Life Sciences Commons^™

Estimation Of Genetic Parameters For Production And Reproduction In Finnish Ayrshire Cattle, E. Mantysaari, L. Dale Van Vleck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Records of AI-sired cows born between 1978 and 1982 were used to form two composite production and reproduction data sets. First (second) consisted of 35,568 (26,443) first lactations of daughters of 270 (237) sires. Traits were FCM, heifer, and first parity nonreturn rates, days between calving and first insemination, and days open, with means 5075 (5280) kg, .62 (.62), .44 (.49), 81 (81) d and 110 (111) d. (Co)variance components were estimated by REML with an expectation maximization algorithm. Sire model included age, month, herd-year effects, and relationships among sires. Records on animals with observations missing on some traits were …

Prediction Of Progeny Genetic Evaluations From Simultaneous Genetic Evaluations Of The Dam, Sire, And Maternal Grandsire With An Animal Model, L. Dale Van Vleck, C. P. Van Tassell, R. A. Westell

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Simultaneous genetic evaluations for bulls and cows obtained by mixed model procedures with an animal model incorporating all numerator relationships for artificially sired Holstein cows in northeastern United States were compared with separate (Northeast) mixed model evaluations of cows and sires for predicting genetic evaluations of progeny from dam, sire, and maternal grandsire evaluations. Regression coefficients for progeny (322,104 daughters and 837 sons) evaluations on dam, sire, and maternal grandsire evaluations were for daughters: Northeast evaluations; .50, .37, and -.02 compared to theoretical coefficients of .74, .52, and -.13, and simultaneous evaluations; .61, .50, and -.09 compared to theoretical coefficients …

1988 Fall Field Day

Nebraska Bird Review

There were 65 people who attended part or all of the 1988 Fall Meeting at Halsey Forest 8-9 October. This included Dr. Jan Skoudin, of Prague, Czechoslovakia. Saturday night Dr. Julie Ann Savidge spoke on “The Extinction of an Island Forest Avifauna by an Introduced Snake”, a summary of her investigation of the brown tree snake’s effect on Guam’s avifauna. There was also a short slide show. The rest of the time was available for birding. A few NOU members came early enough on Friday to work with members of the US Forest Service on a butterfly and hummingbird garden …

"Index To Volume 56," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1988) 56(4).

Nebraska Bird Review

Index to Volume 56

9 pages

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1988) 56(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

ADDITIONAL REPORTS FROM THOMAS COUNTY, SPRING 1988. Mike Dwyer, then working on a grouse telemetry project at Halsey Forest for the Game and Parks Commission, reported a Northern Saw-whet Owl 10 May. Mr. Dwyer's comments were: Most likely territorial male. Constant repetitions whistle. First vocalizations heard at 2345 h. in mixed hardwood/conifers. On 13 June he reported a Chuck-will's-widow, with these remarks: Was close enough to detect the "chuck" syllable of the call. Calling occurred at dusk in mixed hardwoods/conifers.

The Official List Of The Birds Of Nebraska

Nebraska Bird Review

The following is a list of species of birds whose occurrence in Nebraska has been proven to the satisfaction of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee. It includes records considered through 31 Dec. 1987. The sequence and nomenclature follow that used in the A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds, 6th ed., 1983, and its supplements through the 36th.

The list includes 406 species; several other species are currently under review. The list also indicates how frequently each species has been acceptably reported in the past decade (1977-1987) to give some idea of current status. Frequency of occurrence is indicated …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 1988) 56(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

The Official List of the Birds of Nebraska.................86

1988 Fall Field Day.................97

Book Reviews.................97

Notes.................99

Index to Volume 56 .................100

"Book Reviews," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1988) 56(4).

Nebraska Bird Review

The Collins Guide to the Birds of Britian and Europe, with North Africa and the Middle East, Hermann Heinzel, Richard Fitter, and John Parslow, 326 pp., 4 1/2 x 7 1/2, index. The Stephen Greene Press, Lexing ton, Mass., softbound $15.95.

The Collins Field Guide to the Birds of West Africa, William Serle and Gerard J. Morel, 352 pp., 5 x 8, index. The Stephen Greene Press, Lexington, Mass., hardbound $21.95.

Announcement About The 20th International Ornithological Congress In Nebraska Bird Review (December 1988) 56(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

THE 20TH INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS will take place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 2-9 December 1990. The Congress programme will include 7 plenary lectures, 48 symposia, contributed papers (spoken and poster), workshops, round-table discussions and films. There will be a mid-Congress excursion, day. Longer tours are planned to interesting ornithological sites in New Zealand before anc.' after the Congress, including the post Congress cruises to sub-antarctic islands.

Genetic Parameters For Production Traits Of Holsteins In California, New York, And Wisconsin, K. M. Wade, L. Dale Van Vleck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated for milk and fat yields and fat percentage from 305-d, mature-equivalent records of registered and grade Holsteins in California, New York, and Wisconsin. Parameter estimates were obtained with daughter on dam regression within herd-year-season and sire of daughter. Data were pairs of first lactation records (38,115 in California, 171,555 in New York, and 136,031 in Wisconsin) from 1975 through 1984. California had higher means for milk (9046 kg) and fat (323 kg) than the other two states (approximately 7840 kg and 289 kg), but heritabilities of .36 and .34 were not greatly different from …

Comparison Of Methods Of Predicting Breeding Values Of Swine, J. W. Keele, R. K. Johnson, L. D. Young, T. E. Socha

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Best linear unbiased predictions (BLUP) using information from all known relatives; selection index using phenotype, full-sib average and half-sib average; and phenotypic deviation from contemporary group average were compared as methods of predicting breeding values for days to 100 kg and backfat. Swine records (n = 203,869) from five Hampshire, one Duroc and six Yorkshire herds were obtained from the Nebraska SPF Swine Accrediting Agency. Heritability values used to compute BLUP or index were either estimates based on within-breed offspring on parent regression or values recommended by the National Swine Improvement Federation (NSIF) guidelines. Within-breed estimates of heritability ranged from …

Correlated Responses Of Carcass And Reproductive Traits To Selection For Rate Of Lean Growth In Swine, E. R. Cleveland, R. K. Johnson, P. J. Cunningham

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Mass selection for an index of increased post-weaning average daily gain and decreased backfat thickness was practiced for five generations. Litter size and weight for 221 gilt litters, birth weight and nipple number for 2,242 piglets and weaning weight at 42 d of age for 2,111 pigs were recorded. Carcass measurements were taken on 331 pigs. Differences between means of the lines (select control) were regressed on cumulative selection differential of the index. These regression coefficients were negative (P > .10) for total number born, number born alive, number weaned per litter, nipple number and carcass backfat thickness. Coefficients were …

Effect Of Sex Ratio Of The Birth Litter On Subsequent Reproductive Performance Of Gilts, W. R. Lamberson, R. M. Blair, K. A. Rohde Parfet, B. N. Day, R. K. Johnson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Records on age at puberty from 1,555 gilts and total number of pigs born in litters of 1,187 gilts from the Nebraska gene pool population were used to evaluate the effects of uterine environment on subsequent reproductive performance. Independent variables were line, year, line x year, proportion of males in the birth litter (sex ratio), number born in the birth litter (fraternity size) and sex ratio x fraternity size. Sex ratio, fraternity size and their interaction influenced age at puberty (P < .01) but not number born (P > .2). Partial regression coefficients indicated that age at puberty tended to decrease as sex ratio increased, particularly …

Animal Science Newsletter, Fall 1988

Department of Animal Science: Departmental News

Contents:

Animal Science Building Dedication and Open House
Thanks for Support
New Faculty
Recipients of Awards
Graduate Student Recognition
Deaths in the Animal Science Family
Faculty Retirements
Enrollment Trends
New Programs in the Department
Alumni News
Block and Bridle Club
Judging Teams Have A Successful Year
Reception/Brunch for Dr. Ernie R. Peo, Jr. Recognition of His Retirement

Animal Science Newsletter, Fall 1988

Department of Animal Science: Departmental News

Contents:

Animal Science Building Dedication and Open House
Thanks for Support
New Faculty
Recipients of Awards
Graduate Student Recognition
Deaths in the Animal Science Family
Faculty Retirements
Enrollment Trends
New Programs in the Department
Alumni News
Block and Bridle Club
Judging Teams Have A Successful Year
Reception/Brunch for Dr. Ernie R. Peo, Jr. Recognition of His Retirement

1988 (Sixty-Third) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Three hundred and six species (plus the possibilities that the Accipter and Empidonax species were ones that were not listed, and that a Louisiana Waterthrush was recorded in Nebraska) are listed in this report, from 15 locations, plus 13 "spot check" columns involving 34 counties. In 1987 there were 288 species from 13 locations and 6 "spot check" columns involving 9 counties; 1986 304 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns involving 24 counties; 1985 296 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns (plus additions on NBR 53: 70) involving 22 counties; and in 1984 293 from 12 …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1988) 56(3).

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December, by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Inc. as its official journal and sent to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on a calendar year basis only) are $10.00 per year in the United States, $12.00 per year in Canada and Mexico, and $12.50 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $3.00 each, postpaid, in the United States; $3.50 elsewhere.

"Notes" From Nebraska Bird Review (Sept 1988) 56(3).

Nebraska Bird Review

BRANT AT FUNK LAGOON. Rick Peifer and I co-led a Bell Museum of Natural History (University of Minnesota) field trip to the Platte River ill March 1988. On 21 March about 25 of us went to Funk WPA (Phelps Co.) about 14:00, We found only a few thousand waterfowl, the remainder had apparently been driven off by USFWS personnel as a preventative measure against a further outbreak of fowl cholera. We were on the NI S road between sections 1 and 2, T6N, R17W, and saw only about 1,000 to 1,500 geese (mostly Canada’s, plus some White-fronted) plus a few …

White-Winged Dove In Dawson County, Lloyd G. Kaufman, Paul Kaufman

Nebraska Bird Review

On 3 July 1988, my wile and I saw a dove south of Cozad, Nebraska. We were driving at road speed, and not really bird watching. I caught a glimpse of white on the dove's wings as it flew and by the time I got stopped the dove circled about 0.25 mile away. We never got our binoculars on the dove at all, but we both noted the white trailing edge of the wings and on the tail. We are not sure enough to claim anything. I have been by there 15 to 20 times since then and have not …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1988) 56(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

White-winged Dove in Dawson County? .............54

1988 (Sixty-third) Spring Occurrence Report .............55

Notes .............77

Book Review .............83

"Book Review," In Nebraska Bird Review (September 1988) 56(3), Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Birds: Breeding Status and Distribution, by James E. Ducey, maps by Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Illustrated by Paul A. Johnsgard, xiii + 148 pp., 8½ x 11, Simmons-Boardman Books, Omaha, 1988, soft cover $19.95.

Estimates Of Genetic And Environmental (Co)Variances For First Lactation Milk Yield, Survival, And Calving Interval, M. C. Dong, L. Dale Van Vleck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Variance and covariance components for milk yield, survival to second freshening, and calving interval in first lactation were estimated by REML with the expectation and maximization algorithm for an animal model which included herd-year- season effects. Cows without calving interval but with milk yield were included. Each of the four data sets of 15 herds included about 3000 Holstein cows. Relationships across herds were ignored to enable inversion of the coefficient matrix of mixed model equations. Quadratics and their expectations were accumulated herd by herd. Heritability of milk yield (.32) agrees with reports by same methods. Heritabilities of survival (.11) …

Heritabilities Of And Genetic Correlations Among Six Health Problems In Holstein Cows, H. K. Lin, P. A. Oltenacu, L. Dale Van Vleck, H. N. Erb, R. D. Smith

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Information from 7712 lactations of Holstein dairy cows was collected from 33 commercial herds around Ithaca, NY in the 3 yr from 1981 to 1983. The data were divided into subsets corresponding to lactation 1, lactation 2, and lactation 3 or greater. To estimate heritabilities of dystocia, retained placenta, metritis, ovarian cysts, milk fever, and mastitis, a mixed linear model (herd-year fixed and sire random effects) with 0 or 1 as the observed response was used. Variance components were estimated using Henderson's Method 3. The results show moderate heritabilities (.15 to .40) for dystocia, metritis, milk fever, and mastiffs and …

Predicting Milk Yield Of Holstein Cows From 306 To 395 Days In Milk, T. L. Stanton, R. W. Blake, M. A. Tomaszewski, P. F. Dahm, L. Dale Van Vleck, K. E. Olson, R. E. Goodwill, K. R. Butcher

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Prediction equations were determined to estimate daily milk yield from 306 to 395 d in milk for forecasting herd milk sales from Holstein cows in lactation > 305 d. Data were test day milk weights for 65,322 primiparous and 119,220 pluriparous lactations of > 305 d from the Southern US. A forecast model was developed using same lactation 305 d milk yield (in classes of 500 kg increments) that gave similar predicted daily yields as models utilizing last sample milk weight information. This model has the advantage of early forecasting of later milk using projected 305-d yields. Reduced forecast models ignoring days …

Potential Of Cytoplasmic Effects For Selection In Dairy Cattle, K. O'Neill, L. Dale Van Vleck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Maternal cytoplasmic inheritance may cause an upward bias in heritability estimates from daughter on dam regression. Inaccurate evaluations of bulls or dams of future sires would result if such estimates were used in genetic evaluation. Expected genetic selection differential for bulls would be overestimated, but genetic gain would be little affected by incorrect heritability estimates. Genetic evaluations of dams of sires would be less accurate when incorrect heritability estimates are used, but actual selection differentials would be only slightly less than optimum. If cytoplasmic effects were ignored during selection, less genetic improvement would seem to be the result. However, expected …

Effect Of Relationships On Estimation Of Variance Components With An Animal Model And Restricted Maximum Likelihood, M. C. Dong, L. Dale Van Vleck, G. R. Wiggans

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Milk, fat, and protein yields in first lactation of two samples of 12 herds consisting of 4020 and 4024 Holstein cows in New York were used to estimate genetic and phenotypic covariances with an animal model by REML. Relationships were calculated within herd in three ways to provide inverses of relationship matrices. Full relationships consisted of tracing relationships to parents (base animals) of animals with milk and fat records between 1970 and 1980. Full relationships less base animals consisted of tracing relationships only one generation back from when protein records became available in 1981. Sire-only relationships were compiled using only …

Common Goldeneye: Notes On Nebraska Fauna, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

0NE OF THE rewards for braving the remnants of a Nebraska winter by venturing out to newly thawed reservoirs, lakes and sandpits is the prospect of seeing a flock of common goldeneyes. Hard on the heels of winter, goldeneyes begin moving out of their wintering areas in the central and southern Great Plains and testing the waters to the north as as they become partially ice-free. Fair numbers of birds, sometimes in the thousands, often winter in western Nebraska, especially along the North and South Platte rivers, and in adjoining areas of eastern Wyoming and Colorado, but very few winter …

Genetic (Co)Variances For Milk And Fat Yield In California, New York, And Wisconsin For An Animal Model By Restricted Maximum Likelihood, L. Dale Van Vleck, M. C. Dong, G. R. Wiggans

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Two samples of data from approximately 4000 Holstein cows were analyzed by REML with a multivariate (milk and fat yields) animal model for first lactations started in 1970 through 1977 and in 1978 through 1985 and also for first lactation records started in low, middle, and high production herds in 1978 through 1985 separately for California, New York, and Wisconsin herds. Heritability estimates for milk yield (similar for fat yield) ignoring category of herd production were .29 for 1978 and later and .34 for 1977 and earlier. Estimates for low, middle, and high production herds were .23, .29, and .36. …

Genetic (Co)Variances For Milk, Fat, And Protein Yield In Holsteins Using An Animal Model, L. Dale Van Vleck, M. C. Dong

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

First lactation milk, fat, and protein yields for first lactations of 8044 Holstein cows in New York from 24 herds were used to estimate genetic and phenotypic covariances with an animal model by restricted maximum likelihood. Numerator relationships within herd, including those from sires, were utilized, although relationships across herds were ignored. Each analysis was terminated after 300 rounds of iteration. Average milk production (twice daily milking, 305-d lactation, mature equivalent) was 8630 kg. Estimates were obtained for each individual herd and groups of 3, 6, and 12 herds. Average estimates from separate analyses of the 24 herds were nearly …

Notes- Nebraska Bird Review June 1988

Nebraska Bird Review

YOUNG GREAT HORNED OWLS On 5 April 1988 we banded two young Great Horned Owls that were in a nest near Laurel, in Cedar Co., Neb. An adult Owl was first seen on this nest 3 March. The nest was approximately 31 feet above the ground in a dead Siberian elm tree. One adult Owl was in the nest as we approached it at about 7:00 PM. The adult bird flew of the nest and remained about 200 meters away, in a small grove of trees. It took us about 35 minutes to set up our ladder, retrieve and band …