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A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In U.S. Pork Production, William Benjamin Putman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the U.S. live swine production supply chain to quantify land use requirements and to assess the impact associated with various ration compositions. The functional unit was defined as one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of live swine at the farm gate, ready for transport to the abattoir. This assessment focused on the three highest producing USDA regions, which encompassed the Midwest (Regions 5 and 7) and the Southeast (Region 4), representing 86% of U.S. market hog production.

First, a literature review was conducted to summarize the most …

Meat Quality Of Broiler Breast Fillets With White Striping And Woody Breast Muscle Myopathies, Vishwesh Vijay Tijare

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The global poultry industry has been faced with emerging broiler breast meat quality issues known as white striping and woody breast. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of white striping and woody breast hardness on meat quality traits in broiler breast fillets. Birds were processed at 8 wk (Exp.1) and at 6 and 9 wk of age (Exp.2), whereas deboning was carried out at 4 and 2 h postmortem in Exp.1 and 2, respectively. Fillets were categorized as: normal for both white striping and woody breast (NORM); mild for white striping and woody breast (MILD); severe for white striping …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Alternative Swine Management Practices, Prathamesh Avadhut Bandekar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are quantitative analyses of complex systems for evaluation of impacts and risk associated with management decisions. LCAs can be effective tools for determining comparative advantages of management strategies across specific impact concern. In this study, life cycle assessments of pork production management alternatives was performed. The alternative management practices included in this study were production of entire males (boars), use of pens for gestation housing, immunocastration, production without growth promoting antimicrobials, production without growth promoting and preventive antimicrobials, and production without ractopamine. These LCAs evaluated the impact of each management strategy on greenhouse gas emission (GHG), …

Effect Of Feeding Regimen And Age On Lipid Metabolism In Broiler Breeder Hens And Progeny, Nirun Boonsinchai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age of hens and feed allocation can affect egg yolk lipid compositions which in turn directly relate to chick quality. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the effects of age and feeding programs on lipid metabolism in breeder hens and progeny. In the first trial, the rate of yolk absorption and fatty acid profiles in the yolk were compared among 28, 35, and 49wk old hens. The results revealed that the rate of yolk absorption was higher, but the absolute amount of fatty acids absorbed was lower in young hens than in the old hens. The second trial …

Grass Finishing Systems For Lambs, Erin Leigh Smyth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is strong interest in sustainably produced meat. Grass-fed lamb could fulfill this market by reducing off-farm inputs. The objective was to examine the effect of grass-finishing or minimal supplementation on performance of lambs in the southeastern US. Katahdin lambs born in October 2013 and 2014 and February 2014 were weaned in January 2014/2015 and May 2014, respectively. Lambs were blocked by gender (fall; winter included only ram lambs) and randomly assigned to receive no (NON) or grain co-product supplement (SUP; 15% CP) at 0.5% of BW/d. Lambs were rotationally grazed on predominantly grass. Body weight, fecal egg counts (FEC), …

Facilitation And Dominance In A Schooling Predator: Foraging Behavior Of Florida Pompano, Trachinotus Carolinus, Meagan N. Schrandt, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Presumably an individual’s risk of predation is reduced by group membership and this ‘safety in numbers’ concept has been readily applied to investigations of schooling prey; however, foraging in groups may also be beneficial. We tested the hypothesis that, when feeding in groups, foraging of a coastal fish (Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus) on a benthic prey source would be facilitated (i.e. fish feeding in groups will consume more prey items). Although this question has been addressed for other fish species, it has not been previously addressed for Florida Pompano, a fish known to exhibit schooling behavior and that is …

The Energetic Value Of Land-Based Foods In Western Hudson Bayand Their Potential To Alleviate Energy Deficits Of Starving Adult Male Polar Bears, Linda J. Gormezano, Robert F. Rockwell

Publications and Research

Climate change is predicted to expand the ice-free season in western Hudson Bay and when it grows to 180 days, 28–48% of adult male polar bears are projected to starve unless nutritional deficits can be offset by foods consumed on land. We updated a dynamic energy budget model developed by Molnar et al. to allow influx of additional energy from novel terrestrial foods (lesser snow geese, eggs, caribou) that polar bears currently consume as part of a mixed diet while on land. We calculated the units of each prey, alone and in combination, needed to alleviate these lethal energy deficits …

The Perceptions Of The Unwanted Horse Population In Illinois 2015, Kelsey Annette Schueler

Theses and Dissertations

A survey to measure the perceptions of the unwanted horse population in the state of Illinois was developed. Horse owners, non-horse owners, and equine industry stakeholders in Illinois were the focus of the study. Participants were surveyed on their perceptions, awareness, and knowledge of the unwanted horse population in the state. Each survey included questions of current knowledge of legislation, background with equine, current methods to control the unwanted horse population, and methods they believe would benefit the population. A block style survey was developed, emailed to a statewide equine association listserv, and advertised through articles online. Findings show that …

Object Permanence In The Dwarf Goat (Capra Aegagrus Hircus): Perseveration Errors And The Tracking Of Complex Movements Of Hidden Objects, Christian Nawroth, Eberhard Von Borell, Jan Langbein

Memory Collection

Object permanence is the notion that objects continue to exist even when they are out of an observer’s sight. In mammals, the highest stage of object permanence (Stage 6) has been observed only in primates, whereas other species have shown difficulty in following once-hidden objects, particularly when complex movements are involved. We conducted four experiments to examine the ability of dwarf goats to mentally represent once-hidden objects. In Experiment 1, we investigated whether dwarf goats are prone to commit the A-not-B or perseveration error which is commonly used as a measure for self-control. Subjects here continue to search for an …

Activity Of The Porcine Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Promoter Is Partially Conferred By A Distal Gonadotrope Specific Element (Gse) Within An Upstream Enhancing Region, Two Proximal Gses And A Retinoid X Receptor Binding Site, Rebecca Cederberg, Jacqueline Smith, Emily A. Mcdonald, Chanho Lee, Amy R. Perkins, Brett R. White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor (GnRHR) numbers on gonadotropes within the anterior pituitary gland represents a critical point for control of reproductive function. Binding of GnRH to its receptor regulates follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) release and levels of this G-protein coupled receptor on the surface of gonadotropes determines their sensitivity to GnRH pulses. While transcriptional regulation of this gene has been studied in mice, rats, humans and sheep, little is known about its regulation in the pig, an important agricultural species and human research model.

Methods: We isolated 5118 bp of 5′ flanking …

Impact Of Using Different Stocking Rates Of Goats Under Pine Plantation On Plant Species Occurrence And Animal Productivity, Anthony S. Kumi, India Howard, Ronald C. Smith, Nar Gurung, Alphonso Elliott

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The study assessed the impact of using different stocking rates of goats under pine plantation on plant species occurrence and animal productivity. It was conducted on an 11 year-old loblolly pine plantation site in Epes, Alabama from July to October 2011. Thirty-six Kiko crossbred male goat kids of 4 to 5 months of age were assigned to different stocking rates, namely, low (4 goats/acre), medium (8 goats/acre), and high (12 goats/acre) with three replications each. Forage composition, animal daily gain (ADG) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were monitored. Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum) was the most dominant grass …

Human Disturbance And The Physiological Response Of Elk In Eastern Washington, D. S. Jachowski, S. Mccorquodale, Brian E. Washburn, Joshua J. Millspaugh

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Stress hormone measures have proven useful for assessing effects of human disturbance on wildlife populations. However, most studies are of short duration or limited geographic scope (i.e., without spatial replication), leading to concerns about confounding effects of biotic conditions. Previous research correlated fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) of elk (Cervus elaphus) with human disturbance, but this factor also co-varied with seasonal climatic conditions, making it difficult to make broader inference regarding the role of human disturbance. In this study we attempted to simultaneously evaluate the effects of climatic conditions and human disturbance by comparing the year-round physiological stress response …

Secretion Of Heat-Labile Enterotoxin By Porcine-Origin Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli And Relation To Virulence, Prageeth Rukshan Wijemanne

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is an important virulence factor secreted by some strains of porcine-origin enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (pETEC). The prototypic human-origin strain H10407 secretes LT via a type II secretion system (T2SS), but its presence or importance in pETEC has not been established. Exposure of pETEC to glucose has been shown to result in different secretion levels of LT. Furthermore, the relationship between the level of LT secreted and the virulence potential of the respective pETEC strain has not been established. To determine the relationship between the capacity to secrete LT and virulence in wild-type (WT) pETEC, 16 strains isolated …

Assessing Alabama Consumer Attitudes And Beliefs About Locally Or Regionally Produced Livestock And Products, Nii O. Tackie, Jannette R. Bartlett, Akua Adu-Gyamfi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Local and regional food production has gained increased interest of consumers in recent years. The study, therefore, focused on assessing consumer attitudes and beliefs on local or regional livestock products. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 432 participants from South Central Alabama, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests. A majority of respondents thought using chemicals and additives in locally or regionally produced beef or goat meat was a serious hazard. Therefore, many were willing to pay more for meat certified as locally or regionally produced. Also, most agreed or strongly agreed with statements on …

Comparing The Effects Of Conventional And Pastured Poultry Production Systems On The Stress Levels Of Broilers, Kristina M. Liles, Jannette R. Bartlett, Ronique C. Beckford

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

The objective of this study was to measure stress levels in broilers raised on a pasture production system (PPS) and a conventional production system (CPS) by evaluating lymphoid organ weights, white blood cell profiles (WBCP), total white blood cell counts (TWBC), and heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (HLR). Broilers were brooded indoors for 3 weeks then divided into 2 groups; one placed on pasture while the other remained indoors. Blood was collected at weeks 3, 5, and 7 via brachial venipuncture. After 49 days, birds were slaughtered and lymphoid organs harvested. Results showed no differences between treatments for lymphoid organs, …

The Effects Of Phytochemical Tannin-Containing Diets On Animal Performance And Internal Parasite Control In Meat Goats, Chassity Wright

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The Effects of Phytochemical Tannin-Containing Diets on Animal Performance and Internal Parasite Control in Meat Goats

By

Chassity Wright

Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) resistance has been reported against almost all chemical anthelmintics available for its control. H. contortus has a remarkable ability to develop resistance and threatens the viability of the goat industry in many regions of the world. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying anthelmintic resistance and to discover new alternative methods of chemical and non-chemical control. With chemical anthemintics failing, this has led to the evaluation of plants as a natural …

Molecular Tools To Support Metabolic And Immune Function Research In The Guinea Fowl (Numida Meleagris), Carl E. Darris, James E. Tyus Ii, Gary Kelley, Alexander J. Ropelewski, Hugh B. Nicholas Jr., Xiaofei Wang, Samuel N. Nahashon

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Background

Guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris) production as an alternative source of meat and poultry has shown potential for economic viability. However, there has been little progress in characterizing the transcriptome of the guinea fowl. In this study RNA-sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly of several Guinea fowl tissues (pancreas, hypothalamus, liver, bone marrow and bursa) which play key roles in regulating feed intake, satiety, and immune function was performed using Illumina’s Hi-Seq 2000.

Results

74 million sequences were generated and assembled into 96,492 contigs using the Trinity software suite. Over 39,000 of these transcripts were found to have …

Effects Of The Developmental Environment On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidants In Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys Scripta Elegans ) Hatchlings, Lisa Allison Treidel

Theses and Dissertations

Developmental environments influence many individual phenotypes. However, currently we have a limited understanding of how the developmental environment influences oxidative stress resistance phenotypes. Oxidative stress is defined as a physiological state during which the production of harmful free radicals exceeds the protective capabilities of antioxidants. Variations among adults in susceptibility to oxidative stress can have important consequences for life history strategies and fitness related traits. Our work was aimed at providing insight in to the role that the developmental environment plays on oxidative stress phenotypes in the model oviparous reptile the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). Here, we conducted …

Section Abstracts: Agriculture, Forestry And Aquaculture

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture Section for the 93rd Annual Virginia Academy of Science Meeting, May 2015, at James Madison University

Saccharomyces Boulardii As An Enteric Health Promoter In Broiler Chickens, Caroline Stephanie Philpot

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast that has been shown to have a probiotic effect on the gut health of humans, ruminants, and swine by helping to control intestinal homeostasis, preventing pathogens from colonizing, promoting beneficial enzyme production, and by other mechanisms. This trial is designed to test whether the addition of S. boulardii to the diet improves the enteric health of broilers. Forty-eight test pens each containing fifteen birds, a water line, and a hanging feed pan were set up in a commercial broiler house from day eighteen to day thirty-six of the flock. The pens were evenly divided into …

Effect Of A Trace Mineral Injection On Beef Cattle Performance, Carmen J. Brasche

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adequate trace mineral status is important in beef cow/calf and replacement heifer systems because trace minerals play vital roles in reproduction, immunity and growth. Many experiments have investigated the use of a trace mineral injection containing Cu, Mn, Se and Zn (TMI) on growth and immunity of beef cattle. However, very few have investigated TMI use on reproductive performance. Therefore, five experiments, a two year cow/calf experiment, and four replacement heifer experiments were designed to investigate the use of a TMI on reproductive performance of cows and heifers, calf growth and trace mineral status of cows, heifers, and calves. The …

Corn Plant Maturity Effect On Yield And Nutritional Quality: Corn Silage Inoculation On Performance Of Cattle Fed Silage With Or Without Live Yeast Added, Cassandra A. Row

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Corn plots were serially harvested over two years to evaluate nutrient, digestibility, and yield change as plants matured from half-milk line through black layer. In yr 1 (2013), two corn plots were used, one short season (102 d), and one normal season (111 d). Year two used two Pioneer hybrids (111 d; 112 d). Silage yield and silage DM increased quadratically as maturity increased (P ≤ 0.01). Percent NDF increased quadratically (P = 0.01), and NDF-digestibility decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as maturity increased. This study suggests there is a delicate balance between plant maturity, nutrient content, and silage yield. A finishing study using 320 yearling steers (initial BW = 417 ± 22.7 kg) evaluated the effect of using a silage inoculant or not on performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments were designed as a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement with factors being no inoculant (CON) or use of inoculant (Buchnerii spp.; B500) at silage harvest, silage fed at 15 or 40% of diet DM, and presence (LEV) or absence (noLEV) of Levucell SC yeast product fed at 14.2 g/hd/d. Performance data were analyzed with pen as the experimental unit, with 5 pens/treatment. There was a three-way interaction for final live BW, HCW, ADG, and G:F (P < 0.05). Feeding corn silage at 40% inclusion instead of 15% inclusion increased DMI and decreased G:F. At 15% silage inclusion, the B500 LEV treatment had the lowest ADG. At 40% silage inclusion all treatments were similar for ADG (P ≥ 0.06). When including silage at 15%, using B500 inoculant, the addition of LEV did not …

The Reproductive Ecology Of The Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus Horridus, In Northwestern Arkansas: Interactions Between Environment, Steroid Hormones, And Life History, Craig Michael Lind

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I examined the relationship between individual energetic status, hormone production, and life history trait expression in field-active Timber Rattlesnakes, Crotalus horridus. In chapter one I reviewed what is known regarding these relationships in snakes and defined major research goals. In chapter two I described the seasonal profile of testosterone (T) and corticosterone (CORT) in relation to the breeding season and to individual energetic status in males. Results showed that the seasonal pattern of T production in C. horridus was different than other pit viper species with similar mating patterns. Testosterone was elevated in the months leading up …

Intestinal Inflammation Model Inducing Gut Leakage By Different Methods In Broiler Chickens Using Fitc-D As A Marker, Eduardo Vicuna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have been used in food animals to reduce enteric inflammation and maintain intestinal homeostasis, thus improving performance. Due to increasing restrictions regarding the use of AGP, precise and high throughput enteric inflammation models and markers to search for effective alternatives are urgently needed. Oral administration of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) and its passage into blood can be used as a marker for tight junction permeability. FITC-d is a large molecule (3-5 kDa) which does not usually leak through the intact gastrointestinal tract barrier. However, when conditions disrupt the tight junctions between epithelial cells, the FITC-d …

Improving Production Efficiency Of Beef Cow-Calf Operations, Amanda Jo Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three studies were conducted to improve and incorporate reproductive management practices into beef cow-calf production. First study evaluated serial use of Estrotect estrous detection patches as a simple, cost-effective reproductive management tool to identify cyclic animals before breeding, distinguish between females conceiving to AI versus natural service, and determine seasonal pregnancy rate after bull removal. Also determined, was effectiveness of altered timing of GnRH treatment (1 d ± CIDR removal) in a modified 14-d CIDR-Select Synch protocol. When evaluated over a 4-wk period, estrous detection patches correctly (P < 0.01) identified 79% of cyclic and 86% of non-cyclic heifers. Patches were 96 and 98% accurate in identifying heifers and cows pregnant by AI, respectively, and were 76 and 87% accurate in identifying pregnant heifers and cows at the end of the breeding season (P < 0.01). Treatment with GnRH at CIDR removal reduced labor costs and animal handling without compromising estrous response (both ~63.0%) and AI pregnancy rates (~76 and 77%; P > 0.1). Second study determined if addition of PGF2alpha treatment on d 7 …

Efficacy Of Beta-Resorcylic Acid To Reduce Campylobacter Jejuni In Pre-Harvest And Post-Harvest Poultry, Basanta Raj Wagle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacteriosis is one of the leading foodborne illnesses in United States, and is associated with the consumption of poultry and poultry products. Reducing Campylobacter in these species will reduce the burden of this disease. Unfortunately, most strategies employed to reduce Campylobacter in poultry have either not been successful or produced inconsistent results. One potential control strategy is the use of β-resorcylic acid (BR), a phytophenolic compound classified by the US FDA as "Everything Added to Food in the United States" (EAF 3045) and is therefore deemed safe for consumption. This compounds has antibacterial activity against Salmonella, however, its efficacy to …

Divergent Selection For Four-Day Relative Breast Yield And The Effect Of Thermal Manipulations On Growth Characteristics On Lines Selected For Different Processing Dates., James Grant Mason

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genetic selections currently utilized in the poultry industry have been highly successful in promoting broiler growth rate and yield. However, these selections may have come at the expense of broiler physiology, as evidenced by an increase in physiological disorders. To address this experimentation was undergone to develop a novel method of selection to promote growth with minimal physiological impact and to assess how a new embryonic technique affects growth in broiler lines exhibiting different growth rates.

In the first experiment, a random bred control (RAN) broiler line was divergently selected for four-day relative breast yield (BY4) resulting in the high …

The Development Of Skeletal Muscle In Young Horses: An Ultrasonography And Satellite Cell Approach, Emma K. Lavigne

Honors Scholar Theses

Muscle growth in young horses is characterized by an increase in muscle cross-sectional area, which can be accomplished through the activation and differentiation of satellite cells. Satellite cells can be stimulated or inhibited in response to different cytokines and growth factors and are key mediators of muscle hypertrophy and regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in horses under 5 years of age and to obtain preliminary data on satellite cell behavior in foals. The area, width, height, and subcutaneous fat were measured using ultrasonography at 6-month increments over the …

Effects Of Feeding Distillers Grains Throughout Different Phases Of Production On Shelf Life Of Ground Beef, Brandy D. Cleveland

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

These studies analyzed the effects of feeding distillers grains on the shelf life of cooked and raw ground beef, and how the addition of postmortem or dietary antioxidants impact shelf life.

For study one, cattle were assigned to backgrounding diets containing low or high concentrations of wet distillers grains (WDGS) and either corn gluten feed or modified wet distillers grains (MDGS) during finishing. For study two, cattle were fed one of five finishing diets; corn, wet distillers grains (WDGS), WDGS + vitamin E, WDGS + Ethoxyquin/TBHQ, or WDGS + vitamin E + Ethoxyquin/TBHQ.

Shoulder clods from each dietary treatment were …

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Non-Starch Polysaccharide Gums On Physical Properties Of Single-Screw Extruded Aquafeed, Michael Brown, Parisa Fallahi, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Poonam Singha, Scott Sindelar

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

A factorial experimental design (5×3×2) was used to investigate the effects of non-starch polysaccharide binding agents on physical properties of single-screw extrusion. Extrusion cooking trials were performed with an ingredient blend for yellow perch, fortified with five non-starch polysaccharide binding agents including three plant-origin gums (guar, wheat gluten, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)) and two microbial-origin exopolysaccharide gums (xanthan and pullulan), with three levels of gum inclusion (3, 6, and 10%), and two levels of screw speed (100 and 150 rpm). Effects of the independent variables on extrudate characteristics were extensively analyzed and included density, expansion ratio, water absorption and solubility indices, …