Life Sciences Commons^™

Retaining Heifers: Is It Worth It?, Tonya L. Meyer

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Replacing females in the beef cow herd plays a pivotal role in a sustainable and profitable cow-calf operation. Analyzing the cost of raising replacements versus purchasing them can help make informed decisions. If retaining replacements, cattle producers must consider both the costs and potential returns associated with raising and integrating these heifers into the breeding herd. This article offers some key financial considerations.

The Devil You Know And The Devil You Don’T: Current Status And Challenges Of Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication In The United States, Daniel J. O'Brien, Tyler C. Thacker, Liliana C.M. Salvador, Anthony G. Duffiney, Suelee Robbe‑Austerman, Mark S. Camacho, Jason E. Lombard, Mitchell V. Palmer

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Having entered into its second century, the eradication program for bovine tuberculosis (bTB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in the United States of America occupies a position both enviable and daunting. Excepting four counties in Michigan comprising only 6109 km2 (0.06% of US land area) classified as Modified Accredited, as of April 2022 the entire country was considered Accredited Free of bTB by the US Department of Agriculture for cattle and bison. On the surface, the now well-described circumstances of endemic bTB in Michigan, where white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a free-ranging wildlife maintenance host, may appear to be …

The Changing Cost Of Cattle Transportation, Elliott James Dennis

Center for Agricultural Profitability

Diesel is one of the primary inputs in the transportation of goods throughout the United States. Livestock hauling is no exception. Feeder cattle are generally transported long distances in the fall as they move from summer grazing to placement in backgrounding operations or directly into feedlots. Cattle, and other livestock in general, can handle transportation stress fairly well – to a point. Trucking feeder cattle long distances can impact animal health outcomes, and improper animal handling can lead to bruised or injured cattle. These negative impacts can generally be offset by appropriate stocking densities, proper trailer ventilation, correct animal handling …

Livestock Producers' Perceptions Of The American Black Vulture Conflict In The Midwestern United States, Marian L. Wahl, Brooke Mcwherter, Patrick A. Zollner, Zhao Ma, Grant C. Burcham, Lee A. Humberg, Brian M. Kluever

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human‐wildlife interactions are present wherever both humans and wildlife are found. Interactions can be positive or negative for humans and can include impacts that range from damage to property, agriculture, health and human safety, to emotional effects. Livestock‐wildlife interactions form a major component of human‐wildlife conflicts with foci often centered on the implications of livestock predation by wildlife. While most vulture species are obligate scavengers, several species, including the American black vulture (Coragyps atratus), may attack weak or newborn livestock. Black vulture populations and distributions are expanding in the Midwestern U.S., and attacks create a novel problem for …

Science‐Driven Guidelines Needed To Better Manage And Conserve Black Vultures In North America, Scott A. Rush, Neil J. Buckley, Patrick A. Zollner, Bryan M. Kluever, Brooke Mcwherter, Grant C. Burcham, Zhao Ma, Marian L. Wahl, Adrián Naveda‐Rodríguez

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) provide invaluable ecological services through disposal of carrion and the mobilization of energy within the landscape. Human‐wildlife conflicts with these birds have increased as populations have grown and the species distribution has expanded. We identify critical science needed to understand conflict between black vultures and humans to inform effective management of this species in North America. It is imperative that diagnostic criteria supporting the identification of the impacts of black vulture on livestock be standardized and verified. Management guidelines that take these criteria into account will enable reduction in the potential for black‐vulture‐farmer conflict …

Type And Frequency Of Wild Pig-Domestic Livestock Contacts And Operator Concern For Disease Spread, Sophie C. Mckee, Daniel F. Mooney, Ryan S. Miller

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) can levy substantial costs to domestic livestock operations and global supply chains due to disease introduction. Producers can take defensive action to avert these costs, but the factors influencing these decisions are not well understood. We examined survey data to characterize the type and frequency of contacts between wild pigs and domestic livestock and investigated the determinants of farm operator concern for disease introduction using an ordered logit model. We found that operators with livestock kept in buildings were more concerned about disease than those with livestock kept in fenced areas or that roam …

Spatial Risk Modeling Of Cattle Depredation By Black Vultures In The Midwestern United States, Brandon M. Quinby, Bryan M. Kluever, Grant N. Burcham, Lee Humberg, Landon R. Jones, Marian L. Wahl, Patrick A. Zollner

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ock operations through depredation of stock are a cause of human‐wildlife conflict. Management of such conflict requires identifying environmental and non‐environmental factors specific to a wildlife species' biology and ecology that influence the potential for livestock depredation to occur. Identification of such factors can improve understanding of the conditions placing livestock at risk. Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) have expanded their historical range northward into the midwestern United States. Concomitantly, an increase in concern among agricultural producers regarding potential black vulture attacks on livestock has occurred. We estimated area with greater or lesser potential for depredation of domestic cattle by black …

Multidisciplinary Engagement For Fencing Research Informs Efficacy And Rancher-To-Researcher Knowledge Exchange, Matthew Hyde, Stewart W. Breck, Alex Few, Jared Beaver, Joshua Schrecengost, Jim Stone, Cameron Krebs, Russell Talmo, Kari Eneas, Rae Nickerson, Kyran E. Kunkel, Julie K. Young

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Across much of the Western United States, recovery of large carnivore populations is creating new challenges for livestock producers. Reducing the risks of sharing the landscape with recovering wildlife populations is critical to private working lands, which play an vital role in securing future energy, water, food, and fiber for an ever-expanding human population. Fencing is an important mitigation practice that many ranchers, land managers, and conservationists implement to reduce carnivore-livestock conflict. While fencing strategies have been reviewed in the literature, research seldom incorporates knowledge from the people who utilize fencing the most (i.e., livestock producers). Incorporating producers and practitioners …

Gray Wolves, Eric Gese, John P. Hart, Patricia Terletzky

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Wolf conflicts are primarily related to predation on livestock, pets and other domestic animals, as well as their direct and indirect impacts on native ungulates (i.e., big game). Economic losses vary widely with some livestock producers facing high levels of depredation in some areas. This publication focuses on wolf ecology, damage, and management, particularly as it relates to wolf depredation on livestock and other conflicts with people.

Wolves and people share the same environments more than people realize. In the U.S., wolves are not confined to wilderness areas. Though curious, wolves generally fear people and rarely pose a threat to …

Organic Production Of Livestock And Livestock Products In Nebraska, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

First paragraph:

USDA “Certified Organic” is a form of production that has received considerable public attention in the last 10 years, particularly among small, beginning and/or minority farmers. Spiking retail prices for red meat and poultry have seemingly accelerated consumer’s interest in organic locally produced products. Consumers demonstrate their desire for these products by paying premiums when purchasing meat products. Producers receive premiums by either directly marketing live animals to consumers that are custom harvested or marketing animals to meat wholesalers. The primary difference is the way premiums are captured. Producers doing custom harvesting capture the full premium whereas producers …

Coyotes, Rick Tischaefer

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The coyote (Canis latrans; Figure 1) is a medium-sized member of the canid family. Once primarily found in western deserts and grasslands, coyotes have expanded their range across North America and into diverse habitats, including urban areas. This expansion occurred during a time of extensive habitat change and efforts by people to suppress coyote populations to prevent damage. Coyotes can cause a variety of conflicts related to agriculture, natural resources, property, and human health and safety. This document highlights a variety of methods for reducing those conflicts. Coyotes are a highly adaptable species and may become habituated to some management …

Vampire Bats: Preparing For Range Expansion Into The U.S., Michael J. Bodenchuk, David L. Bergman

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The common vampire bat apparently is expanding its range northwards in Mexico and seems poised to enter the southern United States. Climate models predict suitable habitat in the U.S. in south Texas and parts of southern Arizona. While vampire bats’ northward range expansion is not unexpected, the fact that this species brings a strain of rabies that impacts livestock and people warrants a strategic response. Annual economic damages from bats are estimated between $7M and $9M, largely associated with deaths of livestock from rabies. To prepare for the emerging rabies issue, USDA Wildlife Services programs in Texas and Arizona have …

Common Ravens, Luke W. Peebles, Jack O. Spencer Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Damage Management Methods for Common Ravens

Type of Control -- Available Management Options

Exclusion -- Often ineffective or impractical

Fertility Control -- None available

Frightening Devices -- Effigies • Pyrotechnics and propane cannons • Lasers and flashing lights

Habitat Modification -- Bale and bury garbage • Install dumpsters with secure lids • Remove or bury dead livestock • Remove abandoned houses, sheds, and barns to eliminate nesting structures

Nest Treatment -- Allowed with proper Federal and State permits; Egg oiling or addling and nest destruction

Repellents -- Methiocarb (EPA Reg. No. 56228-33) • Methyl anthranilate (food-grade grape flavoring agent)

Shooting …

Black Bear, Jimmy D. Taylor, James P. Phillips

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The American black bear (Ursus americanus, Figure 1) is a challenging species for wildlife agencies to manage due to its size, intelligence, extensive range, food habits, and adaptability, as well as societal views. In North America alone, agencies receive more than 40,000 complaints about black bear annually. Black bears are known as ‘food-driven’ animals, meaning most conflicts result from a bear’s drive to meet its nutritional needs. Not surprisingly, an overwhelming proportion of conflicts are related to their use of anthropogenic (human) food sources, such as garbage, bird food, and crops. Understanding what drives human-bear conflict is the first part …

Confronting Models With Data: The Challenges Of Estimating Disease Spillover, Paul C. Cross, Diann J. Prosser, Andrew M. Ramey, Ephraim M. Hanks, Kim M. Pepin

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For pathogens known to transmit across host species, strategic investment in disease control requires knowledge about where and when spillover transmission is likely. One approach to estimating spillover is to directly correlate observed spillover events with covariates. An alternative is to mechanistically combine information on host density, distribution and pathogen prevalence to predict where and when spillover events are expected to occur. We use several case studies at the wildlife–livestock disease interface to highlight the challenges, and potential solutions, to estimating spatiotemporal variation in spillover risk. Datasets on multiple host species often do not align in space, time or resolution, …

Livestock Animals To Study Infertility In Women, Mohamed A. Abedal-Majed, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

• Anovulation is a major cause of infertility in mammalian females.

• Ovarian research in humans is challenging due to the shortage of “normal tissue” that can be obtained from women that are trying to get pregnant.

• Livestock animals provide valuable resources to investigate the optimal intra-follicular environment required to facilitate folliculogenesis and translate to humans.

• Different livestock models may be more useful depending on the specific biological process studied.

Cross-Species Transmission Potential Between Wild Pigs, Livestock, Poultry, Wildlife, And Humans: Implications For Disease Risk Management In North America, Ryan S. Miller, Steven Sweeney, Chris Slootmaker, Daniel A. Grear, Paul A. Di Salvo, Deborah Kiser, Stephanie A. Shwiff

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

Cross-species disease transmission between wildlife, domestic animals and humans is an increasing threat to public and veterinary health. Wild pigs are increasingly a potential veterinary and public health threat. Here we investigate 84 pathogens and the host species most at risk for transmission with wild pigs using a network approach. We assess the risk to agricultural and human health by evaluating the status of these pathogens and the co-occurrence of wild pigs, agriculture and humans. We identified 34 (87%) OIE listed swine pathogens that cause clinical disease in livestock, poultry, wildlife, and humans. On average 73% of bacterial, 39% of …

Effects Of Temperature And Diet In Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Development, Melina Florez-Cuadros

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Stable flies are among the most important blood feeding ectoparasites of cattle worldwide. The livestock industry is losing more than $2 billion dollar annually in the United States alone. Moist decaying vegetative material with bacteria supports larval development. Temperature and diet quality are important factors for stable fly development, affecting development rates, adult survival, and size, but how temperature affects adult size and interacts with nutrition is unknown. This study characterizes the relationship of temperature and diet quality in the development of stable flies. Two statistical models were used to analyze the effect of temperature alone (Lysyk, 1998) and temperature-diet …

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Decision Framework For Mitigation Of Disease Transmission At The Wildlife–Livestock Interface, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Steven J. Sweeney, Julie L. Elser, Ryan S. Miller, Matthew Farnsworth, Pauline Nol, Steven S. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The economics of managing disease transmission at the wildlife–livestock interface have received heightened attention as agricultural and natural resource agencies struggle to tackle growing risks to animal health. In the fiscal landscape of increased scrutiny and shrinking budgets, resource managers seek to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of disease mitigation efforts. To address this issue, a benefit-cost analysis decision framework was developed to help users make informed choices about whether and how to target disease management efforts in wildlife and livestock populations. Within the context of this framework, we examined the conclusions of a benefit-cost analysis conducted for …

Economic Impact Of The Potential Spread Of Vampire Bats Into South Texas, Aaron M. Anderson, Steven S. Shwiff, Stephanie A. Shwiff

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies transmitted by the common vampire bat is a major public health concern in subtropical and tropical areas of Latin America, and there is some concern that the species will eventually spread into south Texas. The objective of this study was to estimate the total economic impact of the potential spread of vampire bats into south Texas. Data on livestock populations and values in the relevant counties was combined with expected mortality rates to calculate livestock losses. An IMPLAN model of the regional economy was then used to estimate the secondary impacts experienced by other businesses in the region. These …

Characteristics Of White-Tailed Deer Visits To Cattle Farms: Implications For Disease Transmission At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Are R. Berentsen, Ryan S. Miller, Regina Misiewicz, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Mike R. Dunbar

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is endemic in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in MI, USA. Currently, the rates of farm visitation by deer and co-use of forage resources by cattle and deer are poorly understood. To evaluate the extent deer and livestock may share forage resources, we investigated farm, yard, and cattle-use area visitation by white-tailed deer and compared visitation with common livestock management practices. We fitted 25 female white-tailed deer near the bTB-infected zone in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula with global positioning system collars. Livestock management practices associated with farm visitation included presence of confined feeding pastures, number of …

Diseases At The Livestock–Wildlife Interface: Status, Challenges, And Opportunities In The United States, Ryan S. Miller, Mathew L. Farnsworth, Jennifer L. Malmberg

Other Publications in Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease

In the last half century, significant attention has been given to animal diseases; however, our understanding of disease processes and how to manage them at the livestock–wildlife interface remains limited. In this study, we conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature to evaluate the status of diseases at the livestock–wildlife interface in the United States. Specifically, the goals of the literature review were three fold: first to evaluate domestic animal diseases currently found in the United States where wildlife may play a role; second to identify critical issues faced in managing these diseases at the livestock–wildlife interface; and third …

Seroprevalence Of Brucellosis In Livestock Within Three Endemic Regions Of The Country Of Georgia, Eliso Mamisashvili, Ian T. Kracalik, Tinatin Onashvili, Lela Kerdzevadze, Ketevan Goginashvili, Tamar Tigilauri, Marina Donduashvili, Marina Nikolaishvili, Irma Beradze, Marina Zakareishvili, Maka Kokhreidze, Makvala Gelashvili, Nino Vepkhvadze, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Jason K. Blackburn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect …

Monitoring Standing Herbage Of The Sands And Choppy Sands Ecological Vegetation Types In The Nebraska Sandhills, Daniel W. Uresk

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

A modified Robel pole with white and gray alternating bands (2.54 cm) was used to measure vegetation on sands and choppy sands ecological types in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Objectives were to determine the relationship between visual obstruction readings (VOR) and clipped standing herbage, develop guidelines for monitoring standing herbage, and provide sample size estimates. Visual obstruction measurements of standing herbage were linear, and regression coefficients were significant (P< 0.001) for 125 transects (R² = 0.60, SE = 496 kg/ha). Clipped standing herbage ranged from 293 to 4389 kg/ha with a mean of 1,559 kg/ha. A minimum of four transects (20 stations/transect with four …

Monitoring Standing Herbage Of Mid-Grass Prairie On The Fort Pierre National Grassland, South Dakota, Daniel W. Uresk

The Prairie Naturalist

Monitoring vegetation with a modified Robel pole on the Fort Pierre National Grassland was evaluated for combined shallow clay and loamy overflow ecological sites (dominated by warm-season grasses), and for clayey ecological sites (dominated by cool-season grasses). My objectives were to 1) develop a relationship between visual obstruction readings (VOR) and standing herbage, 2) provide guidelines for vegetation monitoring, and 3) evaluate vegetation monitoring during the growing season for clayey ecological sites. The relationship between visual obstruction readings and standing herbage was linear and regression coefficients were highly significant (P < 0.001) for both ecological types. Cluster analyses for shallow clay and loamy overflow ecological sites grouped the VOR and standing herbage (kg•ha-1) into 4 resource categories. Monitoring with 4 transects will provide adequate information to estimate standing herbage within 259 ha (1 section). Three resource categories (VOR + herbage) for clayey ecological sites were defined by cluster analyses. Monitoring with 4 transects was determined to provide reliable estimates of standing herbage. July validation of vegetation with the developed clayey ecological site model will provide reliable monitoring of standing herbage from July through November for this ecological site.

A Synoptic Review Of U.S. Rangelands A Technical Document Supporting The Forest Service 2010 Rpa Assessment, Matthew Clark Reeves, John E. Mitchell

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

The Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 requires the USDA Forest Service to conduct assessments of resource conditions. This report fulfills that need and focuses on quantifying extent, productivity, and health of U.S. rangelands. Since 1982, the area of U.S. rangelands has decreased at an average rate of 350,000 acres per year owed mostly to conversion to agricultural and residential land uses. Nationally, rangeland productivity has been steady over the last decade, but the Rocky Mountain Assessment Region appears to have moderately increased productivity since 2000. The forage situation is positive and, from a national perspective, U.S. rangelands can probably …

Cattle Grazing Reduces Survival And Reproduction Of The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, Bonnie Warner Alexander, Donald Kirby, Mario Biondini, Edward Dekeyser

The Prairie Naturalist

QuantifYing impacts of livestock grazing and prairie management strategies on the threatened western prairie' fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) is difficult due to the erratic appearance of the orchid above-ground. We monitored above-ground survival of orchids from flowering to mature seed capsule production, comparing plant height, flower numbers, and seed capsule numbers from 2002-2004 in rotationally grazed pastures and non-grazed sites. Orchid survival differed significantly between grazed and non-grazed pastures, with the proportion of plants surviving from flower to capsule production consistently lower in grazed pastures. Mean orchid survival in grazed and non-grazed areas was 40% and 87%, respectively. …

Response Of Deer To Containment By A Poly-Mesh Fence For Mitigating Disease Outbreaks, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Joshua J. White, Aaron M. Hildreth, Gregory E. Phillips, Kurt C. Vercauteren

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rapidly deployable and effective methods are needed to contain free-ranging deer (Odocoileus spp.) during acute disease outbreaks. We evaluated efficacy of a 2.1-m-tall polypropylene mesh (poly-mesh) fence for containing ≥15 free-ranging white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) within a 42-ha area in eastern Nebraska, USA. We observed a 99% decrease in deer leaving the enclosure area after we installed fencing (1 deer jumped; 0.02 deer/hr) compared with prefence rates (5.26 deer/hr). However, 8 deer (53% of censused population) escaped the enclosure during a census drive after our study. Poly-mesh fencing may be effective in temporarily containing free-ranging deer during …

Emerging Near-Real Time Forage Monitoring Technology With Application To Large Herbivore Management In Mongolia, Dennis P. Sheehy, Jerry W. Stuth, Douglas E. Johnson, Jay Angerer, Douglas Tolleson

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Large herbivore livestock and wildlife in Mongolia depend almost entirely for substance on forage standing crop produced each year on natural pastureland. Consequently, both livestock and wildlife are continuously subject to environmental risk, especially drought and severe winter storms, while livestock are also subject to financial risk. As consumption-based livestock production changes to commercialized livestock production, steps taken by the livestock herder to avert both environmental and financial risk to livestock can increase environmental risk to large wild herbivores. A realistic and workable pastureland and risk management system will be critical for conservation of large herbivore habitat. New technologies are …

Identification Of Herder-Wild Equid Conflicts In The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area In Sw Mongolia, Petra Kaczensky, N. Enkhsaihan, O. Ganbaatar, Christian Walzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In protected areas of Mongolian overgrazing, competition with wild ungulates and poaching are important management concerns. The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in SW Mongolia is a re-introduction site for the Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), a stronghold of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and remains an important grazing area for seminomadic herders. We show the power of simple inventory and monitoring methods to assess herder-wildlife conflicts, by combining data of: (1) human and livestock demographic data, (2) migration patterns, of semi-nomadic herders, (3) monthly surveys of wild- and domestic ungulates, and (4) …