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Ec 85-872 Estimated Crop And Livestock Production Costs Nebraska, H. Douglas Jose

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension Circular 85-872: Estimated crop and livestock production costs. The crop and livestock budgets in this publication are intended for use by farmers, lenders and farm advisors in formulating and evaluating production and financial plans for 1985.

Evaluation Of Mark-Recapture For Estimating Striped Skunk Abundance, Raymond J. Greenwood, Alan B. Sargeant, Douglas H. Johnson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The mark-recapture method for estimating striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) abundance was evaluated by systematically live-trapping a radio-equipped population on a 31.4-km2 study area in North Dakota during late April of 1977 and 1978. The study population was 10 females and 13 males in 1977 and 20 females and 8 males in 1978. Skunks were almost exclusively nocturnal. Males traveled greater nightly distances than females (3.3 vs. 2.6 km, P < 0.05) and had larger home ranges (308 vs. 242 ha) although not significantly so. Increased windchill reduced night-time activity. The population was demographically but not geographically closed. Frequency of capture was positively correlated with time skunks spent on the study area. Little variation in capture probabilities was found among trap-nights. Skunks exhibited neither trap-proneness nor shyness. Capture rates in 1977 were higher for males than for females; the reverse occurred in 1978. Variation in individual capture rates was indicated among males in 1977 and among females in 1978. Ten estimators produced generally similar results, but all underestimated true population size. Underestimation was a function of the number of untrapped skunks, primarily those that spent limited time on the study area. The jackknife method produced the best estimates of skunk abundance.

G85-758 Protective Clothing And Equipment For Pesticide Appliactors (Revised September 2002), Larry D. Schulze, Clyde Ogg

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Pesticides are valuable pest management tools, and like any tool, they must be used carefully and responsibly. Minimizing exposure is an important first step toward reducing your risk of pesticide poisoning. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) provides benefits to the applicator and is a visual expression of appropriate and legal pesticide use.\

Use all pesticides safely. Read the pesticide product label and comply with all directions. Failure to do so may not only subject you to state and/or federal penalties, but it also may place you, your family, and the environment at a greater risk of pesticide exposure.

Wpa News 7 (1985), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (January 1985), number 7

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Ec85-1509 Field Crop Insect Control Guide For Nebraska Corn And Sorghum, D. L. Keith, L. L. Peters, J. F. Witkowski

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension Circular 85-1509: Field Crop Insect Control Guide for Nebraska Corn and Sorghum; policy for making pesticide suggestions, restricted use, toxicity of insecticides, chemigation, some suggested field re-entry periods, what to do if sprayed by mistake, treatment guidelines/economic thresholds, policy on treatment of first year corn, corn insects below ground, sorghum insects, and container disposal.

Use Of Electrical Stimulation For Hot Boning Of Meat, H. R. Cross, S. C. Seideman

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

With ever-increasing processing costs, the meat industry is being forced to look into new and innovative processing methods. The efficiency of marketing meat and moving it to the consumer must be increased. The meat industry must face these new challenges and demands in order to survive.

Breeding Cattle For Genetic Resistance To Disease, Roger T. Stone, Larry V. Cundiff

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

For many hundreds of years cattle with the greatest resistance to disease have probably survived to leave more offspring in succeeding generations than those less resistant to disease. Resistance to disease also may have increased indirectly through a favorable association with other characteristics, such as growth rate or milk yield, which have received major emphasis in genetic improvement programs in cattle. However, except for some selection against mastitis in dairy cattle, genetic resistance to disease has not received direct emphasis in genetic improvement programs. Greater understanding of biological mechanisms involved in disease resistance could lead to more effective selection of …

Effect Of Single-Sire And Multiple-Sire Natural Mating On Pregnancy Rate Of Beef Cattle, Donald D. Lunstra

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Although artificial insemination (AI) is widely used in dairy cattle, AI has found only limited application in beef cattle. Use of bulls in natural mating programs accounts for more than 95 percent of the pregnancies achieved each year in the U.S. beef cattle industry. Success of such natural mating programs depends on the reproductive capacity and fertility of the individual herd sires used, but very little research on the natural mating fertility of beef bulls has been conducted. Because of the general lack of information on effective techniques for identifying sires with superior fertility, procedures currently used for selecting herd …

The Effects Of Carcass Electrical Stimulation And Cooler Temperature On The Quality And Palatability Of Bull And Steer Beef, John D. Crouse, Steven C. Sideman, H. Russell Cross

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The advantages of producing bulls as opposed to steers in production efficiency, performance, and carcass leanness have been well documented. However, it also has been observed that bulls have darker colored lean and lower carcass quality grades than steers. In all studies summarized in a literature review, meat obtained from bulls was less tender when compared with meat from steers. Consequently, the superiority of bulls over steers in performance and carcass cutability have been largely countered by the inferior carcass quality of bulls. Production of beef by bulls, therefore, has not been widely undertaken in the United States.

Recent technological …

Effects Of Dietary Stress On Dark-Cutting Beef, John D. Crouse, Stephen B. Smith

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The advantages of bulls compared with steers in production efficiency, performance, and carcass leanness have been well documented. However, it has also been well documented that meat obtained from bulls is darker in color and less tender than meat produced by steers. It may be concluded that the superiority in production performance of bulls over steers has not been exploited largely due to meat characteristics that differ from those of steers.

Postmortem (after slaughter) muscle color is directly associated with antemortem (pre-slaughter) muscle glycogen content, postmortem muscle pH decline, and ultimate muscle pH, which, in tum, is affected by live …

Effects Of Managing Heifers To Calve First At Two Vs Three Years Of Age On Longevity And Lifetime Production Of Beef Cows, Rafael Nunez-Dominquez, Larry V. Cundiff, Gordon E. Dickerson, Keith E. Gregory, Robert M. Koch

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Resources used by cow herds for beef production vary greatly. To optimize reproduction and other production characteristics in the cow herd, breeding and management should be matched with the feed resources available for production. One management decision is whether to develop replacement females to calve first as 2-year-olds or as 3-year-olds. When feed resources are limited or expensive relative to other costs and value of output, it may be economical to delay the first calving until 3 years of age. When feed resources are adequate to support rapid growth and development of heifers and thus to reduce age at puberty …

Energy Requirements For Maintenance Of Beef Cattle Differing In Genetic Potential For Mature Size And Milk Production, Thomas G. Jenkins, Calvin L. Ferrell

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Relative differences in expected performance for breed crosses of cattle are provided elsewhere in this report; see "Characterization of Breeds Representing Diverse Biological Types." This information may be utilized by beef cattle producers to identify breed types for possible use in their beef cattle enterprises. In conjunction with information descriptive of production characteristics, variation in energy requirements among the breed types needs to be considered. Using general relationships between production potential and energy requirements, producers may identify the beef cattle breeds that would perform optimally in their respective production environments.

Energy (either harvested by the animal or provided via supplementation) …

Energy Utilization By Hereford And Simmental Males And Females, Calvin L. Ferrell, Thomas G. Jenkins

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Observed growth of cattle during the postweaning period reflects the genetic potential for growth as modified by the environment. Various breeds or breed crosses of cattle have been characterized for postweaning liveweight gain under ad libitum feeding conditions. Previous results showed calves by Simmental males had greater rates of postweaning gain than those sired by Hereford males. Simmental-sired steers were more efficient during a weight-constant interval, of equal efficiency during a time-constant interval and less efficient to a fat-constant end point than Hereford-sired steers. Differences among breeds in efficiencies of energy utilization for maintenance and gain have been reported. Similarly, …

Genetic Relationships Among Carcass Traits And Their Implications In Selection Programs, Robert M. Koch, Keith E. Gregory, Larry V. Cundiff

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Two alternatives for breeders to match cattle resources with other production resources and market requirements are (1) identify a breed that is a good fit for the production requirements or (2) use systematic crossing of breeds that will complement each other most effectively to provide for the most profitable combination of characteristics. In either alternative, selection within breeds can be used to change the genetic values of specific traits to increase adaptability to the production system. The study reported here evaluates the genetic relationships among growth and carcass traits and assesses responses expected from selection.

Effects Of Chronic Environmental Heat Stress On Blood Flow And Nutrient Uptake By The Uterus And Fetus Of The Pregnant Cow, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Calvin L. Ferrell, John A. Nienaber, Stephen P. Ford

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Chronic exposure of pregnant cows to elevated environmental temperatures results in decreased birth weights of calves. This phenomenon is economically important since reduced birth weights are associated with decreased calf survival and growth. The adverse effects of environmental heat stress on fetal development have been greater than can be explained by a reduction in maternal feed intake or length of gestation.

The rate of uterine blood flow seems to be a primary determinant of nutrient uptake by the gravid (pregnant) uterus, and acute heat stress on days 120 to 130 of gestation has been shown to decrease uterine blood flow …

Germ Plasm Utilization In Beef Cattle, Keith E. Gregory, Larry V. Cundiff, Robert M. Koch, Donald D. Lunstra, W. Gordon Hays

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Heterosis achieved through well-organized crossbreeding systems can be used to increase weight of calf weaned per cow exposed to breeding by more than 20 percent. Comprehensive programs of breed characterization have revealed large differences among breeds for most biological traits of economic importance. Because of the high percentage of beef cattle in the U.S. and globally that are in herds too small to use well organized crossbreeding systems on a self-contained basis, and because of the wide fluctuation in breed composition between generations in rotational crossbreeding systems, there is need for experimental evaluation of the potential of composite populations as …

Effects Of Late Castration And Zeranol On Growth Rate, Feed Efficiency, And Carcass And Meat Traits Of Bovine Males, Keith E. Gregory, J. Joe Ford, Steven C. Seideman, W. Gordon Hays

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

It is generally recognized that intact bovine males gain weight faster and require less feed per unit of gain than castrate bovine males. Further, carcasses from intact bovine males have a higher percentage of retail or edible product, but meat from intact males is generally evaluated slightly lower on palatability characteristics, particularly tenderness, than carcasses from castrate bovine males. It has been suggested that much of the advantage of intact vs castrate for rate of gain, efficiency of gain, and composition of gain may be expressed by an age of about 1 year and the disadvantages, including aggressive male behavior, …

Heterosis Retention In Advanced Generation Angus-Hereford Crosses, Robert M. Koch, Gordon E. Dickerson, Larry V. Cundiff, Keith E. Gregory

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Crossbreeding in beef cattle is a widely accepted production practice that influences about 70 percent of the cattle marketed in the United States. Systematic crossbreeding provides for use of heterosis and of differences among breeds to optimize average genetic merit of performance traits for adaptability to the various climatic and nutritive environments encountered in beef production. Because low reproduction rate restricts the use of specialized crossbreeding systems, it is generally assumed that rotational crossbreeding is an efficient method of using heterosis in beef cattle. In rotational crossbreeding, purebred populations are required only to produce replacement sires; whereas, mating of a …

Effects Of Heterosis On Lifetime Production In Beef Cows, Larry V. Cundiff, Rafael Nunez-Dominquez, Gordon E. Dickerson, Keith E. Gregory, Robert M. Koch

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Results from a crossbreeding experiment conducted at the Fort Robinson Beef Cattle Research Station with Herefords, Angus, Shorthorns, and their reciprocal crosses demonstrated that weaning weight per cow exposed to breeding was increased 23 percent/year by favorable effects of heterosis on survival and growth of crossbred calves and by improved reproduction and maternal ability of crossbred cows. More recent results have shown that heterosis also increases longevity of beef cows. The present study was conducted to evaluate total effects of heterosis on longevity, calf crop percentage weaned, and weaning weights of progeny when combined into one trait (lifetime production of …

Genetic Correlations Of Reproductive And Maternal Traits With Growth And Carcass Traits In Beef Cattle, Michael D. Macneil, Larry V. Cundiff, C. A. Dinkel, Robert M. Koch

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Some genes may affect more than one trait. Therefore, the traits can be genetically correlated. Knowledge of genetic correlations among traits is useful for efficient selection of replacement bulls and heifers if the breeder considers more than one trait. In designed selection programs, emphasis to be placed on the various traits can depend, in part, on the genetic correlations among them. In addition, genetic correlations can be used to predict what is expected to happen to traits other than those used in selection as a result of that selection. This effect on traits other than those used in selection is …

Methane From Beef Cattle Manure And Straw Mixtures, Andrew G. Hashimoto, Steven A. Robinson

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The major barrier to wide application of anaerobic fermentation technology in the agricultural sector is economics. Research and development efforts in anaerobic fermentation technology have shown that methane can be produced from livestock manures but that economies-of-scale have a significant impact on the economic feasibility.

Farmer-constructed and -operated systems were estimated to be economically feasible for beef feedlots between 1,000 to 2,000 head, and commercial "turn-key" systems were feasible for feedlots larger than 8,000 head. However, since the average U.S. beef feedlot capacity is about 150 head, and less than three percent have capacities greater than 1,000 head, this means …

Nutrient Absorption By Lambs And Beef Cattle Fed High Forage Or High Concentrate Diets, Robert A. Britton, Gerald B. Huntington, Ronald L. Prior

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

A better understanding of nutrient digestion, absorption, and metabolism is essential to improve growth rate and feed efficiency in ruminants. Absorption and metabolism of nutrients, such as glucose, lactate, and amino acids, are ones which may be affected greatly by sources and level of energy in the diet. Actual amounts of these nutrients being absorbed and available for utilization have not been characterized well in ruminants. The research being reported here describes nutrient absorption and glucose and lactate metabolism in cattle and sheep fed two basic diets, alfalfa and an 85 percent concentrate diet.

Sex, Age, And Breed Related Changes In Bovine Testosterone And Intramuscular Collagen, H. Russell Cross, Bruce D. Schanbacher, John D. Crouse

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Castration of the male in meat-producing animals has long been a traditional practice in the production of commercial livestock. Numerous research studies have indicated that intact bovine males grow more rapidly, utilize feed more efficiently, and produce a higher yielding carcass than castrates. Even though young bulls have obvious growth and leanness advantages over steers, their meat is usually lower and more variable in tenderness than steers. These differences in tenderness have been attributed to differences in fatness or differences in connective tissue.

Factors influencing the amount and strength of intramuscular collagen have been linked to animal age, sex, and …

Twinning In Cattle, Sherrill E. Echternkamp, Keith E. Gregory, W. Gordon Hays, Larry V. Cundiff, Robert M. Koch

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The economic benefits of increasing reproductive rate indicate a need to determine the feasibility of increasing the frequency of twinning in cattle, either by selection or by an artificial method. Rate of reproduction has a major impact on life cycle costs of production for different meat animal species and, thus, upon the production resources for which different species are competitive. For example, the average beef cow is capable of producing about .7 of her body weight per year in progeny market weight, but the comparable multiple is 8 in pigs and more than 70 in meat chickens. The objectives of …

Variation In Sensory Properties Of Meat As Affected By Sex Condition, Muscle, And Postmortem Aging, Steven C. Seideman, John D. Crouse

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

For several decades, the sensory properties of beef, particularly tenderness, have been of interest to the meat industry. Variations in sensory properties of beef have been attributed to muscle cut or muscle and postmortem aging. The objective of this study was to examine the sensory properties of five beef muscles, determine the contribution of connective tissue (i.e., collagen) to tenderness, and investigate the response of various muscles to postmortem aging.

Beef Research Program Progress Report No. 2 (1985): Table Of Contents

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

ROMAN L. HRUSKA U.S. MEAT ANIMAL RESEARCH CENTER, Robert R. Oltjen ... iv

General Interest

Cattle Management at U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Margaret S. McAlhany, W. Gordon Hays, and William G. Kvasnicka ... 1

Genetics and Breeding

Genetic Relationships Among Carcass Traits and Their Implications in Selection Programs: Robert M. Koch, Keith E. Gregory, and Larry V. Cundiff ... 3

Length of Feeding Interval Influences Accuracy of Selection for Growth: Robert M. Koch, Larry V. Cundiff, and Keith E. Gregory ... 5

Characterization of Breeds Representing Diverse Biological Types: Reproduction and Maternal Performance of F₁ Cows: Larry V. …

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Overview

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (U.S. Meat Animal Research Center) was authorized by Congress on June 16, 1964, thereby creating a single facility that provides an unusual opportunity for making major contributions to the solution of problems facing the U.S. livestockindustry.Developmentof the 35,000-acrefacility started in the spring of 1966 and is continuing at the present time. Phase I construction, consisting of an office-laboratory building for intensive investigations, was completed in January 1971. These facilities provide a physical plant for 42 scientists and about 200 support personnel. Phase II construction, consisting of the Meats Research Laboratory and Agricultural Engineering Building, …

Ec85-130 A 1985 Guide For Herbicide Use In Nebraska, John D. Furrer, Alex R. Martin, Fred W. Roeth

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension Circular 85-130: This is the 1985 guide for herbicide use in Nebraska. This circular deals principally with herbicides as an aid for crop production. The suggestions for use are based on results at Nebraska research stations and elsewhere.

Salmonid Whirling Disease, Ken Wolf, Maria E. Markiw

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Salmonid whirling disease-sometimes referred to as "blacktail" -is a chronic, noncontagious parasitic infection of trout and, to a lesser extent, other members of the family Salmonidae. The parasite has specific tropism for cartilage. If the infection is heavy and the fish is young, mortality sometimes results. More commonly, the parasitosis evokes abnormal swimming behavior and the transient melanism of the caudal fin and peduncle that is the blacktail sign (Fig. 1).

When the parasite is given sufficient time for development and the infection is sufficiently intense, the head and axial skeleton become disfigured in some vIictims (Fig. 2). However, the …

An Evaluation Of Condition Indices For Birds, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary L. Krapu, Kenneth J. Reinecke, Dennis G. Jorde

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

A Lipid Index, the ratio of fat to fat-free dry weight, is proposed as a measure of fat stores in birds. The estimation of the index from field measurements of live birds is illustrated with data on the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) and greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons). Of the various methods of assessing fat stores, lipid extraction is the most accurate but also the most involved. Water extraction is a simpler laboratory method that provides a good index to fat and can be calibrated to serve as an estimator. Body weight itself is often inadequate …