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Optimizing Laying Hen Behavior, Bone Health, And Welfare Through Environmental And Nutritional Enrichments, Mallory Anderson

All Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the impact of environmental and nutritional enrichments on the behavior, bone health, and welfare of Hy-line brown and Hy-line W-36 laying hens. Laying hens are prone to experiencing a progressive increase in bone fragility due to the ongoing mobilization of calcium from the bones for eggshell formation. Over time, this increases their susceptibility for bone fracture, which is a welfare concern. Prior research suggests that exercise, especially during the developmental stage, can aid in minimizing bone fractures by strengthening muscles and increasing bone mass. Furthermore, nutrition plays an integral role in laying …

Tri-Colored Bat Habitat Use And Selection In Northwestern South Carolina, Eduardo Rosales

All Theses

North American bat populations continue to be decimated by many factors, with the largest contributor being white-nose syndrome (WNS). In recent years researchers have noted the importance of fat reserves pre- and post-hibernation (fall and spring) and how they may influence WNS survival and recovery respectively. Tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) are one of the four species most impacted by WNS but have received the least research. Further, thus far all research on tri-colored bat resource selection has been gathered during summer and winter, highlighting the need for habitat selection studies during the fall and spring pre- and post-hibernation …

Yield And Nutritive Quality Of Fresh And Ensiled Reduced Lignin Alfalfa In Monoculture And Diculture With Novel Tall Fescue, Morgan Boss

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The objectives of this research were to: (1) evaluate the yield, nutritional value, and digestibility of fresh and ensiled reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA; Medicago sativa L.) in monoculture and when mixed with novel endophyte-infected tall fescue (F; Festuca arundinacea) in comparison to a conventional alfalfa (CA) cultivar; and (2) evaluate ensiled samples under varying DM concentrations; with or without inoculant. A trial was prepared as a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates per treatment. Treatments included reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA), conventional alfalfa (CA) and tall fescue (F) plots as well as RLA/F and CA/F plots. Plots were harvested on …

The Spatial And Behavioral Ecology Of The Eastern Box Turtle In A Suburban Landscape, Emma Rogers

All Theses

Urbanization poses a significant threat to wildlife through fragmentation, degradation, and loss of habitats. Species response to urban development is variable, from species that thrive in urban areas to those that avoid them. Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) can live and reproduce in urban areas; however, reports of population decline throughout the species’ range have raised concerns. The objective of this study was to compare home range size and composition, as well as the microhabitat selection of the Eastern box turtle across a developmental gradient in Clemson, SC. We tracked 14 individuals in habitats along a developmental …

Photobiomodulation Of Bovine Oocytes During Maturation Increases Atp Content And Enhances Subsequent Embryonic Development, Kendall Richey

All Theses

Bovine in-vitro production(IVP) of embryos is a growing field for producing offspring with desirable genetics in the cattle industries. While IVP is effective, oocyte cytoplasmic maturation is compromised, and bovine oocytes matured in-vitro have reduced metabolic activity than those matured in-vivo. Mitochondria are the central unit of oocyte metabolism, producing ATP through OXPHOS. Photobiomodulation is a light treatment reported to improve metabolic activity. In five experiments, we measured the effects of photobiomodulation treatment with red LED at 16-(L-16) and 20 h(L-20) of bovine oocyte in-vitro maturation on subsequent embryonic development, mitochondrial activity and nuclear progression. Bovine COCs were aspirated …

Effect Of Source Of Trace Minerals On Nutrient Digestibility And Rumen Fermentation Of Dairy Cows, Cesar Velasquez Rios

All Theses

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The Effects Of Sous Vide Cooking And Cysteine Proteases On Instrumental And Sensory Textural Properties Of Lower Value Cuts Of Beef, Ian Smith

All Theses

Sous vide cooking has the potential to increase the value of lower quality cuts of beef. Understanding the textural properties following a cook-chill sous vide process is crucial to maximizing this potential. The use of enzymes may further increase the value of these products if able to positively alter the texture of the final product.

The first research objective was to use instrumental texture analysis to evaluate potential relationships between enzymatic treatments and sous vide processing time of lower value cuts of beef. Three cuts were evaluated: infraspinatus (top blade), semitendinosus (eye of round), and beef tongue. Infraspinatus and semitendinosus …

Novel Protected Gelatin Capsules Containing Fish Oil Mitigated The Effect Of Milk Fat Depression And Reduced Rumen Degradation Compared To Untreated Capsules, Omar Manuel Pena Pena

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The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feeding gelatin capsules treated with alcoholic solutions of flavoring agents followed by drying containing fish oil on lactation performance, rumen fatty acids content and milk enrichment of fatty acids. In Trial 1, four multiparous ruminally-fistulated Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatment sequences in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of 1) Control with no capsules, 2) Control plus 200 untreated capsules per cow/day, mixed with the TMR; 3) Control plus 200 treated capsules per cow/day placed directly into the rumen, 4) …

Mirna Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy, Maslyn Greene

All Dissertations

Muscle tissue is vital to animal survival and economically essential to livestock producers. Reduced muscle growth can occur from various reasons, including genetics, nutrition, and the pre and postnatal environment. Understanding the mechanisms behind muscle growth can aid in developing strategies to increase muscle mass. Several methods to increase muscle mass in livestock animals are currently being pursued, including nutrition, hormonal therapy, and genetic selection. One newly developing avenue is using miRNA technologies to change the expression of protein-coding genes. miRNA are a type of RNA that regulate over half of protein-coding gene expression. Here we evaluate muscle characteristics such …

Effect Of Authentic Kefir And Nigella Sativa On Broilers Challenged By Coccidia And Clostridium Perfringens, Julian E. Nixon

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Black seed oil concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, 1% and 5% were added to milk inoculated with kefir grains and incubated at 25°C for 22 h. The pH and microbial count indicated 1% black seed oil caused low inhibition (P > 0.05) of fermentation, but 5% black seed oil caused significant inhibition of the kefir microorganisms (P < 0.05).

Cobb 500 male chicks (n = 256) were distributed in a randomized block design and received one of four treatments: CTRL1 (Non-medicated, no kefir, no Clostridium perfringens), CTRL2 (Non-medicated, no kefir, C. perfringens inoculated), CTRL3 (BMD medicated, no kefir, C. perfringens inoculated), KTRT (Non-medicated, …

Evaluation Of Bone And Muscle Quality In Laying Hens Using Quantitative, Radiographic, Computed Tomographic, Biomechanical, And Tissue Level Measures, Cerano Harrison

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Bone quality is an important measure of welfare in laying hens for researchers, veterinarians, and commercial producers who bear the responsibility of providing them with care. Breeding practices that have resulted in high egg productivity of laying hen strains have resulted in an increased susceptibility to developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, a decrease in mineralized bone, is accompanied by increased bone fragility that can lead to potentially painful bone fractures that can inhibit some aspects of the birds natural living, respiration and flight being two examples. Current methods of examining laying hen bone quality involve the implementation of diagnostic imaging and biomechanical …

Effects Of Antagomir-22-3p On Muscle Size In Older Lambs Using Computed Tomography Imaging, Anna Brewer

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Background

Texel sheep are known for their double-muscling phenotype and extraordinary meat production (Miar et al., 2014). Satellite cells are essential for this desired muscle growth. MicroRNAs can silence target genes by binding to the target messenger RNA (mRNA) (Horak et alk., 2016). Antagomirs are miRNA inhibitors and are used for loss of function studies. MiR-22-3p is known for inhibiting skeletal muscle growth and directly targets HDAC4, TGFBR1, PAX7 mRNA expression. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is now growing in popularity in the animal science field to record changes in muscle characteristics.

Materials and Methods

Texel x Suffolk lambs (n=4) were …

Immediate Response Of Bats To Prescribed Fire And Impact Of Experiences On Women's Self-Image In Natural Resources Professions, Zebria Hicks

All Theses

To inform use of prescribed fire management practice in the southeastern US, we studied its impact on bats, which are important and at-risk species. We evaluated if prescribed fire had a positive, neutral, or negative effect on bat activity in the two weeks following the burns. We recorded bat activity after prescribed burns in February and March 2022 in northwestern South Carolina in select hardwood and pine stands and control sites ≥ 500 m from burn boundaries. We measured insect abundance, canopy cover, basal area, and understory density at each site. We recorded 687 passes during our 45-day study period. …

Growth, Mortality, And Movement Of Endemic Bartram's Bass And Invasive Alabama Bass In Upper Savannah River Basin Tributaries, Tyler Zumwalt

All Theses

Bartram’s Bass are an endemic to the Upper Savannah River basin in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Bartram’s Bass are facing many risks, primary among them being hybridization with nonnative Alabama Bass. More recently, nonnative Alabama Bass and their hybrid congeners have been observed moving from reservoirs into tributaries where the remaining Bartram’s Bass populations exist. Thus, for Chapter 1 we sought to better understand the threat of nonnative gene spreading in tributary systems. To do this, we 1) quantified the movement of pure Alabama Bass, Bartram’s Bass, and their hybrids, 2) assessed correlations between movement and abiotic variables, …

Understanding Movement, Habitat Use, And Habitat Selection By Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Nigricans X Salmoides) And Alabama Bass (Micropterus Henshalli) On Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, Deon Kerr

All Theses

Alabama Bass (Micropterus henshalli) were illegally introduced into the upper Savannah River Basin 15-20 years ago and have since become abundant as well as problematic ecologically. Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify diel movement, habitat use, and habitat selection of Alabama Bass and Largemouth Bass in Lake Hartwell, SC across seasons (June 2021-July 2022) with the goal of informing ongoing habitat enhancement efforts. Across all seasons, Alabama Bass conducted diel horizontal migrations from deeper offshore habitats during the day to nearshore, shallow habitats at night. Daytime Alabama Bass movement rates in offshore waters were higher than nighttime movement rates. Largemouth …

Impact Of Housing And Management On Production, Behavior, And Welfare Of Dairy Cows In Automatic Milking Systems, Lindsey Eve Davis

All Theses

The overall objective of this research was to determine the impact of Automatic Milking System (AMS) housing and management practices on cow production, behavior, and welfare of Holstein dairy cows. The first objective was to identify factors at the farm and cow level associated with lameness on AMS farms through decision tree analysis to allocate probabilities to each input. Results indicated this novel multifactorial approach of data analysis enabled us to highlight critical points that can be focused on to lessen cow-level complications or enhance farm-level housing and management practices to reduce the incidence and severity of lameness in AMS …

An Evaluation Of Bovine Reproductive Function From The Microrna Expression In The Female To Performance Testing In The Male, Erin Amiss

All Theses

Reproductive function is crucial to the success of a beef or dairy herd. Both the female and male play significant roles in the outcome of bovine reproduction. The bull contributes to reproductive success in many ways, such as genetics. The initial role that the bull has in reproductive success is fertilization, whether natural or by artificial insemination. One method of assessing bull performance are central bull test stations, which are traditionally administered by a university, extension center, or are privately owned. Central bull tests assess the performance of bulls from various management systems, breeds, and ages. Some measurements taken during …

Patterns Of Occurrence Of The Black Basses In The Upper Savannah River Tributaries Of Georgia And South Carolina With Emphasis On Bartram’S Bass Micropterus Sp. Cf. Coosae, Caroline Cox

All Theses

Aquatic ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world due to anthropogenic alterations to the natural landscape and native biotas. Identifying the local and landscape-level environmental factors that influence the occurrence of endemic species can help protect aquatic ecosystems by facilitating predictions of where hybridization or replacement with generalist species may occur across the landscape. The need for such predictions is pronounced for black bass species in the southeastern United States. Bartram’s Bass (Micropterus sp. cf. coosae) is a provisional species of conservation concern. Allelic frequencies of Bartram’s Bass in Savannah River reservoirs and tributaries have been …

Microbial, Chemical, And Functional Components In Kefir, Natto, And Feed Ingredients, Dana Mccurdy

All Dissertations

Kefir grains were purchased from online, home kitchen vendors in the United States (n = 22), inoculated into UHT milk, and incubated at 25°C for 22 hours. Results indicated lactobacilli, lactococci and yeast in all samples. Six out of 11 samples contained coliform, and all samples contained pseudomonal and staphylococcal species. Using targeted genome sequencing (16S) of kefir grain samples 1, 2, and 3 revealed that lactobacilli were the predominant genera of bacteria. ITS sequencing revealed different fungal species in each grain. Results indicated potential presence of menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7 by UPLC-MS/MS analysis.

The fermentation of whole and ground soybeans, …

Recruitment, Cost Indexes, And Management Of Box-Nesting Wood Ducks In South Carolina And North Carolina, Emily Miller

All Theses

The wood duck (Aix sponsa) has experienced one of the most significant declines and recoveries among species of North American waterfowl (Anatidae). With enactment of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918) and installation of hundreds of thousands of artificial nest structures for this cavity-nesting species in North America, wood duck populations have recovered and remain a sustainable harvested resource. However, long-term research on box-nesting wood ducks conducted at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, has revealed uncertainty as to whether recruitment rates of yearling females from natal box-nesting populations are self-sustaining without immigration of hens from …

Reproductive Ecology And Microbial Communities From Wood Duck Nest Boxes In Georgia And Florida, Jake Shurba

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Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are an important game species throughout the Atlantic Flyway that was nearly extirpated by the early 20^th century due to overhunting and the loss of habitat. Wood ducks are secondary cavity-nesters that utilize artificial nest boxes and natural cavities. It is reported that the use of nest boxes is likely what led to re-establishment of the species in North America. Where boxes are numerous, overuse of boxes by multiple hens throughout a nesting season can occur and result in a buildup of bacteria, parasites and other potentially detrimental pathogens that can impact egg …

Depot-Specific Patterns Of Mrna And Mirna Gene Expression In Adipose Tissue From Texel-Cross And Suffolk Lambs, Aliute-Nkoyo Udoka

All Theses

This work hypothesizes that miR-199a-3p influences SCD-1 expression and monounsaturated fat content of lamb fat depots. The objectives of this study were to: 1) measure miR-199a-3p, SCD1, and fatty acid composition in various tissues (longissimus muscle and liver) and fat depots (omental, mesenteric, subcutaneous, intermuscular, perirenal) in Suffolk and Texel-sired lambs, and 2) evaluate the role of miR-199a-3p in adipocyte hypertrophy in ovine stromal vascular (SV) cells in vitro. Suffolk lambs (n=4) and Texel-Suffolk cross lambs (n=5) were finished to day 203 of age. The liver, the longissimus muscle, kidney fat, mesenteric fat, omental fat, subcutaneous fat, and intermuscular fat …

Evaluation Of Grazing Techniques As A Nutrition Source For Horses In A Pasture Environment, Brittany Perron

All Dissertations

Horses require daily access to forage in order to support their gastrointestinal tract function as well as natural grazing behaviors. Well-managed pasture provides horses with a consistent forage source and diminishes health risks such as colic, ulcers and stereotypies. However, equine grazing behaviors are more intense than other livestock and may be detrimental to plant and soil health. A grazing management technique specifically for horses is necessary to prevent both health and environmental issues. The following dissertation explores both the movement of required maintenance elements, such as feed, shelter, and water, as well as the manipulation of feeding frequency and …

Effects Of Tannin-Free Grain Sorghum Varieties On The Metabolizable Energy, Performance, And Intestinal Health Of Poultry, Alissa Moritz

All Dissertations

The single largest cost of poultry production is the cost of feed, and it is favorable to seek more sustainable, alternative feed ingredients to reduce the competition between human, animal, and industrial users. Grain sorghum is a potential alternative feedstuff to minimize the dependence of corn by the poultry industry. Not only is it nutritionally similar to corn, but it is tolerant to dry, sandy soils, which allows it to grow successfully in arid climates. This is highly desirable because of its potential to alleviate the production pressure of growing other cereal grains like corn that are less tolerant to …

Effects Of Cashew Nut Shell Extract On Nutrient Digestibility And Ruminal Fermentation Under In Vitro Batch Culture And Continuous Culture Conditions, Chandler Compton

All Theses

The overall objective of this research was to determine the effects of cashew nut shell extract (CNSE; 59% anacardic acid and 18% cardol) on nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation profile under in vitro batch culture (Chapter 2) and continuous culture conditions (Chapter 3). The second objective was to determine an optimal supplementation dosage for dairy cows. The batch culture study was organized as a randomized complete block design with 15 replicates per treatment incubated for 24 h during four incubation runs. Each incubation was inoculated with rumen contents collected from ruminally fistulated cows fed either a close-up ( …

The Impact Of Ergot Alkaloid Consumption During Gestation On Maternal Performance And Fetoplacental Development, Jessica Lynn Britt

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Tall fescue is the primary cool season perennial forage grass in southeastern US for grazing livestock. Tall fescue the is known to be drought tolerant , disease resistant, grazing tolerant and overall very hardy. Many of these attributes common to fescue are due to a symbiotic relationship between the fescue plant and an endophyte, Epichloë coenophiala , which produces a class of mycotoxins known as ergot alkaloids. These ergot alkaloids are similar in structure to several biogenic amines, such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. When consumed, ergot alkaloids cause a syndrome known as fescue toxicosis which causes problems with weight …

Ruminant Supplementation Of Gluconeogenic Substrates Via Drinking Water, Gabriela Volpi-Lagreca

All Dissertations

Dark cutting or high pH meat is found in all meat species, inducing significant losses to the meat industry. Dark cutting meat is a direct consequence of low muscle glycogen at slaughter, which affects the normal acidification of meat during rigor development, hence, the ultimate pH remains high. The ultimate pH of the meat has a great influence on certain meat quality parameters, such as color, water holding capacity, and tenderness. An animal exposed to stress previous to slaughter may significantly depletes its glycogen reserves. This situation leads to a high ultimate pH if the animal is slaughtered before it …

Evaluation Of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus) For Duckweed (Lemna Minor) Control In South Carolina's Private Waters, William Heaton

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ABSTRACT We investigated the potential of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) as a means for biological control of duckweed in agricultural impoundments, and assessed the potential for naturalization of this non-native fish in coastal regions of South Carolina. Additionally, we studied growth characteristics and nutrient accumulation abilities of duckweed (Lemna minor) growing in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain. Observations of tank feeding trials indicated juvenile Blue Tilapia consumed 36 – 86% of their body weight in fresh duckweed every 24 hours. Tilapia were stocked in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain during the 2012 and 2013 …

Management And Impacts Of Wild Hogs (Sus Scrofa) In South Carolina, Susan Sullivan

All Theses

Wild hogs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species that can damage native ecosystems, negatively impact native wildlife, and potentially act as disease reservoirs in the U.S. To better understand how natural resource professionals in South Carolina approach wild hog management, I conducted a web-based survey of natural resource professionals focused on aspects of wild hog impacts and management. Generally, there was agreement among natural resource professionals regarding the approaches used to control wild hog populations and their subsequent effectiveness. The majority of respondents indicated high priority impacts needing to be addressed in wild hog management were agricultural damage …

Variability In Movement Patterns And Habitat Use Of Two Species Of Pelecaniformes, Caroline Poli

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Information regarding movement patterns of seabirds is useful for understanding prey abundance and distribution, predicting overlap between bird activity and anthropogenic stressors, and assessing the effectiveness of reserves at protecting nesting or foraging habitat(Cairns 1992, Weimerskirch 2007, Weimerskirch et al. 2010). I examined movement patterns of 40 brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) satellite tagged in December 2010 in South Carolina, USA, and tracked until July 2013. Birds exhibited individual variability in movement patterns and 25% of individuals remained near the breeding colony during nonbreeding. Birds captured in South Carolina that did migrate wintered as far south as Guatemala, prospected and used …