Life Sciences Commons^™

D- Vs L-Methionine Utilization By Growing Steers, C.G. Campbell, G. St. Jean, Evan C. Titgemeyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Increasing the amino acid supply to the small intestine of growing cattle can increase performance, if specific amino acids are limiting. Although this can be accomplished by feeding rumen undegradable protein, a more economical approach may be supplementing only those amino acids that actually limit performance, but in a form that will bypass the rumen. Methionine (MET) is thought to be a limiting amino acid for growing cattle. DL-MET, a 50 :50 mixture of natural methionine (L-MET) and the unnatural optical isomer (D-MET) is used widely in monogastric rations. Ruminally protected DL-methionine is also available for cattle; however, little information …

Influence Of Β-Glucan On Nonspecific Immunity And Growth Performance In Weanling Pigs (1994), Jishu N. Shi, T L. Kielian, M M. Chengappa, J E. Smith, Frank Blecha, Steven S. Dritz, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen, Michael D. Tokach

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Three experiments, using 344 pigs, were conducted to evaluate the influence of β-glucan (MacroGardâ„¢-S) on neutrophil and macrophage function, resistance to Streptococcus suis challenge, and growth performance in weanling pigs. β-glucan, when fed at inclusion rates of .05 and .1 %, did not influence neutrophil or macrophage function or increase overall growth performance. Similarly, .025% β-glucan did not alter neutrophil or macrophage bactericidal activity or production of superoxide anion. However, diets containing.025% β-glucan increased average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and pigs weights and decreased plasma haptoglobin levels on d 21. Unfortunately, pigs fed a diet containing .025% that …

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Hog Marketing Groups (1994), J Mintert, R Tynon, Michael D. Tokach, Michael R. Langemeier, Ted C. Schroeder

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Ten hog marketing groups located in Kansas and Iowa were surveyed during 1993 to determine the success, operation, and management of hog marketing groups. Marketing group leaders were asked to identify principal advantages and disadvantages of marketing hogs in groups. Survey responses indicated that marketing hogs in groups led to producers receiving higher sale prices for their hogs and helped reduce their marketing costs. Commonly cited disadvantages of group marketing, included a loss in marketing flexibility, difficulties in coordinating loads among group members, and concerns about increased susceptibility to diseases from other herds.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 17, 1994

The Effects Of Supplementing Growing Finishing Swine Diets With Betaine And (Or) Choline On Growth And Carcass Characteristics (1994), J W. Smith Ii, B T. Richert, K Q. Owen, J R. Bergstrom, S A. Blum, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Eighty crossbred gilts (initially 134 lb) were used in a growth assay to evaluate the effects of supplementing finishing pig diets with betaine and (or) choline on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Betaine at 0 or 1000 ppm and choline at 0 or 100 ppm were used in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in eight randomized complete blocks. A fifth treatment, 1000 ppm betaine from a liquid, 16 carbon betaine (Lonzaine 16, distributed by Lonza, lnc., Fair Lawn, NJ), was added to further evaluate the efficacy of another form of betaine. Pigs were blocked by weight and ancestry and …

The Effects Of Added Salt In The Phase Ii Starter Pig Diet (1994), C A. Kerr, B T. Richert, J R. Bergstrom, W B. Nessmith, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach, Jim L. Nelssen, Steven S. Dritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 178 pigs (initially 10.5 Ib and 19 d of age) was used to compare the effects of added salt in the Phase II (d 14 to 28 postweaning) diet. Pigs were alloted by sex and inital weight and placed in pens containing either nine or 10 pigs. All pigs were fed the same Phase I diet for the first 14 d postweaning. The Phase I diet contained 20% dried whey, 7.5% spry-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), and 1.75% spray-dried blood meal (SDBM) and was formulated to contain 1.5% lysine and .42% methionine. On day 14, pigs were assigned …

Effect Of Rumen-Escape Protein Level On Feedlot Performance And Carcass Traits Of Implanted Vs Nonimplanted Yearling Steers, Robert T. Brandt Jr., Christopher D. Reinhardt

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

One hundred eighty yearling steers (743 lb) were blocked by weight; implanted with Synovex® (S), Synovex plus Finaplix® (SF), or not implanted (C); and fed diets containing 11.75% (L), 13.0% (M), or 14.25% (H) crude protein with all supplemental protein above 11.75% being supplied by corn gluten meal and blood meal in a 50:50 ratio (crude protein basis). An addition al protein level fed to S and SF implanted cattle was H for the first 70 days on feed and L thereafter (H-L). Animals were reimplanted on day 70. Steers treated with SF gained faster and more efficiently than non-implanted …

Payout Characteristics Of Anabolic Agents From Synovex®, Finaplix®, And Revalor® Implants In Finishing Yearling Steers, P.S. Hickman, Robert T. Brandt Jr., D.M. Henricks, J. Ernest Minton, Jeffrey S. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Forty, individually fed, yearling steers (750 lbs) were used to measure payout characteristics of different trenbolone acetate-containing implants and to correlate those characteristics to growth response. Treatments were 1) control, 2) Synovex-S®, 3) Finaplix-S®, 4) Synovex® plus Finaplix, and 5) Revalor®. Steers were fed a 12% crude protein, corn-based, finishing diet for 112 days. Compared to Revalor, which had a fairly constant payout over time, the combination of Synovex plus Finaplix resulted in higher blood levels of estradiol and trenbolone acetate (TBA) up to 56 days, followed by a relatively rapid decline to 112 days. Despite elevated levels of TBA …

Roughage Levels And Comparison Of Mixed Rations Vs Self-Feeders In Whole Shelled Corn Finishing Programs, C.T. Milton, Robert T. Brandt Jr., S.A. Shuey

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two trials were conducted to evaluate roughage levels in whole shelled-corn finishing diets and to compare use of self-feeders to a total mixed ration in a whole corn program. In trial 1, steers were fed whole corn diets alone or with 4 or 8% roughage or a rolled corn diet with 8% roughage. Increasing the roughage level increased dry matter in take, feed required per unit of gain, and carcass weight and finish, and reduced the incidence of liver abscesses. Despite better feed efficiency and lower costs of gain, reducing the dietary roughage level reduced profitability because of lighter slaughter …

Roughage Level And Corn Processing In Finishing Diets: Subacute Acidosis, S.A. Shuey, Robert T. Brandt Jr., S.M. Gramlich, C.T. Milton

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Roughage level and method of corn processing were evaluated for the propensity to cause subacute acidosis in a controlled acidosis challenge model. Four ruminally fistulated steers were adapted to a high grain diet, randomly allocated within a 4 x 4 Latin square, and fed a corn-based finishing ration at 2% of BW/day (dry basis) in two equal feedings. Chopped alfalfa hay was used as the roughage source and added at 8% of the diet dry matter or not added. Corn was fed either whole (WSC) or dry rolled (DRC). Roughage level and grain processing had no effect on postchallenge molar …

The Effect Of Protected Lysine-Methionine On Gain And Health Of Newly Arrived Calves, F.K. Brazle, Gerald L. Stokka

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-hauled calves averaging 293 lb were allotted to groups fed with or without protected lysine-methionine (Smartamine ML®). Protected lysine-methionin e did not improve ADG in the first 28 days but did improve ADG from 29 to 56 days. It also reduced morbidity (16.1 vs 34.2%) from day 29 to 56. Based on this research, the response of long-hauled calves to protected lysine-methionine in the diet appears to occur after they have recovered from the stress of shipment.

Relationships Between Lignin Content And Fermentability Of Intact And Chemically Treated Big Bluestem Fiber, R.C. Cochran, G. Towne, Evan C. Titgemeyer, K. C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

An accurate assessment of forage quality is required to allow prediction of animal performance. One of the most commonly used methods of forage evaluation is to measure lignin content, with more heavily lignified materials being considered less digestible. Two measures of lignin, acid detergent lignin (ADL) and acetyl bromide lignin (ABL), were assessed with regard to their ability to predict forage digestibility. Big bluestem forage samples were collected from three ungrazed, annually burned pastures at 38, 58, and 97 days postburn. These times were selected to represent a broad range of forage quality. Cell wall material was treated chemically by: …

Evaluation Of The Potential Of Supplements To Substitute For Range Forage, S.D. Stafford, R.C. Cochran, E.S. Vanzant, J.O. Fritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Thirteen, ruminally fistulated, Angus x Hereford, yearling steers were used to evaluate the effect of feeding different types and amounts of supplements on t h e likelihood of observing a substitution of supplement for range forage. Steers had ad libitum access to low-quality range forage and were fed a supplement comprised of sorghum grain (SG) and soybean meal (SBM ) that contained 18% CP (SG/SBM 18%), a SG/SBM supplement that contained 36% CP (SG/SBM 36%), long-stem alfalfa hay (18% CP), or alfalfa-pellets (18% CP) in amounts that provided .05, .10, and .15 % BW o f CP/day. In general, supplementation …

Getting The Best From The Woolbelt, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Articles in this issue of the Journal of Agriculture discuss prospects for the wool industry and strategies for wool growers to increase their income and their long term viability.

The impact of low wool prices is greatest in the 'woo/belt' (see map) and the southern pastoral region. There is a need to boost the profitability of wool production and to increase income from sources other than wool in these regions.

The Productivity and Diversification Initiative for Wool Growers is refocussing Department of Agriculture resources to assist wool growers reduce costs, increase productivity and diversify into alternative enterprises.

The strategies recommended …

Careful Clip Preparation Will Increase Profit, Peter Metcalfe, Ric Collins

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

The current wool market has forced wool growers into producing the maximum number of kilograms of quality wool for the least cost. Preparation of the clip is now much more important to maximise possible net returns. Careful clip preparation will ensure that growers receive the maximum overall average price for each kilogram of wool in the clip.

How Sustainable Is Grazing Sheep On Annual Pastures In The Woolbelt?, Don Mcfarlane, Richard George

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

Low wool prices have reduced the profitability of producing wool from clover-based annual pastures in the south-western woo/belt. The heavy reliance on one commodity is economically unsustainable for many farmers. But we should also consider how ecologically sustainable the practice is.

Shallow-rooted annual pastures contribute to widespread salinity in the area, annual legumes are acidifying the soils and making them water repellent, and bare, detached soils from heavy grazing cause sheet and rill erosion during autumn storms. In addition, stock are degrading remnant vegetation and destroying the soil's structure.

To counteract this degradation, the woo/belt needs more perennial pastures and …

Crops In The Woolbelt : Current Options And Emerging Prospects, Wal Anderson, Ross Gilmour, Robyn Mclean, Peter Nelson, K H.M Siddique, Paul Carmody, Ian Prtichard

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

It has traditionally been more profitable to grow sheep for wool in the medium rainfall parts of the south-west of Western Australia than to grow crops . Crop production has been difficult owing to the hilly terrain, the frequency of waterlogging, the high incidence of damaging frosts in some areas, the frequency of losses from diseases, difficulties with wet weather at harvest, and a lack of adapted crop varieties.

Advances over the past decade have made cropping on a limited scale potentially profitable in the woo/belt.

This article is intended to bring the various options for crop production to the …

Red Mud : Cutting Pollution And Boosting Yields, Rob Summers

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

A by-product from the refining of bauxite ore in the South-West is proving a bonus for agriculture.

When spread over the land, not only is it improving soil quality, but it is helping to prevent leaching of phosphorus and the consequent massive algal blooms in the waterways.

Bauxite residue is also showing considerable promise in human and animal effluent disposal systems, composting urban refuse, sewage treatments and as a road base.

Western Australia is now in the forefront of this research which is attracting world-wide interest.

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Israeli Weevil Could Help Fight Doublegee, John Scott, Paul Yeoh

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

Since its deliberate introduction from South Africa as a salad vegetable in 1830 the doublegee has spread to become a major weed throughout much of Australia.

It is one of the most serious weeds of crops and pastures in Western Australia, smothering other more useful plants while young, and troubling both humans and animals with its sharp spiny seeds when mature.

Using biological control techniques, scientists are now attacking it and related docks in three ways - with an aphid, a weevil and a fungus.

Within a few years it is hoped that while still present, the doublegee will be …

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Doublegee Decline And The Dock Aphid, John Scott, Francoise Berlandier, Kristy Hollis

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

Since 1990 farmers in the Western Australian wheatbelt have been reporting doublegee plants that appear to be diseased, stunted and producing poorly formed fruit (the spiny casing around the single doublegee seed). Often no obvious cause of this decline in plant health is apparent. Experiments carried out in 1990 showed that an aphid, which feeds hidden in the growing tips of doublegee stems and in young distorted leaves, is the most likely cause. This North American aphid, the dock aphid (Brachycaudus rumexicolens), arrived in WA in 1987. It appears to only feed on docks, doublegees and related plants and is …

Biological Control Of Doublegee : Fungi May Be Another Weapon, Roger Shivas, John Scott

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

A fungus has been assessed both in Australia and South Africa since 1989 for its potential to control doublegee.

Under optimal environmental conditions it causes a severe stem blight which ultimately kills the plant. It also infects seeds, and caused up to 30 per cent mortality at a field site near Badgingarra.

Hopes to develop the fungus as a mycoherbicide (fungal killer of plants) have had to be dropped because it produces a potent toxin but it is still contributing to control in the field.

New Medics Show Promise In The Northern Wheatbelt, Colin Mcdonald, Bradley Nutt

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

For more than 20 years Cyprus barrel medic has been the mainstay of pastures grown on the medium to heavy red clay loamss of Western Australia'slow rainfall wheatbelt. However, since the early1980s its resistance to aphids has declined followed by reduced productivitymand persistence.

Fortunately, a six year research program at Tenibdewa, near Mullewa, is on target to prove the superiority of Parabinga barrel medic and a mixture of Serena and Santiago burr medics. These varieties, which had not been widley tested in the region, generally out-perform Cyprus in all aspects because of their higher tolerance of aphids.

Bluegum Timberbelts For Profitable Landcare, Peter Eckersley

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

Revegetation with tasmanian bluegums in wide-spaced timberbelts appears to offer high returns, especially in areas where high winds cause crop and stock losses and where land can be saved from salinity and wwaterlogging.

In the South Coast and South-WestRegions, timberbelts will complement existing enterprises and so optimise overall land use. Graziers should be able to maintaine their stock numbers while creating an on-farm superannuation package.

The Department of Conservation and Land Management has been a major player in the development of bluegum timberbelts, but a few farmers are now adapting this concept to better suit their needs. Initial results are …

Effects Of Alternative Soy Sources On Growth Performance In Early-Weaned Pigs (1994), M R. Cabrera, M M. Rantanen, Robert H. Hines, Joe D. Hancock

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 144 pigs (initial body wt of 10.4 lb) was used in a 56-d growth assay to determine the effects of different soybean preparations on growth performance and cost of gain in nursery pigs. Experimental diets were fed in three phases from d 0 to 35 postweaning (Le., d 0 to 7, 7 to 21, and 21 to 35). Treatments were a soybean meal-based regimen; a dry-extruded whole soybeans (mill-run) regimen; and a specially processed soy products regimen (Le., soy isolate in Phase I, soy concentrate in Phase 11, and extruded soy flour in Phase Ill). All diets …

Factors Influencing First-Service Conception And Overall Pregnancy Rates In Commercial Beef Heifers, S.D. Utter, P.L. Houghton, L.R. Corah, D.D. Simms, M.F. Spire, M.D. Butine

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Commercial beef heifers (n=1863) from 16 different sources were used to evaluate the influence of management practices and biological traits on first-service conception and overall pregnancy rates. Frame score, initial weight, overall ADG, body condition score, reproductive tract score, source, AI technician, and AI sire significantly influenced first-service conception. Overall pregnancy rates were influenced by frame score, body weight, and ADG.

Effect Of Lactic Acid Sprays On Shelf Life And Microbiological Safety Of Beef Subprimals, R.K. Prasai, L.E. Mease, L.R. Vogt, Donald H. Kropf, Daniel Y.C. Fung, Curtis L. Kastner

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Beef loins were sprayed with 1.5% lactic acid either before or after vacuum storage, both before and after vacuum storage, and before vacuum packaging followed by a water spray after storage. We stored treated loins at either 30EF or 36EF for up to 126 days in vacuum packages. Nonsprayed or nonstored loins served as controls. Total aerobic plate counts (APCs) and tests for presence/absence of two important foodborne pathogens, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, were conducted during storage. Acid spraying prior to vacuum packaging was more effective in reducing bacterial contamination than spraying after storage. However, counts were reduced (P<.05) for only 28 days of storage. Most loins stored at 30EF had lower APCs than those stored at 36EF. Salmonella was not detected in any samples. Twenty-eight percent of nonacid treated and 4 percent of acid-treated loins were positive for Listeria spp. with L. monocytogenes found from one nonacid-treated loin. No change in visual color was observed in acid-treated loins. Appropriate timing of acid s praying in combination with lower storage temperature can improve the keeping quality and microbial safety of meat.

Breed Effects And Retained Heterosis For Growth, Carcass, And Meat Traits In Advanced Generations Of Composite Populations Of Beef Cattle, K.E. Gregory, L.V. Cundiff, R.M. Koch, M. Koohmaraie, Michael E. Dikeman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Retained heterosis for growth, carcass, and meat traits was estimated in F3 generation steer progeny in three composite populations finished on two levels of dietary energy density (2.82 MCal ME and 3.07 MCal ME, and 11.5 % CP) and serially slaughtered at four endpoints at intervals of 20 to 22 days. Breed effects were evaluated in the nine parental breeds of Red Poll (RP), Hereford (H), Angus (A), Limousin (L), Braunvieh (B), Pinzgauer (P), Gelbvieh (G) , Simmental (S), and Charolais (C) that contributed to the three "˜composite' populations. MARC-I was l/4 B, l/4 C, l/4 L, l/8 H, and …

Breed Effects And Retained Heterosis For Growth, Carcass, And Meat Traits In Advanced Generations Of Composite Populations Of Beef Cattle, K.E. Gregory, L.V. Cundiff, R.M. Koch, M. Koohmaraie, Michael E. Dikeman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Retained heterosis for growth, carcass, and meat traits was estimated in F3 generation steer progeny in three composite populations finished on two levels of dietary energy density (2.82 MCal ME and 3.07 MCal ME, and 11.5 % CP) and serially slaughtered at four endpoints at intervals of 20 to 22 days. Breed effects were evaluated in the nine parental breeds of Red Poll (RP), Hereford (H), Angus (A), Limousin (L), Braunvieh (B), Pinzgauer (P), Gelbvieh (G) , Simmental (S), and Charolais (C) that contributed to the three "˜composite' populations. MARC-I was l/4 B, l/4 C, l/4 L, l/8 H, and …

The Effect Of Lysine And Valine Fed During Lactation On Sow And Litter Lactation Performance (1994), B T. Richert, R G. Campbell, S Kershaw, S A. Blum, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two hundred two sows (98 parity 1 and 104 parity 2 sows) were used in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the effect of dietary valine and lysine on sow lactation performance. Treatments included two levels of lysine (.8 or 1.2%) and three valine to lysine ratios (80, 100, 120% of lysine). This experiment was conducted at a research farm of a production facility in New South Wales, Australia from January to March, 1994. For all sows, increasing dietary lysine increased litter weaning weight and litter weight gain and reduced sow weight loss. Increasing dietary valine …

Comparison Of Lactation Diets Containing Various Protein Sources On Sow And Litter Performance (1994), Steven S. Dritz, Michael D. Tokach, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 188 lactating sows was used in Exp. 1 to determine the influence of a complex lactation diet containing oats, linseed meal, and alfalfa meal compared with a corn-soybean meal diet on sow and litter performance. No differences in sow and litter performance were observed. Therefore, a simple corn-soybean meal diet was adequate 10 maximize sow productivity. Average daily feed intake (ADFI) of sows by parity was also examined in Exp. 1. The ADFI of parity 1 sows was considerably lower than that of parity 3 sows, but litter weaning weights were similar. Thus, lactation diet formulation should …

Financial Performance Measures For Kansas Swine Farms, 1983-1992 (1994), Michael R. Langemeier, B M. Purdy

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Financial performance measures assist managers in making strategic plans and in tracking progress in relationship to a firm's goals. Kansas Farm Management Association data were used to compute benchmark financial performance measures for swine farms from 1983 to 1992. Annual average net farm income during the study period was $36,370 and ranged from a loss of $6,808 in 1983 to a profit of $69,418 in 1990. Return on investment ranged from -9.36% to 12.09% and averaged 3.71%over the period. The average debt to asset ratio was above 40% in every year except 1989, 1990, and 1992. The average debt to …