF, Booker CW, Jim GK, Guichon PT. Epidemiological investigation of the buller steer syndrome (riding behaviour) in a western Canadian feedlot. Aust Vet J. 1997 Jan;75(1):45-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1997.tb13830.x. PMID: 9034499.
2. Taylor LF, Booker CW, Jim GK, Guichon PT. Sickness, mortality and the buller steer syndrome in a western Canadian feedlot. Aust Vet J. 1997 Oct;75(10):732-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1997.tb12257.x. PMID: 9406632.