Animal Sciences Commons^™

A Comprehensive Bison Management And Research Plan For The Crane Trust, Joshua D. Wiese

Other Publications in Wildlife Management

The Great Plains were once a vast grassland ecosystem, but, due to agricultural and human development, are one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. What remains is generally fragmented, threatened by invasive species, and lacks the natural ecosystem processes that shaped these grasslands such as periodic wildfire and bison grazing. Since 1978, the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, Inc. (dba “Crane Trust”) has worked to maintain the function of grassland and riparian habitats to benefit endangered Whooping Cranes, Sandhill Cranes, and other migratory bird species. They protect ~8,100 acres, including the largest contiguous portion of lowland tallgrass …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 98, No. 2), Department Of Library Special Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Marine Aquarium Fish Resource, Kimberley Smith, Amelia Bissell, Carly Bruce

Fisheries Research Reports

In November 2021, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development convened an Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of the Western Australian fisheries that access the Marine Aquarium Fish Resource. ERAs are conducted by the Department as part of its Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management framework. Outputs of this ERA will inform future versions of the Harvest Strategy for the Resource. Additionally, this ERA is a requirement of the Wildlife Trade Operation approval for the Marine Aquarium Fish Managed Fishery (MAFMF).

Ecological impacts of the MAFMF, which is the only commercial fishery that targets the Resource, and other extractive sectors that access the …

Effects Of Sunrise/Sunset Lighting On Corticosterone Levels In Coturnix Quail (Coturnix Coturnix), Hannah Feuerborn

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Both genetics and environment play an important role in the growth, performance and overall welfare of poultry species. Current commercial production practices typically do not mimic the natural environmental conditions of ancestral poultry species, specifically lighting requirements. In nature, poultry species are subjected to natural day length and the slow rising and setting of the sun. This is compared to commercial conditions in which lights are sudden on/off, not mimicking the natural trajectory of the sun in terms of light intensity and exposure. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of genetics and the effect of sunrise/sunset lighting on …

Impact Of A Cattle Crossing On Water Quality Along A Tributary Of The Muddy Fork Of The Illinois River, Northwest Arkansas, Nicholas Valentini

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cattle are known to have an effect on water quality in various bodies of water. Studying how cattle impact water quality along various streams and tributaries is important to understanding how certain water parameters may be affected at the individual farm level. It is known that unrestricted access to a cattle crossing has been shown to increase the occurrence of downstream pollutants such as E. coli, ammonium, total kjeldahl nitrogen, total suspended solids, total phosphorus, and turbidity. However, many studies focus on large-scale operations and neglect the individual farm level. In this study, samples were collected twice for each …

Pandemics And Animal Welfare: How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Companion Animal Industry In Northwest Arkansas, Sabrina Cox

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The first cases of coronavirus reported in the United States came in January 2020 (World Health Organization, 2020). In the two years since then, countries around the world have been affected by COVID-19 and the subsequent social, economic, and mental health issues. Previous research shows that the animal healthcare field is already overrun with burnout, substance abuse, depression, and increased levels of stress (Gardner & Hini, 2006), and the pandemic has only compounded these issues (Mair et al., 2020). Observing a lack of meaningful reporting on the issues affecting veterinary staff led the researchers to investigate staff members’ practices, day- …

Evaluation Of Selected Nuproxa Feed Additives For Protection Against Lameness And Improving The Wellbeing Of Broilers In A Lameness Challenge Model, Jaren Hernandez

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

A common concern in commercial industries profiting from broiler chickens is their inability to yield a completely healthy flock. Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis poses a threat to these companies by impairing the birds' proximal and distal tibial and femoral heads. In 2000, roughly 17.3% of broiler chickens were affected by Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis which caused a substantial economic loss in the industry (McNammee et al., 2000). BCO cannot be tied to a particular bacterial species; this experiment focuses on evaluating the efficacy of certain commercial feed additives while determining the bacterial species causing BCO in this set of the …

Broiler Efficiency As Affected By Dietary Protein Supply And Grain Source, Victoria Reid

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different diet compositions on performance and carcass yield of male broilers from 15 to 36 days of age. In total, 593 male birds were divided across a randomized design that consisted of 6 dietary treatments, each with 8 replications. The treatments included pelleted diets that varied in grain type and crude protein (CP) value: 3 sorghum-based diets at 20%, 18.75%, and 17.5% CP and 3 corn-sorghum blended diets at the same CP levels. CP amounts impacted only body weight gain and feed conversion rate while feed intake only differed with grain …

Effects Of Retail Case Environment And Led Lighting Temperature On Color And Oxidation Of Previously Frozen Ground Beef Patties, Devin Elaine Whiteside

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate different environments of retail cases and LED lighting temperatures to observe how these conditions affect oxidation of previously frozen ground beef patties. Coarse ground beef (85% lean) was purchased from a commercial beef processor, fine ground through a 10 mm grinder plate, and then formed into 1/3-pound patties with an automatic patty forming machine. Patties were then randomly assigned to four different treatments: open-front display cases with 3000 K lighting (OPEN3000), open-front cases 3500 K lighting (OPEN3500), reach-in door display with 3000 K lighting (CLOSED3000), and reach-in door display at 3500 K …

A Music Composition Through The Use Of Animal Sounds, Andy Nguy

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The knowledge on animals has been studied over many years by researching and understanding animal behavior and creativity with music. Bioacoustics shows a great deal when it comes to collecting sounds through many principles for sound data collection. With saved recording of animals, music, speeches, and so much more, it has impacted the way music is created through technology. Music production has been advancing in many creative ways. The foundation of sound manipulation is musique concrète. The project uses these concepts of audio recording and digital sounds to produce a composition that includes animal sounds.

Liquid Chromatography With Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method Development For The Determination Of Β–Defensins In Bovine Milk, Symone T. Whalin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Bovine mastitis, caused by a wide array of pathogens, results in a substantial economic loss for the dairy cattle livestock industry. β-defensins are a part of the bovine’s innate immune system and act as the first line of defense against mastitis. Only foundational research has been done on β-defensins’ ability to treat and prevent mastitis. There have been no analytical methods reported in the literature for analyzing β-defensins in bovine milk. This research aims to create an analytical approach to determine β-defensins in bovine milk. It is challenging to determine an analyte in a complex sample matrix, and milk is …

Heritability Of Maxillary Dental Arch Dimensions In A Pedigreed Sample Of Hamadryas Baboons, Samuel Park

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a study of heritability of maxillary dental arch dimensions in a captive baboon colony. Arch dimensions are important subject because they influence the entirety of the craniofacial and masticatory complex. The goal of this study was to quantify the relative genetic influence on arch dimensions and the nature of this influence at different points along the maxillary arcade. Referencing virtual, three-dimensional dental cast scans, widths were measured at different points between the a) maxillary left and right canines, and b) maxillary left and right first molars (M1). Specifically, measurements were taken at the inner (lingual) gingival margin, …

Pandemics And Animal Welfare: A Quantitative Inquiry Into How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Companion Animal Industry In Northwest Arkansas, Kayla N. Desmet

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, industries have been impacted globally. The companion animal care industry has not received much recognition in mainstream news, and though multiple grants have been allocated (Nolen, 2020), limited resources were available to individual facilities such as animal shelters, animal day cares, and boarding facilities. Little is known about the long-term effects of the pandemic on these facilities and how companion animal care may have changed. The purpose of this study was to explore the day-to-day impacts and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the companion animal industry in Northwest Arkansas from …

Time Course Investigation Of The Dermal Leukocyte Response To Lipoteichoic Acid In Chickens, Ian Gilbert

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria that stimulates inflammation during bacterial infection. However, few studies have investigated the in vivo immune response to LTA, and none of the in vivo studies done have been performed in birds. For this project, the pulp (a skin-derivative) of growing feathers (GFs) of chickens were used as a test site to investigate the in vivo effects of intradermally injected LTA. In Study 1, the pulp of 12 GFs of 11-week-old Light-brown Leghorn (LBL) males were injected with 10 μL of differing concentrations of LTA (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 …

Effect Of Larval Rearing Environment On Female Bicyclus Anynana Mate Choice, Adriana Beruvides

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around eighty percent of animals go through metamorphosis or drastic phase changes at some point in their life. We know that juvenile interactions can influence adult behavior and mate choice in species that don’t go through metamorphosis, but we know very little about how social interactions during early life stages of animals who go through metamorphosis affect mate choice. To fill this knowledge gap, I used the butterfly Bicyclus anynana to assess whether female butterflies raised in complete isolation from the beginning of their lives exhibit the same mate preference as butterflies raised in normal social conditions. To test this, …

Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott

All Theses And Dissertations

With fed aquaculture expanding, challenges are being faced with increasing demands for protein for feed. Fishmeal as a protein is at high cost and low supply, and meals from terrestrial agriculture can impact fish health; both also generate environmental challenges. One potential alternative protein is yeast, which can be grown using waste softwood. Simultaneously, Maine forestry has lost buyers of waste wood with several paper mill closures. If yeast is produced as an alternative protein for fish feed using this wood, both Maine Atlantic salmon farming, Maine’s most valuable form of aquaculture, and Maine forestry could benefit. Environmental impact and …

Using Community Science To Assess The Effect Of Wing Pattern And Weather On Butterfly Behavior, Abbigail Merrill

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Signaling in insects is used as communication and for attraction of mates. The physical appearance of the insect as well as conditions such as weather can play a role in visual signaling, by influencing the wavelengths of light available, and subsequent signal detection. We do not know, however, whether signals butterflies present broadly correlate with how they behave. In this study, we looked at the wing patterns and behavior of butterflies in Northwest Arkansas over a 3.5-year period to assess the relationship between wing pattern, weather, and behavior. We used observational data collected by hundreds of University of Arkansas students …

Effects Of Cottonseed Meal Containing Gossypol On Testis Physiology In Boars, Kristin Ryan

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Feral hogs are an invasive species found in 35 U.S. states without an effective control method to limit their population growth. According to a 2019 survey of 467 landowners in Arkansas, feral hogs caused an estimated $12 million in damages (Cook, 2019). While there are current control methods such as hunting and trapping, 65% of the feral hog population must be eliminated in a specific area to prohibit population growth (Cook, 2019). It is theorized that gossypol, a phenolic compound known to negatively impact reproductive function in other species, could cause sterility in boars. In this preliminary research study, 21 …

Effects Of Tannin-Free Grain Sorghum Varieties On The Metabolizable Energy, Performance, And Intestinal Health Of Poultry, Alissa Moritz

All Dissertations

The single largest cost of poultry production is the cost of feed, and it is favorable to seek more sustainable, alternative feed ingredients to reduce the competition between human, animal, and industrial users. Grain sorghum is a potential alternative feedstuff to minimize the dependence of corn by the poultry industry. Not only is it nutritionally similar to corn, but it is tolerant to dry, sandy soils, which allows it to grow successfully in arid climates. This is highly desirable because of its potential to alleviate the production pressure of growing other cereal grains like corn that are less tolerant to …

A Most Unusual Tail: Scoliosis In A Wild Australian Skink, And Reported Incidences And Suggested Causes Of Similar Malformations Amongst Squamates, Philip W. Bateman, Robyn Benken, Ryan Glowacki, Robert A. Davis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Malformations of vertebrae potentially occur across many taxa, particularly in Testudines, which are susceptible to kyphosis (dorsoventral curvature of the spine). Such malformations may stem from either genetic or environmental origins, and their prevalence and associated impacts on survival remain poorly understood. However, scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) is rarely reported and especially so in wild lizards. We report here on the first known case of scoliosis in a wild Australian lizard, the skink Ctenotus fallens, from Perth, Western Australia. This occurrence is the first of 805 individuals captured in a natural population monitored annually for the past 11 …

Repeated Boat Noise Exposure Damages Inner Ear Sensory Hair Cells And Decreases Hearing Sensitivity In Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias Undulatus), Gina A. Badlowski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Oestrogenic Subterranean Clover Guide. Identification And Remediation, Kevin J. Foster, Megan H. Ryan, Daniel R. Kidd

Bulletins 4000 -

Subterranean clover (subclover, Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an annual pasture legume that provides high quality feed for livestock. It is estimated to be sown over 30 million hectares across southern Australia, with cultivars developed for the low, medium and high rainfall zones. Unfortunately, some older cultivars contain high levels of phytoestrogen which can affect the reproductive system of sheep and cause other health issues. This became a significant issue for sheep producers from the 1940s as new land was cleared and sheep grazed subclover-dominant pastures. There was a collection of livestock issues observed and these were grouped together under the …

World Association For The Advancement Of Veterinary Parasitology (Waavp): Second Edition Of Guidelines For Evaluating The Efficacy Of Anthelmintics In Poultry, T. A. Yazwinski, J. Hoglund, A. Permin, M. Gauly, C. Tucker

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This revision of the original poultry guidelines has been prepared to assist in the planning, conduct and interpretation of studies designed to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of drugs (newly discovered or currently used) against helminth parasites of chickens and turkeys. The original set of poultry guidelines was published in 2003. The current version provides an update on procedures to study and quantify the most important helminth parasites of chickens and turkeys, and to integrate these poultry guidelines with a new series of general, reflective and host-specific guidelines relative to assessing anthelmintic efficacy in production and companion animals. General considerations required …

Effect Of Larval Experience On Learning Mate Preference In Bicyclus Anynana, Taryn Tibbs

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phenotypic traits are shaped by the interaction of an organism's genes and the environment they experience. The plasticity of phenotypic traits is particularly responsive to developmental environments which can shape adult traits, such as expressed behaviors like mate choice and the ability to learn preferences. The Lepidoptera species Bicyclus anynana has been shown to learn mate preference based on social interaction following emergence from the chrysalis, however if and how the social complexity of the larval experience affects this ability to learn is less understood. Here I test the effects of isolation during the larval period on a female’s ability …

The Influence Of Temperature And Body Size On Food Consumption In Prairie Lizards (Sceloporus Consobrinus), Morgan Pelley

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Understanding the effect of temperature on physiological and digestive processes, such as voluntary consumption rate, is critical for assessing the impact of climate change. Food consumption is required for lizard survival and reproduction and its rate is dependent on temperature. For ectotherms, as temperatures increase, the amount of food consumed to meet the energy requirements related to survival and reproduction must also increase. Information on the amount of food voluntarily consumed may aid in determining if lizards can meet energy requirements. Such information could also aid in predicting survival of lizard populations, through construction of predictive climate change models. In …

The Effects Of Poor Maternal Nutrition During Gestation In Sheep On The Reproductive Efficiency Of The Offspring, Morgan Dougherty

Honors Scholar Theses

Poor maternal nutrition during gestation negatively impacts fetal programming and the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in the offspring. Reproductive health of ewes can be characterized by concentrations of reproductive hormones including follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone, particularly during the estrous cycle. We hypothesized that ewes born to dams that experienced poor maternal nutrition during gestation would have reduced reproductive capability and efficiency. This means that they would take longer to become pregnant and have reduced concentrations of reproductive hormones compared with those born to mothers fed the control diet. Pregnant dams (F0) were fed one …

Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex Sp.) Seed Preferences And Distribution In A Suburban Setting, Lilly V. Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex sp.) are omnivorous ants native to Texas and are the main food source for the threatened Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum). Little research has been conducted on harvester ants in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and their interactions with their environment. For this purpose, a variety of experiments were conducted to better understand these interactions and preferences. In CHAPTER I, suburban harvester ants were exposed commonly used cover crop seeds in the LRGV and inoculated seeds via seed depots over the course of 24 hours. We found that harvester ants do …

Climate-Driven Stock Shifts And Expansions In The U.S. Northeast Shelf: Identifying Challenges, Opportunities, And Barriers Through Fishermen And Manager Perspectives, Sophie A. Swetz

All Theses And Dissertations

Climate-driven warming in the U.S. Northeast Shelf (NES) has led to changes in the spatial distributions of many marine resources. Shifts and expansions of commercially important fish stocks pose major challenges to fishermen and fisheries managers in this region. American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is one of these impacted stocks and is projected to continue its shift towards more northern and offshore areas. Continued ocean warming could potentially reduce the GOM lobster stock by up to 60% over the next several decades. Given Maine’s reliance on its lobster fishery—which contributes over 80% of …

Targeting Inflammation In Heat-Stressed Wethers Improves Growth And Efficiency And Alters Body Composition: A Brief Exploration And Application Of Extension Principles, Micah Samuel Most

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

The objective of our first study was to determine how administering anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich fish oil affects growth efficiency and body composition in heat-stressed finishing lambs. Commercial wethers were randomly assigned to be fed under heat stress (35-40 ℃) or thermoneutral (19 ℃, n = 10) conditions for 30 d, and controls were pair-fed to eliminate differential feed intake. Heat-stressed wethers were randomly assigned to receive clinical-dose dexamethasone IM injections every 72 h, twice daily fish oil capsule oral boluses, or placebos. Heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) growth and efficiency, but dexamethasone and fish oil supplementation recovered these performance measures. Heat stress also decreased (P < 0.05) predictive body composition metrics that were at least partially improved by administration of dexamethasone and fish oil. Proximate analyses of muscles showed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) percentage of protein and increased (P < 0.05) percentage of intramuscular fat, neither of which was improved by dexamethasone or fish oil. Immunohistochemistry revealed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) myoblast differentiation and muscle fiber size, but anti-inflammatory supplementation recovered differentiation only. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations were not different among groups throughout the study. These findings demonstrate how heat stress-induced inflammation contributes to impaired growth, efficiency, and body composition observed in heat-stressed feeder lambs. However, targeting inflammation with dexamethasone or fish oil recovers many of these deficits.

The Cooperative …

Evaluation Of Corn Processing Method And Sweet Bran Inclusion On Beef Cattle Performance And Nutrient Digestion And Individual Sweet Bran Components On Nutrient Digestion, Rebecca L. Sjostrand

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

One feedlot trial (Exp. 1) and one digestion trial (Exp. 2) were conducted to evaluate the interaction of corn processing method and Sweet Bran inclusion on nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation parameters, and feedlot performance. In Exp. 1 when no Sweet Bran was fed, cattle fed steam-flaked corn (SFC) had greater ADG, HCW and a 12.4% improvement in feed efficiency compared to cattle fed a high-moisture corn/ dry-rolled corn (HMC/DRC) blend. However, as Sweet Bran increased in the diet to 40%, cattle fed HMC/DRC had greater improvements in ADG and HCW than cattle fed SFC resulting in similar performance at 40% …