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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Comparison Of Botanical Composition Methods And Change Over Time In Kentucky Pastures, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick
Comparison Of Botanical Composition Methods And Change Over Time In Kentucky Pastures, Echo Elizabeth Gotsick
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
Botanical composition of pastures has been measured with numerous methods over the last century, but there have been limited direct comparisons between methods. The objective of this study was to compare botanical composition methods, to determine the most accurate and efficient method, and to access pasture composition change over time. Six farms with two pastures each were monitored across the state of Kentucky. Sampling occurred fall 2020 through fall 2022, three times a year using the following methods: step point, visual estimation, occupancy grid, and point quadrat (used as a reference method). The occupancy grid showed the highest similarity to …
Comparing Dairy Farm Performance And Heat Stress Abatment Strategies In The United States Using Summer To Winter Ratios, Jenna M. Guinn
Comparing Dairy Farm Performance And Heat Stress Abatment Strategies In The United States Using Summer To Winter Ratios, Jenna M. Guinn
Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences
Heat stress abatement is a challenge for producers in the United States, especially in the southern states. Dairy producers could benefit by having a simply metric to measure heat stress abatement strategies with the goal of motivating improvement in heat stress management. Managing heat stress is key to ameliorating the effects on dairy cow performance. A study was performed to explore the use of a heat stress metric called the Summer to Winter performance ratio (S:W ratio), to quantify and compare farm performance variables among regions of the United States. Summer to Winter ratios were closest to 1.0 in the …
Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of A Southeastern Kentucky Deer Population, Caleb Anderson Haymes
Survival And Cause-Specific Mortality Of A Southeastern Kentucky Deer Population, Caleb Anderson Haymes
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
White-tailed deer are one of the most sought after game species in Kentucky. While much of the Commonwealth boasts high deer populations, those in southeast Kentucky are viewed as relatively low compared to other regions, even after a decade of restrictive doe harvest and multiple years of population supplementation via translocation. We studied survival and cause specific mortality of a local population of deer near the Redbird District of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay and Leslie County, Kentucky from January 2014 - January 2017. We estimated female annual survival at 0.89 (CI: 0.88-0.87), with an overall 3-year survival …
Irrigated Zea Mays Response To Nitrogen And High Plant Population Density In Narrow Rows, Julie Baniszewski
Irrigated Zea Mays Response To Nitrogen And High Plant Population Density In Narrow Rows, Julie Baniszewski
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
Modern genetics have improved maize hybrids to better tolerate stress, use nutrients more efficiently and potentially yield higher. Management practices, such as narrow row technology and high plant population density (PPD) may further improve yields in modern maize under irrigated, non-limiting conditions. High PPD (74, 99, 124, 148 K seeds ha-1) were tested in narrow rows with up to four nitrogen (N) rates in three locations over two years in Kentucky with a modern maize hybrid in irrigated, non-limiting conditions. Results indicate that optimal seeding rates were 99,000 to 124,000 seeds ha-1, providing maximum yield and …
Compost Bedded Pack Barns For Dairy Cattle: Bedding Performance And Mastitis As Compared To Sand Freestalls, Elizabeth A. Eckelkamp
Compost Bedded Pack Barns For Dairy Cattle: Bedding Performance And Mastitis As Compared To Sand Freestalls, Elizabeth A. Eckelkamp
Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences
Lameness and mastitis are the two most costly diseases in the dairy industry. Reduction of these diseases through housing and management is beneficial. Compost bedded pack (CBP) and sand freestall barns were compared in a long-term, on-farm study to assess the effect of housing on each disease. Another research objective was to evaluate the effects of ambient weather conditions on moisture and 20 cm internal temperature of CBP. Compost bedded pack moisture, C:N ratio, and internal temperature effects on cleanliness, mastitis, and bedding bacterial counts were also considered. The last research objective was to evaluate the economics of bedding material …
Management And Technology Solutions For Improving Milk Quality, Amanda E. Sterrett
Management And Technology Solutions For Improving Milk Quality, Amanda E. Sterrett
Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences
Mastitis is one of the most common and expensive dairy cattle diseases. Mastitis prevention and management are key factors in herd health and improved milk quality. One objective of this research was to evaluate management solutions to maintain a low somatic cell count, based on survey responses from Kentucky dairy producers. Because hyperkeratosis may increase mastitis incidence, another objective of this research was to examine changes in teat end hyperkeratosis in a herd transitioning from a standard pulsation milking system to an individual quarter pulsation milking system. The last objective of this research was to evaluate technologies that monitored rumination …