Life Sciences Commons^™

Performance Of Beef Replacement Heifers Supplemented With Dried Distillers Grains Or A Mixture Of Soybean Meal And Ground Sorghum Grain, C. J. Mcmullen, J. R. Jaeger, K. R. Harmoney, J. W. Waggoner, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The feed, labor, and equipment costs of developing heifers in a confined feeding system are relatively high. High Plains beef producers can reduce input costs by developing heifers on dormant native range; however, heifers are typically unable to consume sufficient crude protein (CP) from the low-quality (<7% CP) forage base.

Insufficient dietary protein reduces forage digestion and performance potential of growing heifers. Supplementing protein when forage quality was poor has previously been reported to increase forage intake and forage digestibility, which resulted in acceptable levels of performance.

An efficient means of supplying supplemental protein to heifers consuming low-quality forage is through the use …

Comparing Standing Heat And Estrotect Heat Detection Patches, S. K. Johnson, J. R. Jaeger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A recent survey showed that 66% of producers surveyed used some amount of heat detection in their artificial insemination program, and 74% of producers that used heat detection aids had tried Estrotect (Rockway, Inc.; Spring Valley, WS) heat detection patches. The peel-and-stick application made Estrotect more popular than types that required adhesive application. The patches are designed so that when the animal is mounted the top surface layer is removed, much like scratching a lottery ticket. After several mounts the entire layer is removed, leaving a bright-colored surface behind. A new type of patch, Standing Heat (Standing Heat, LLC; Dannebrog, …

Purpose, Acknowledgments, Contributors, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Roundup is the major beef cattle education and outreach event sponsored by the Agricultural Research Center–Hays. The 2016 program is the 102nd staging of Roundup. The purpose is to communicate timely, applicable research information to producers and extension personnel.

The research program of the Agricultural Research Center–Hays is dedicated to serving the people of Kansas by developing new knowledge and technology to stabilize and sustain long-term production of food and fiber in a manner consistent with conservation of natural resources, protection of the environment, and assurance of food safety. Primary emphasis is on production efficiency through optimization of inputs in …

Pregnancy Rates To Artificial Insemination In Yearling Beef Heifers Is Not Influenced By Injectable Trace Mineral, S. K. Johnson, M. W. Holman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Heifers that conceive early in their first breeding season have a long-term advantage in future reproductive success and production. Reproductive performance is more likely to be maximized if nutritional requirements are met, including those for trace minerals. Reproductive response to supplementation of trace minerals has been variable. Bioavailability of source, mineral antagonisms, intake, and long-term animal nutrient status may all contribute to that variability. A recent study found pre- and post-partum bolus injections of trace mineral increased pregnancy rate to AI in mature beef cows. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of an injectable trace mineral …

Effectiveness Of Heat Detection Patches For Determining Cyclicity Status In Peripubertal Heifers, S. K. Johnson, J. R. Jaeger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Response to most estrous synchronization programs is improved in cycling females, compared to pre-pubertal heifers or anestrus cows. Cycling status is often monitored for research purposes by measuring progesterone concentrations in serum. Producers may want to use information on cyclicity status when determining which estrous synchronization program to use or as a component of their heifer selection.

Heat detection patches are routinely used to aid or reduce time needed for heat detection. The most data on their use is for a 3 to 5-day period after estrous synchronization. Little information is available on retention of patches for longer time periods …

Using Estrus-Detection Patches To Vary Time Of Insemination Improves Pregnancy Rates Compared With One Single Timed Insemination, S. L. Hill, D. M. Grieger, K C. Olson, J. R. Jaeger, J. S. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Timed artificial insemination (TAI) of beef cows at a predetermined time is a management tool that reduces labor costs associated with conventional heat detection before insemination. Multiple research trials have examined timing of the individual components of the developed protocols associated with TAI. The 7-day CO-Synch + progesterone insert (controlled internal drug release; CIDR) protocol has been shown to initiate ovulation effectively in cycling and noncycling suckled beef cows, often producing pregnancy rates greater than 50% in beef cows. In the current research, we examined using two targeted insemination intervals depending on the occurrence of estrus. We hypothesized that by …

Effects Of Altering Supplementation Frequency During The Pre-Partum Period Of Beef Cows Grazing Dormant Native Range, C. J. Mcmullen, J. R. Jaeger, J. W. Waggoner, K. R. Harmoney, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Spring-calving beef cattle that are grazing low-quality (<7% crude protein) dormant forage typically are unable to meet their maintenance requirements for protein. Providing a protein supplement (>30% crude protein) is recommended to decrease losses of body weight and body condition. Nutrient supplementation when forage quality is poor or limited is one of the largest expenditures for forage-based beef cattle operations. The expansion of the ethanol industry has afforded many producers in corn and sorghum-producing regions an alternative to traditional oilseed-based protein supplements. The availability and nutrient profile of distiller’s grains with solubles (DDG) has made it popular as a supplement for cows that are grazing dormant low-quality forages.

Decreasing supplementation frequency reduces costs for labor and fuel. Previous …