Table 4.

Physiological responses during a 42-d preconditioning program of beef calves receiving BAS (n = 40) or CON (n = 40) on the day of weaning (day 0)¹

Item	CON	BAS	SEM	P-value
Plasma hormones and metabolites2
Cortisol, ng/mL	27.0	24.6	1.4	0.27
BHBA, mmol/L	0.435	0.428	0.013	0.70
IGF I, ng/mL	70.3	77.1	6.3	0.47
NEFA, μEq/L	0.175	0.183	0.011	0.62
Serum antibodies against respiratory viruses3
PI-3 virus	0.598	0.666	0.032	0.09
BRSV	1.41	1.49	0.04	0.08
BVDV types I and II	1.15	1.31	0.05	0.02
BHV-1	2.57	2.63	0.05	0.37

¹Calves individually received 5 mL of a BAS (IRSEA Group, Quartier Salignan, France) or CON (diethylene glycol monoethyl ether) on day 0. Treatments (5 mL) were applied topically to the nuchal skin area of each animal.

²Blood samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 for plasma extraction. Results from day 0 were used as a covariate in each respective analysis.

³Calves received vaccination against respiratory viruses on day −21 (Triangle 5; Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA) and day 0 (Titanium 5; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN). Blood samples were collected on days −21, 0, 14, 28, and 42 for serum extraction. Serum samples were analyzed and results were expressed as sample:positive control ratio as in Gonda et al. (2012). Results obtained on days −21 and 0 were averaged and used as a covariate in each respective analysis.