Measurement of the Direct Impact of Hematophagous Flies on Feeder Cattle: An Unexpectedly High Potential Economic Impact.

In addition to blood pathogen transmission, insects of the order Diptera affect livestock through visual and contact harassment; blood-feeders are responsible for painful bites and blood despoliation, generating behavioral modifications, anemia, and production losses. Knowledge of their economic impact is a basis for cost-effective control. Here, we measured the global impact of diptera insects by comparing two batches of six feeder cattle, one in the open air and the other protected by a mosquito net.

The Use of "Tail-Pedometers" to Evaluate the Impact of Dipterans in Feeder Cattle.

Hematophagous flies are a pest for livestock; their direct impact reduces productivity, and they are vectors of parasites, bacteria and viruses. Their control using insecticides is inefficient and highly polluting. The validation of new control tools requires efficacy and cost-effectiveness evaluation.

Plasma proteins δN vs plasma urea as candidate biomarkers of between-animal variations of feed efficiency in beef cattle: Phenotypic and genetic evaluation.

Identifying animals that are superior in terms of feed efficiency may improve the profitability and sustainability of the beef cattle sector. However, measuring feed efficiency is costly and time-consuming. Biomarkers should thus be explored and validated to predict between-animal variation of feed efficiency for both genetic selection and precision feeding.