New Research Targets Heart Failure Risks in U.S. Cattle Herds

The American Shorthorn Association has announced a collaborative research effort with Simplot's Land and Livestock division, focused on better understanding and reducing the risk of Bovine Congestive Heart Failure — an emerging challenge impacting cattle performance, feedlot profitability, and animal welfare across the U.S. beef industry.

BCHF , which is sometimes referred to as "late-stage heart failure" has become a growing concern in modern cattle feeding systems. Industry data suggests that approximately 4 percent to 5 percent of fed cattle can be affected by severe cardiac issues at harvest, contributing to death loss and reduced efficiency. As cattle are bred for increased growth, performance, and carcass value, understanding and managing this risk has become increasingly important.

Through this partnership, the ASA and Simplot have evaluated approximately 10,000 Shorthorn-influenced animals within one of the largest and most comprehensive BCHF genomic databases in the world. Simplot's Land and Livestock division's dataset includes over 35,000 animals with detailed phenotypic measurements — such as heart and lung scores — paired with genomic information, making it a leading resource for studying this condition.

Initial findings from the project are very encouraging for Shorthorn breeders and commercial users of Shorthorn genetics. Based on genomic predictions developed through Simplot's advanced evaluation system, Shorthorn cattle appear to present a lower relative risk for BCHF compared to some other segments of the industry.

These predictions are derived from newly developed Expected Progeny Differences specifically designed to estimate genetic risk for BCHF. While early results are positive, it is important to note that Shorthorn cattle currently share fewer common genetic markers associated with BCHF risk that have been identified in other breeds. As a result, prediction accuracy for Shorthorns will continue to improve as additional data-particularly direct heart evaluations at harvest-are incorporated into the system.

"This is exactly the type of forward-thinking research that benefits both our membership and the commercial cattle industry," said Montie Soules, Executive Secretary/CEO of the American Shorthorn Association. "The early indications that Shorthorn cattle may carry a lower genetic risk for BCHF is very positive. At the same time, we are committed to continuing this work to strengthen the accuracy of these tools and provide meaningful, science-based information to our breeders."

The collaboration leverages Simplot's Land and Livestock division's multi-trait genomic evaluation model, which combines heart score and lung deflation score data to more accurately predict BCHF risk. This approach reflects the complex, multi-system nature of the condition and represents a significant advancement over earlier single-trait models.

Because BCHF has been shown to be moderately heritable, genomic tools such as these EPDs offer one of the most effective long-term strategies for reducing risk through genetic selection.

Both ASA and Simplot emphasize that this is an ongoing research effort. As additional phenotypic data — particularly heart scores collected at harvest — are added to the dataset, the accuracy and reliability of BCHF EPDs for Shorthorn cattle will continue to improve.

The post New research targets heart failure risks in U.S. cattle herds appeared first on AGDAILY .