Education Commons^™

G81-556 Using The California Mastitis Test (Cmt) To Detect Subclinical Mastitis, Duane N. Rice

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Apparently healthy cows can harbor subclinical mastitis, which creates tremendous loss in milk production. This NebGuide offers a method for detecting this disease.

The dairyman is generally aware of clinical mastitis because it can be seen as changes in the milk, swollen udder and other signs exhibited by the cow. Compared with subclinical mastitis, clinical mastitis is much less costly, is of short duration, tends to be an individual cow problem, and is detected without special tests.

Unfortunately, the apparently healthy cow can harbor subclinical mastitis, which creates tremendous loss in milk production. A cow with subclinical mastitis does not …

G80-524 Incubation For The Home Flock, Earl W. Gleaves

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide covers how to build and operate an incubator to hatch eggs for a home flock.

Various makes and models of commercial incubators are available for use by the home flock owner.

G78-396 Making Quality Corn And Sorghum Silage (Revised December 1986), Paul G. Guyer, Foster G. Owen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Harvesting corn and sorghum forage as silage is popular because it adapts to complete mechanization of forage production, harvesting, and feeding. It fits operations where capital can profitably replace labor. If you are going to harvest corn and sorghum forage as silage you need to make quality silage. Here's how.

G77-363 Vitamin Requirements Of Beef Cattle, Paul Q. Guyer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Vitamins are organic substances that are required in very small quantities for various metabolic functions. Twenty-five to 30 have been identified, but cattle can synthesize all that are needed of these vitamins in the rumen except for two or three. Even though the supplemental amounts needed of these two or three vitamins (A and possibly D and E) are quite small, a deficiency can have a drastic effect on the animal. The NebGuide discusses these effects.

G77-350 Mineral Nutrition Of Range Beef Cattle, Marvin W. Heeney

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Minerals play a very important role in the well-being of the range beef herd. Minerals are essential for practically all of the metabolic functions of the beef animals. Minerals are classified as 1) major and 2) minor or trace. The major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine and sulfur. The trace minerals include copper, cobalt, iodine, iron, manganese and zinc.

Each mineral is discussed here in terms of its function, deficiency symptoms and availability in the range beef cattle diet.

G77-360 Balancing Corn Silage Dairy Rations, Foster G. Owen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The grain required to balance a ration high in corn silage is much different from the grain needed when feeding high amounts of alfalfa hay. The most common problem is failure to properly balance for protein and calcium. This NebGuide discusses the points to take into account in balancing rations high in corn silage.

G76-307 Bull Selection, Robert Taylor

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The primary functions of the bull in a beef management program are two-fold: (1) contribute to the production of live calves and (2) contribute to the genetic improvement of economically important traits.

This NebGuide discusses how to select bulls to improve your herd.

G75-246 Preventing Tail Biting In Swine (Anti-Comfort Syndrome) (Revised January 1983), Robert Fritchen, Alex Hogg

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Tail biting in swine could be renamed the anti-comfort syndrome, for any feature of the pig's environment that makes it uncomfortable may be expressed as tail biting. Tail biting is the most common of the pig's antisocial vices, but not the only one. Ear chewing, navel sucking and acute cannabalism are other forms of antisocial expressions.

This NebGuide analyzes the management situation of tail biting.

G74-136 Grain Sorghum Processing For Beef Cattle, Rick Stock, Terry L. Mader

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the feeding value of grain sorghum relative to corn and various grain processing methods for grain sorghum.

It has been widely recognized that grain sorghum (milo) must be processed to be efficiently used by finishing cattle. Grain sorghum shows more improved utilization from processing than corn, wheat and barley. Dry ground or rolled grain sorghum has a relative feeding value of 85% to 95% (avg 90%) of dry rolled corn. Processing grain sorghum by more sophisticated methods (early harvesting, steam-flaking, etc.) greatly enhances its feeding value.

Chemical composition suggests that there should be less difference in the …

G74-117 Alfalfa In Swine Diets (Revised November 1988), Duane Reese, D. Murray Danielson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Nebraska ranks first in dehydrated alfalfa meal and seventh in alfalfa hay production in the United States, with production in all counties of the state. With this availability of alfalfa, its use in swine diets should be considered.

The performance and economic considerations of alfalfa in swine diets are detailed here, and information on mixing diets is provided.

G74-125 Oats In Swine Diets (Revised December 1981), Ernest R. Peo, Donald B. Hudman, Mike Brumm

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Oats are not considered a standard feed grain in swine diets in Nebraska because of the small acreage planted. However, oats can be used by all ages of swine with some limitations. The feeding value of oats is 80 percent that of corn. With proper formulation, limiting the amount of oats in diets will cause no reduction in swine performance. The nutritive content of a feed grain is the primary factor in determining its use. This NebGuide discusses the processing of oats for swine diets, gestation diets, lactating diets, starter diets, and growing-finishing diet.

G74-170 Nitrates In Livestock Feeding (Revised July 1996), Richard J. Rasby, Bruce Anderson, Norman Schneider

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Most forages contain some nitrates. When feeds containing nitrates are consumed by ruminants, nitrates are changed in the rumen to ammonia that is then converted by bacteria in the rumen into microbial protein. Nitrates are not always toxic to animals.

This NebGuide describes signs, causes, prevention and treatment of nitrate poisoning in livestock.

G74-149 Bloat Prevention And Treatment (Revised July 1996), Dale Grotelueschen, Richard J. Rasby, Don Hudson, Bruce Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Bloat is a form of indigestion marked by an excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen. Immediately after cattle consume a meal, the digestive process creates gases in the rumen. Most of the gases are eliminated by eructation (belching). Any interruption of this normal gas elimination results in gas accumulation or bloat.

This NebGuide discusses the types of bloat which may occur in cattle and methods to prevent and treat bloat.

G73-15 Handling Feed Moisture In Ration Formulation And Inventory Control (Revised December 1983), Paul Q. Guyer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Nutritional quality control begins with knowing and adjusting for variation in the moisture content of feed ingredients. Moisture variations in feeds are almost always of more importance than variations in protein, mineral, and energy. Inventory control is affected by moisture content of feeds. Some feeds on hand are constantly changing in moisture content, and these changes frequently lead to financial losses when a price adjustment is not made for moisture losses.

G73-14 Grain Processing For Feedlot Cattle, Paul Q. Guyer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Several changes have occurred in the cattle feeding business which have focused attention on grain processing. The first of these was, the arrival of big feedlots provided an opportunity to use larger and more sophisticated processing equipment at reasonable cost per ton of feed produced. Also, the need to minimize feed separation and digestive disturbances encouraged the use of more sophisticated methods of processing.

A second development that is now focusing attention on grain processing is the rapidly increasing costs of equipment, fuel and labor involved in grain processing. In recent years, these have been increasing more rapidly than the …

Ec28-234 Nebraska System For Tattooing Hogs For Identification After Slaughter, G.R. Boomer, O.O. Waggener

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

A plan to identify the individual farm upon which hogs reaching markets are produced has been developed in connection with the efforts toward eradicating tuberculosis among farm animals. While primarily intended as a means of tracing back to determine sources of disease infection, the system of tattooing which is being developed has other significant possibilities. With the growing emphasis on quality products in the market, it is only fair that the producers of high quality commodities receive the premiums paid by processors and consumers. Health of farm animals is a quality factor. The producer of healthy hogs should be rewarded. …