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Wpa News 35 (1992), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (February 1992), number 35

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Comparison Of Production Efficiencies When Calves Are Fed In South Dakota Or Texas, R. H. Pritchard, R. L. Preston

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

South Dakota's reputation for harsh winters is frequently cited as a limitation to our competitiveness in cattle feeding. To help quantify the impact of climate on cattle feeding, heifers produced in western South Dakota were fed in eastern South Dakota or in the Texas panhandle. Heifer calves were obtained from two ranches, assembled at SDSU, and sorted into three similar groups. Group 1 remained at the SDSU feedlot, Group 2 was shipped half-way to Texas and returned to SDSU, and Group 3 was sent on to Texas for feeding. These groups allow consideration of climate and transit stress on feedlot …

Effect Of Lutylase Or Bovilene On Conception Rate To Artificial Insemination Of Heifers, T. B. Goehring, D. M. Marshall

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

Calving records from 306 two-year-old heifers were used to compare the effect of Lutylase or Bovilene on first-service conception rate as part of an estrus synchronization and artificial insemination program. There was no difference (P=.91) between products in the percentage of heifers conceiving to artificial insemination following estrus synchronization.

Effect Of Bull Exposure On Reproductive Performance Of First-Calf Heifers Bred By Natrual Service, T. B. Goehring, H. L. Miller, C. R. Quinn, R. L. Quinn

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

Ninety-four spring calving, first-calf heifers were allotted to one of two treatment groups, control or bull exposed, to study the effect of bull exposure early postpartum on rebreeding performance when bred by natural service. Bull exposure early postpartum had no effect on pregnancy rate. However, bull exposure unexpectedly increased the subsequent calving interval by 9 days (P<.05) and delayed the average calving date by 7 days (P<.05). Under the conditions of this study in which heifers were in condition score 5 or better at calving and bred by natural service, bull exposure early postpartum did not improve reproductive performance.

Limiting Intake Of Finishing Diets By Restricting Access Time To Feed And The Interaction With Monensin, C. P. Birkelo, J. Lounsbery

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

One hundred seventy-six yearling steers were randomly allotted to 16 pens and fed ad libitum or restricted amounts of finishing diets with or without monensin. lntake of the restricted cattle was limited by allowing only 6 to 7 hours access time to feed per day. All cattle were fed once daily. Monensin and restricting access time reduced feed intake by 5.6% and 7.9% (P<.01), respectively. lntake tended to be lowest for restricted cattle fed monensin (P=.13). lntake of restricted cattle as a percent of ad libitum intake varied greatly during the study. This may have contributed to the 7% reduction in daily gain of the restricted-monensin fed cattle and the fact that only nonsignificant trends toward improved feed efficiency due to intake restriction were found (P=.13). Factors affecting rate of feed intake must be considered if limited access time is to be used successfully to improve feed efficiency.

An Ecological Study Of The Cumberland Plateau Salamander, Plethodon Kentucki Mittleman, In West Virginia, Jeffrey E. Bailey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A study was conducted to determine various aspects of the ecology of Plethodon kentucki in West Virginia. Results of studies on range and distribution revealed that P. kentucki is limited to southwestern counties in West Virginia. A population of P. kentucki at Beech Fork State Park was extremely seasonal with regard to activity. Seasonal activity was not significantly correlated with air temperature, soil temperature, air relative humidity, or soil pH. Seasonal activity was significantly correlated with soil moisture. Critical Thermal Maxima and dehydration values were not significantly different between f· kentucki and its congener, P. glutinosus, thus each is equally …

Effects Of Moose Foraging On Browse Availability In New Hampshire Deer Yards, Michael T. Pruss, Peter J. Pekins

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Publications

Food habits of moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) overlap in northern New Hampshire during autumn and winter. High moose and deer densities in deer yards, where deer may be confined for extended periods, could result in competition for limited deciduous forage. The purpose of this study was to investigate possible impacts by moose on browse availability in deer yards, and the potential effects on deer. Fifteen deer yards were studied in northern New Hampshire during spring and fall, 1990-91. Unbrowsed and browsed deciduous twigs, and deer and moose pellet groups were counted on 900 permanent plots to …

1991-1992 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Sea-Surface Temperature Related Fisheries And Resource Markets, Jeffrey Michael Rasinski

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This thesis addresses the potential application of sea-surface temperature (SST) data to economic resource markets. It considers the revolution in technology and the accessibility of timely, accurate SST observations for resource markets. Specifically, it addresses issues related to pelagic fisheries and the fish meal industry. The thesis presents a discussion and overview of the upwelling ecosystem of Peru and the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) including quantitative analysis and forecasts for the fishery and fish meal prices. This analysis is used to demonstrate the commercial application and relationship between SST and related resource markets. The thesis establishes a bioeconomic statistical model …

Metals And Organic Compounds In Fish And Sediments From The Missouri And Lower Kansas Rivers In Kansas In 1991, George T. Allen

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

I sampled sediments and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) at two locations on the Kansas River and two locations on the Missouri River adjacent to Kansas in June 1991. All samples were analyzed for metals, organochlorine compounds, and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Sediments also were analyzed for aromatic hydrocarbons.

Concentrations of aluminum, cadmium, chromium, and lead in one or more of the sampling locations are of concern.

In the common carp composites, chlordane compound concentrations were above the level at which detrimental effects might be found at Kansas City and at Bonner Springs. However, there is probably little that can be …

Mercury In Fish Collected From The Indian Lake System Stillwater Wildlife Management Area Churchill County, Nevada, Peter Tuttle

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Elevated mercury levels have been identified in water, sediments, and biota in the Carson River drainage basin, west-central, Nevada. In some instances mercury concentrations exceeded levels considered safe for fish, wildlife, and humans. Of particular concern were game fish in the lower Carson River basin which may be consumed by humans. Many of these fish have been found to contain more than 1.0 μg/g wet weight, the action level identified as safe for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA 1984) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1989). Concern for human health promptedthe Nevada State Division of Health …

The Influence Of Selenium On Incubation Patterns And Nesting Success Of Waterbirds At Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Utah, Bruce H. Waddell, Mark C. Stanger

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Egg temperatures and hen attentiveness were studied from 1989-91 on nests near sites known to have high selenium concentrations in an effort to document causes for nesting failures. Temperature and light sensitive radio transmitters were used to monitor incubation patterns in American coots (Fulica americana), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), gadwalls (Anas strepera), northern shovelers, (Anas clypeata), and redheads (Aythya americana) nests. Mean temperatures of telemetered eggs placed in incubated nests ranged from 32.6°C to 37.8°C and differed only slightly from results obtained in other studies. We found no nesting failures among …

1992 South Dakota Beef Report, Department Of Animal And Range Sciences, South Dakota State University, Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, Cooperative Extension Service, South Dakota State University

South Dakota Beef Report, 1992

This is the complete 1992 South Dakota Beef Report.

1991-1992 Dairy Digest, South Dakota State University Dairy Club

Dairy Digest

No abstract provided.

Counting As The Chimpanzee Views It, Sarah T. Boysen

Numeracy Collection

No abstract provided.

Similar Distribution Of Gonadotropin Isohormones Is Maintained In The Pituitary Throughout Sexual Maturation In The Heifer, T. T. Stumpf, M. S. Roberson, M. W. Wolfe, D. D. Zalesky, Andrea S. Cupp, L. A. Werth, N. Kojima, K. Hejl, Roger J. Kittok, H. E. Grotjan, J. E. Kinder

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Our working hypotheses for this study were that 1) the profile of intrapituitary LH and FSH isoforms would be shifted toward acidic forms as sexual maturation progresses in the bovine female; and 2) concentration of 17β-estradiol (E₂) in circulation during sexual maturation would be a major factor modulating the percentage of the more acidic isoforms. In addition, the biological: immunoreactive (B:l) ratios of each isoform of LH were evaluated at selected stages of sexual maturation. Heifers (7 mo of age) were assigned to one of three treatment groups: 1) ovariectomized (OVX; n = 16); 2) OVX and administered …

Birds Of A Great Basin Sagebrush Habitat In East-Central Nevada, United States Department Of Agriculture, Forest Service

Wildlife Conservation and Management

Breeding bird populations ranged from 3.35 to 3.48 individuals/ha over a 3-year study conducted from 1981 to 1983. Brewer's sparrows, sage sparrows, sage thrashers, and black-throated sparrows were numerically dominant. Horned larks and western meadowlarks were less common. Results are compared with bird populations in Great Basin sagebrush habitats elsewhere in the United States.

Status, Production And Migration Of Greater Sandhill Cranes On Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota, Jon J. Dimatteo

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) nesting at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in northwestern Minnesota were studied from 20 April 1984 to 10 December 1985. Local birds were monitored to determine population size and age structure, reproductive success, and migration routes and wintering grounds. Forty-two pairs were identified. Thirty-four were breeding pairs and 3 were subadult (nonbreeding) pairs. Twenty nests were found; pairs at 13 of these hatched at least 1 young. Forty-three pairs hatched a minimum of 62 young, and 28 pairs fledged 42 of 47 young. Fifteen birds were colormarked, 8 of which were radio-tagged …

An Evaluation Of Three Areas For Potential Populations Of Whooping Cranes, Janet L. Mcmillen, Stephen A. Nesbitt, Mary A. Bishop, Alan J. Bennett, Laurel A. Bennett

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) populations were evaluated on the Seney NWR, Michigan, the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, and in southcentral Florida to evaluate their suitability to support introduced whooping cranes (G. americana). This paper compares data collected at these sites and additional data collected in northcentral Florida. The length of the egg-laying period varied from 4.5 months in central Florida to 1 month at Seney, but egg-laying ceased at all sites from mid-May to early June. Mean clutch sizes were similar 0.7-1.9). Renesting ranged from 79% in northcentral Florida to <=5% at Seney. These dates and values are consistent with nesting successes that ranged from 48% in northcentral Florida to 80% at Seney. Average annual recruitment, 12.3 juveniles/lOa adults, was highest on the Kissimmee Prairie in southcentral Florida. Average annual horne range size for the non-migratory populations were 1 km2 on the Okefenokee and 6.6 km2 on the Kissimmee. Nesting season horne range sizes ranged from 0.5 km2 on the Okefenokee to 1.8 km2 at Seney. All candidate populations successfully satisfied most of the guidelines for potential whooping crane populations as established by the Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Once reintroduction techniques have been refined, any or all of the study sites have the capacity to accommodate a flock of whooping cranes commensurate with Whooping Crane Recovery Team recommendations.

A Microcomputer Data Base For Managing Whooping Crane Observation Records, Duane A. Asherin, David B. Hamilton, Wendy M. Brown, Roderick C. Drewien

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

A database called WHOOPER contains whooping crane (Grus americana) observations for the Rocky Mountain foster-parent population and currently consists of 1,438 observations covering the period 1975-1987. The dBase III Plus database management system for microcomputers is used for the application. This description of the data base and its capabilities updates the prototype database described in the 1985 Crane Workshop.

Unobstructed Visibility At Whooping Crane Roost Sites On The Platte River, Nebraska, Craig A. Faanes

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Unobstructed visibility is an important component of whooping crane (Grus americana) roosting habitat. Recent habitat modeling efforts suggest that unobstructed horizontal visibility is suitable at a minimum of 335 m. Unobstructed upstream and downstream visibility is also an important part of whooping crane roosting habitat, but quantification of that parameter has not been reported previously, or incorporated into species models. Data from the Platte River suggest that a minimum of 732 m of unobstructed upstream and downstream visibility is needed at whooping crane roost sites.

Crane Propagation At Miami Metro Zoo, 1983–1987, Carol G. Hesch

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Five species of cranes are bred at Miami Metrozoo. Few health problems have been encountered in raising a large number of chicks. Rearing cranes in close confinement, with limited resources, requires sound management and careful observation.

Sandhill Crane Surveys In The Northern Interior Highlands Of Mexico, Roderick C. Drewien, Wendy M. Brown, Elwood G. Bizeau

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Most sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) wintering in Mexico are found in the northern Interior Highlands of Chihuahua. We surveyed sandhill cranes in the states of Chihuahua and occasionally Durango, Mexico, in winters 1972-90. The population averaged 23,106 (SD = 10,369) in 11 counts at 5-6 areas in Chihuahua. Laguna de Babicora, the most important wetland for cranes wintering in Mexico, had the largest numbers (X = 16,012), followed by Ascension (x = 2,405) and Laguna de los Mexicanos (x = 1,468). All 3 migratory subspecies were present. The lesser subspecies (G. c. canadensis) comprised 85.7% of …

Preliminary Identification Of Whooping Crane Staging Areas In Prairie Canada, Brian W. Johns

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

For 60 years a passive program has been in effect to monitor the migration of whooping cranes (Grus americana) through Saskatchewan, and currently the Canadian Wildlife Service coordinates a triprovincial reporting network and operates a telephone Hot Line to receive reports of sightings of migrating cranes. Analyses of historical data reported through those efforts have identified the chronology of migration, the migration corridor through Canada, and major staging/ stopover areas in Saskatchewan. Investigations are continuing to identify specific roost sites, feeding areas and the availability of suitable habitat within the staging/ stopover area.

Isolation-Rearing Of Siberian Crane Chicks At The International Crane Foundation, Meenakshi Nagendran, Robert H. Horwich

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Three Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus) chicks hatched in the summer of 1987 at the International Crane Foundation (lCF); Baraboo, Wisconsin, were raised in near-complete isolation from humans. The chicks were exposed to species-specific models, vocalizations, a costumed "parent" and a role-model adult Siberian crane housed in an adjacent pen. Attachment to costumed "parent," interchick interaction, and reactions to humans were measured and compared with those aspects of sandhill crane behavior under similar rearing conditions.

Re-Pairing Of Whooping Cranes At Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Thomas V. Stehn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Adult whooping cranes (Grus americana) on the winter range at Aransas NWR without mates may re-pair over a period of several months, while others remain un-paired throughout the winter. However, 1 association formed during the winter did not result in a pair bond.

Habitat Use By Florida Sandhill Cranes On The Kissimmee Prairie In Central Florida, Mary Anne Bishop

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Radio-tagged Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pratensis) were monitored for habitat use during 1985 and 1986 on the Kissimmee Prairie in central Florida. For both breeding and nonbreeding cranes, 93 % of the daytime locations were in 3 habitat types: cropland and plowed pasture, improved pasture, and palustrine emergent wetlands. Improved pasture was the most frequently used daytime habitat for both social classes. Radio locations were divided among 4 time blocks (3 diurnal, 1 nocturnal) and 4 3-month seasons. Time-of-day effects for use of wetlands and improved pasture were only marginally significant (1' < 0.08 and l' < 0.09, respectively) for breeders and not significant (1' < 0.30 and l' < 0.43, respectively) for nonbreeders. There was no significant difference in habitat use by breeders among seasons. Chi-square analyses of diurnal locations indicated that 4 of the 6 breeding cranes monitored used palustrine emergent wetlands more than their availability. The selection for wetlands reflects not only the rich food sources available, but also their use as midday loafing and drinking sites and as a source of cover that the upland habitats do not offer.

Cranes And Power Lines: An Analysis Of The Issue, Craig A. Faanes, Douglas H. Johnson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

As part of a 1980-82 study, the flight behavior and mortality of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) was studied at 4 alkaline lake sites in central North Dakota. We analyzed the behavioral response of sandhill cranes in flight at powerline sites and examined factors associated with collisions with a power line structure. Several methods that can be used to reduce crane mortality at power line sites are discussed. Findings of several other research efforts that address crane mortality at power lines are summarized.

Population Status, Hunting Regulations, Hunting Activity, And Harvests Of Mid-Continent Sandhill Cranes, David E. Sharp, William D. Vogel

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The mid·continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) was protected from 1916 until 1961, when hunting resumed on a limited basis. Areas open to hunting were experimentally expanded during 1961-72, but during the subsequent 1975-90 period only minor changes were made in the 8 Central Flyway states that established hunting seasons. Annual spring surveys conducted during 1982-90 indicated the population was stable at objective levels, with spring populations estimated at about 540,000 and fall flights near 590,000. Special federal hunting permits have been required for all bunters participating in regular seasons in the Central Flyway since 1975, where …

Contaminants In Habitat, Tissues, And Eggs Of Whooping Cranes, James C. Lewis, Roderick C. Drewien, Ernie Kuyt, Charles Sanchez Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Sampling of contaminants in the principal habitat areas of whooping cranes (Grus americana) of both the Rocky Mountain and the Aransas/Wood Buffalo National Park whooping crane populations began in the mid-1980's. Contaminants in eggs and tissues of whooping cranes were sampled opportunistically since the 1960's. Chlorinated hydrocarbons existed in low levels in the environment. Some trace elements including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper. mercury, selenium, and zinc are of sufficient abundance to justify continued monitoring. Declines over time in residues of DDT and mercury in tissues and eggs reflected the prohibition in use of these as pesticides or …