Life Sciences Commons^™

The Hsus: Helping Animals

Close Up Reports

No abstract provided.

Saving The Dolphins

Close Up Reports

Victories and a new threat

Puppy Mills Exposed

Close Up Reports

Thousands of dogs, unloved, starving, ill-housed; thousands of puppies, shipped like so much merchandise at too young an age; thousands of consumers, unknowingly buying sick dogs: these are the grim truths of the puppy-mill trade.

Getting The Best Out Of Weaner Sheep In The Eastern Wheatbelt, Sally Revell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A study of the growth of Merino weaner flocks over summer and autumn in Western Australia 's eastern wheatbelt during 1989 and 1990 has identified efficient weaner management strategies, and provided a basis for future research and extension needs of this area. The average liveweight of several weaner flocks was unexpectedly low at the start of summer. Weaner flocks may need to be supplemented before the start of summer to prevent undue weight loss at this time.

Trees And Livestock : A Productive Co-Existence, Richard Moore

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Trees, as part of farming can help to combat land degradation problems and produce a good economic return from timber at the same time. For example, there is now clear evidence that planting trees can help combat salinity by lowering water-table levels. Trees can also substantially improve overall farm productivity by providing shelter for pastures and livestock. The challenge is to find practical and economical methods of integrating trees and farming. A combination of widely-spaced trees and livestock is one promising method. This article describes the benefits of this type of agroforestry to farmers, suitable locations and how to practice …

The Wokalup Beef Cattle Selection Experiment, Alan Lymbery, Mick Carrick, Patrick Donnelly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The aim of the Department of Agriculture's long-term beef cattle selection experiment at Wokalup is to examine the effects of selection for faster-growing cattle on biological traits that may influence the productivity of a commercial beef herd. Selection lines were established from Hereford and multibreed cattle in 1977. Twelve years of selection have produced an increase in growth rate to weaning of about 120 g per day in both lines. About 40 per cent of this increase is the result of permanent genetic improvement.

We plan to compare these characteristics in cattle from the selection lines with cattle that have …

Veterinary Consultancy Boosts Piggery Profits, Ashley Mercy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A pilot Pig Herd Health Management Scheme co-ordinated by the Department of Agriculture has stimulated much increased involvement of veterinarians in the Western Australian pig industry. Co-ordinated by Ashley Mercy, principal veterinary officer (epidemiology) horn 1985 to 1989, the scheme demonstrated the value of having regular visits from veterinary consultants and in implementing programs to prevent disease and production problems occurring in herds.

The Productivity Of Western Australia's Wheat And Sheep Industry, Tim Coelli, Ross Kingwell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A popular economic lament is that Australian industries and workers are not as productive as they should be. Politicians and economic commentators preach the need for productivity improvement and workplace reform, and criticise inefficiency and lack of endeavour. Can such criticism be fairly levelled at farmers and agricultural scientists? What is productivity and how is it measured? What is the productivity of Western Australia's main agricultural industry — wheat and sheep farming? This article addresses these questions and shows that our wheat-sheep industry can be moderately proud of its productivity record

Effects Of Porcine Somatotropin And Dietary Phosphorus On Growth And Bone Criteria In Gilts (1991), T L. Weeden, G E. Fitzner, J A. Hansen, K G. Friesen, M E. Johnston, B R. Schricker, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

One hundred-eight gilts with an average initial wt of 129 lb were utilized to determine the effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) and dietary phosphorus on growth performance and bone mineralization and mechanical properties during the finishing phase (129 to 230 lb) and a 35 d post-finishing phase. Gilts were injected daily with placebo (control) or 4 mg pST and fed diets containing .4, .8, or 1.2% P during the finishing phase. Administration of pST improved F/G 18%, increased ADG 8%, and decreased daily feed intake 9%. There was a quadratic response to P, because gilts receiving the .8% P diet …

Use Of Recombinant Bovine Cytokines In Pigs Vaccinated And Challenged With Streptococcus Suis (1991), Frank Blecha, D N. Reddy, C G. Chitko-Mckown, M M. Chengappa, D S. Mcvey, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

An experiment was conducted to determine the adjuvanticity of recombinant bovine interleukin-1β (rBoIL-1β) and recombinant bovine interleukin-2 (rBoIL-2) administered in conjunction with a single S. suis vaccination in pigs. Sixty, 4-wk-old pigs were allotted to 8 groups: 1) nonvaccinated controls; 2) vaccinated controls; 3) rBoIL-Iβ, 100 ng/kg; 4)rBoIL-lβ, 1000 ng/kg; 5) rBoIL-1β, 10,000 ng/kg; 6) rBoIL-2, 2.5 µg/kg; 7) rBoIL-2, 25 µg/kg; and 8) rBoIL-2, 250 µg/kg. All pigs (except group 1) were vaccinated on d 0 with a commercial S. suis vaccine (serotypes 1 and 2). At vaccination, pigs were injected intramuscularly with their respective cytokine treatments. Pigs received …

The Effect Of Supplemental Fat And Lysine On Finishing Pig Performance And Carcass Characteristics (1991), K G. Friesen, R C. Thaler, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

One hundred and sixty pigs averaging 127.4 lb were used to determine the benefit of 5% supplemental fat and (or) .20% lysine on growth performance and carcass characteristics. The trial consisted of four treatments: 1) a .61 %, lysine milo-soybean meal control diet; 2) control + 5% fat; 3) control + .20% lysine; 4) control + 5% fat and .20% lysine. Lysine:metabolizable energy ratios were held constant at 1.91: 1 for treatments 1 and 2 and at 2.52: 1 for treatments 3 and 4. Pig weights and feed consumption were recorded every third wk to calculate average daily gain (ADG), …

Does Extra Feed After Breeding Affect Litter Size? (1991), Duane L. Davis

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Fertility was evaluated in sows fed 4 vs 10 lb/d and gilts fed 4 vs 7.4 Ibid during the first 10 days after breeding. No effects on farrowing rate or litter traits were detected. This confirms results of a previous KSU experiment. Therefore, high feed intake after breeding may not affect fertility traits.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 21. 1991

Selection For Increased In Vitro Digestibility Improves Feeding Value Of Sorghum Grain (1991), B J. Healy, P J. Bramel-Cox, B T. Richert, C F. Klopfenstein, Merle D. Witt, Joe D. Hancock

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Six cannulated barrows and two hundred eighty-eight chicks were used in an experiment to determine the value of an in vitro protein digestibility assay (pepsin digest) for identification of sorghum parent Iines with improved nutritional value. The barrows were used to determine digestibility of the experimental sorghums at the terminal ileum and for the total digestive tract. Due to a limited supply of the sorghums, broiler chicks were used as a model to predict the value of the experimental sorghums for growth performance. Four sorghum parent lines were selected from 100 SI families grown at several locations in Kansas. Two …

The Influence Of Added Lysine During Lactation On Sow And Litter Performance (1991), J L. Laurin, R D. Richard, D R. Keesecker, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

An on-farm field study utilizing 287 crossbred sows was conducted to investigate the influence of additional dietary lysine during lactation on sow and litter performance. At farrowing, sows were randomly assigned to one of two milo-soybean meal diets containing either .65% (13.5 % CP) or .85% lysine (16.3% CP). Average sow parity was 3.75, and sows on both treatments had a similar number of pigs born alive and similar pig and litter birth weights. All litters were equalized to approximately 9.5 pigs within 24 hours following farrowing, and average lactation length was 21 d. No treatment x parity interactions were …

Effects Of Porcine Somatotropin Dosage And Lysine Level On Growth Performance Of Growing Pigs (1991), G E. Fitzner, T L. Weeden, B R. Schricker, Robert H. Hines, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Joe D. Hancock

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Eighty crossbred barrows initially weighing 70.5 lb were used in a 5 wk trial to determine the optimum dosage of porcine somatotropin (PST) required to promote maximum growth response in growing pigs fed diets containing either 1.0 or 2.0% lysine. Pigs received a daily injection of placebo or 2, 4, or 8 mg pST in combination with one of two experimental diets containing either 1.0 or 2.0% dietary lysine. Increasing the dosage of pST of pigs fed both diets resulted in an increase in average daily gain (ADG), a reduction in average daily feed intake (ADFI), and an improvement in …

Animal Production From Tagasaste Growing In Deep Sands In A 450 Mm Winter Rainfall Zone, Chris Oldham, Greg Allen, Peter Moore, Bruce Mattinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In 1985, Martindale Pty Ltd, Sir James McCusker's family company, signed a unique research contract with Professor David Lindsay of the University of Western Australia. The aim of the Martindale Research Project was to study ways of increasing farm productivity in the sheep-wheat zone of south-western Australia. A primary focus was the high cost of grain or hay used to fill the autumn feed gap in grazing systems.

However, it was not clear how or if tagasaste might be economically used to replace the grain and/or hay traditionally fed by hand to sheep and cattle in autumn.

New Technique Joins The Fight Against Footrot, Laurie Depiazzi, Mike Palmer, David Pitman

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The diagnosis of footrot in sheep and goats is not an easy task. Two main techniques are used for diagnosis - inspection of diseased feet on a farm and laboratory testing of bacteria isolated from foot scrapings. The interpretation of the results obtained by these methods requires a good understanding of the various forms of footrot.

A new laboratory technique has halved the time taken to detect those strains of the bacterium, Bacteroides (Dichelobacter) nodosus, that cause each form of the disease.

Survey Of The Damage Caused To Trees By Goats, Steve Gherardi, Dick Mills, Tim Johnson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The damage that goats can cause to trees is one of the major problems associated with their farming in the agricultural areas of Australia. It is also considered one of the main hindrances to the development of the goat industry. The Department of Agriculture s Goat Industry Development Unit surveyed mohair and cashmere producers to determine the prevalence of tree damage and its extent and severity; why producers believed goats damaged trees; and how producers minimised or prevented this damage.

Using Goats To Control Weeds, John Peirce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Feral goats are common in the woodland and tall shrubland areas of arid Australia. They survive and reproduce despite regular shooting, capture and droughts. These goats are considered vermin in Western Australia because of their competition with sheep for forage and their reputation as destroyers of vegetation. Research elsewhere, however, has indicated that it is only the uncontrolled grazing by large numbers of goats that causes degradation, in the same way that uncontrolled grazing by sheep can cause erosion. To some people, however, feral goats are a valuable source of income. They have the potential for meat sales, and they …

Phomopsis-Resistant Lupin Stubbles As Feed For Weaner Sheep, Colin Mcdonald, Keith Croker, Jeremy Allen

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The breeding of sweet, narrow-leafed lupins with increased resistance to Phomopsis leptostromiformis, the fungus that causes lupinosis in sheep, is a breakthrough for the summer nutrition of weaner sheep. The new resistant varieties, Gungurru for the medium (325 to 450 mm) rainfall areas and Yorrel for low rainfall areas (less than 325 mm), were released by the Department of Agriculture in 1988.

This article discusses progress in a four-year project which is examining liveweight and wool production of weaners grazing Gungurru stubbles.

Supplementary Feeding Of Weaner Sheep At Esperance, Julian Gardner, Peter Doyle

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Cereal grains, particularly barley, have been the usual supplement fed to weaner sheep during summer and autumn along Western Australia's south coast. This area is a major barley producer, and weather-damaged and other feed quality grain have a ready use. High protein lupin seed, and to a lesser extent silage, have gained wide acceptance recently as alternative supplements. This article discusses the results of the first two of a series of supplementary feeding experiments at Esperance Downs Research Station.

Reproductive Performance Of Female White-Tailed Deer On Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas A. Nelson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Aspects of the reproductive biology of female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge were investigated by examining the reproductive tracts of 121 deer harvested during the 1985-90 archery seasons. The presence of corpora albicantia in yearlings suggested that 27% of female fawns conceived, producing a mean of 1.0 ova/breeding fawn. Pregnancy rates among yearlings and adults averaged 94% and 97%, respectively. Ovulation rates averaged 1.4 and 2.0 ova/female among yearlings and adults. Some females were ovulating in early-October, but the earliest conceptions occurred during the last week of October. The peak breeding period for yearlings and …

Observations On The Natural History Of The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus Turcicus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) In Northwest Arkansas, Mark A. Paulissen, Thomas M. Buchanan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, is a small nocturnal lizard introduced into the U.S. A stable population on the campus of Westark Community College in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas represents the northernmost U.S. population presently known. We report data on microhabitat usage, feeding behavior, reproduction, and activity patterns. This gecko is active on the outside of buildings during warm months of the year and occasionally inside buildings during the winter. It is most abundant on buildings with many crevices that are used as daytime retreats. It avoids direct illumination of artificial light and usually perches at heights greater than …

Effects Of Porcine Somatotropin Administration And Its Duration On Growth Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Finishing Swine Fed To 280 Lb (1991), M E. Johnston, B R. Schricker, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Robert H. Hines, Donald H. Kropf

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

One hundred eight barrows with an initial weight of 120 lb were utilized to determine the effects of porcine somatotropin (PST) administration period and duration on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing swine fed to 280 lb. Pigs were injected daily in the extensor muscle of the neck with either a placebo or 4 mg pST. Treatments included: (A) placebo injection from 120 to 280 lb; (B) pST injection from 120 to 280 lb; (C) pST injection from 120 to 230 lb and then placebo injection from 230 to 280 lb; (D) placebo injection from 120 to 230 lb …

Selection For Increased In Vitro Digestibility Improves Feeding Value Of Sorghum Grain (1991), B J. Healy, P J. Bramel-Cox, B T. Richert, C F. Klopfenstein, Merle D. Witt, Joe D. Hancock

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Six cannulated barrows and two hundred eighty-eight chicks were used in an experiment to determine the value of an in vitro protein digestibility assay (pepsin digest) for identification of sorghum parent lines with improved nutritional value. The barrows were used to determine digestibility of the experimental sorghums at the terminal ileum and for the total digestive tract. Due to a limited supply of the sorghums, broiler chicks were used as a model to predict the value of the experimental sorghums for growth performance. Four sorghum parent lines were selected from 100 SI families grown at several locations in Kansas. Two …

Runoff Control From Dirt Lots (1991), Joseph P. Harner, James P. Murphy

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A recent water quality survey assessment found nonpoint source pollution problems in a majority of Kansas surface waters - 85% of the monitoring sites were impaired by nutrients, 60% of the sites by bacteria, 55% by suspended solids and/or minerals, and 40% by oxygen-demanding substances. Swine producers have the responsibility to maintain the quality of ground or surface water near their production units. Outdoor dirt lots for confinement of swine are often overlooked as an area needing facilities for water pollution control.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 21, 1991

Evaluation Of A Rotating Drum Mixer (1991), C R. Stark, C H. Fahrenholz, Keith C. Behnke

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A "rotating drum" type mixer was tested to determine if it could produce a uniformly mixed feed. Feed was manufactured in four separate trials, which examined addition sequence, mixing time, mixer capacity, and liquid addition. Uniformly mixed feed was obtained after 8 min, when ingredients were properly sequenced and mixed. Smaller batch sizes decreased the time required to obtain a uniform mixture. The mixer distributed liquid uniformly through the feed and had excellent clean-out capabilities.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 21, 1991

Evaluation Of Expelled Soybean Meal In Starter Diets (1991), C G. Mills, K G. Friesen, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Forty-eight weanling pigs (6.9 lb initial wt) were used in a 28-d growth study to determine the feeding value of expelled soybean meal (43% CP) as compared to conventionally extracted soybean meal (48.5% CP). Pigs were fed one of two dietary treatments containing either expelled soybean meal or conventional soybean meal. Both diets contained milo and 10% dried whey and were formulated to be slightly lysine deficient (.95%) to determine any potential differences in amino acid availabilities between the two soybean meals. From d 0 to 14, pigs fed conventional soybean meal had higher average daily gain (ADG) and average …

Space Requirements Of Finishing Pigs Fed To A Heavier Weight (Removed Individually) (1991), G E. Fitzner, David A. Nichols, Joe D. Hancock, Robert H. Hines

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Space allowances of 6, 8, 10, and 12 ft2 were evaluated for pigs fed from 120 to 250 lb. The management system used was to remove pigs individually as they reached 250 lb, which provided increasing space per pig. Using this management system, average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed effeciency improved linearly with increasing space allowance. Pigs allowed 6ft2 gained slower, ate less, and required more feed per lb of gain compared to pigs allowed 8, 10, and 12 ft2. Pigs permitted 8, 10, and 12 ft2 were similar in rate of gain, feed consumption, and feed …

Heifer Feeding And Management Affect Efficiency (1991), James R. Dunham

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Heifer feeding and management programs have a great impact on the efficiency of the future dairy herd. Dairies that feed and manage heifers for calving at about 24 mo of age are optimizing milk production, feed cost for raising heifers, number of replacement heifers available, and return on investment. Replacement heifers represent a considerable investment in labor and feed, with no return on that investment until they freshen. A summary of Kansas DHIA Holstein herds shows that some herds are receiving a good return on investment as early as 22 mo of age, whereas other herds are not reaping any …