Animal Sciences Commons^™

Management Strategies For Beef Heifer Development, Shelby Ann Springman

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Four experiments were conducted to determine the impact of development systems, trace mineral source, and trace mineral supplementation on beef heifers. Experiment 1 utilized 300 Angus-based, spring-born heifers to evaluate postweaning heifer development systems on gain, reproductive performance, and feed efficiency as a pregnant heifer. Heifers were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to graze corn residue, upland range, or were fed 1 of 2 diets in a drylot differing in energy levels: high or low. Heifer development system did not impact AI or final pregnancy rates. Development cost per pregnant heifer was not different among treatments. Furthermore, pregnant heifer …

Methane From Lactating Dairy Cattle: Studies For Mitigation, Diurnal Variation, And Role In Energy Metabolism, Jared Vern Judy

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Reducing methane production in dairy cattle has received an increased interest due to environmental concerns associated with its potency as a greenhouse gas. Methane represents lost energy in cattle and reduction may increase animal efficiency and productivity. Experiment 1 evaluated strategies of mitigating methane production in lactating dairy cattle with inclusion of dried distillers grains and solubles (DDGS), DDGS with added corn oil, and DDGS with added calcium sulfate and effects on energy and nitrogen balance. Inclusion of DDGS, corn oil, and calcium sulfate, increased DMI and milk yield. Methane production was reduced with addition of corn oil …

Evaluation Of Corn Condensed Distillers Solubles In Beef Cattle Diets And Grazing Double-Cropped Forages Following Corn Harvest, Benjamin H. Hansen

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Corn condensed distillers solubles (CDS) is a protein and energy dense by-product from dry-milled production of ethanol. Recent oil extraction has posed modifications to the nutrient profile of CDS, suggesting that de-oiled CDS needs to be re-evaluated in beef cattle diets. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of CDS in high-concentrate diets, forage-based diets, as well as evaluate the effects of CDS on diet digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters in forage-based diets. Feeding CDS in high-concentrate diets up to 20% of the diet DM or in combination with wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) improved performance and resulted …

Evaluating Long-Term Direct And Correlated Selection Response In White Plymouth Rock Chickens Selected For High Or Low 8-Week Body Weight, Sylvia J. Harrison

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The increasing demand for poultry meat has led animal breeders to engage in artificial selection of chickens as a way to increase the productivity of poultry. Long-term experiments have been designed to measure rates of genetic response to a trait under selection, and correlated traits, as well as gauge possible selection limits.

Two studies were conducted to evaluate response to selection for body weight (BW) in chickens. The chickens were selected for high or low BW at 8 weeks of age. Those that met the criterion were selected as parents for the subsequent generation. In the first study the population …

Metabolic Regulation By Stress Mediators In Fetal Ovine Skeletal Muscle And Adult Bovine Myoblasts, Elena Marie Merrick

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Our objective was to determine the effect of stress mediators such as inflammatory cytokines and β adrenergic agonists on developing skeletal muscle. Fetal sheep exposed to chronic maternal inflammation had decreased skeletal muscle glucose oxidation rates when stimulated with insulin or TNFα. In addition, activation of Akt by insulin was decreased after maternal inflammation when compared to controls and there were not differences in skeletal muscle fiber type ratios between the two treatment groups. This indicates that maternal inflammation does not affect overall oxidative capacity in the developing fetus, but rather insulin signaling pathways are disrupted.

We sought to determine …

Evaluation Of Distillers' Grains Components For Finishing Beef Cattle, Jordan E. Burhoop

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the large expansion of the ethanol industry in previous years, there has been an increase in supply of distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) for the feedlot industry. Distiller’s grains are a common byproduct used in feedlot diets for added protein or energy. Recently, ethanol companies have been using different extraction techniques to remove various parts of the DGS to sell separately, such as corn oil and fiber. Previous research trials have tried to determine the contribution of individual nutrients in distillers grains that improve performance in order to predict the impact of removing certain components. In previous studies, fiber …

The Effects Of Supplemental Rup In Corn Silage Growing Diets And Rup Digestibility Of Corn Silage, The Utilization Of Aggressive Implant Protocols, And The Effect Of Inoculate On Corn Silage And High Moisture Corn, Colton Ray Oney

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Three experiments evaluated the effect of implant strategies on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics of crossbred steers and Holstein steers. Final BW, ADG, and G:F were not different between implant strategies in Exp. 1 and 2. The utilization of more aggressive implant strategies has minimal impact on both feedlot and carcass performance of cross breed steers.

Four experiments evaluated the effects of supplemental RUP in corn silage growing diets and RUP content and RUP digestibility of corn silage. Exp. 1, supplemented five concentrations of RUP to growing calves consuming a corn silage diet. As supplemental RUP increased ADG and ending …

Effect Of Fat And Fiber On Methane Production And Energy Utilization In Lactating Dairy Cows, Olivia Rose Drehmel

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to rising concerns of greenhouse gases and that ruminants are the largest livestock methane producers, an emphasis has been put on developing methane mitigation strategies to reduce methane emissions in ruminants. Other than reducing methane, maximizing the energy utilization of cattle is also important for producer’s overall productivity and profitability.

In the first experiment, fat or cellulose was added to fiber isolated from dried distiller’s grains and solubles. Isolated NDF residue from an in vitro setting was fermented 1) alone (control); 2) with feed grade corn oil at 20%; or 3) with cellulose powder microcrystalline at 20% using the …

Advancing Chemical Characterization Of Feedstuffs Commonly Included In Dairy Cow Rations, Ellan I. Dufour

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chemical composition of feedstuffs commonly included in dairy cow rations is variable within a feed type, which raises a potential for nutrient inadequacies for an animal. There are multiple methods to characterize and determine chemical composition including in vitro and in situ methods, as well as refining processing procedures to produce a consistent feed product. Feed component digestibilities can also be evaluated using similar methods.

Research reported in Chapter 2 focuses on characterizing chemical composition and determining the digestibility of fiber and protein fractions of corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) originating from seven different production sites across Michigan, …

Assessing Plant-Wax Markers As A Tool To Estimate Intake And Diet Composition In Beef Cattle, Emily J. Hilburger

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Estimating feed efficiency of ruminants in grazing environments is difficult due to challenges in measuring intake and diet composition of animals that are freely grazing. Plant-wax markers, especially n-alkanes (ALK), have been shown to be a potential tool to calculate intake and diet composition.

Two indoor experiments were conducted in successive years to assess ALK reliability to facilely estimate DMI (EDMI) and diet composition. Heifers were fed a ration of 69.8% corn silage and 30% ground alfalfa with a daily supplement containing a ALK marker (C₃₂). Using a pooled fecal sample increased the …

Backgrounding Calf Management Strategies Using Corn Residue And Double Cropped Forages, Jordan L. Cox-O'Neill

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Approximately 70% of calves in the U.S. are born in the spring and weaned in the fall, this results in a large supply of calves potentially available for backgrounding over the winter. Backgrounding systems positively impact the beef industry by efficiently using forage resources available. These systems also provide production value by enhancing the calf’s frame size, mature BW (increase HCW), and health prior to entering the feedlot. In Nebraska opportunities to integrate both crop and livestock production, by backgrounding calves abound. Approximately 13,100 metric tons of corn residue or 34,000 Animal Unit Months are available for grazing in Nebraska. …

Estimates Of Corn Residue Quality, Tasha M. King

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of corn residue harvest method on animal performance and diet digestibility. Corn residue harvest methods used in these experiments were low-stem, high-stem, and conventional. Steers had greater ADG when fed low-stem in a growing diet compared to high-stem and conventional residues. Addition of supplemental RUP to corn-residue based diets resulted in greater ADG and G:F in steers. Digestibility of DM, OM, and NDF were greatest in lambs fed diets containing low-stem residue. Low-stem residue had greater digestible energy (DE) compared to high-stem and conventional, which did not differ.

Lastly, a study was …

Evaluation Of Protein And Fiber From Distillers’ Grains Plus Solubles In Finishing Beef Cattle Diets, Zachary E. Carlson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Four studies were conducted to evaluate the components of distillers grains plus solubles in finishing beef cattle diets. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of five composites of feedstuffs formulated to be similar in nutrient composition to DDGS on finishing performance of cattle. Experiment 2 evaluated isolating the protein from distillers grains using a feedstuff from the wet milling ethanol industry to determine the impacts of protein on the feeding value of WDGS in finishing performance of cattle. Experiments 3 and 4 evaluated the effects of protein from distillers grains with the diets used in Exp. 2 on site of digestion, …

Use Of Byproducts In Forage-Based, Post-Weaning Beef Systems And Effects Of Serial Slaughter On Performance And Profitability, Robert Gregory Bondurant Jr.

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Crude glycerin was included in high-forage beef growing diets at 0, 4, 8, and 12% diet DM to determine the effect on fiber digestion by evaluating changes in microbial species abundance, NDF digestibility, and VFA concentrations. Total tract NDF digestibility decreased with increasing inclusion of GLY in high-forage diets. However, there was no decrease in in situ NDF digestibility and Fibrobacter succinogenes microbial populations were unaffected, indicating that fiber digestion was not directly affected by inclusion of GLY. Acetate decreased while propionate and butyrate VFA proportions increased as GLY increased.

Spayed heifers were utilized in a 2-yr study to evaluate …

Effects Of Energy Restriction During Gilt Development On Milk Nutrient Profile, Progeny Biomarkers, And Growth Performance, Shana Marie Barnett

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments were conducted at separate times to evaluate the effects of sow dietary treatment on piglet growth performance. One experiment solely focused on the growth performance of parity 1 piglets from gilt batches 5 through 13. The other experiment focused on growth performance of piglets from batch 14, parity 1, as well as, analysis of growth biomarkers, GLP-2 and Insulin. Milk samples from sows of each dietary treatment were collected and analyzed for oligosaccharide composition, nutrient composition, and insulin levels.

The first experiment utilized 733 sows that were fed either a restricted (RESTR) of ad libitum (ADLIB) diet during …

Effects Of Egg Yolk On Piglet Growth Performance, Circulating Immunoglobulins, Biomarkers Of Intestinal Integrity, And Microbial Community, Kelly C. Moore

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A total of 72 crossbred pigs weaned at 24 days were assigned to a completely randomized design (CRD) arrangement of treatments to determine the effects of egg yolk on a nursery piglet’s growth performance, circulating immunoglobulins, biomarkers of intestinal integrity, and microbial community. Pigs were provided with spray-dried plasma (SDP), spray-dried egg yolk (SDEY), or a control diet. During Phase III, ADG was affected by treatment (P < 0.10). Pigs consuming the egg yolk diet had greater (P < 0.05) ADG vs. the plasma group for Phase III. Circulating immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG) were not affected by dietary treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations remained constant during the experiment. Treatment did effect Glugacon like peptide-2 (GLP-2) concentration (P < 0.01) where pigs fed egg yolk had the greatest concentration. Microbial OTUs were similar among treatments (P > 0.8), but there were changes over time; from d 0 to Phase I and II there was an increase in diversity (P < 0.01) followed by a decrease in …

Sensor Placement Effects Acceleration Data For Monitoring Equine Activity, Carol J. Thompson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Monitoring horse activity continually is a valuable aid for horse caretakers to provide recommendations to help users meet their goals and improve overall horse health. Activity trackers commonly use an accelerometer to determine steps and exercise intensity. The activity level capabilities using a 3-axis accelerometer were tested in three locations on the horse. The objectives were to determine which location results in the most accurate step count, threshold values for each gait and to identify correlations between the thresholds and horse characteristics. Twenty-four horses wore three identical smartphone accelerometers, one in each of three locations: right side of the head …

The Role Of Stress Factors In Skeletal Muscle Development, Growth, And Metabolism; Impacts Of Temporally Spaced Repetition On Long-Term Information Retention In An Anatomy And Physiology Course, Caitlin N. Cadaret

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We sought to identify the effect of sustained maternal inflammation at mid-gestation on fetal mortality, skeletal muscle growth, and development at term. Fetal rats had reduced total mass that coincided with impaired myoblast function, as myoD was reduced and myogenin expression was increased in hindlimb muscle. Fetuses also had increased circulating TNFα at term after maternal inflammation, which decreased TNFR and IL6R mRNA in muscle, reducing sensitivity to cytokines. These findings indicate that sustained maternal inflammation at mid-gestation impairs fetal skeletal muscle growth near-term due to changes in myoblast responsiveness to inflammatory regulation.

To evaluate the acute impact of inflammatory …

The Effects Of Xylanase Or An Algal Sourced Zinc Polysaccharide Complex On The Performance Of Laying Hens Fed A Corn And Soybean Diet, Ashley Bigge

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of two different feed additives on the performance of laying hens. Study 1 examined the effects of non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzyme inclusion in a low energy diet. Study 2 examined the effects of supplementing a paramylon zinc polysaccharide complex at increasing concentrations. Both studies utilized a randomized complete block design for treatment assignment, and data were analyzed using the Glimmix procedure in SAS 9.4 for windows.

The first study took place July 2014 to March 2015 and consisted of two phases. Each phase tested a positive control, negative control with lower ME …

Effect Of Backgrounding Management Strategies On The Performance And Profitability Of Yearling Beef Cattle, Cody Alan Welchons

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Performance and profitability of steers grazing smooth bromegrass during the summer was evaluated. Steers grazed bromegrass with no supplement (CON), grazed bromegrass fertilized with 90 kg N/ha (FERT), or grazed bromegrass and were supplemented with distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) at 0.6% of BW (SUPP). Supplemented steers had increased ADG compared to CON and FERT steers. Profitability was greatest for the SUPP steers due to increased ending BW at the end of the grazing season. Steers grazing fertilized pastures were more profitable than CON steers due to increased stocking rate as a result of improved forage growth.

A 2-yr study …

Effects Of Feeding Field Peas On Fresh Beef Quality, Hope Voegele

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of field peas during two phases of production (grazing and finishing) on fresh beef quality. A total of 232 crossbred steers and heifers were randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments in a 3x2 factorial consisting of 3 pasture and 2 finishing supplementations. The pasture phase consisted of 1) no supplement, 2) field peas at 0.5% BW, or 3) dry-rolled corn supplement at 0.5% of BW. The finishing phase consisted of 1) field peas at 20% DM or 2) no field peas. During this two-year study, steers (year 1) …

Managing Corn Residue And Double Cropped Forages In Crop And Livestock Systems, Kristen M. Ulmer

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Integrating crop and livestock systems leads to opportunities to utilize land resources; however, crop producers focus on grain yields and ground cover, while livestock producers see opportunity to graze corn residue or annual forages. After wheat harvest or corn silage harvest, above ground forage production for brassica mixes and oats is greater than forage oats or oat production after high moisture corn harvest. Grazing steers on forage crops after grain harvest provides moderate gains. While annual forages provide good quality forages, corn residue grazing and utilization is still a cost-effective feedstuff for cattle producers. In the short term, grain yields …

Effects Of Feed Additives And Body Weight On Growth Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Beef Finishing Cattle, Curtis J. Bittner

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A pooled-analysis of feedlot pens examined the effects of steer age (calf-fed, short yearling, long yearling) and initial body weight on feedlot growth performance. Feed efficiency decreased linearly as initial body weight increased for all age groups of steers.

Three feedlot experiments evaluated the effects of NEXT ENHANCE (EO) and monensin/tylosin (MT) on growth performance and carcass characteristics in beef finishing diets. In Exp. 1, there were no MT x EO interactions for finishing performance and carcass characteristics. Feeding MT resulted in a 3.9% improvement in G:F compared to steers fed no MT. Feed efficiency was not different between steers …

Effects Of Field Pea Usage In Growing And Finishing Diets For Beef Cattle, Hannah L. Greenwell

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The value of field peas (FP) as a feedstuff has not been thoroughly assessed and compared to other feeds, such as corn, to better establish an economic value. Field peas are characterized by a high CP content (23-26%), a large portion (80%) being rumen degradable protein (RDP), and containing almost a third less starch (31-40%) than corn. Three research trials were performed to better understand the value of FP as a grazing supplement, finishing diet component, and any effects on digestion. Experiment 1 assessed the value of FP as a grazing supplement compared to corn. Grazing was followed by a …

The Influence Of Diet And Oxidation On Calcium Retention Of The Mitochondria In Fresh Beef, Emery K. Wilkerson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Distillers grains (DG) contribute to cattle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane instability by increasing poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in the SR membrane, possibly resulting in early postmortem calcium (Ca) leakage and improved tenderness. Mitochondria are relatively easy to isolate intact and provide the opportunity to study Ca in an SR model. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of diet and oxidation on Ca release from mitochondria. Cattle (n = 48) were fed a corn-based finishing diet with or without deoiled, dried DG (50% DM basis). Steaks from each strip loin were aged for 2, 8, …

Antimicrobial Interventions Applied To Beef Sub-Primals For The Control Of Escherichia Coli And Their Impact On Ground Beef Quality, Kelly Ann Mccarty

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to their severe health implications, seven shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotypes were declared adulterants by USDA-FSIS in raw, non-intact beef products. Small business beef processing facilities are being asked to implement an intervention on the beef sub-primals and trim they receive for ground beef production. This study evaluates the efficacy of reducing rifampicin-resistant E. coli (E. coli^Rif) using 4.5% lactic acid (LA), 2.5% Beefxide™ (BX), and 380 ppm peroxyacetic acid (PAA) when applied by dip, spray or electrostatic spray (ESS) to the mostly fat lateral surface and mostly lean medial surface of beef shoulder …

Comparative Analyses Of Transcriptome Data From Beef Cattle Persistently Infected With Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Sara Michelle Nilson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Persistent infection (PI) with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is a major source of economic loss for the livestock industry. Persistent infection occurs when a dam is exposed to the virus during 42 to 125 days of gestation and the virus is passed to the fetus without an adaptive immune response. These PI calves serve as continuous sources of infection to others. The identification of differences in expression of gene networks and/or genetic markers associated with infection could assist in the development of novel strategies to prevent, control, or treat BVDV. To examine the host response to PI, RNA-Seq data …

Genome-Wide Association Study For Feed Efficiency Traits Using Snp And Haplotype Models, Kashly Rene Schweer

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Feed efficiency has long been recognized for its economic importance in beef cattle production systems. Feed intake is not a routinely collected trait on-farm due to the expense of measuring individual feed intake. Identification of genomic regions associated with feed efficiency and its component traits would be advantageous for selection programs. The objective of this study was to uncover genomic regions associated with average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with SNP and haplotype Bayesian models. Phenotypes of ADG and ADFI along with genotypes from the BovineSNP50v2 array from crossbred steers and …

Evaluation Of Hematological And Serum Biochemical Profiles Associated With The Supplementation Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride To Feedlot Heifers, Sara Elizabeth Sieren

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Supplementation of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; Zilmax^®) to cattle has been suggested to have a negative impact on well-being of cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hematological and serum biochemical profiles in feedlot heifers supplemented with ZH in a minimal stress environment. Heifers were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: Control (CON no ZH), or ZH (supplemented with ZH at 8.33mg/kg of feed on a DM basis). The study was conducted over a period of 25 d (-2 to 23), with three serum collection periods [-2 to 4 d (ZH supplementation began on …

The Effects Of Zinc Supplementation From Two Sources On Egg Quality And Bone Health In Laying Hens, Kelli Marie Martin

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of this study was to compare zinc sources and levels of supplementation on laying hen performance. Bovan White Leghorn hens were fed one of six dietary treatments in a 2x3 factorial arrangement consisting of two zinc sources (Availa®Zn or zinc sulfate) and three levels (40, 80, or 120 ppm). Treatments were randomly assigned to 48 cages with five hens/cage. Blocks provided eight replicates/treatment. Hens were housed in a tiered manure belt housing system providing 97.2 cm²/hen. Hens were given 110 g/hen/day of feed ad libitum. Feed intake, egg production, egg weights, egg components, eggshell strength, body …