Digital Commons Network^™

2009 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2009). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and education-outreach activities. While the proximate focus of our work is the Lower …

Feedyard Assessment: Assessor's Guide

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

The BQA Feedyard Assessment is an on-site educational tool that allows for assessing and benchmarking key indicators of animal care and well-being as well as feedyard conditions. The Feedyard Assessment focuses on three main areas – Animals, Records and Best Management Practices (BMP), and Facilities and Equipment.

Stocker And Backgrounding Self Assessment

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Cattlemen in stocker operations have long recognized the need to properly care for livestock. Sound animal husbandry practices, based on decades of practical experience and research, are known to impact the well-being of stocker cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity. Stocker cattle operations are located in many diverse environments and geographic locations in the United States. A universal set of production practices can not be recommended for all stocker cattle producers in light of the divergent climate and geographic variations of the stocker and backgrounding segment. Personal experience, training and professional judgment can serve as a valuable resource for …

2009 Sdsu Dairy Digest, South Dakota State University Dairy Club

Dairy Digest

No abstract provided.

2008 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Working With Partners In Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska And Kansas To Conserve Fish And Wildlife Resources

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The Mountain-Prairie Region Fisheries Program (Program) of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) historically has played an important role in conservation and management of fish and other aquatic resources and key wildlife resources on tribal and DOD lands. In 2002, a new national vision was developed entitled Conserving America’s Fisheries, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program Vision for the Future. The purpose of this Vision has been to improve the Service’s ability to fulfill its resource conservation and management role and to improve relationships with our partners. That Vision was stepped down regionally into a …

The Jackrabbit Dairy Review, Vikram Mistry

The Jackrabbit Dairy & Food Review

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Explanations Underlying The Lack Of Trap Effectiveness For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul V. Switzer, Patrick C. Enstrom, Carissa A. Schoenick

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Traps containing a combination floral and synthetic pheromone lure are used to monitor and manage Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). One key factor limiting trap effectiveness for beetle control is the "trap spillover" phenomenon, in which the trap attracts beetles without capturing them, resulting in increased damage to surrounding host plants. We investigated the mechanisms underlying trap spillover by conducting two studies in a soybean field in east central Illinois. In the first study, we set up trap stations for 1 d and compared the sex, size, and egg load (for females) of beetles caught in the traps …

Animal Welfare: Review Of The Scientific Concept And Definition, Corrado Carenzi, Marina Verga

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

The aim of this paper is to present a review of the current scientific viewpoints about the concept and definition of animal welfare. The need of interaction among different disciplines is stressed, as well as the need to scientifically assess welfare, using validated indicators. The role of applied ethology in animal welfare science is stressed.

The paper provides a brief overview of the historical steps in the development of the concept and presents scientific viewpoints, briefly explaining their theoretical foundation.

The possibility of defining welfare on a scientific basis is explained, identifying the main problems according to the scientific, cultural …

Effect Of Restricted Access Time To Pasture On Dairy Cow Milk Production, Grazing Behavior, And Dry Matter Intake, E. Kennedy, M. Mcevoy, J. P. Murphy, M. O'Donovan

Housing and Confinement of Farm Animals Collection

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of restricting pasture access time on milk production and composition, body weight and body condition score change, dry matter intake, and grazing behavior of autumn calving dairy cows in midlactation. Fifty-two (19 primiparous and 33 multiparous) Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (mean calving date, August 17 ± 91.2 d) were randomly assigned to a 4-treatment (n = 13) randomized block design grazing study. The 4 grazing treatments were: (i) full-time access to pasture (22H; control), (ii) 9-h access to pasture (9H), (iii) two 4.5-h periods of access to pasture after both milkings …

Effects Of Intermittent Suckling On Sow And Piglet Performance, Erin G. Brown, Lindsey B. Krebs, Chris L. Boone, Ty Cauthen

Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of intermittent suckling on sow and litter performance. Seventeen crossbred sows and litters were randomly assigned to treatment groups seven days prior to weaning: continuous suckling (CS) and intermittent suckling (IS; litters removed for 6 hr each from day 21 to 28). Litters were weaned at 28 days of age. Feed and water were available to litters and sows at all times. Feed intake was recorded. Body condition scores were collected on sows before farrowing and at weaning. Number of days to return-to-estrus for the sows was also recorded. Litters were …

Effects Of Feeding Zilpaterol Hydrochloride For Twenty To Forty Days On Carcass Cutability And Subprimal Yield Of Calf-Fed Holstein Steers, D. D. Boler, S. F. Holmer, F. K. Mckeith, J. Killefer, D. L. Vanoverbeke, G. G. Hilton, R. J. Delmore, J L. Beckett, J. C. Brooks, R. K. Miller, D. B. Griffen, J. W. Savell, T. E. Lawrence, N. A. Elam, M N. Streeter, W. T. Nichols, J. P. Hutcheson, D. A. Yates, D. M. Allen

Animal Science

Zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) is designed to increase carcass leanness, chilled side weight (CSW), and percent saleable yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single dose of ZH on cutability and subprimal yield of calf-fed Holstein steers when fed for increasing durations. Two hundred forty steers were fed 8.3 mg/kg of ZH on a DM basis for 0, 20, 30, or 40 d, with a 3-d withdrawal before slaughter. After slaughter, steers were fabricated into 4 pieces (round, loin/flank, rib/plate, and chuck), packaged in combos, shipped to 2 locations, and further fabricated into subprimal pieces …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Feeding The World, Challenges And Opportunities For The U.S. Beef Industry, Clint Peck

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Nobody ever said the beef business was going to be easy. But, who knew even 10 years ago how complicated it would be to raise a calf and get it sent off to market. Few could have predicted there would be raging debates over animal welfare and animal rights or “food vs. fuel.” Not long ago the most intense pressure facing cattle ranchers came while slugging it out for market share with chicken. For 20 years we lost so much market share to a burgeoning and highly-integrated poultry industry that we began shifting the nucleus of the U.S. beef industry …

Bull Management And Nutrition, Julie Walker, George Perry, Russ Daly, Ken Olson

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Proper management and nutrition of bulls is essential to ensure cow/calf producers maximize reproductive efficiency and genetic improvement of the calf crop. In addition, the herd bull influences overall herd fertility more than any other single animal, and loss of fertility by a bull can cause substantial loss to a potential calf crop. Each cow produces one calf per year; however, bulls should contribute to the calf crop by 25 to 60 times via siring 25 to 60 calves. Additionally, bulls influence their daughters’ production in the cow herd. Therefore, bull selection can be the most powerful method of genetic …

Nutrition During Gilt Development And Genetic Line Affect Reproductive Rate Through Parity 1, Rodger Johnson, Philip S. Miller, Roman Moreno, Matthew W. Anderson, Jeffrey M. Perkins, Kelsey Rhynalds, Trevor J. Glidden, Donald Mcclure, Thomas Mcgargill

Nebraska Swine Reports

Effects of allowing gilts ad libitum access to feed until breeding age or developing them with 25% energy restriction from 123 days of age to breeding on reproductive success through parity 1 were studied with a total of 639 gilts of two lines that differ in lean growth and reproduction. Gilts of the two lines had common sires, an industry maternal line, but dams were from different populations. One line of gilts, LW x LR, represented standard industry Large White x Landrace cross females. The other gilts, L45X, were daughters of Nebraska selection Line 45 that has been selected 27 …

Extensive Heifer Development Systems, Richard N. Funston, Jeremy Martin, Andy Roberts

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Studies in numerous species provide evidence that diet during development can partially control physiological changes necessary for puberty (Frisch, 1984). Energy balance or plane of nutrition influences reproductive performance in heifers and cows (Butler and Smith, 1989; Randel, 1990; Robinson, 1990; Short and Adams, 1988; Swanson, 1989). Numerous studies have reported inverse correlations between postweaning growth rate and age at puberty (Arije and Wiltbank, 1971; Ferrell, 1982; Short and Bellows, 1971; Wiltbank et al., 1966, 1969, 1985) and pregnancy rates in heifers were shown to be dependent upon the number displaying estrus prior to or early in the breeding season …

Common $Ense Heifer Management, Patsy Houghton

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The replacement heifer is a mixed blessing for cow-calf operators. On one hand, she represents the future profitability and genetic improvement of the cow herd; thus her selection and development are of paramount importance to the continued success of any cow herd. On the other hand, the replacement heifer is an inconvenience at best. She is essentially non-productive for the first two-and-a-half years of her life; thus she places a significant drain on a rancher’s cash flow, making her easy prey for mismanagement. Nevertheless, proper growth and development of the replacement female from birth until she produces her first calf …

Impact Of Method Of Heifer Development And Post-Ai Management On Reproductive Efficiency, George Perry, Julie Walker, Cody Wright, Ken Olson

Range Beef Cow Symposium

An important part of any production system is the reproductive performance and costs associated with developing replacement heifers. The cost of developing replacement heifers has a tremendous impact on the profitability and sustainability of cow-calf operations, and reproductive failure costs the U.S. beef and dairy industries approximately $1 billion annually (Bellows et al., 2002). Heifers need to calve by 24 months of age to achieve maximum life-time productivity (Patterson et al., 1992), and heifers that lose a pregnancy or conceive late in the breeding season are likely to not have enough time to rebreed during a defined breeding season. In …

Profitable Cow And Heifer Pregnancy Rates, Jack C. Whittier

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Wow! What a challenging topic. Why is it challenging? Because there is not one right answer; nor is the question easy to define or analyze. However, there are some underlying principles that I believe apply in most situations. I will spend most of my time on those principles with the hope that you as a cattle manager can use these principles to make good decisions.

Impacts Of Calf Nutritional Management On Quality Grade, Scott Lake

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Why is quality important? An enormous amount of research and money have been invested in determining the impacts of just about every management practice on the effects of marbling. Marketing and management practices have been developed around the choice/select spread. But the question begs to be asked, “Is marbling important?” Regardless of the choice/select spread or any other premiums received due to carcass quality, the answer to that question should be a resounding “YES”, for no other reason than the importance of a quality eating experience from consumers. The 2005 National Quality Beef Audit reports that the #1 concern of …

U.S. Beef Demand Drivers And Enhancement Opportunities: A Research Summary, James R. Mintert, Glynn T. Tonsor, Ted C. Schroeder

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Large shifts in domestic beef demand have had substantial impacts on the beef industry. Before the late 1970s, growth in the U.S. economy and rising consumer incomes contributed to beef demand increasing for a sustained period. In response to growing product demand, the beef industry increased in size. However, starting about 1980, domestic retail beef demand weakened and subsequently declined every year through 1998. The long-run decline in retail beef demand contributed to a reduction in cattle industry size, particularly in relation to competing meat sectors such as poultry and pork. In 1999, following nearly 20 consecutive years of decline, …

Rumen Physiology For The Rancher, Ivan G. Rush

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The ruminant animal has two unique features – it chews its cud and has four distinct compartments in the stomach. More importantly the ruminant can convert forages that are comprised by large quantities of cellulose, that is poorly digestible by non-ruminants, into high quality protein (muscle) that provides excellent eating experiences and nutrients for humans. Rumen Physiology is the study of the mechanical, physical and biochemical function of the rumen. When I first enrolled in an animal nutrition course I felt this area was unnecessary in order to feed cattle. All I wanted to learn was does the cow need …

Two Best And Two Worst Decisions, Kory Bierle

Range Beef Cow Symposium

My name is Kory Bierle and I am from a family ranch just east of Midland, South Dakota, on the Bad River. The name of our ranch is the Madsen Ranch. We use that name because it was my mother’s family that settled and started the place. My great-great-grandfather showed my great-grandfather where a good place for a ranch would be, and we’ve been there ever since. My house is just a few yards from where the original log house was. The gal that talked to me about participating in the Range Beef Cow Symposium this year said that, from …

Bovine Respiratory Disease & Diagnostic Veterinary Medicine (Managing Respiratory Diseases In The Herd), Donald Montgomery

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Year in and year out, diseases of the respiratory system are a major cause of illness and death in cattle from 6 weeks to two years of age. Sadly, this is as true today as it was 30 years ago despite development of new and improved vaccines, new broad spectrum antibiotics, and increased fundamental knowledge as to the cause of disease. WHY? I don‟t have the answer and I doubt if anyone does. As a pathologist, I often see firsthand the devastating effects that bacteria can have in the lungs of cattle that die from respiratory disease complex or shipping …

Winter Grazing System And Supplementation During Late Gestation Influence Performance Of Beef Cows And Steer Progeny, Daniel Larson, J. L. Martin, Don C. Adams, Richard N. Funston

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A 2 × 2 factorial study evaluated effects of cow wintering system and last trimester CP supplementation on performance of beef cows and steer progeny over a 3-yr period. Pregnant composite cows (Red Angus × Simmental) grazed winter range (WR; n = 4/yr) or corn residue (CR; n = 4/yr) during winter and within grazing treatment received 0.45 kg/d (DM) 28% CP cubes (PS; n = 4/yr) or no supplement (NS; n = 4/yr). Offspring steer calves entered the feedlot 14 d postweaning and were slaughtered 222 d later. Precalving BW was greater (P = 0.02) for PS than NS …

Comparison Of Dry Distillers Or Modified Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles In Wet Or Dry Forage Based Diets, Mallorie Willken, Terry L. Mader, Galen E. Erickson, Leslie J. Johnson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Modified wet distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS) or dry distiller grains plus solubles (DDGS) in combination with wet or dry forages were fed to growing steer calves (n =192). They were fed one of four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with factors as wet or dry forage and MDGS or DDGS for 105 days. Gain and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) of steers fed MDGS were similar to those fed DDGS. Feeding wet forage significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and F:G compared to feeding dry forage, which likely reflects forage quality in this study.

The Effects Of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid (Cla) On Fatty Acid Composition And Key Enzymes Of Fatty Acid Oxidation In Liver And Muscle Of Geese, Xuhui Zhang, Baowei Wang, Fangyu Long, Lei Wang, Zhigang Yang

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on fatty acid composition and key enzymes of fatty acid oxidation in liver and muscle of geese. A total of 192 1-day-old geese were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary groups, and were fed for 56 days on diets containing 2.5% soybean oil (group A, control group) or 2.0% soybean oil with 0.5% CLA (group B), 1.0% soybean oil with 1.5% CLA (group C), and 2.5 % CLA (group D). Geese fed CLA had a decreased abdominal fat percentage (AFP) (P < 0.01) compared with the control. It was observed that dietary CLA levels had a significant effect on the body weight, weight gain, feed conversion rate (FCR) (P < 0.05), and feed intake (P < 0.01). Fatty acid composition showed a significant increase of the biologically active cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, and cis-12 CLA isomers in both liver and muscle of geese fed CLA (P < 0.01). Dietary CLA led to an increase (P < 0.01) in saturated fatty acid (SFA) and a reduction in monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) (P < 0.05) concentrations in both liver and muscle. In liver, dietary CLA increased (P < 0.05) acyl CoA oxidase (ACO) activity, but did not affect carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I (CPT-I) activity compared with the control. CPT-I activity was significantly increased by 2.5% dietary CLA in muscle, where ACO activity was decreased at 1.5% CLA level. The results obtained suggested that geese can successfully incorporate CLA in both liver and muscle, which could be beneficial in the human diet, through provision of bioactive fatty acids with no detrimental effects on n-3 PUFA levels.

2009 Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Table of Contents 2009 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Cow/Calf
Effect of Winter Grazing System and Supplementation on Beef Cow and Progeny Performance
Effect of Estrus Synchronization with a Single Injection of Prostaglandin During Natural Service Mating
Limit Feeding Beef Cows with Bunkered Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles or Distillers Solubles
Estimating Livestock Forage Demand: Defining the Animal Unit
Moving Beyond Weight as the Only Predictor of Breeding Readiness: Using a Breeding Maturity Index
The Effects of Breeding Maturity on Dystocia and Rebreeding of the Primiparous Beef Female
An Economic Budget for Determining Co-Product Storage Costs

Growing
Replacing Fertilizer Nitrogen with …

Effect Of Winter Grazing System And Supplementation On Beef Cow And Progeny Performance, Richard N. Funston, Jeremy Martin, Don C. Adams, Daniel Larson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cows grazed winter range (WR) or corn residue (CR) during late gestation and received protein supplement (PS) of 1 lb/day 28% CP cubes or no supplement (NS). Pre-calving and pre-breeding body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were greater for PS and CR cows. Pregnancy rate was not affected by treatments. Calf weaning BW was greater for PS cows that grazed WR. Final BW and 12th rib fat tended to be greater for steers from cows on CR. Steers from PS cows graded a higher proportion USDA Choice or greater. More heifers were pubertal before breed¬ing from dams receiving …