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A Mechanistic Examination Of Interspecific Competition Between Wild And Domestic Herbivores, Courtney Check

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Large herbivores, such as mule deer and cattle have similar life histories and likely compete for resources. However, quantifying the extent to which these species compete and the specific resources they compete for has proved challenging. My research examines if cattle influence deer abundance and behavior due to competition for forage, competition for shade, and/or by affecting the predation risk of deer. Using a grid of autonomous trail cameras, I was able to determine if cattle abundance influences local deer abundance in relation to specific resources and habitat features. Using GPS data from collared deer, I was also able to …

Effects Of Providing Novel Feedstuffs To Livestock On Production And Skeletal Muscle Growth, Laura A. Motsinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As the population increases and available land for food production decreases, it is necessary for livestock producers to continually work towards increasing livestock production efficiency. In livestock operations, feed accounts for the majority of input costs associated with raising livestock. As such, it is necessary to improve growth and production of livestock animals, while also optimizing feed utilization. Different feedstuffs can be included in the diet of livestock animals to maximize growth and production. However, the effects of some of these novel feedstuffs on growth and production of livestock animals has not been elucidated. As such, we investigated the effects …

Demographics, Accuracy, And Impact Of Feed Laboratories In The United States, Jerald H. Severe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Feed analysis is very important to modern society. In the United States feed analysis is used to optimize production of food animals. Feed analysis is also used as a tool to place value on crops. As important as feed analysis is to society, little research has been done that describes which feed laboratories are the most popular and why people use them. It has been thought by some patrons that different results from the same feed sample are obtained by different laboratories. Is this true? If so, what is the effect on those that use feed laboratories to produce animals, …

Effects Of Livestock Grazing Management Practices On Greater Sage-Grouse Nest And Female Survival, Seth J. Dettenmaier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The decline in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) populations across western North America has been primarily attributed to loss and fragmentation of their sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. This habitat loss is largely the result of increased human activities, with grazing by domestic livestock as the most predominant land use across the sagebrush ecosystem in North America. The goal of my research was to increase our understanding of the effects of livestock on sage-grouse populations. I reviewed the peer-reviewed literature for all published studies that reported potential effects of grazing on grouse species worldwide. I found that there …

Effects Of Condensed Tannins On The Toxicity Of Fireweed (Senecio Madagascariensis) To Cattle, Carolyn L. Wong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) is a noxious and invasive weed affecting pastures in Hawaii, Australia, and South America. Fireweed contains compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to most grazing mammals. Toxic effects to cattle include irreversible damage to liver cells, hardening of the liver, and loss of liver function, which may lead to jaundice, swelling, and the accumulation of fluids in the stomach and other physiological malfunctions. External effects include rough appearance, diarrhea, low energy and dullness, photosensitization, and abnormal behavior, many of which can lead to death. Fireweed also can reduce pasture productivity by as much as …

Comparative Economics Of Cattle And Wildlife Ranching In The Zimbabwe Midlands, Urs P. Kreuter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The economics of ranches in the Zimbabwe Midlands, generating income from cattle, or wildlife, or both, were compared during 1989/90 to test the claim that wildlife ranching can generate greater profits than cattle ranching on semi-arid African savannas. Both financial (market) prices and economic prices (opportunity cost) were used.

Financial data were obtained from 15 cattle, 7 wildlife and 13 mixed ranches in four areas with wildlife and from 15 cattle ranches in two areas with sparse wildlife. Estimates of economic prices were obtained from official data.

In the first paper, gross revenues, costs, net revenues, and capital investments of …

The Effect Of Seasonal Cattle Grazing On California Bighorn Sheep Habitat Use, Melanie J. Steinkamp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of seasonal cattle grazing on a newly reintroduced population of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Idaho, was studied. The hypothesis that bighorn sheep avoid cattle was tested. The issue of avoidance between bighorn sheep and livestock is arguable. Some studies have found that bighorn sheep avoid cattle while others have found no response of bighorn sheep to cattle.

Evidence was found to document the avoidance of cattle by bighorn sheep. The size of the bighorn's home range and core area decreased with the movement of cattle into areas of high bighorn …

Utilization Of Crested Wheatgrass Plants By Cattle Under Several Grazing Regimes, Patricia Selann Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Patterns of grazing on individual crested wheatgrass plants were studied using scale maps of plant basal outlines within randomly located plots. The occurrence and extent (part of plant grazed, stubble height) of grazing on each plant was recorded on the maps at two and three day intervals throughout a grazing treatment. Allometric equations for estimating phytomass from plant photosynthetic volume were generated using nonlinear regression analysis. Equations were specific to year. The percent weight remaining in the stubble of a grazed plant was estimated using a second-order polynomial equation relating cumulative percent plant height to cumulative percent plant weight. A …

Effect Of Spring Grazing By Cattle On Growth And Survival Of Shrub Seedlings Interplanted In Crested Wheatgrass, Lynn M. Mcconville

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A short duration-high intensity grazing trial was conducted in spring of 1985 to determine whether shrub establishment in crested wheatgrass pastures could be enhanced through spring grazing by cattle, or by fertilization of shrub seedlings. Data was collected on diet selection by cattle during spring grazing, and on subsequent shrub growth and survival. Shrubs studied were transplants of sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, fourwing saltbush, Atriplex canescens, bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata, and one year old bitterbrush seedlings.

Cattle did not browse sagebrush or fourwing saltbush transplants, but utilization of bitterbrush transplants and seedlings averaged 15 and 42 percent, respectively. Shrub …

Production Factors In Beef Cattle Finishing, Gary L. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A feeding trial was conducted comparing four finishing diets, typically fed in this area, two hormone implants zeranol (Ralgro) and estradiol 17-beta (Compudose), and a feed additive. Thirty-two Hereford steers were fed in individual pens to maintain accurate intake records. The four diets compared were: 1) a whole corn diet with a small amount of corn silage as roughage; 2) a high energy ground barley diet using corn silage and chopped alfalfa as roughage; 3) a total diet consisting of rolled barley, beet pulp, and ground alfalfa hay; and 4) a high energy rolled barley diet using corn silage and …

Locoweed Poisoning In Cattle: An Overview Of The Economic Problems Associated With Grazing These Ranges, John E. Barnard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Locoweed poisoning, caused by ingestion of certain species of Astragalous and Oxytropis, has had serious economic impacts through a loss of productivity in livestock. This study has attempted to evaluate losses suffered by livestockmen grazing their cattle on areas infested with locoweed species. The results indicate a serious economic impact on these individuals.

Personal interviews were carried out with five cattle ranchers faced with typical locoweed problems. These beef cattle operations were located in Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. All of these producers described similar problems and losses due to locoweed poisoning. Information obtained from these interviews was used …

Some Morphological And Chemical Responses Of Blackbrush (Coleogyne Ramosissima) To Goat Browsing: Influences On Dietary Blackbrush Selection By Goats And Cattle, Frederick D. Provenza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Domestic goats were used to modify the growth form of blackbrush, a spinescent shrub occurring in nearly monospecific stands on several million hectares of rangeland in the southwestern United States. The objective of this research was to evaluate goat browsing as a means of improving these rangelands for cattle. Winter goat browsing stimulated spring twig growth from basal and axillary buds which resulted in increased production.

Twig production by heavily browsed plants (>95 percent removal of current season's twigs) was a function of precipitation, soil depth, branch location on the plant, and period of rest after browsing. As precipitation …

Economic Analysis Of Long-Term Management Strategies For Two Sizes Of Utah Cattle Ranches, Roger E. Banner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah cattle ranchers realize relatively little profit from ranch ownership and management. This study represents an attempt to identify ranch management strategies that produce more profit over time than do conventional strategies.

To identify optimum management strategies for the long term, analyses of ranches under both normal and adverse ranch operation conditions using the COPLAN linear programming model were made for strategy comparison. To depict these ranch business environmental conditions, production levels were estimated from available biological data and price levels were estimated by indexing 1977 ranch product prices (the most current budget data available for Utah). The variability of …

Food Interactions Between Utah Prairie Dogs And Cattle, Dennis Crocker-Bedford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the food interactions between Utah prairie dogs (Cynomys parvidens, Allen) and cattle (Bos taurus). During 1974 and 1975, three prairie dog colonies near Panguitch, Utah, were studied intensely: "Oldfield" was chosen to represent colonies near fields of alfalfa (Medicago sativa); "Lowercrested" was chosen to represent colonies below 2,200 meters above sea level (a.s.l.) which were not near alfalfa, and "Uppercrested" was chosen to represent colonies above 2,200 meters a.s.l. which have been planted with crested wheatgrass.

Visual observations were made of Utah prairie dogs to determine their diets. Livetrapping of prairie …

A Computerized Performance Record Keeping System For Beef Cattle In Utah, John J. Pierce

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A computer program was developed at Utah State University (USU) to aid in obtaining a more complete individual performance record keeping system for beef cattle in Utah. Some computer programs for beef cattle records presently exist but a program was needed that was readily available to the USU animal science extension and resident staff.

The program was written in FORTRAN for use on the Burrogh 6700 computer located at the Utah State University Computer Center. It was designed to read input data for individual animals, perform various calculations (i. e. days of age, adjusted weaning weight and weaning weight ratio), …

Tissue Mineral Imbalances In Cattle With Brisket Disease, Patricia H. Field

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty four cattle, six each of healthy cows and calves, and cows and calves with brisket disease, were obtained, examined and slaughtered. The concentrations of calcium, chloride, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc; and percent absolute dry matter and percent ash were determined in tissues selected from the following: cardiac, hepatic, renal, osseous, whole blood and blood serum. In addition, certain physical and biological parameters were recorded for each animal. The results were analyzed as a 2 x 2 factorial, segregating the effects of age and brisket disease, and the age-disease interaction.

The following statistically significant …

An Analysis Of The Competitive Position Of Cattle Finishing In Utah And Selected Western States, 1969, Stephen L. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah's cattle feeding industry was described by using both secondary and primary data. The primary data were collected through use of a personal interview survey.

Primary data were also collected in Idaho, while secondary data were used for Arizona, California and Colorado.

Intrastate analysis of feeding costs showed definite cost savings were achieved in all states through economies of size.

Interstate analysis of feeding costs showed Utah's larger capacity feedlots to be very competitive with larger capacity lots in other states.

1968 prices for both slaughter and feeder cattle were computed for each state. Prices in Utah were slightly lower …

Growth Of Eimeria Alabamensis From Cattle In Vitro And The Changes In Fine Structure Associated With Schizogony, J. Robert Sampson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monolayer primary cultures of cells from bovine embryonic intestine (BEint), kidney (BEK), spleen (BES), and thyroid (BET) and cell line cultures of embryonic bovine trachea ( EBTr) and synovium (BESy)as well as established cell line cultures of Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK), human intestine (Int 407), and Syrian hamster kidney (BHK-21) were inoculated with freshly excysted sporozoites of Eimeria alabamensis and observed for 4 days. Sporozoites penetrated all cell types during the first 24 hours in culture. Numerous intracellular sporozoites, trophozoites, and binucleate schizonts were seen in all cell cultures except Int 407. The best development occurred in BES and MDBK …

Nutritive Values Of Russian Wildrye, Crested Wheatgrass, And Intermediate Wheatgrass Grazed By Cattle On Utah Foothill Ranges, George W. Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A comparative index to digestible nutrients was established for Russian wildrye, crested wheatgrass, and intermediate wheatgrass seeded on foothill areas of Utah. The nutritive values of these grasses were compared by the lignin ratio method, the chlorophyllan ratio method, and the in vivo rumen bag process.

Average digestion coefficients computed by the lignin ratio method for dry matter, ether extract, cellulose, and gross energy were highest for intermediate wheatgrass. Protein was more digestible for Russian wildrye. Digestible energy was adequate in all species to meet requirements for late lactation.

Results from the chlorophyllan ratio method were excessively high and were …

The Effect Of Cattle, Sheep, And Other Factors On Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Reproduction After Clear-Cut Logging In Southern Utah, Paul A. Lucas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aspen is the most widespread deciduous tree of the western United States and the aspen type is important for water, forage, and wood products. Aspen reproduction on cutover areas was thought to be hindered by browsing and other factors, therefore a study was conducted to determine the effects of livestock, pocket gophers, disease, and snowpack damage on aspen reproduction during the first three years after clear-cutting. An enclosure was constructed and divided into nine paddocks. Controlled grazing by cattle and sheep was applied to six different paddocks during three summer periods. Three paddocks were protected from grazing. Results show that …

Brisket Disease: Elemental And Oxalate Contents Of Cattle Forages On Two Utah Cattle Allotments, Raga Hafez I. Abaza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It was hypothesized that the hypocalcemia, hyperphosphoremia, hyperkalemia and the mild hypochromic microcytic anemia which existed in cattle afflicted with brisket disease could be due, at least in part, to nutritional disturbances. A chemical composition study was made of seven monocotyledonous plant species that comprise a major part of the diet and nine dicotyledonous plant species consumed by cattle and known or suspected of being poisonous. The plants analyzed were collected from two cattle grazing allotments, 7-mile and UM, in the Fishlake District, Fishlake National Forest, Utah, where brisket disease incidence is high. In each species the percentages on dry …

Cost Of Reclaiming Pinyon-Juniper Rangeland And Its Effect On Cattle Ranch Income, John William Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There was a period during the early history of Utah when grasses in some areas grew so tall that it hid grazing cattle and sheep from view. However, mismanagement caused this to change and depleted grassland was invaded by noxious weeds, sagebrush, and pinyon-juniper. This deterioration of choice grassland to less desirable range cover was aided by the attitude of stockmen that pasture was available on a first come first serve basis. As a result of such an attitude and the unsatisfactory condition of ranges, the era of free, uncontrolled use of grazing lands came to a close with the …

Income Adjustments From Fee And Permit Changes On Utah Cattle Ranches Using Public Ranges Yearlong, C. Kerry Gee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the boundaries of Utah are approximately 52.7 million acres of land. About 41 million acres are rangeland, of which 73 percent is federally owned and 5 percent state owned (6).¹ The portion owned by the Federal government is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service. Most of this land is either arid or mountainous and has been used mainly for grazing in the past. IT has other uses, however, such as mining, forestry, recreation, and watersheds. Due to recent increases in population, personal income, shorter work weeks, and improved transportation facilities, these alternatives …

Motor Truck Transportation Of Cattle In Utah, Loren H. Grover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The beef cattle industry in Utah is of major importance in the economy of the state. In terms of cash receipts it is the largest single agricultural enterprise. In 1957 cash receipts from the sale of cattle and calves amounted to $38,405,000. This figure represents approximately 70 percent of cash receipts from the sale of all meat animals. It comprises 33 percent of cash receipts from the sale of livestock and livestock products and 24 percent of total cash receipts from farm marketings (2).

The production of beef animals will continue to assume a position of importance in Utah's agriculture, …

A Study Of Mineral Nutrition Of Range Cattle In Southeastern Utah, Robert J. Raleigh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cattlemen of south central Utah in Sevier and Wayne County areas have been plagued for the past twenty-five or thirty years by a malady known to the cattleman as "Brisket Disease." It is a chronic disease affecting both male and female of all ages. It is characterized in advance stages by enlargement of the brisket and throat regions, loss of appetite, a general unthrifty condition and marked ascites. The seriousness of the disease is indicated by a morbidity rate varying from one to five percent of the cattle grazing these areas with almost one hundred percent mortality rate.

Many of …

Marketing Aspects Of Cattle Finishing Operations Major Cattle Finishing Areas Of Utah, 1951-52, Robert L. Fulton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

On January 1, 1952, 50,000 head of cattle were on feed for slaughter in the state of Utah (6). This was an increase over previous years. The average number of cattle on feed for slaughter January 1st during the 1948-52 period was 45,000 head. This number was 30 percent larger than the average number on feed during the 1943-47 period. As shown in figure 1, the number of cattle on feed has fluctuated from year to year. The years with the least number of cattle on feed were those in the early thirties during the depression and drought. Since 1936 …