Looking at late-term feedlot death loss to improve future interventions

7/9/26

AMES, Iowa – With any feedlot cattle death, the closer to the sell date, the higher the impact.  From a financial standpoint in terms of feed costs and lost opportunity to market, to the lowered morale of those who care for the animals, consequences can be costly.

An Iowa State University team from animal science and veterinary diagnostic production animal medicine is starting a two-year research project on late-term feedlot death loss, thanks to a grant funded by the Iowa State Beef Checkoff. Dathan Smerchek, assistant professor in animal science nutrition, is a PI and overall coordinator on the grant, “’Long fed deads’ — late-day feedlot death loss: a prospective analysis of risk factors, timing, and cause of death in late-day midwestern necropsied feedlot finishing cattlle."

“This grant will run from Aug. 1, 2026, to Aug. 1, 2028,” he said. “The extended timeline will allow our team to gather a sizeable, robust data set of necropsy reports from ‘long-fed’ feedlot cattle located in Iowa and some surrounding states.”

The project is designed to improve understanding of the risk factors, timing, and cause of death in late-day feedlot deads, Smerchek said.

“It will also be instrumental in developing future research objectives that can then inform management practices, nutritional interventions, and marketing strategies to reduce the death loss or simply the economic loss for the Midwestern cattle feeder,” he said.

Smerchek is joined by ISU VDPAM professor Terry Engelken, and clinical associate professors Rachel Friedrich and Drew Magstadt, on the grant. Engleken and Friedrich will work with the veterinary practices on expectations of the project, feedyard recruitment, student necropsy training and sample collection. Magstedt is the veterinary diagnostic lab contact who will evaluate samples from dead cattle and also assist with student necropsy training.

This project is one of two ISU proposals approved for funding by the Iowa Beef Industry Council board of directors for this year. Five total projects were approved for a funding total of $237,540.

To date, the Iowa State beef checkoff has funded 36 projects totaling more than $2.3 million.

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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.

Contact:
Dathan Smerchek, assistant professor, animal science ruminant nutrition, dtsmerch@iastate.edu