Life Sciences Commons^™

Toxicosis From Range Lupine Ingestion In A Research Herd Of Rafter 7 Merino Sheep, Benjamin J. Weigler, Walter F. Mandeville Iii, Scott Huber, Gary Mccuin, Fabrizio Caragena, Daniel D. Cook, Stephen T. Lee, Chris A. Pritsos

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

An outbreak of lupine alkaloid neurotoxicosis and death occurred in sheep grazed on rangeland areas of the Nevada Great Basin during the summer of 2023. Overall, 97 sheep died despite veterinary supportive care. Lupinus argenteus var. utahensis was implicated as the causative plant with high levels of lupanine (11.5 µg/mg) and spartiene (13.7 µg/mg) in collected and archived samples. Previous reports of sheep deaths due to lupine ingestion have not been recorded in this region. An increased abundance of the number plants producing seed pods having a high alkaloid content may have been associated with abnormally elevated levels of precipitation …

Isolation Of The Toxic Principle Of Senecio Latifolius By Means Of The Sensory Receptors Of Sheep, Leendert D. Snyman

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

The aversive substance of Senecio latifolius was isolated by means of the sensory receptors of sheep averted to S. latifolius. Chemical fractions refused due to the presence of the aversive substance sensed by the sheep were fractionated until a purified substance had been isolated. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of the purified substance showed it to be sceleratine nitrogen oxide, the toxic principle of S. latifolius.

Investigating Cause-Specific Mortality Of Sheep To Determine The Impacts Of Carnivores On Domestic Livestock, Nathan Jacob Floyd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Livestock and carnivores interact in ways that are considered conflict throughout the world. In the western United States, livestock are often grazed on public lands in close proximity to predators in their natural habitat, and can be killed as prey. Livestock losses to predators can threaten rancher’s livelihoods. Sheep and lambs are especially vulnerable to predators due to their small size and lack of defensive abilities. To reduce the impacts that predators have on livestock, it is important for ranchers and wildlife biologists to have an accurate understanding of how many livestock die and are killed by predators when grazing …

Cranial Cruciate Ligament Desmotomies In Sheep Resulting In Peroneus Tertius Injury, Peter J. Welsh, Crystal G. Collier, Holly M. Clement, Michael N. Vakula, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Surgical destabilization of the stifle joint via cranial cruciate ligament desmotomy (CCLD) is a routine procedure for the study of osteoarthritis (OA). Traditionally performed in rats, rabbits, cats, and dogs, CCLD in sheep provides an opportunity to study the pathology and treatment of joint instability in a species whose stifle better represents the equivalent human femorotibial joint. The surgical approaches for CCLD in sheep are variable and can result in inconsistent outcomes. Eight sheep underwent CCLD for use in a gene therapy study. We report this case in which six of the eight sheep were clinically diagnosed by pathognomonic signs …

The Effects Of Gene Therapy In An Ovine Osteoarthritis Model, Crystal Collier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Humans rely on the health of their joints for stability and mobility in daily life. In a normal, healthy functioning joint, complex processes maintain joint tissues, including remodeling, lubrication, and immune function among many other tasks. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. It becomes most prevalent in adults 60+ years of age and causes decreased mobility, discomfort, and in some cases, excruciating pain. In the biological processes of osteoarthritis, the metalloproteinase enzymes responsible for the degeneration of cartilage are upregulated. The inhibitors of metalloproteinase activity are known as Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which keep …

Livestock Preference For Endophyte-Infected Or Endophyte-Free Oxytropis Sericea, Ipomoea Carnea, And Ipomoea Asarifolia, James Pfister, Daniel Cook, Stephen T. Lee, Dale R. Gardner, Franklin Riet-Correa

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Fungal endophyte-infected forages have been shown to alter herbivore feeding preferences. The objective of this experiment was to compare the preference of cattle, sheep, and goats for plants containing (E+) and not containing (E-) fungal endophytes using freshly harvested Oxytropis sericea, Ipomoea carnea, and Ipomoea asarifolia. Goats and sheep rejected all forage choices regardless of endophyte status except for grass and alfalfa hay. Endophyte status had no influence on cattle forage preferences. Cattle rejected all Oxytropis sericea E+ and E- choices. Cattle discriminated between Ipomoea species, preferring Ipomoea carnea to Ipomoea asarifolia (P = 0.004). In all …

Raising Replacement Ewes For Dairy Sheep Production, Jacob Hadfield, Allen Young

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains how producers who are seeking more milk production yield, along with more economic value from their replacements can do these three different ways: a) manage replacement rate; b) improve nutrition; and c) optimize reproduction.

The Role Of Small Ruminants On Global Climate Change, Alda Lúcia Gomes Monteiro, Amanda Moser Coelho Da Fonseca Faro, Mylena Taborda Piquera Peres, Rafael Batista, Cesar Henrique Espirito Candal Poli, Juan J. Villalba

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Global warming, as a consequence of excessive CO2 production mainly due to anthropogenic actions, is one of the main concerns of society due to the effects it can cause in the survival of humans, plants and animals. Several climatic consequences have already been reported, such as warming the oceans and changing biodiversity in various regions of the planet. One of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, which causes a lot of concern, is methane gas from digestion of food by ruminants. Besides that, emissions of greenhouse gases are represented also by waste management, rice cultivation, burning of residues from …

The Influence Of Oblique Angle Forced Exercise In Surgically Destabilized Stifle Joints Is Synergistic With Bone, But Antagonistic With Cartilage In An Ovine Model Of Osteoarthritis, Rachel J. Hill, Holly M. Mason, Gavin Yeip, Samer S. Merchant, Aaron L. Olsen, Rusty D. Stott, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Eadric Bressel, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Large animal models of osteoarthritis are a necessary testing ground for FDA approval of human medicine applications. Sheep models have advantages over other available large animals, but development and progression of osteoarthritis in sheep is exceedingly slow, which handicaps progress in development of potential treatments. We combined oblique angle forced exercise to increase stress on the stifle, with surgical destabilization to hasten the development of osteoarthritis in ewes. Methods for early detection of clinical signs included radiography, urine, and serum biomarker assays and gait analysis and ex vivo we used microcomputed tomography and macroscopic joint analysis. Our model was able …

Assessing The Impact Of Supplements, Food Aversions, And Silica On Medusahead Use By Sheep, Tyler Hamilton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ranchers, farmers, land managers, and resource management agencies have been plagued with various types of invasive weeds for decades, ultimately affecting millions of acres of viable wildlife habitat, grazing, and recreational opportunities. Invasive weeds often have nutritional contexts that negatively affect animals in some way, increasing the incentive to avoid consuming it by various animal species and domestic livestock. With the current amount of land infested with this weed, and the limited knowledge of the reason for avoidance, the underlying causes of livestock avoidance require in-depth and fundamental understanding.

In my MS program, I sought to explore the relationship of …

Use Of Exposure History To Identify Patterns Of Immunity To Pneumonia In Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis), Raina K. Plowright, Kezia R. Manlove, E. Frances Cassirer, Paul C. Cross, Thomas E. Besser, Peter J. Hudson

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Individual host immune responses to infectious agents drive epidemic behavior and are therefore central to understanding and controlling infectious diseases. However, important features of individual immune responses, such as the strength and longevity of immunity, can be challenging to characterize, particularly if they cannot be replicated or controlled in captive environments. Our research on bighorn sheep pneumonia elucidates how individual bighorn sheep respond to infection with pneumonia pathogens by examining the relationship between exposure history and survival in situ. Pneumonia is a poorly understood disease that has impeded the recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) following their widespread extirpation in …

Effects Of Tannin-Containing Feed On Haemonchous Contortus In Sheep And Its Behavioral Implications, Jessica A. Juhnke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Herbivores prefer foods that supply required nutrients and avoid those with excess nutrients and plant secondary compounds (PSC). Nevertheless, PSC such as condensed tannins can provide beneficial medicinal effects to herbivores. The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) if parasitized lambs increased preference for a tannin-rich food after they experienced the beneficial antiparasitic effects of tannins relative to parasitized lambs that did not experience such benefits, 2) if preference for the tannin-containing food in the former group decreased when parasite burdens subsided, and 3) if the tannin-enriched food decreased parasitic burdens.

Twenty-two lambs were familiarized with beet pulp …

Investigation Of The Toxicity And Toxicokinetics Of Selenium From The Accumulator Plant Symphyotrichum Spathulatum (Western Mountain Aster) In Sheep, Amanda Wilhelm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to observe the effects of selenium from plant material in sheep after a single, oral dose. Purified sodium selenite and selenomethionine were given as positive controls. The plant Symphyotrichum spathulatum (Western Mountain Aster) was collected, analyzed for selenium content, and administered orally to sheep at varying doses according to body weight. Clinical signs were observed for 7 days during which time whole blood, serum, and expired air were collected. Following euthanasia, tissues were collected for histopathological analysis and mineral analysis.

Clinical signs were less apparent than expected and included depression and mild dyspnea in sheep receiving …

Minimizing Disease In Your Sheep Flock, A Guide To Preventive Flock Health, Kerry A. Rood, C Kim Chapman

All Current Publications

This publication serves as a guide to preventative sheep flock health that explains risks, nutrition, vaccinations, etc.

Prevention Of Hydatid Disease, Kerry A. Rood, Emma Jane Kelly

All Current Publications

This publication provides details for preventing hydatid disease in dogs and sheep.

Predation On Domestic Sheep On Summer Range Lands In Southwestern Utah, Brian Carl Palmer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Much of the decline of the U.S. sheep industry has been attributed to losses caused by predators. Most predatory losses are inflicted on lambs rather than ewes. Losses have historically ranged from 4-8% of lamb crops, inflicting significant financial loss on ranchers. However, most research providing data on sheep predation is over 20 years old. Changes in the sheep industry as well as predation rates may make previous loss rates inapplicable to current conditions. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary predator of concern when it comes to sheep losses, but increasingly, cougars (Felis concolor) and black …

Self-Medicative Behavior Of Sheep Experiencing Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections And The Postingestive Effects Of Tannin, Larry D. Lisonbee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diet selection and self-medication are fundamental to the survival of all species. The abilities to choose healthy foods in response to past consequences are basic elements of evolution. This study explores self-medication regarding tannins both as a medication and as a dietary challenge. In the first study, sheep with natural parasite infections were offered a low quality supplement containing a dose of tannins considered to be therapeutic (medicine), while the control infected lambs received the same supplement without tannins (placebo). This study included a group of parasite-free lambs. The parasitized lambs ate more of the tannin containing supplement than non-parasitized …

Influence Of Fall Grazing By Sheep On Plant Productivity, Shrub Age Class Structure And Herbaceous Species Diversity In Sagebrush Steppe, Ryan Duncan Woodland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Traditional chemical and mechanical treatments of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) are costly and have typically focused solely on increasing forage for livestock production. Managing these systems biologically with grazing can potentially reduce costs and increase both biodiversity and understory production as well as rejuvenate Wyoming Big Sagebrush (ARTRWY). This experiment was conducted on Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch in northern Utah in October 2003. One hundred and twenty sheep (dry ewes) grazed 3, 60m x 40m plots (40 sheep plot^-1). Sheep were provided a protein-energy supplement to facilitate use of the secondary metabolites …

Feeding Behavior Of Sheep In Relation To Kinetics Of Sagebrush Monoterpenes: Implications For Landscape Biodiversity, Luthando E. Dziba

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The sagebrush steppe is one of the most extensive vegetation types in the western US and an important habitat for wild and domestic herbivores. When sagebrush dominates, however, forage and habitat quality decline. Although sagebrush is nutritious, its forage value is reduced by terpenes. A better understanding of how terpenes limit intake is vital for increasing consumption of sagebrush and for enhancing and maintaining biodiversity in the sagebrush-steppe.

To better understand how terpenes in sagebrush limit intake, we studied feeding behavior of sheep in the field, influence of sagebrush monoterpenes on regulation of intake in pens, and the feeding behavior …

Sheep And Goats: Ecological Tools For The 21st Century, C. Kim Chapman, Chad Reid

All Current Publications

This publication explains the many benefits that sheep and goats can provide in today's society such as controlling noxious weeds, reducing incidences of wildfire, and improving rangeland.

Market Lamb Docking- The Better Way, Unknown Unknown

All Archived Publications

Tail removal or docking of lambs by the commercial sheep industry is a standard management practice. When properly docked, the tail or dock will be long enough that when lifting the tail to defecate, the caudal folds on the under side of the tail are raised.

Infectious Reproductive Diseases Of Small Ruminants, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Several diseases which infect small ruminants result in abortion or reduced fertility and some may also infect humans (zoonotic diseases).

A Note About Market Lamb Docking, Usu Extension

All Current Publications

Tail removal or docking of lambs by the commercial sheep industry is a standard management practice. When properly docked, the tail or dock will be long enough that when lifting the tail to defecate, the caudal folds on the under side of the tail are raised.

Contagious Foot Rot Of Sheep, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Foot rot is a serious, contagious disease of sheep in which the horny hoof tissue is involved and undermined. Once established, it usually remains in a flock unless a systematic treatment program is used to eradicate it.

Contagious Foot Rot--An Update, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Foot rot is a serious contagious disease of sheep that has become a common problem in the western states in recent years. Once established in a flock, it usually remains until a consistent treatment program eliminates it. This disease must be differentiated from other foot problems if it is to be successfully treated.

Identification Of A Genetic Marker For Litter Size In Sheep, Olivia Price

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the estrogen receptor gene (ESR) could be used as a genetic marker for litter size in sheep. The estrogen receptor gene was chosen because it has been successfully used as a genetic marker for litter size in swine. In this study, DNA dilutions from two experimental flocks, totaling approximately 200 animals, were used. Amplification of exon 1/intron 1 of the ESR gene was performed using PCR. Initial results indicated a polymorphism in the gene when cut with the restriction enzyme Ava ll. It appeared that the gene contained a deletion with …

Characterization Of The Prion Protein (Prp) Gene In Ten Breeds Of Sheep, A. R. Stephens, S. Wang, G. R. Holyoak, O. G. Timofeevskaia, T. L. Shay, W. Vernon, S. Ellis, J. Beever, Noelle E. Cockett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by a long generation time, spongy degeneration in the cerebral gray matter, neuronal loss and proliferation and hypertrophy of glial cells. An abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP) plays a major part in TSE pathogenesis and has been hypothesized to be the only component of the infectious agent. Some animals exposed to scrapie, the TSE affecting sheep and goats, seem to be resistant to development of the disease. Alleles encoding amino acid substitutions at codons 136 (A/V) and 171 (Q/R/H) have been associated with scrapie resistance. Other amino acid substitutions at …

Livestock Watering Practices In The Moroccan Pre-Sahara: Their Effects On Water And Nutrient Metabolism Of Sheep In Different Body Conditions, El Mostafa Darfaoui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A field survey and a metabolism experiment were conducted to study livestock watering practices in the Moroccan Pre-Sahara and their changes with drought extent, season, ecological zone, pastoral system, and herd size. The metabolism experiment was designed to determine effects of once per 2 days (ID), once daily and twice daily drinking frequencies, and high and low body conditions on water and nutrient utilization by sheep fed high- and low-quality diets.

The way herds are managed in this region exposes all sex and age categories of animals to food and water shortages during annual dry seasons and occasional droughts. Livestock …

Udder Disease Of Sheep, Clell V. Bagley

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Updating Your Herd Health Plan, Clell Bagley

All Current Publications

Animal health is not sold in a bottle, syringe or sack. It comes as a result of proper management. The increased concentration and movement of cattle and demands for greater production necessitate an improved level of management to maintain cattle health.