Agribusiness Commons^™

The Attainment Of Humane Housing For Farm Livestock, D.G.M. Wood-Gush

Agribusiness Collection

In discussing animal welfare it is very easy for the discussion to become bogged down by misunderstandings. Commonly the first misunderstanding arises over the definition of animal welfare. In the content of this article we will take it for granted that any definition includes the physical well-being of the animal as well as ensuring that the animal can fulfill much of its genetically controlled behavioral repertoire. The second misunderstanding arises when the political and scientific assessments of the subject are meshed together. In a scientific assessment, the aim should be to examine welfare problems strictly from what we know about …

Cardiac Arrest Stunning Of Livestock And Poultry, Temple Grandin

Agribusiness Collection

A stunning method that will reliably render an animal insensible to pain and sensation prior to hoisting and bleeding is essential to prevent suffering. Cardiac arrest stunning is more effective than conventional electric stunning. In cardiac arrest stunning, an electric current is passed through both the brain and the heart to produce permanent insensibility. Since the animal is killed by the electricity it cannot revive during hoisting, bleeding, or slaughtering procedures. In contrast, conventional electrical stunning induces reversible insensibility for a short period of time.

The Definition, Current Knowledge And Implementation Of Welfare For Farm Animals--A Personal View, Ron Kilgour

Agribusiness Collection

Being humane to farm animals (welfare) must include (1) having a sound knowledge of their normal and anomalous behavior responses in a farm context and heeding this in a practical way and (2) adopting handling procedures which elicit minimal distress in the species concerned. Building up an ethogram of predictable responses and recording the patterns of behavior during key events, mating, birth, and care of the young are essential. There are still gaps in the recorded ethograms offarm animals. Objective measurements of distress, including an index of its seriousness, are also a priority.

The results from animal preference tests can …

Introducing The Western Australian Department Of Agriculture, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

District offices and Research stations

Any big organisation, Government or private, needs an effective Directorate and 'back-up' staff to make full use of its potential. In the Department of Agriculture, the organisational structure has been up-dated to cope with the changing and increasing demands of the State's growing agricultural industries.

Hsus Exposes Livestock Transportation Cruelty

Close Up Reports

After a massive investigation covering nine months, twenty states, and more than 20,000 miles, The HSUS has documented that every day and every night, thousands of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, and other animals are being crowded, beaten, electrically shocked, trampled--or even killed--during miserable journeys that ultimately end at the slaughterhouses of this country.

Animals are injured during loading, then forced to negotiate dark truck interiors, steep ramps, narrow doorways, sharp turns, and slippery flooring. They are loaded so hurriedly that they knock down or climb onto those animals ahead of them and are crowded so tightly that they injure or …

Weather Risk And Size Economies Of Large Machinery In Wheat Production, Glenn A. Helmers, Romanus Monji

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Major objectives of this study were to determine the existence of economies or diseconomies of size for large farms and to determine the impact of farmers' risk aversion level on the size of farm machinery selected.

Economic Feasibility Of Electricity Generation On Cage Layer Operations, The, Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, Glen V. Mcmmahon

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Stereotype Behaviour In Sows And Gilts Housed In Stalls, Tethers, And Groups, Judith K. Blackshaw, J. F. Mcveigh

Agribusiness Collection

Observations of sows and gilts in tethers, stalls, and groups showed two distinct types of behaviour: pre-feed behaviour when pigs were anticipating food, and after-feed behaviour. Sows and gilts tethered for the first time do not show pre-feed excitement, but this develops in 42 days which suggests that pre-feed behaviour is not stereotype, as suggested by the literature, but is a conditioned reflex.

The question of the importance of after-feeding behaviours which are often called stereotypies is examined. The total time occupied by these behaviours over 24 hours by tethered sows is 14.5 to 29.0%, by tethered gilts 1.4 to …

Evils Of Modern Stables, James Irvine Lupton

Equines Collection

Portions of veterinarian James Irvine Lupton's book on horse management that deal with the problems of confinement husbandry practices have been selected as a significant historical record of humane concerns that were documented one hundred years ago. While the author's descriptive prose may lack scientific "objectivity," it does express a common sense morality and the subjective and intuitive observations and conclusions of an experienced veterinarian who clearly respects and understands the horse. His words bespeak of a bygone era where the care or husbandry of animals was both an art and a science, a discipline based upon empathy, compassion and …

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

IANR Conservation Efforts........................... 2

Energy, Soil, Water-Program Stresses Conservation ............................. 3

Producers 'Break Tradition' .......................... 5

Soil Erosion: Mechanisms and Control ......................... 6

Can We Measure the Economics of Erosion? ....................... 9

Weed Control Essential in Reduced Tillage ......................... 11

Herbicides Important in Eco-farming ........................... 14

Conservation Tillage Aids Wildlife ............................ 16

Nebraska Erosion Magnitude Seen .......................... 17

Conservation TiIlage Effective, Inexpensive Erosion Control ...................... 18

Conservation TiIlage: Fertilizer Programs Should Match System ........................ 21

PUMP Improves Irrigation ........................... 23

Scheduling Key to Efficient Irrigation .................... 26

About The Authors ................................... 28

Market Hours Survey : A Report For The Metropolitan Market Trust, Ian Longson, Mark Boyd, Ross Kingwell

All other publications

Questionnaires were sent to growers, buyers, transporters and market tenants. A low response rate from growers and buyers is interpreted as indicating the changes to market hours made by the Trust in winter 1983 were largely a non issue. Failure to respond can be interpreted as a positive reaction or ambivalence to the issue. Of those responding 89 per cent of growers and 55 per cent of buyers said the changes had no effect on their business. Transporters and market tenants were divided as to whether the changes had affected them and whether they were an improvement or not. On …

Australian Co-Operation With The National Agricultural Research Project Thailand Monitoring And Evaluation For The Thai Department Of Agriculture, Michael D. Carroll

All other publications

At head of title : Australian Co-operation with the National Agricultural Research Project Thailand.

The Department of Agriculture would benefit by adopting an internal research management information system as outlined in this report, The kind of information which the Directorate of the pol requires for optimal decision making on the deployment of personnel and allocation of resources, in accordance with changing priorities, is not readily available from the existing record system.

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

2001 Assesses Needs..................... 2

Fats In your Diet-What Role Do They Play?...................... 3

Energy-Integrated Farming- Research and Demonstration For Energy Self-Sufficiency....................6

Consider Plant Disease in Row Crop Conservation Tillage ...............................14

Increase Production From Dry-land Pastures on Sandy Soil ..............................18

The COMPUTER-Its Time Is Now .................. 20

The Status of Family Farming in Nebraska................... 22

Price, Yield And Net Income Variability For Selected Field Crops And Counties In Nebraska, Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, Glenn A. Helmers

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The primary objective of this study was to establish an empirical estimate of the riskiness of various crops in different regions of Nebraska. For this purpose the variate difference method was used to estimate random variability indexes of prices, yields, and net returns for six Nebraska crops (wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, oats, grain sorghum, corn). The period of analysis included 1957-1976 and one county in each of the eight crop reporting districts was analyzed. Where relevant, both dryland and irrigated alternatives were examined. Most business decision-makers accept more risk only under the conditions that the probability of higher returns accompany risky …

Aquaculture--Now, Factory Fish Farming, Michael W. Fox

Aquaculture Collection

"Aquaculture 1983" was the title of a 5-day symposium and industry exhibit held in Washington, D.C., on january 9- 13,1983, sponsored by World Mariculture Society, Catfish Farmers of America, Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society, U.S. Trout Farmers Association, Shellfish Institute of North America, and National Shellfisheries Association. While ecologists, economists, futurologists, and others have touted the virtues and potentials of intensive fish and shellfish farm- · ing, this growing industry in the U.S. may become blighted by the same problems that have come to afflict agribusiness' "factory farming" of crops, livestock, and poultry.

Psychological Aspects Of Slaughter: Reactions Of College Students To Killing And Butchering Cattle And Hogs, Harold A. Herzog Jr., Sandy Mcgee

Human Health Collection

This study examined the reactions of college students involved in slaughtering cattle and hogs as part of their jobs on a college work crew. The 27 students were surveyed on attitudes containing items toward slaughtering animals and toward different uses of animals. Nineteen were later interviewed. Some aspects of slaughtering were reported to be more bothersome than others. There was a relationship between the amount of experience of the subjects in slaughtering and also their general attitudes toward various uses of animals and their responses to several of the items on the questionnaire. The perceived benefits of the slaughtering experience …

The Behavior Of Confined Calves Raised For Veal: Are These Animals Distressed?, M. Kiley-Worthington

Ethology Collection

The behavior of 12 calves confined in crates was recorded at 1-minute intervals for 12-hour periods. These recordings were made at fortnightly intervals from approximately 2 to 16 weeks of age. In all, 864 hours of observations were recorded.

The activities that were performed and the amount of time spent doing each are outlined. Circadian rhythms were controlled largely by feeding time, although there was a difference between diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Individual calves vaned tn how they adapted to the restricted environment. Individual personality profiles and data on the ontogeny of behavior under these conditions are presented.

At 10 …

Ethologic And Economic Examination Of Aviary Housing For Commercial Laying Flocks, D. W. Fölsch, Chr. Dolf, H. Ehrbar, T. Bleuler, H. Teijgeler

Agribusiness Collection

The result of our work shows that appropriate housing is necessary for intensively kept hens and that the housing has to correspond to the vital needs and the nature of the animals.

This is important for two reasons: a) the innate needs of the birds must be satisfied; b) for the proper development of the animal and successful egg production.

The housing facilities should allow the following functional cycles without restrictions:

Social organization: the structuring of a group or unit of animals.

Locomotion: walking, running, fluttering, flying.

Feeding behavior: search for food and water, food and water pecking, ground scratching, …

Ord River Irrigation Area Of Western Australia - Background Information For Prospective Farmers, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord Irrigation Project is located in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in the far north of the State of Western Australia.

The potential for harnessing northern rivers was realised many years ago. In 1941, a small experimental farm was established on the Ord, and possible dam sites were investigated upstream.

In 1945, this small experimental farm was relocated and the Kimberley Research Station was established on Ivanhoe Plain, part of the 12,000 hectare area now irrigated from Lake Kununurra above the Diversion Dam.

By 1958, the Western Australian Government was convinced of the viability of an irrigation scheme on …

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

An Investment Returned ....................... 2

The Northeast Station- 25 years of Research, Extension and Service......... 3

Opportunities and Obstacles- Women Choose Agricultural Careers.............. 11

The Animal Welfare Movement- Where did it come from and where is it going?.............. 14

Center Pivot Irrigation- Runoff Analyzed on Sloping, Clayey Soil .................. 16

Nitrogen Management- Soils Change in Nutrient Content......................... 18

New Directions in Research ................................ 20

Bulletin No 4077 - The Avocado In Western Australia, M. G. Hawson, Jacqui Davis

Bulletins 4000 -

The avocado, Persea americana, is a member of the laurel family, and a close relative of the common shade tree, camphor laurel. It is native to Mexico, Central America, West Indies and nearby areas where the fruit was often a major part of the diet of the Indians.

Avocado flesh contains good levels of protein, fat, phosphate, potash, thiamin, riboflavin and ascorbic acid and exceeds those in such fruits as apples, apricots and bananas.

The tree is an evergreen, although some varieties lose their leaves for a short time before flowering. The canopy of varieties such as Fuerte, Rincon and …

Forecast Of Farm Animal Numbers And Feed And Fertilizer Requirements To 1990 For Connecticut And New England, Tsoung-Chao Lee, Stanley K. Seaver

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

No Need To Be Boxed In: Group Pens And Grain For Veal Calves, Michael S. Mosner

Agribusiness Collection

My family has been in the wholesale veal business for 30 years. The basis of this business has been various breeds of female beef calves that are slaughtered at less than 500 lb. These calves are allowed to suck from cows and graze until they are ready for market. Beef calves, however, tend to vary in quality and quantity depending on the tjme of the year that they are purchased and raised. Generally, calves become scarce in the spring, when feeders are buying calves to put out on pasture. Then, in the summer and fall, large numbers of calves usually …

The Economics Of Farm Animal Welfare, A. J. F. Webster

Agribusiness Collection

The number of ways that one can be nice or nasty to animals are legion. This article will consider only one very specific aspect of farm animal welfare, namely, those systems of intensive animal production in which the system itself, irrespective of the quality of the stockmanship within the system, appears to restrict the normal behavior of farm animals to an unacceptable degree. The systems that were considered by the House of Commons Select Committee on Agriculure (1981) include egg production from hens in battery cages, production of veal from calves deprived of solid food and isolated in wooden crates, …

Hsus Veal Campaign Takes Off

Close Up Reports

Through our action packet, which includes a fact sheet describing how veal calves are raised in this country, an action sheet showing what you can do to help, and bright yellow cards to leave when you dine out explaining why you didn't choose veal, you can help get the word out.

It is clear that our efforts to reform milk-fed veal production methods in the U.S. are already producing results. Shortly after our New York Times ad appeared, a large farm group paid to have its own ad published in response. Agricultural trade papers have warned their readers against our …

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

IANR Budget Reductions Met With Least Program Change................. 2

Appreciating Nebraska's Ag Landscape..................... 3

Plant Pathology- Fighting $150 Million in Crop Losses.................... 7

Wheat Pathology- Wheat Diseases Associated With Crop Residues...............9

Chinese Turn Backs on Cultural Revolution, Study NU Ag Engineering.................12

SOLAR ENERGY For Home Heating................ 14

PREPARING NEBRASKA'S YOUTH For a Changing World..................... 18

Irrigated Corn Production- Interdependence of Water and Nitrogen Management.............. 20

MEAD SOYBEAN- A New Variety....................22

NEW DIRECTIONS IN RESEARCH..................24

Ord River Irrigation Area Of Western Australia, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord Irrigation Project is located in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in the far north of the State of Western Australia.

The potential for harnessing northern rivers was realised many years ago. In 1941, a small experimental farm was established on the Ord, and possible dam sites were investigated upstream.

In 1945, this small experimental farm was relocated and the Kimberley Research Station was established on Ivanhoe Plain, part of the 12,000 hectare area now irrigated from Lake Kununurra above the Diversion Dam.

By 1958, the Western Australian Government was convinced of the viability of an irrigation scheme on …

A Forecasting-Programming Method For Swine Production-Marketing Decisions, Larry Janssen, James B. Hassler

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This study reports on the development and progress of a forecasting-programming model for swine inventory management and marketing decisions. This model considers interrelationships between breeding herd, feeder pig and finishing hog activities. Objectives were: 1. To structure a dynamic operational decision model for a modern farrow-to-finish swine confinement unit which conforms with economic theory, uses price and cost forecast information and is as consistent as possible with current production scheduling practices. 2. To use and test this model during a combined production and marketing decision process and to compare economic results with results of a standard strategy.

Feasibility Study For A Beaver Reservoir Agricultural Water Supply Volume I, James Ferguson, Robert Shulstad, William Bateman

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An irrigation district of approximately 30,000 acres has been proposed to be located in Washington and Benton Counties in Northwest Arkansas utilizing water from Beaver Reservior. This report on the economic benefits of such a district is done under contract No. DACW03-81-C for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arkansas.

Feasibility Study For A Beaver Reservoir Agricultural Water Supply Volume Ii, James Ferguson, Robert Shulstad, William Bateman

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An irrigation district of approximately 30,000 acres has been proposed to be located in Washington and Benton Counties in Northwest Arkansas utilizing water from Beaver Reservior. This report on the economic benefits of such a district is done under contr