Disease Occurrence in- and the Transferal of Zoonotic Agents by North American Feedlot Cattle
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This is a very nice review that provides a very useful summary of the North American cattle feeding industry and some associated zoonoses.
Just a few minor comments/corrections
Abstract - helpful if you could slip some mention of brucellosis into abstract. Have some suggestions for a bit that could be cut to help with this addition.
L14 can be rephrased as 'producing a high quality, wholesome...'
L19-21 This is too long of a sentence. Would suggest dividing into two sentences. End the first after pathogens on L 21. The second sentence could be 'Pathogens with fecal-oral transmission cycle within feedyard populations...'
L45 Should be ' rations are'
L108 There are some cow-calf producers that derive their entire income from their cattle. They are not the norm, but this sentence should be 'often work a...'
L117 should be 'over the year'
L156 pens are often also divided by sex
L170 pen surfaces is a bit confusing as some pen surfaces are concrete. Best to say that composting the manure and avoid muddying things with pen surfaces. Will need to change this terminology on Figure 4 as well.
L176 Data for figure 4 were taken from where?
L179 Not all pathogens of cattle are zoonoses. Best to say 'but some are human health threats...'
L205-209 Another excessively long sentence. Please divide into two. Second sentence can start with 'However, '
L227 reported as low.
L237 has declined
L271 Need parallel construction here. Would suggest 'transmission and production environment contamination.'
L288 What is professional exposure? Need to clarify.
L305 and 306 You appear to be missing several superscripts here.
L386 would suggest 'is a disease...'
Your section on Brucella is well done and useful as is too often ignored.
L405 can delete 'practices'
L414 is 'elk' as a plural.
L414 best to label as 'Conclusions'
Author Response
We would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their comments and suggestions. They have strengthened the manuscript significantly. We are very grateful for the time and effort you expended to make this better. We have added the words necessary to reach the 6000 word mark requested by the editorial staff as well
Reviewer 1
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
This is a very nice review that provides a very useful summary of the North American cattle feeding industry and some associated zoonoses.
We thank the reviewer for their suggestions and kind words.
Just a few minor comments/corrections
Abstract - helpful if you could slip some mention of brucellosis into abstract. Have some suggestions for a bit that could be cut to help with this addition.
Added as suggested
L14 can be rephrased as 'producing a high quality, wholesome...'
Changed as suggested
L19-21 This is too long of a sentence. Would suggest dividing into two sentences. End the first after pathogens on L 21. The second sentence could be 'Pathogens with fecal-oral transmission cycle within feedyard populations...'
Changed as suggested
L45 Should be ' rations are'
Changed as suggested
L108 There are some cow-calf producers that derive their entire income from their cattle. They are not the norm, but this sentence should be 'often work a...'
Changed as suggested
L117 should be 'over the year'
Changed as suggested
L156 pens are often also divided by sex
Changed as suggested
L170 pen surfaces is a bit confusing as some pen surfaces are concrete. Best to say that composting the manure and avoid muddying things with pen surfaces. Will need to change this terminology on Figure 4 as well.
Changed as suggested Figure 4 was removed per other reviewer comments
L176 Data for figure 4 were taken from where?
It was stated in the legend (Google Maps) but it has been removed per other comments of other reviewers
L179 Not all pathogens of cattle are zoonoses. Best to say 'but some are human health threats...'
Changed as suggested
L205-209 Another excessively long sentence. Please divide into two. Second sentence can start with 'However, '
Changed as suggested
L227 reported as low.
Changed as suggested
L237 has declined
Changed as suggested
L271 Need parallel construction here. Would suggest 'transmission and production environment contamination.'
Changed as suggested
L288 What is professional exposure? Need to clarify.
Changed as suggested
L305 and 306 You appear to be missing several superscripts here.
Changed as suggested
L386 would suggest 'is a disease...'
Changed as suggested
Your section on Brucella is well done and useful as is too often ignored.
Thank you! We agree and appreciate that you see the lack of focus on it as important. Especially in light of the US being declared Bangs free a month or so ago…..
L405 can delete 'practices'
Changed as suggested
L414 is 'elk' as a plural.
Changed as suggested
L414 best to label as 'Conclusions'
Changed as suggested
Reviewer 2 Report
Well written paper that only requires some minor editing as indicated on the marked pdf file.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
We would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their comments and suggestions. They have strengthened the manuscript significantly. We are very grateful for the time and effort you expended to make this better. We have added the words necessary to reach the 6000 word mark requested by the editorial staff as well
Reviewer 2
See attached PDF
It is difficult to respond pointwise to the PDF included comments. But we thank the reviewer for marking these, we agreed with them all and in short, all responses are “Changed as suggested”
Reviewer 3 Report
Overall very good review. My comments are minor.
For consistency use feedlot or feedyard, but not both
Same for gut or gastrointestinal tract
Line 17 Anytime you use the word performance it is preferable to say "growth performance" as most people will not understand performance alone
Line 21 lifestyle seems and odd choice of wording for pathogens, but I am not a microbiologist
Line 52 the word approximately is not showing up correctly on my version, double check it
Line 54 Change "does lead" to "can lead" to ruminal acidosis, this is highly managed in commercial feedlots by feeding 3X day and bunk management
Line 60 "forage-based" rations
Line 65 "cattle can still have certain conditions and diseases".... removing the word suffer, that has a negative connotation
Line 66 growth performance
Line 77 to 80 - Use positive vs. infected carcasses
Line 83 and 84 - Cattle ranchers are self-reliant heroes
Line 92 Replace farmers with ranchers or cattlemen, most cattle producers do not consider themselves farmers
Line 93 Consider replacing "live cattle production industry" with "beef industry" or "beef production continuum"
Line 108 Add "typically" work a traditional job and maybe use the term off-farm income or off-ranch income
Line 112 expense, time, lack of facilities, I don't think we can assume this is just expense
Line 118 Prefer "auction market" vs. sale barn
Line 124 Use the term commingled vs. mixed and change this sentence to "can be" instead of "are stressed" as not all calves from auction markets are stressed and high risk....
Can be moderately immunosuppressed
Line 125 "in a new environment" a sale barn is stressful because it is new
I like figure 3, wondering if you should "range" the final days? Like up to 550 +/- 100 or something like that. This does a good job representing total days in the system, but there is large variation and putting a +/- on the days would be helpful.
Line 131 Not sure where the "less than 24 hours comes from" but based on my experience this can be 24 to 48 hours. For example, if a sale is on Monday at noon, usually the cattle must be in place by 10 am Monday morning, but for people with "off-farm income" they drop the cattle off on Sunday afternoon. Cattle are loaded on the truck Monday evening after the sale, last truck out at 7 pm Monday. 24 to 48 hours is a safer range here
Line 131 - 132 The weight range here needs to be expanded, if you look at the TCFA auction market report, feeders steers are sold at up to 800 lb through auction markets
Line 139 Use commingled not mixed
Line 140 also water withdrawal, most cattle are dehydrated when arriving at feedlots
Line 142 because of commingling
Line 151 Disagree that calves receive concentrate rations while in backgrounding or stocking, they will consume high-forage rations most likely, even if in a feedlot backgrounding operation the forage portion of the ration will be greater than the concentrate
Line 152 Yes the feedlot rations will have byproducts, but most likely not "high" we want them to consume starch to produce marbling, so rewrite to say "often the rations in feedyards will contain some byproducts, but mostly contain corn, with varying levels of processing"
Line 156 in the feedyard we seldom know age, so they are usually sorted based on BW alone
Line 159 Net energy for gain, not growth reword "fed diets containing a high net energy for gain concentration"
Line 164 to 167 This is all true, but on a dry matter basis. If on an as-fed basis this could be up to 642,000 kg of feed for a 70% DM diet, which is more train cars. Just specify these cals are on a DM basis, because feed is delivered on an as-fed basis.
Line 168-169 Most feedlots in the Southern great plains are not located near train lines and all commodities are delivered by truck. For example, an average size feedlot down here may receive 20 to 25 loads of corn per day via truck (50,000 lb)
Figure 4 - image 2 This looks like a pile not a pit of silage; image 4 should say water "retention" pond, I'm not convinced 6 is showing anything, but I cannot zoom in here. The working facilities are likely the little silver structures located to the right of #5, below and to the right of #1, and above #1. Reword "dirt mounds" to soil mounds.
Line 203 and sickness is dose dependent...?
LIne 216 and stress of lairage
Line 261 prefer commercial abattoir vs. slaughterhouse
Line 276 "top six STEC"
Line 278 Flies also according to Berry and Wells
Line 305 and 306 1.1 x 10^2 and 2.7 x 10^4
Author Response
We would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their comments and suggestions. They have strengthened the manuscript significantly. We are very grateful for the time and effort you expended to make this better. We have added the words necessary to reach the 6000 word mark requested by the editorial staff as well
Reviewer 3
Overall very good review. My comments are minor.
For consistency use feedlot or feedyard, but not both
You’re right. It’s such a regional variation that I was trying to cover both bases, but consolidated now into feedlot Changed as suggested
Same for gut or gastrointestinal tract
Changed as suggested
Line 17 Anytime you use the word performance it is preferable to say "growth performance" as most people will not understand performance alone
Changed as suggested
Line 21 lifestyle seems and odd choice of wording for pathogens, but I am not a microbiologist
I agree it seems odd, but it’s basically how we are trying to view the microbial ecology in the same lens system as macroecological ones….that helps most people understand better what these organisms are trying to do
Line 52 the word approximately is not showing up correctly on my version, double check it
Weird. Changed as suggested. Great Catch!
Line 54 Change "does lead" to "can lead" to ruminal acidosis, this is highly managed in commercial feedlots by feeding 3X day and bunk management
Changed as suggested
Line 60 "forage-based" rations
Changed as suggested
Line 65 "cattle can still have certain conditions and diseases".... removing the word suffer, that has a negative connotation
Changed as suggested
Line 66 growth performance
Changed as suggested
Line 77 to 80 - Use positive vs. infected carcasses
Changed as suggested
Line 83 and 84 - Cattle ranchers are self-reliant heroes
You’re absolutely right. I was hesitant to be that critical, but since you agree…..Changed as suggested
Line 92 Replace farmers with ranchers or cattlemen, most cattle producers do not consider themselves farmers
Changed as suggested
Line 93 Consider replacing "live cattle production industry" with "beef industry" or "beef production continuum"
Changed as suggested
Line 108 Add "typically" work a traditional job and maybe use the term off-farm income or off-ranch income
Changed as suggested
Line 112 expense, time, lack of facilities, I don't think we can assume this is just expense
Changed as suggested
Line 118 Prefer "auction market" vs. sale barn
Changed as suggested
Line 124 Use the term commingled vs. mixed and change this sentence to "can be" instead of "are stressed" as not all calves from auction markets are stressed and high risk....
Can be moderately immunosuppressed
Changed as suggested
Line 125 "in a new environment" a sale barn is stressful because it is new
Changed as suggested
I like figure 3, wondering if you should "range" the final days? Like up to 550 +/- 100 or something like that. This does a good job representing total days in the system, but there is large variation and putting a +/- on the days would be helpful.
Great points, Changed as suggested
Line 131 Not sure where the "less than 24 hours comes from" but based on my experience this can be 24 to 48 hours. For example, if a sale is on Monday at noon, usually the cattle must be in place by 10 am Monday morning, but for people with "off-farm income" they drop the cattle off on Sunday afternoon. Cattle are loaded on the truck Monday evening after the sale, last truck out at 7 pm Monday. 24 to 48 hours is a safer range here
Great point, and I agree Changed as suggested
Line 131 - 132 The weight range here needs to be expanded, if you look at the TCFA auction market report, feeders steers are sold at up to 800 lb through auction markets
You’re right, I kept coming back to southeastern calves too much. Changed as suggested
Line 139 Use commingled not mixed
Changed as suggested
Line 140 also water withdrawal, most cattle are dehydrated when arriving at feedlots
Changed as suggested
Line 142 because of commingling
Changed as suggested
Line 151 Disagree that calves receive concentrate rations while in backgrounding or stocking, they will consume high-forage rations most likely, even if in a feedlot backgrounding operation the forage portion of the ration will be greater than the concentrate
Changed as suggested
Line 152 Yes the feedlot rations will have byproducts, but most likely not "high" we want them to consume starch to produce marbling, so rewrite to say "often the rations in feedyards will contain some byproducts, but mostly contain corn, with varying levels of processing"
Changed as suggested
Line 156 in the feedyard we seldom know age, so they are usually sorted based on BW alone
Changed as suggested
Line 159 Net energy for gain, not growth reword "fed diets containing a high net energy for gain concentration"
Changed as suggested
Line 164 to 167 This is all true, but on a dry matter basis. If on an as-fed basis this could be up to 642,000 kg of feed for a 70% DM diet, which is more train cars. Just specify these cals are on a DM basis, because feed is delivered on an as-fed basis.
Great catch! Thank you Changed as suggested
Line 168-169 Most feedlots in the Southern great plains are not located near train lines and all commodities are delivered by truck. For example, an average size feedlot down here may receive 20 to 25 loads of corn per day via truck (50,000 lb)
Changed as suggested
Figure 4 - image 2 This looks like a pile not a pit of silage; image 4 should say water "retention" pond, I'm not convinced 6 is showing anything, but I cannot zoom in here. The working facilities are likely the little silver structures located to the right of #5, below and to the right of #1, and above #1. Reword "dirt mounds" to soil mounds.
Figure 4 has been removed due to concerns from reviewers, but thanks for the suggestions. You’re right
Line 203 and sickness is dose dependent...?
Changed as suggested
LIne 216 and stress of lairage
Changed as suggested
Line 261 prefer commercial abattoir vs. slaughterhouse
Changed as suggested
Line 276 "top six STEC"
Changed as suggested
Line 278 Flies also according to Berry and Wells
Changed as suggested
Line 305 and 306 1.1 x 10^2 and 2.7 x 10^4
Changed as suggested
