Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Bovatec, Rumensin Or Gainpro Fed To Yearling Summer Grazing Steers, Ivan G. Rush, Burt Weichenthal, Brad Van Pelt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Studies of beef production systems often indicate profitability can be increased in calf growing and feeding programs if yearling cattle are grazed at least during part of the growing phase. If yearling cattle are grazed on summer range, it is important that the summer gain be as efficient and economical as possible. The use of implants and ionophores can improve gain in grazing cattle. A feed additive, bainbermycins (GainPro™), has been released for the purpose of improving weight gain in cattle, especially in those consuming high roughage diets. Data from practical grazing conditions are limited with bambermycins so the objective …

Feeding Value Of Light-Test Weight Corn For Growing And Finishing Steers, Ivan G. Rush, Burt Weichenthal, Brad Van Pelt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

When a corn growing season is not long or warm enough for corn to reach full maturity, the test weight can fall substantially below the standard. Currently the top market price is based on No. 2 corn, which in the U.S. is 54 lb per bu. Most grain dealers and beef feedlot operators will discount the corn price by increments as test weights fall below the standard U.S. No. 2, indicating that feed value is less. However. feeding trials over the years with light-test weight corn in poultry and swine diets and with grain sorghum fed to cattle have generally …

Roughage Source And Particle Size In Finishing Diets, Drew Shain, Rick Stock, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Mark Klemesrud

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

When compared to an all concentrate diet, roughage addition (5 to 15% of diet DM) stimulates intake, chewing, rumination and possibly particulate and liquid outflow from the rumen. Roughage addition. therefore. reduces acidosis by diluting concentrate intake and/ or increasing salivation and buffering capacity of the rumen.

Alfalfa hay is a commonly fed roughage source. If the use of the fiber fraction within alfalfa roughage is to simply dilute concentrate intake and help prevent acidosis, then any fiber source fed at a similar NDF level should respond similarly to alfalfa hay.

Particle size plays a major role in determining ruminal …

An Enzyme-Microbial Feed Product For Finishing Steers, Burt Weichenthal, Ivan G. Rush, Brad Van Pelt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The MSE feed product contains multiple enzymes plus four strains of bacteria, two strains of yeast and three strains of fungi. The bacteria were three Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures and one strain of Bacillus subtilis; the yeasts were three strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; and the fungi were two strains of Aspergillus oryzae and one of Aspergillus niger. Potential benefits for feeding MSE to finishing beef cattle could be improvement in daily gain and fee utilization. Thus a feedlot trial was designed to compare MSE to an ionophore-antibiotic combination often fed to finishing cattle on a high grain diet to improve feed …

Characterization Of Ammonia Utilization By Prevotella Ruminicola B1 4, Zezhang Wen, Mark Morrison

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

P. ruminicola is a predominant member of the rumen microflora, and in addition to its important role in fiber digestion, it is one of the major proteolytic bacteria from the rumen. It is capable of using both large peptides and ammonia as its nitrogen source, but not free amino acids, small peptides. and other low molecular weight N compounds. Also. prior growth with peptides appears to inhibit ammonia assimilation. and results in fermentation uncoupled from microbial growth. so called “energy spilling”.

For the great majority of grazing ruminants. ammonia is the major N source in the rumen. and it is …

Use Of Cell Culture To Study Muscle Growth In Beef Cattle, Timothy Woods, Carol Smith, Steven J. Jones

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Muscle growth is the primary objective of meat animal livestock producers and represents a major source of amino acids and energy within the animal. Endogenous and exogenous factors that impinge on muscle cell development may influence the animal throughout its life cycle. In the adult animal, treatment with hormones, such as anabolic steroids or insulin, can affect muscle metabolism. Attempting to determine a compound's effects on muscle cell development and metabolism can be obscured in animal trials, since other organs and tissues are altering the environment.

Muscle cell culture provides a research tool to determine the direct effects of a …

Evaluation Of Animal Byproducts For Escape Protein Supplementation, Daniel Herold, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Mark Klemesrud

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Blood meal, meat and bone meal. and feather meal are high in escape protein, relative to oil meals and forages. and increase performance when included in forage-based diets sufficient in rumen degradable protein. Two factors that influence the nutritive value of animal byproduct meals are processing conditions and raw materials.

Renderers apply heat to drive off moisture. extract fat. and eliminate bacterial contamination from animal tissues. This cooking also denatures proteins. creating cross links and insoluble bonds within and between protein chains: enhancing resistance to microbial degradation in the rumen. However. processing at very high temperatures can limit the extent …

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 …

Evaluation Of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Organic Matter Balance In The Feedlot As Affected By Nutrition, Sheri Bierman, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Rick Stock, Drew Shain

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A steer finishing trial was conducted to evaluate level and source of dietary fiber on nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter excretion. One-hundred twenty steers were fed one of the following treatments: wet corn gluten feed (41.5% of diet DM), 7.5% roughage diet, and all concentrate diet. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter intake of steers fed wet corn gluten feed were greater than the other two treatments. Fecal nitrogen output was greatest with the wet corn gluten feed diet. All treatments lost about 50% of excreted nitrogen through volatilization. The all concentrate treatment had the highest percentage of phosphorus and organic …

Dried Poultry Waste As A Nonprotein Nitrogen Source For Ruminants, Sheri Bierman, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Rick Stock, Dan Herold

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the use of dried poultry waste as a source of degradable intake protein in growing and finishing ruminant diets. Trial 1 utilized eight-eight crossbred lambs (62 lb) in a 60-day growing period and subsequent 60-day growing period and subsequent 60-day finishing period. In the growing period, lambs were fed seven levels of degradable intake protein, 5.6 to 7.7% of diet DM (7.6 to 9.7% CP) from either urea or dried poultry waste. In the finishing period, lambs (71 lb) were fed a control diet containing no added N, 4.1% degradable intake protein (9.6% CP) …

Multi-Elemental Analysis Of Liver Biopsies And Serum To Determine Trace Element Status Of Cows, David Hickok, Pablo Martin, Dennis R. Brink, Richard J. Rasby, Michael Carlson, Norm Schneider

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cattle producers have commonly supplemented trace elements to prevent deficiencies. The beef cow, primarily grazing forage or fed harvested forage, may be able to store adequate amounts of trace elements in the liver during periods of excess availability to maintain homeostasis during periods of marginal availability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the seasonal effects on trace element status of multiparous cows in the absence of supplementation. Trace element concentrations in the liver biopsy were compared with serum concentrations removed at the same time.

Rumen Degradable Protein Requirements Of Gestating Beef Cows Grazing Dormant Native Sandhills Range, Karla Hollingsworth-Jenkins, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Don C. Adams, Jim Lamb

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Protein, the most expensive winter supplement, may be overfed because the actual rumen degradable and escape protein requirements are unknown. Rumen degradable protein is protein degraded by the rumen microorganisms and used by them for their growth and protein synthesis. Escape protein is protein which is not degraded in the rumen but enzymatically digested in the small intestine for use by the animal at the tissue level. Metabolizable protein is the combination of digestible microbial protein and escape protein that flows to the small intestine for use by the host animal. Previous Nebraska reports (Karges et al.. 1991 Beef Cattle …

Digestibility Of Wet And Dry Distillers Grains From The Fermentation Of Corn Or Sorghum, Shanna Lodge, Rick Stock, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Dan Herold

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Research conducted at the University of Nebraska has evaluated wet and dry distillers byproducts as energy sources for cattle. The majority of the research has been conducted with distillers byproducts resulting from the fermentation of corn. However, in the dry milling industry various cereal grains may be used to produce ethanol and distillers byproducts. The resulting byproducts have the potential to have a different feeding value when compared to byproducts produced from corn. A Nebraska trial (1995 Nebraska Beef Report, pp. 25-26) conducted by Lodge et al. indicated steers consuming diets containing distillers byproducts (40% of diet DM) produced from …

Use Of Direct Fed Microbials To Alleviate Subacute Acidosis, Shanna Lodge, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Rick Stock, Dan Herold

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Direct fed rnicrobials are feed additives composed of live cultures of microorganisms that are currently being used in the feedlot industry to improve animal performance. Reported beneficial effects include increased feed intake and weight gain. The efficacy of these supplements have been associated with their abilities to alter rumen function, such as volatile fatty acid production, stabilization of pH, and reduction of the amount of lactate produced. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of the direct fed microbials on rumen steady state and to evaluate their ability to alleviate subacute acidosis.

Evaluation Of Wet Distillers Byproducts Composite For Finishing Ruminants, Shanna Lodge, Rick Stock, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Drew Shain, Daniel Herold

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Demand for ethanol and coin sweeteners is on the rise and is predicted to increase in the future. This trend will result in an abundance of byproducts that are potentially economical alternatives to corn. Wet distillers grains and wet corn gluten feed are currently used as sources of protein and energy in feedlot diets. Previous research indicates that wet corn byproducts (distillers grains and thin stillage) are higher in net energy than corn grain; however, wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) is similar in net energy to corn. Potential differences between wet distillers byproducts and WCGF include lipid content, escape protein …

Winter Calf Grazing And Field Windbreaks, Cynthia Morris, Terry J. Klopfenstein, James R. Brandle, Rick Stock, Drew Shain, Mark Klemesrud

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Windbreaks have been recommended as shelter for wildlife, minimizing erosion, trapping of snow. and protection for livestock and humans. Windbreaks have been shown to benefit crop production by increasing grain yield. Protection from windbreaks extends 10 to 12 times the height of the windbreak on the leeward side and three to five times on the windward side. Windbreak benefits depend on the height, density, number of rows, species, length, orientation, and maturity of the windbreak.

In Nebraska, the grazing of crop residues in the winter provides an inexpensive source of feed for growing calves. However, cold and wet winter conditions …

Implant And Slaughter Time For Finishing Cattle, Drew Shain, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Rick Stock, Mark Klemesrud

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The use of growth promoting implants with finishing cattle is common feedlot practice to increase weight gain. However, the payout of hormone from the implants decreases with time. As the concentration of hormone(s) in the blood decreases, it is not completely clear how the growth response of the cattle is affected. Trenbolone acetate (TBA, a synthetic product of the male hormone testosterone) combined with estrogen may increase mature body size by increasing lean tissue growth. However. there is limited information available to determine if TBA/estrogen continues to stimulate weight gain throughout a four-month feeding period. Therefore. the objective of this …

Grazing Systems Utilizing Forage Combinations, Drew Shain, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Rick Stock, Mark Klemesrud

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Grazing bromegrass throughout the summer provides weight gains of up to two pounds a day during early and late summer. However, during July and August bromegrass growth and quality is low and weight gains of cattle grazing bromegrass are reduced. Grazing combinations of warm and cool season forages allows for optimizing forage quality by rotating to warm season grasses during July and August. Another alternative may be to interseed red clover in bromegrass to optimize forage quality. Inter-seeding red clover would provide a higher quality forage when bromegrass growth and quality is low and, in addition, provide a source of …

The Incidence Of Precocious Puberty In Developing Beef Heifers, Michael Wehrman, James E. Kinder

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

In the current cow-calf production system in the United States when restricted breeding seasons are used a heifer must calve by two years of age to obtain maximum lifetime productivity. Heifers that reach puberty at a younger age and have ≥3 estrous cycles have a greater chance of conceiving early in their first breeding season than contemporaries. Due to the longer postpartum period of an estrus of first-calf cows calving at two years age, heifers that conceive early in the breeding season have a greater opportunity to initiate estrous cycles before the next breeding season and become pregnant. In contrast, …

Predicting Wholesale Value Of Beef Carcasses, Lee Weide, Chris R. Calkins, Tommy Wheeler, Brian Quandt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The growing interest in value-based marketing elevates the importance of accurate assessment of individual carcass merit. Retailers, meat plants, and producers must find a way to reduce the production and marketing of fat. Instant feedback to producers, in the way of a higher dollar value for preferred cattle, gives a clear signal on what type of beef is desirable. Electromagnetic scanning (EMS) has the capability to accurately provide an assessment of lean content on a single carcass basis.

Previous research at the University of Nebraska has shown that EMS has the ability to predict lean composition of beef carcasses (1994 …

1994 Beef Cattle Report, Darrell W. Nelson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Two grazing trials were conducted to determine i/protein or energy was first limiting in the spring-and fall-born nursing calf grazing native sandhills range. Spring-born calves supplemented with escape protein gained more rapidly than calves supplemented with energy or nonsupplemented controls. Fall-born calves supplemented with escape protein gained more rapidly than those supplemented with rumen degradable protein or energy and nonsupplemented controls early in the trial, but gained at a similar rate to the energy controls by the end of the trial. Milk intake was similar across treatments for both trials. Escape protein is more limiting in the young nursing calf …

1993 Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow-Calf • Forage Systems Using Sandhills Subirrigated Meadows and Range: Beef Production Traits • Forage Systems Using Sandhills Subirrigated Meadows and Range: Economic Analysis • High Quality Meadow Hay as a Winter Supplement for Gestating Beef Cows in the Sandhills of Nebraska • Heifers Sired by Bulls with Either High or Low EPD's for Marbling Do Not Differ in Age at Puberty • Synovex C Affects Growth, Reproduction, and Calving in Heifers • Synthetic Progestins Influence Secretion of Luteinizing and Timing of Ovulation • Level of Progesterone Influences Pregnancy Rate in Beef Cows and Heifers • Combination of Factors (Ratios) …

1992 Beef Cattle Report, Darrell W. Nelson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Economic efficiency of beef production to weaning and to slaughter was estimated in three groups, different in milk available (low, medium, and high) to the calves but the same in growth potential. Efficiency was the ratio of income to expenses. Income was derived from cull cows and calves at weaning or carcasses of calves fed to slaughter. Feed and non-feed expenses for the cowherd and for calves to weaning or to slaughter were included. Efficiencies were estimated assuming observed reproductive rates and energy requirements for maintenance, as well as for equal reproductive rates and equal requirements for maintenance in the …

1991 Beef Cattle Report, Darrell W. Nelson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A two-year study tested the hypothesis that growth rate interacts with bull exposure to influence age at puberty in heifers. Heifers exposed to sterile bulls and fed to achieve a high growth rate (1.8 lb/day) attained puberty 73 days earlier than heifers not exposed to bulls and fed to a moderate growth rate (1.3 lb/day). Heifers exposed to bulls and fed to achieve a moderate growth rate attained puberty at ages similar to heifers not exposed to bulls and fed to a high growth rate. Furthermore. heifers receiving these two treatments attained puberty 23 days earlier than heifers not exposed …

1987 Beef Cattle Report, Irvin T. Omtvedt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Acknowledgments

Finishing

Determining Moisture of Grain Using Oven, Microwave, and Moisture Tester

Sarsaponin in Receiving Diets of Feedlot Cattle

Effect of Probiotics: Feedlot Receiving Diets

Effect of Roughage Source in Dry or High Moisture Whole Corn Finishing Diets

High Moisure Corn, Dry Grain Combinations for Finishing Cattle

Dry Corn, Wheat Combinations for Finishing Lambs, Cattle

Dry or Wet Corn Bran or Gluten Feed for Ruminants

Corn Gluten Feed: A Review

Methods of Estimating Heat Damage in Protein Sources

Altering Rumen Degradability of Soybean Meal Using Non-Enzymatic Browning

Slaughter Steer Basis, Nebraska Panhandle

Computer Prediction of Finishing Cattle Performance

Cow-Calf

Nutrition …

1982 Beef Cattle Report, Daniel B. Faulkner, John K. Ward, Terry J. Klopfenstein, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, V. J. Gibney, J. B. Campbell, D. C. Clanton, D. J. Boxler, M. K. Petersen, Robert A. (Bud) Britton, J. K. Ward, G. Llamas, G. H. Deutscher, B. L. Peverley, J. E. Kinder, M. L. Day, K. Imakawa, R. J. Kittok, W. A. Zollinger, M. K. Nielsen, R. M. Koch, D. S. Buchanan, J. T. Nichols, A. M. Gray, Darrel Myran, Keith Dehaan, Rick Stock, Steve Abrams, Dennis Brink, Felipe Cook, John K. Merrill, Mike L. Mcdonnell, Mark Nelson, Ivan Rush, Ray Carr, Warren Sahs, Abe Turgeon Jr., Dave Harmon, Bob Steele, Paul Q. Guyer, Stanley D. Farlin, Gregory Schindler, Stephen Lowry, Roy G. Arnold, Leo E. Lucas

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Maximizing Forage in Beef Growing-Finishing Rations

Computer Simulation of Plant and Animal Growth

Effects of Cattle Lice on Gains of Cattle Fed Varied Nutrition Levels

Bypass Protein from Blood Meal in Range Supplements

Ammonia Treatment of Wheat Straw

Estrous Synchronization Programs Utilizing Utalyse

Endocrine Regulation of Puberty in the Beef Heifer

Dietary Energy Intake Influence-Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Beef Heifers I

Dietary Energy Intake Influence-Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Beef Heifers II

Genetic Trend in Weaning Weight

Genetic Gain Bias in Weaning Weight Estimated Breeding Values

Selection Applied in Three Lines of Hereford Cattle

Response (Estimated and Predicted) to Selection in …

1980 Beef Cattle Report, Leo E. Lucas

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Weighing steers three consecutive days at the beginning and end of the trial reduced variation and increased the probability of detecting a difference in daily gain and gain/protein ratios between treatments when compared to a standard weighing method (once at the beginning and once at the end of the trial). Regressing 1 initial, 1 final and 11 weekly weights also decreased variation and increased the probability of detecting treatment differences compared to the standard method, but was more variable than using three weights at the beginning and end of the trial.

Young, growing steers and lambs supplemented with natural protein …

1978 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, Leo E. Lucas, H. W. Ottoson, T. E. Hartung

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Retail value of wholesale meat cuts is influenced by quality and the proportion of lean, fat and bone. Wholesale cuts vary widely in value; for example, loins and ribs sell for more than rounds, rounds more than chucks, and chucks more than flanks, plates, or briskets. This value difference has prompted many attempts to find breeding and feeding systems that will increase the proportion of high-priced cuts.

Results shown here characterize the composition of carcass wholesale cuts from 14 breed combinations that were part of a cattle germ plasm evaluation program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, …

1970 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report, J. L. Adams, E. F. Frolik, H. W. Ottoson, F. E. Eldridge

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The use of high concentrate rations in finishing cattle has led to a rather high loss of livers due to abscesses.

The 1967 Statistical Summary of the Federal Meat Inspection Service of the USDA indicated the total number of cattle inspected was 27,859,980. Of these, 9.6% were condemned because of liver abscess. Considering the value of a liver to be about $3, the estimated loss to the industry because of condemnatIon due to abscess would be over $8 million annually.

The incidence of liver abscesses increases as the roughage level in a finishing ration decreases below 5% (Table I). The …

1967 Beef Cattle Progress Report Of Research Activities, E. F. Frolik, H. W. Ottoson, J. L. Adams

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Oral feeding of stilbestrol or implanting with stilbestrol or Synovex has resulted in increased weight gain and efficiency of gain for cattle fed finishing rations.

Combining oral feeding or stilbestrol with implanting did not give increased performance above that obtained from oral stilbestrol alone in two tests. Implanting cattle fed oral stilbestrol at the start of the feeding program with either stilbestrol or Synovex gave a similar pattern of performance to that obtained from oral stilbestrol alone.