Feed supplement may help fall calves cope with summer heat
Oct. 13, 2026
By John Lovett
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Backgrounding heat stress study supported by $20,000 Arkansas Beef Council grant
- Most heat-stress studies have focused on cattle during finishing phase
- Evaluating use of omega-3 feed additive to lessen heat stress effects
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Summer heat can be costly for Arkansas cattle producers, slowing cattle growth and potentially reducing meat quality. A new study at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station aims to help fall-born calves better withstand heat stress during a critical growth phase.
Zena Herrera, an assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology in the department of animal science for the experiment station, said most heat-stress studies have focused on cattle during the finishing stage, the period immediately before slaughter when animals reach their heaviest weights.
Herrera, however, will be looking at heat stress at a much earlier stage. Her study will examine the effects of an anti-inflammatory feed additive administered during the backgrounding phase, the period between weaning and finishing.
“With fall calving systems, cattle are not in the finishing stage during the hottest months of the year,” Herrera said. “Instead, these animals experience summer heat stress while in the backgrounding phase when they continue to grow before entering finishing programs.”
The study, supported by a $20,000 grant from the Arkansas Beef Council, will evaluate whether a commercial feed additive containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can lessen the physiological effects of heat stress during the backgrounding phase and improve meat quality.
Heat stress can reduce animal growth by decreasing feed efficiency and can negatively affect meat quality, Herrera said.
“Heat stress was certainly a problem for Arkansas producers this summer, and a problem we anticipate producers in Arkansas and throughout the country will continue to face,” Herrera said. “I’m excited to be working on a project that could potentially give producers a solution to this problem. I have a great team to work on this project with and am very grateful to the Arkansas Beef Council for their support.”
Herrera is collaborating on the project with animal science professors Beth Kegley and Jeremy Powell, and Derico Setyabrata, an assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology, all in the department of animal science in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
The project, which began in June, includes monitoring animal growth and measuring indicators of heat stress and inflammation. Researchers will also analyze beef loin samples for color stability, tenderness and flavor to evaluate overall meat quality.
The research team hypothesizes that cattle receiving the omega-3 supplement throughout the summer will have lower stress and inflammation levels, improved growth performance and better meat quality than cattle that do not receive the supplement.
The study could provide producers with a practical management tool to help cattle cope with increasingly challenging environmental conditions while maintaining productivity and meat quality.
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
John Lovett
U of A Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 763-5929
jlovett@uada.edu