Life Sciences Commons^™

Animal Science Alumni Newsletter, Winter 1996

Department of Animal Science: Departmental News

Contents:

From the Department Head’s Desk
Animal Science Alumni Day
Graduate Program
Undergraduate Program
Deaths
Block and Bridle
New Faculty
Recent Department Awards and Recognitions
Officers for 1995-1996
Activities for 1995-1996
New Livestock Gene Mapping Research Program is Initiated
Faculty Activities
Extension Activities
Omega Egg Research
Chuck Schroeder Accepts New Position
Courses
Judging Team Activities
Your Newsletter Committee
Alumni News
Calendar of Events for 1995-1996

Embryonal Survival To 6 Days In Mice Selected On Different Criteria For Litter Size, E. L. De A. Ribeiro, M. A. J. Van Engelen, Merlyn K. Nielsen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Embryonal survival was compared in mice resulting from four criteria of selection: LS = selection on number born; IX = selection on an index of ovulation rate and ova success; UT = selection on number born to unilaterally ovariectomized females; and LC = unselected control. Selection occurred for 21 generations with three replicates of the four criteria; thereafter, relaxed selection was practiced. The evaluation was performed using mice of two replicates at Generation 35 and one replicate at Generation 36. Data on a total of 289 female mice were recorded. Females, at an average age of 9 wk, were mated …

Range Or Meadow Regrowth Grazing And Weaning Effects On Two Year-Old Cows, James Lamb, Don C. Adams, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Greg Lardy

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Body condition of cows at calving affects pregnancy rate and breeding date. Body condition at calving of spring calving cows wintered on range is influenced by fall body condition. A Montana study showed that lactating cows grazing range lost body condition during August and September. The loss of body condition was attributed to an inadequate consumption of crude protein. Diet samples of cattle grazing Sandhills range during August to October contain 6% to 8% crude protein. Loss of body condition of spring calving, primiparous cows grazing Nebraska Sandhills range during the fall is a concern. Subirrigated meadow regrowth is a …

Effect Of Variance Of Interaction Effects Of Sire And Herd On Selection For Milk And Fat Yield, G. Dimov, Jeffrey F. Keown, L. Dale Van Vleck, H. D. Norman

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The animal model for genetic evaluations of dairy cattle by the USDA currently includes a term for interaction effects of sire and herd. The relative magnitude of the variance of that effect was established in the 1960s as 14% of the total variance, but recent research has shown that the proportion is 2% or less. This report compared EBV using either the 14% or the actual estimate from 20 samples of records from herds in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. From 6 to 22% of bulls or cows selected for milk and fat yields based on evaluation with 14% of …

G96-1309 Child Abuse: A Painful Secret, Herbert G. Lingren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication examines causes and prevention of child abuse.

Child abuse was not recognized as a serious problem in the U.S. until the 1960s. Data collected by The Children's Defense fund reveals that a child is reported abused or neglected every 13 seconds, of every hour, of every day, 365 days per year. This means that nearly three million boys and girls are confirmed as being abused each year--two percent of the nation's children. In 1995, 140,000 children were treated in hospitals and 2,000 children died from the abuse.

In Nebraska in the last ten years, approximately 8,000 cases of …

G96-1294 Gangs: The New Family, Herbert G. Lingren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the history and present status of gangs in the United States, the implications of their effects upon family life today and offers suggestions for intervention and prevention.

There has been an explosion of awareness and concern about gang membership and gang activity in the United States since 1990. Parents, schools, city and state government and law enforcement officials have attempted to confront this phenomenon, often with limited success. Street gangs have existed in the U.S. since the late nineteenth century, and sociologists have studied them since the 1920s. But the current interest in gangs has been fueled …

Nf96-274 Seed Sources For Commercial Vegetable Production, Laurie Hodges

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has addresses of distributors of seeds for commercial vegetable production.

Nf96-273 Establishment Of Kentucky Bluegrass For Seed Production In The Nebraska Panhandle And Southeastern Wyoming, Ray E. Weed, David D. Baltensperger, Robert C. Shearman, Roger Hammons, Jim Krall

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact contains information on selecting turfgrass seed fields, preparation of the fields for seeding, fertilizing for grass establishment, seeding, certification of seed quality, cultivar selection and quality maintenance, and suggested additional readings and resources.

G96-1293 Feedlot Abandonment Recommended Procedures, Richard K. Koelsch, Gerald R. Bodman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

An abandoned animal feeding facility is a significant threat to the environment. Procedures to minimize the risk are discussed.

Feedlot abandonment occurs for various reasons, including economic and social changes, environmental concerns, consolidation for more cost effective management and operation, and modification of personal goals. Whether a feedlot is abandoned for a short time until some crisis passes, or permanently, steps are necessary to minimize the risk of environmental degradation.

Under both scenarios, an abandoned feedlot poses an immediate threat to surface and groundwater quality. The unused facility is also a potential nuisance and source of health problems for humans …

G96-1304 Windbreak Design (Revised March 2004), Scott J. Josiah, Jon S. Wilson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides general information for designing a tree and shrub windbreak. Landowners should work with a natural resource professional to develop site-specific tree planting plans.

What is the best design for a windbreak? The answer depends on the purpose of the windbreak, the benefits desired and the characteristics of the site where the windbreak will be located. The optimum windbreak will include enough trees to provide both wind and snow protection.

Nf96-302 Pillbugs And Sowbugs, David L. Keith, Frederick P. Baxendale

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has information on pillbugs and sowbugs.

G96-1311 Global Warming: What Is Known And Why Nebraska Agriculture Should Care, William E. Easterling, Cynthia Hayes

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The purpose of this NebGuide is to review the facts of global warming, to point out what is sheer speculation, and to suggest why Nebraska agriculture should care about global warming.

Climatologists talk about global warming one year and the next year they talk about global cooling! Depending on the time periods involved, both views may be correct. Over the next few hundred years, the earth may undergo a general cooling trend. This trend is consistent with the regular shifts into and out of ice age conditions that have characterized the earth's climate history of the last 50,000 years. However, …

Nf96-251 A Comparative Study Of Fiber Digestion And Subsequent Nutrient Absorption In The Ostrich Versus The Ruminant, Sheila E. Scheideler

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact compares the digestive systems of the ruminant and the ostrich.

Nf96-248 Factors Considered To Decide Nitrogen Application Rate, William Miller, Ray Supalla, Benedict Juliano

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses nitrogen application among Nebraska farmers.

G96-1310 Ornamental Grasses In Nebraska Landscapes (Revised May 1999), Don Steinegger, John C. Fech, Dale T. Lindgren, Anne Streich

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the selection of and care for ornamental grasses.

Although grasses are an important component of Great Plains flora, Midwesterners have only recently incorporated them into landscape plantings. Many homeowners are acquiring plants such as ornamental grasses because they tolerate or even benefit from lower application rates of nitrogen and pesticides. Ornamental grasses tolerate drought, wetness, and fluctuating winter temperatures. They are resistant to most diseases and insect pests and require minimum inputs of fertilizer. Because of these characteristics they are useful to gardeners interested in a low-input or sustainable landscape.

Nf96-303 Millipedes And Centipedes, David L. Keith, Frederick P. Baxendale

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has information on millipedes and centipedes.

Nf96-264 Bagworms, Frederick P. Baxendale, David L. Keith

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses the bagworm — its life cycle and damage symptoms — as well as strategies for managing this insect pest.

Nf96-290 Irrigation Management Practices In Nebraska, William Miller, Ray Supalla, Benedict Juliano

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has information on a variety of new irrigation practices.

Ec96-1555 Insect Pest Management Strategies For Yards And Gardens, Frederick P. Baxendale, Robert J. Wright

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

A growing awareness of problems associated with overusing pesticides has prompted many home gardeners and landscape managers to seek alternative methods of insect control. Integrated pest management (IPM) uses suitable methods in a compatible manner to maintain pest densities below levels of unacceptable injury.

IPM principles can be applied to all pest groups (insects, mites, weeds, plant diseases and vertebrates), and urban as well as agricultural settings. This publication will discuss how integrated pest management can be applied to insect and mite management in yards and gardens.

Nf96-268 Conducting A Prescribed Burn On Warm-Season Grass Crp Sites, Robert Stritzke

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has guidelines for prescribed burns on CRP sites.

Nf96-281 Soil Fertility Considerations For Land Coming Out Of Crp, Charles A. Shapiro, Gary W. Hergert, Melinda Mcvey Mccluskey

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses soil nutrients and fertility for CRP farmland.

G96-1300 Insects That Feed On Corn Ears, David L. Keith, J. F. Witkowski

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

How to identify mature and immature insects that infest and damage ears of corn.

Several kinds of insects infest the developing ears of corn, raising farmers' concerns and sometimes causing economic damage. Some of these insects can reduce both yield and quality of seed corn, pop corn, sweet corn and field corn. Control decisions depend in part on the economics of the corn crop produced. In many cases, particularly in field corn where the value of the crop per acre is somewhat lower, the insects may not be sufficiently damaging to require control. The higher value of seed corn compared …

Nf96-250 What You Ought To Know About Sewing Machine Needles, Rose Marie Tondl

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact has information on different types of sewing machine needles.

G96-1295 Scabies, Wayne L. Kramer, Donald E. Mock

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The life cycle, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of scabies infestations in humans is addressed.

Scabies is a contagious disease of humans and other mammals. It is caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows into the dead layer of the human skin (stratum corneum). Sarcoptic mites are obligate parasites which spend most of their lives in burrows in the skin. If the mite invades a person's skin, and establishes itself, symptoms of scabies will become apparent, although it may take four to six weeks.

Scabies is transmitted from person to person by close personal and prolonged skin contact. Transmission also …

G96-1289 Diseases Of Home Garden Strawberries, John E. Watkins, David S. Wysong

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide addresses on some of the common diseases affecting home garden strawberries in Nebraska and their control.

Strawberries are a favored fruit of home gardens. They have been adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, but sometimes can be challenging to grow. Strawberry yields and fruit quality are influenced by interactions of environment, diseases, pests, and soil conditions.

G96-1308 Management Of Eastern Redcedar On Grasslands, John Ortmann, James L. Stubbendieck, George Pfeiffer, Robert A. Masters, Walter H. Schacht

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Developing an integrated control program including prescribed burning, herbicides, and cutting may be the best way to control eastern redcedar in Nebraska, according to recent research. Eastern redcedar is a serious threat to grassland productivity. Some control methods may be too expensive to use on grasslands, but in many cases, an integrated approach combining fire with more intensive follow-up methods will provide reasonable control at an acceptable cost.

G96-1307 Bioengineering For Hillslope, Streambank And Lakeshore Erosion Control, Thomas G. Franti

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes bioengineering techniques for hillslope, streambank and lakeshore erosion control. Tips for a successful bioengineering installation and demonstration project are described. Soil erosion occurs whenever water meets land with enough force to move soil. Often this occurs along streambanks and lakeshores or where excess water flows over hillslopes. While streambank and hillslope erosion can be dramatic, especially after large rainfalls or floods, normal streamflows, excess runoff from urbanized areas and wave action along lakeshores continually erode soil. Erosion can be severe, as is the case in many man-made lakes, where shorelines are composed of easily erodible soil. Traditional …

G96-1275 Drinking Water: Sulfates And Hydrogen Sulfide, David L. Varner, Sharon Skipton, Paul J. Jasa, Bruce I. Dvorak

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses recommended practices to manage sulfur in a domestic water supply. Two forms of sulfur are commonly found in drinking water supplies: sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Both forms are nuisances that usually do not pose a health risk at the concentrations found in domestic water supplies.

Ec96-142 Conservation Reserve Program: Crp Land Use Guide, Douglas Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts held by Nebraska producers will begin to expire in 1996. Thousands of acres of grassland will be eligible for haying, grazing or to be returned to other uses. Land-use decisions made by owners and operators will impact the economic viability and long-term productivity of individual farms, as well as the region as a whole.

The intent of the CRP Land Use Guide is not to provide all of the answers, in many instances we don't even know the questions. It is, however, intended to provide an outline of the key issues you will face when …

Nf96-286 Settting Up Your Own Business: Monitoring The Health And Growth Of Your Business (Revised April 2005), Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Paul H. Gessaman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

If you are an entrepreneur and business proprietor, it's likely that you are, or you soon will be, compiling financial statements for your business. Doing so is part of being the owner and manager of a business unit. It's important to regularly compile financial statements that are fully accurate, even if you may not enjoy the investment of time, effort, and number crunching.

This NebFact provides information on the use of easily calculated financial ratios and performance indicators derived from financial statements for your business.