Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates
Introduction: Industry reports and anecdotal evidence indicate that the death loss rate in cattle feedlots has increased over time. Such increases in death loss rates impact feedlot cost and thus profitability. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to examine whether feedlot death l...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media
2023
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/109125/ |
| _version_ | 1848865289312141312 |
|---|---|
| author | Buda, Mark Raper, Kellie Curry Riley, John Michael Peel, Derrell S. |
| author_facet | Buda, Mark Raper, Kellie Curry Riley, John Michael Peel, Derrell S. |
| author_sort | Buda, Mark |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Introduction: Industry reports and anecdotal evidence indicate that the death loss rate
in cattle feedlots has increased over time. Such increases in death loss rates impact
feedlot cost and thus profitability.
Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to examine whether feedlot death
loss rates in cattle have changed over time, to analyze the nature of any identified
structural change, and to identify possible catalysts for that change.
Methods: Data from the Kansas Feedlot Performance and Feed Cost Summary from
1992 through 2017 is used to model feedlot death loss rate as a function of feeder
cattle placement weight, days on feed, time, and seasonality in the form of monthly
dummy variables. Commonly used tests of structural change, including the CUSUM,
CUSUMSQ, and Bai and Perron methods, are implemented to examine the existence
and nature of any structural changes in the proposed model. All tests indicate the
presence of structural breaks in the model, including both systematic change and
abrupt change. Following a synthesis of structural test results, the final model is
modified to include a structural shift parameter for the period from December 2000
to September 2010.
Results: Models indicate that days on feed has a significant positive influence on death
loss rate. Trend variables indicate that death loss rates have increased systematically
over the period studied. However, the structural shift parameter in the modified model
is positive and significant for December 2000 to September 2010, indicating that death
loss is higher on average during this period. Variance of death loss percentage is
also higher during this period. Parallels between evidence of structural change and
possible industry and environmental catalysts are also discussed.
Conclusions: Statistical evidence does indicate changes in the structure of death loss
rates. Ongoing factors such as changes in feeding rations prompted by market forces
and feeding technologies may have contributed to systematic change. Other events,
such as weather events and beta agonist use could result in abrupt changes. No clear
evidence directly connects these factors to death loss rates and disaggregated data
would be required to facilitate such a study. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:02:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-109125 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:02:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1091252024-09-02T06:41:00Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/109125/ Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates Buda, Mark Raper, Kellie Curry Riley, John Michael Peel, Derrell S. Introduction: Industry reports and anecdotal evidence indicate that the death loss rate in cattle feedlots has increased over time. Such increases in death loss rates impact feedlot cost and thus profitability. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to examine whether feedlot death loss rates in cattle have changed over time, to analyze the nature of any identified structural change, and to identify possible catalysts for that change. Methods: Data from the Kansas Feedlot Performance and Feed Cost Summary from 1992 through 2017 is used to model feedlot death loss rate as a function of feeder cattle placement weight, days on feed, time, and seasonality in the form of monthly dummy variables. Commonly used tests of structural change, including the CUSUM, CUSUMSQ, and Bai and Perron methods, are implemented to examine the existence and nature of any structural changes in the proposed model. All tests indicate the presence of structural breaks in the model, including both systematic change and abrupt change. Following a synthesis of structural test results, the final model is modified to include a structural shift parameter for the period from December 2000 to September 2010. Results: Models indicate that days on feed has a significant positive influence on death loss rate. Trend variables indicate that death loss rates have increased systematically over the period studied. However, the structural shift parameter in the modified model is positive and significant for December 2000 to September 2010, indicating that death loss is higher on average during this period. Variance of death loss percentage is also higher during this period. Parallels between evidence of structural change and possible industry and environmental catalysts are also discussed. Conclusions: Statistical evidence does indicate changes in the structure of death loss rates. Ongoing factors such as changes in feeding rations prompted by market forces and feeding technologies may have contributed to systematic change. Other events, such as weather events and beta agonist use could result in abrupt changes. No clear evidence directly connects these factors to death loss rates and disaggregated data would be required to facilitate such a study. Frontiers Media 2023-01-30 Article PeerReviewed Buda, Mark and Raper, Kellie Curry and Riley, John Michael and Peel, Derrell S. (2023) Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10. art. no. 1087080. pp. 1-10. ISSN 2297-1769 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1087080/full 10.3389/fvets.2023.1087080 |
| spellingShingle | Buda, Mark Raper, Kellie Curry Riley, John Michael Peel, Derrell S. Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title | Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title_full | Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title_fullStr | Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title_short | Structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| title_sort | structural change in feedlot cattle death loss rates |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/109125/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/109125/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/109125/ |