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Effects Of Feeding Insect-Protected Corn And Corn Residue To Cattle, And Evaluation Of Distillers’ Grains Storage When Mixed With Crop Residue On Cattle Performance, Barry Weber

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

Research has been conducted on genetically modified corn fed to livestock since the introduction of insect resistant hybrids. While the overwhelming conclusion of these trials demonstrate nutritional equivalency to corn from non-transgenic hybrids, the introduction of new transgenes and combinations of resistance traits necessitates continued evaluation of genetically modified corn hybrids. Expansion of the ethanol industry has resulted in the increased availability of co-products for use as a livestock feed, as well as an increase in crop residues that offer unique opportunities for use by cattle producers. A finishing trial was conducted with corn and corn silage from MON 89034, …

Review: Technical Aspects For The Utilization Of Small Grain Straws As Feed Energy Sources For Ruminants: Emphasis On Beef Cattle, J. Severe, D. R. Zobell

All Current Publications

This publication defines Straw and provide information on straw composition, plant cell wall development, and treatments of straw for feed.

Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum), Native Grasses, And Small Mammals In The Great Basin: A Test Of The Apparent Competition Hypothesis Facilitated By A Novel Method Of Decanting Seeds From A Flotation Solution, Jacob Elias Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of shared enemies between invasive and native species has been argued to facilitate biological invasions (i.e., the apparent competition hypothesis or ACH). This study investigated a previously untested possibility: whether granivorous small mammals facilitate cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion by driving food-mediated apparent competition between cheatgrass and native grasses. Specifically, we tested three predictions that must be true if such apparent competition occurs. First, cheatgrass invasion augments total seeds available to granivorous small mammals. Second, density of granivorous small mammals increases in response to increased seed availability (simulated with experimental additions of cheatgrass seeds). Third, granivorous small …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale, 2011-2012, John A. Vucetich, Rolf O. Peterson

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2011-2012

The First Step—Monitoring What We Eat, Rosalie Marion Bliss, James M. Harnly

Agricultural Research Magazine

Nestled in the Maryland suburbs outside northeast Washington, D.C., is arguably the world’s largest and most diversified agricultural research complex—the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). Among its 7,000 acres of fields, farmland, and science buildings is the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC)—the oldest and most comprehensive of six human nutrition research centers within the Agricultural Research Service. Two new buildings— totaling more than 100,000 square feet of research space—were added to BHNRC in 2003.

“The first human nutrition research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture dates back to the late 1890s,” says Allison Yates, the …

Table Of Contents March 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 Monitoring Best Practices For Food Analysis The First Step- Monitoring What We Eat

8 Monitoring Food-Supply Nutrients The Second Step- Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database

16 Monitoring The US Population's Diet The Third Step- The National "What We Eat In America" Survey

22 The Stealth Sodium Revolution

23 ARS National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012 whole issue

Monitoring America's Nutritional Health

Forum: Monitoring America's Nutritional Bottom Line, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

U.S. healthcare costs in 2009 reached an estimated $2.5 trillion, yet America still ranks below several countries in life expectancy and many key indicators of healthy living. “These statistics underscore the vast potential of a healthful diet and lifestyle to prevent chronic diseases before they begin and to reduce healthcare costs,” says Molly Kretsch, Agricultural Research Service Deputy Administrator for Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality.

Monitoring the amount and type of food consumed by the U.S. population is important to researchers who track related health biomarkers and to policymakers who evaluate nutrition policies. One key reason for monitoring what we …

Ars National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine

The ARS human nutrition monitoring program helps watch over the healthfulness of the country’s food supply and diet. This includes determining the food consumption and dietary patterns of Americans as a whole and for a variety of subgroups based on characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and income.

Unique national resources that contribute to the success of the ARS human nutrition monitoring program include the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and the national “What We Eat in America” survey, which is the dietary intake survey component of the broader National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, commonly referred to as …

The Third Step—The National “What We Eat In America” Survey, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Alanna J. Moshfegh

Agricultural Research Magazine

In 2010, landmark health legislation— the Affordable Care Act—was passed, leading to a national strategy crossing both private and public sectors and led by the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council of the Surgeon General. The plan is called the “National Prevention Strategy.”

Science-based dietary-intake data from the Agricultural Research Service provides a key foundation for multiple public health policy publications, including the council’s strategy report, published in June 2011. The report cites the ARS national dietary-intake survey data to underscore the ability of everyday people to improve their health through healthy eating and other preventive measures.

Collecting …

The Second Step—Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Joanne Holden

Agricultural Research Magazine

For more than 115 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided data on the nutrient composition of foods in the American diet. Over time, a series of USDA institutions responsible for providing this data evolved, and today the data comes from the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

“Our mission is to ensure that science based nutrient profiles exist for the U.S. food supply,” says nutritionist and research leader Joanne Holden, who heads the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) at the nutrition center, which is located in Beltsville, Maryland. “We work with other BHNRC, …

The Stealth Sodium Revolution, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

Salt has become one of a handful of sensitive nutrients in the public spotlight, according to major food company executives who attended the 2011 National Nutrient Databank Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference is supported annually by the Agricultural Research Service’s Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) and Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) and other organizations. Both ARS groups are part of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

Salting is an ancient food-preservation practice still in use today to help preserve some foods. While salt-cured country hams and corned beef are still crowd pleasers, 80 percent of our dietary …

Cal Poly Milking Parlor Standard Operating Procedures, Caitlyn Lil Morehart

Dairy Science

The objective of this project is to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for the Cal Poly dairy milk barn, which will help prepare students to be more efficient at milking in the newly renovated milking parlor. A double 10 parallel parlor is to be put into place to update the current milk barn. The current milking parlor is a double 8 herringbone barn which holds eight cows per side that are positioned at an angle. The double 8 herringbone parlor is to be remodeled into a double 10 parallel parlor. In addition, a double 10 parallel barn has ten cows …

Analyzing The Correlation Between Overall Likeness And Emotional Responses Before And After The Consumption Of Dairy Beverages, Jessica L. Weber

Dairy Science

In today’s food industry there is a need for more research on the correlation between likeness of a product and what kind of emotional response this may lead to. This has potential to allow the food industry to understand consumer purchase intent and use the data collected from specific studies to gain more insight to repeat purchases. The objectives of this study were to understand more about the relationship between overall likeness of dairy beverage products from initial taste to ending taste as well as how these responses related to the emotional responses of the consumption experience. In two geographical …

The Relationship Between Rumination And Milk Yield In Early Lactating Holsteins And Jerseys, Jason Borges

Dairy Science

The objective of this study is to determine if there is a direct relationship between rumination and energy corrected milk produced, using a technologic rumination tracking system. This technology is better known as AI24™ and is produced by Micro Dairy Logic: Advanced Dairy Solutions and SCR™, but marketed through Semex. The collar system is able to track rumination, aid in diagnosing illness/injury, predict parturition, and detect estrus in cows. The sophisticated electronic tag monitors a cow’s rumination time, chewing rhythm and time between feed boluses to determine how many minutes per day the cow is ruminating. Each collar is equipped …

Use Of A Complete-Feed Diet (Ramp) To Rapidly Transition Cattle To A Finishing Diet, C. J. Schneider, Brandon L. Nuttelman, Dirk Burken, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A study evaluated transitioning cattle from RAMP to a finishing diet with fewer intermediate step diets and days fed during transition. Yearling crossbred steers (n = 390; BW = 341 ± 14 kg) were blocked and stratified by BW, and assigned randomly within strata to 40 feedlot pens, with 9 or 10 steers per pen. Treatments were different grain adaptation programs (27 or 28 d) involving blends of RAMP and finishing diet. A control adaptation program involved decreasing RAMP and increasing a 62.5% corn finishing diet (62.5% high moisture corn (HMC), 25% sweet bran, 7.5% alfalfa hay (AH), and 5% …

Use Of A Complete-Feed Diet (Ramp) In Grain Adaptation Programs Compared To Traditional Grain Adaptation Programs, C. J. Schneider, Brandon L. Nuttelman, Kelsey M. Rolfe Rolfe, William A. Griffin, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A study evaluated using RAMP to adapt cattle to a high grain finishing diet. Yearling crossbred steers (n = 229; BW = 397 ± 28.4 kg) were consecutively weighed over 2 d, stratified by BW, and assigned randomly within strata to 18 feedlot pens, with 12 or 13 steers per pen. Treatments were imposed during grain adaptation (22 d) by decreasing RAMP (100 to 0%) and increasing finishing diet (0 to 100%). RAMP was fed either as a blend in a 1-diet system which was delivered twice daily (RAMP-1RS) or as 2 daily diets where RAMP was delivered in one …

Bovine Viral Diarrhea In Dairy And Beef Cattle, William Tyler Stevenson

Dairy Science

The objective of the literature review was to understand the nature and characteristics of BVD within dairy and beef herds. The paper reviewed important aspects of the disease that are relevant and practical to producers. The ideas and opinions presented in the paper were a result of compilation and review of the current literature focused on BVD. Some particular areas of focus were general information about the disease, costs and effects, pathophysiology, virology, transmission, prevention and testing. Information provided throughout the paper attempts to link practices that producers may adopt or modify in order to minimize effects of the disease. …

Proposal To Implement A Surveillance System At The Cal Poly Dairy, Madelyn Cobb

Dairy Science

The objective of this project is to determine how to implement a cost effective and efficient surveillance system at the Cal Poly Dairy. This system would help monitor labor, feed, and cows while increasing the biosecurity, accountability, and efficiency throughout the Cal Poly Dairy. To make this determination, I researched different types of products and the equipment necessary that will meet the needs of the dairy currently and for future projects. A list of specifications was created that help guide the search for appropriate companies and products for this project. Talking to surveillance experts also helped create a better sense …

News Of The Department Of Animal And Range Sciences, Department Of Animal And Range Sciences

Animal Science Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012 whole issue

Fighting Nitrate in the Trenches

A Dose Of Selenium That Goes A Long Way, Sandra Avant, J. Bret Taylor

Agricultural Research Magazine

In western parts of the United States where some rugged ranges can only be reached by horseback, ranchers often find themselves saddling up weekly to deliver mineral supplements to livestock grazing in nutrient-deficient regions, especially areas scarce in selenium. The routine is not only time-consuming but also costly, and in some leased-land arrangements, such supplementation practices are prohibited.

Selenium, a trace mineral and component of important selenoprotein antioxidants, is essential for good health in livestock and humans. If the body cannot form these important antioxidant proteins, it predisposes the animal to sickness and eventually death at a young age.

Selenium …

Developmental Methylmercury Exposure Affects Avoidance Learning Outcomes In Adult Zebrafish, Xiaojuan Xu, Crystal J. Lamb, Melanie L. Smith, Lillian Schaefer, Michael J. Carvan Iii, Daniel N. Weber

Peer Reviewed Articles

The present study investigated the neurobehavioral effects of embryonic exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) in zebrafish using avoidance conditioning as the behavioral paradigm. In this study, adult zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 µM of MeHg were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that control zebrafish hatched from embryos unexposed to MeHg learned avoidance responses during training and showed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing. Zebrafish developmentally exposed to MeHg as embryos were hyperactive as they frequently swam back and forth, and showed no significant changes in avoidance responses from training to …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2011, David L. Kreider

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Beef Heifer Retention Decisions, Cody Reed, Dale Zobell

All Current Publications

This publication discusses a number of general factors that are essential to an effective decision regarding whether to retain heifers or not.

Comparison Of Infrared Measurements Of Body Temperature To Rectal Temperature In Beef Cattle, Sa`Ad Mohammad Ismail

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if infrared thermometers (IRT) can provide temperature measurments at different body locations that are correlated with rectal temperature measurments in beef cattle. Data anaylsis indicated that measurements taken with IRTs were correlated with rectal temperatures taken at the tail and eye. Correlation coefficients between rectal temperatures and IRT temperatures obtained at different distances decreased as the distance increased. Measurements obtained with IRT2 were more highly correlated with rectal temperatures than those obtained using IRT1 because IRT2 has a better D-S Ratio (12:1) than the D-S Ratio (8:1) of IRT1. Of all the external factors …

Cottonwood And Antelope Range And Livestock Research Stations Unit Report, Daniel B. Oedekoven

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

The Cottonwood and Antelope Range and Livestock Research Stations, located in western South Dakota, are used for research projects focused on the needs of range livestock producers in that region. The stations are comprised primarily of native rangeland that is grazed by cattle at both stations, and also by sheep at Antelope. The philosophy of the research efforts has been focused on conducting applied research to solve problems and address rangeland and livestock management opportunities relevant to the livestock producers and land managers of the region.

Reducing Endophyte-Related Economic Losses, Don Ball

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

Tall fescue is native to Europe and was rarely planted in the United States until after the first four decades of the 20th century. However, since the release of the variety ‘Kentucky 31’ in 1943, this versatile cool season perennial grass has been widely planted for forage, turf, and conservation purposes, with most of the acreage planted consisting of this variety. “Fescue” has many attributes including wide adaptation, easy establishment, a long growing season, good forage and seed yield, and tolerance of a wide range of management conditions.

Cost Analysis Of Cattle Feedlot Designs, J.M. Mrozinski, R.H. Pritchard, B.P. Holland, G.W. Warmann

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

A cost analysis of fixed and non-fixed costs of gain was conducted on 3 cattle feedlot designs. The three facility designs compared were conventional open pens (OPN), open pens with shelter over the feeding area (OS), and a monoslope confinement barn (MON). The OPN design was the least expensive facility to build and operate. However, because of poorer cattle performance (P < 0.05), it was not the most cost effective. The MON design had significantly higher operating costs when compared to the OPN or OS designs, especially for the tractor/spreader (P < 0.05), skid loader (P < 0.10), labor (P < 0.05), and straw (P < 0.05). The operating and fixed costs, combined, made the MON design the most expensive cost of gain design (P < 0.05). The OS design was the most expensive facility to build but with current feed prices and the cattle performance, it was the most cost effective cattle feeding design.

Relationship Between Fat Content And Ne Values For Some Ethanol Byproducts, R. Pritchard, E. Loe, T. Milton

South Dakota Beef Report, 2012

A finishing phase study was conducted to measure the impact of the fat content of ethanol byproducts on the relative Net Energy values for these feedstuffs. The three feedstuffs with varying crude fat content used included a commercially available corn gluten feed corn distillers grains blend (CGD); a corn wet distillers grains without solubles (WDG); and corn wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS). Byproducts were incorporated as 40% of the finishing diets (DM basis) replacing corn and SBM components of the control (CO) diet. There were 6 pens of 7 or 8 yearling steers on each treatment during the 130 …