255: Could AI Predict Heart Failure Risk in Cattle? with Chase Markel

Lauren sits down with Chase Markel, a PhD researcher at the University of Wyoming, to unpack one of the most overlooked efficiency drains in the beef industry: bovine congestive heart failure. From brisket disease at high elevation to subclinical heart failure in feedlot cattle, this episode breaks down what’s actually happening inside the animal, why many cases go unnoticed, and how emerging AI tools are changing the way the industry measures health, efficiency, and loss. Chase explains how machine learning and computer vision are being used inside packing plants to identify heart failure earlier, remove subjectivity from phenotyping, and uncover millions of dollars in hidden inefficiencies across the beef supply chain.

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Key Takeaways

• Bovine congestive heart failure is not just a death loss issue but a widespread efficiency problem
• Subclinical heart failure cases are far more common than most producers realize
• Brisket disease and feedlot heart failure share the same physiological cascade but occur at different stages
• Pulmonary hypertension places excess strain on the right ventricle, leading to systemic failure
• Many cattle reach harvest with compromised heart function that impacts gain and carcass value
• AI and computer vision can score cattle hearts with over 90% accuracy
• Automated heart scoring removes human subjectivity and improves data consistency
• Subclinical heart failure cattle show lower gain, lighter carcass weights, and reduced efficiency
• The estimated industry cost of subclinical heart failure exceeds $100 million annually
• Digital phenotyping could reshape genetic selection, traceability, and health management
• AI tools offer scalable ways to collect phenotypes at a speed never before possible
• Future adoption depends on making technology accessible and producer-friendly

Chapters

00:00 Chase’s background and research focus
02:35 Why brisket disease and heart failure matter to producers
04:40 The physiology behind pulmonary hypertension and heart failure
07:40 The role of the right ventricle and systemic impacts
09:55 Introducing AI and heart scoring in feedlot cattle
12:20 Inside the packing plant and building an AI model
14:45 Why consistency matters more than speed
17:00 Digital phenotyping, genetics, and traceability
19:15 Subclinical cases and the true cost to efficiency
21:45 What this could mean for the next decade of beef production
24:50 Final thoughts and where to follow Chase’s work

beef industry technology, bovine congestive heart failure, brisket disease, cattle heart health, AI in agriculture, feedlot efficiency, subclinical disease in cattle, beef production losses, digital phenotyping, cattle genetics, traceability in beef, pulmonary hypertension cattle, packing plant technology, beef research innovation