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RESEARCH
In 2006, the OCA Board of Directors
allocated $200,000 to the OCA Research
Committee from the Toronto Stock Yards
Land Development Fund for research and
development.
OCA Research Committee Members:
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John Adema, producer, Chair
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Ken Mills, producer
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Dan Darling, producer
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Ralph Eyre, producer
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Ken Bateman, Ontario Association of
Bovine Practioners
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Steve Miller, Beef Improvement Ontario
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Don Blakely, Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Ira Mandell, University of Guelph
The committee identified the following areas as priorities
for the 2006 round of funding:
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Quality product
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Safe product
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Improved animal health and welfare
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Improved feed efficiency
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Intensive beef operations
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Marketing (strategies) opportunities
for Ontario beef
Within the broad priority area of Improved Animal Health
and Welfare, the committee highlighted the need for
further research into beef cattle transportation specific to
space/loading densities and travel time. The committee
also identified projects that target consumer confidence
through information transfer, and development of beef
production systems that exclude implants and reduce use
of antibiotics.
In 2006, a total of $193,082 was allocated to
seven projects:
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Development of an edible (needle-free) plant-based
vaccine for bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis (U of G)
> Enhancement of expression of all antigens in
alfalfa, adaptation of potency assays for
standardization of vaccine dosages and pilot
vaccination trials in calves
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Improving the innate resistance of beef cattle to
bacterial pneumonia (U of G)
> Reduce the reliance on antibiotic use for
disease prevention by 1) improved identification
of at-risk groups of calves 2) genetic selection
for specific genotypes that confer increased
resistance to disease
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Survival of pathogens during storage of livestock
manures (Soil Resource Group)
> Expand the range of pathogens previously examined
to include those more specific to the beef industry.
The aim is then to provide farm-based data under
Ontario conditions, on the survival of pathogens
during manure storage
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The effect of transportation dynamics on cattle welfare,
performance, and beef quality (U of G)
> The ultimate goals of this research proposal are to
determine if current procedures for transporting
cattle ensure animal welfare and have minimal
impact on carcass and meat quality and to
develop new guidelines if necessary regarding
space/loading densities and travel time to ensure
animal welfare when transporting cattle
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Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia and arthritis in
feedlot cattle (OVC)
> To determine whether different genotypes of
Mycoplasma bovis populate the lungs of clinically
normal cattle, compared to those with Mycoplasma
bovis pneumonia and to determine if the
predominant genotype changes during the
course of the disease
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Does BRD treatment strategy influence CPPS
expression (U of Sask)
> Look at the effect of two different management
practices on the occurance of chronic pneumonia and
polyarthrithis syndrome. The goal is then to determine
if there is a significant difference between treatment
protocols for pneumonia in feedlot calves that may
affect the occurance of CPPS
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CpG DNA based needle-free vaccination methods
against bovine diarrhea virus in newborn calves (VIDO)
> Capitalize on a needle-free CpG DNA based
vaccination strategy that was developed for
vaccination against both type 1 and 2 BVDV and
to use this strategy to vaccinate newborn calves
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