Animal Sciences Commons^™

South Sioux City Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2015 NOU Fall Field Days took place in South Sioux City at the Americas Best Value Inn on Sept. 25–27. There were about 50 in attendance at the meeting, which was organized by Dave Heidt, Robin Harding, Jan Johnson, and Betty Grenon.

On Friday evening Ponca State Park Superintendent Jeff Fields told the group about the changes that have happened in Ponca State Park since its beginning in 1934 as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. It is the third oldest state park in Nebraska and now encompasses 2,400 acres. It boasts one of the oldest bur oaks in the …

Feeding A Brown Midrib Corn Silage-Based Diet To Growing Beef Steers Improves Growth Performance And Economic Returns, C. S. Saunders, S. Y. Yang, J.-S. Eun, D. M. Feuz, D. R. Zobell

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

A feedlot experiment was performed to determine growth performance, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and economic returns for growing beef steers when fed a brown midrib corn silage-based total mixed ration (BMRT) compared with a conventional corn silage-based total mixed ration (CCST). Twenty-four Angus crossbred steers (initial body weight=258±23.2 kg) in individual pens were used in a completely randomized design (n=12). Intake of dry matter was not different between the treatments. Steers fed the BMRT tended to have greater average daily gain (1.54 vs. 1.42 kg d−1; P=0.09) and gain-to-feed ratio (0.165 vs. 0.146; P=0.07) compared with those fed the CCST. Feeding …

Failure Of A Heterologous Recombinant Sca5/Ompb Protein-Based Vaccine To Elicit Effective Protective Immunity Against Rickettsia Rickettsii Infections In C3h/Hen Mice, Sean P. Riley, Marissa M. Cardwell, Yvonne G. Chan, Ludovic Pruneau, Fabio Del Piero, Juan J. Martinez

Faculty Publications

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial species are obligate intracellular tick-borne pathogens that are responsible for important human diseases. Previous reports have demonstrated the feasibility of using recombinant surface cell antigen Sca5/OmpB to elicit protective immunity against homologous challenges using murine models of Mediterranean spotted fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In addition, the feasibility of generating cross-protective immunity against related rickettsial species has also been established, but the molecular basis for these phenomena was not explored. Here, we demonstrate that vaccination of C3H/HeN mice with a recombinant OmpB domain derived from Rickettsia conorii induced high titer humoral immune responses that …

Control Of Alternaria Solani Resistance To Boscalid, Fluopyram, And Chlorothalonil, Andrew K. Hollingshead

Theses and Dissertations

Alternaria solani, cause of early blight, threatens potato yields. Fungicide resistance has made control of early blight difficult and there are concerns that in-season fungicide use results in resistance to boscalid, fluopyram, and chlorothalonil. Concern of high levels of resistance to boscalid a group 7 fungicide may confer cross-resistance to fungicides of the same group such as fluopyram. From 2014 to 2015, A. solani isolates were collected from field plots treated with boscalid, fluopyram, and chlorothalonil to test resistance levels. Isolates were determined resistant if EC50 values were higher than 5 µg ml-1. Boscalid and chlorothalonil mean EC50 values decreased …

Management And Impacts Of Wild Hogs (Sus Scrofa) In South Carolina, Susan Sullivan

All Theses

Wild hogs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species that can damage native ecosystems, negatively impact native wildlife, and potentially act as disease reservoirs in the U.S. To better understand how natural resource professionals in South Carolina approach wild hog management, I conducted a web-based survey of natural resource professionals focused on aspects of wild hog impacts and management. Generally, there was agreement among natural resource professionals regarding the approaches used to control wild hog populations and their subsequent effectiveness. The majority of respondents indicated high priority impacts needing to be addressed in wild hog management were agricultural damage …

Transcriptomics Of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells, Nhung Thi Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) are derived from extraembryonic tissue of the embryo and first appear at stage X of development. They enter the bloodstream and migrate to the genital ridge, unite with somatic tissue to form a developing gonad, and then differentiate to sperm or ova (Fujimoto et al., 1976). Understanding molecular features of both male and female PGCs not only clarify the differentiation mechanism of such cells toward different germ lines, but will also help in selecting for highly productive types of commercial chicken. Most previous studies focused on the location of PGCs (Eyal-Giladi et al., 1981; Swift …

Evaluation Of Bacillus Spp Candidates For Aflatoxin B1 Biodegradation In Broiler Chickens, Rosario Galarza Seeber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poultry health has been traditionally maintained by hygenic measures, vaccinations, and the use of antibiotics. Modern husbandry management considers the use of probiotics as a natural way to protect birds against many everyday pathogens. Different strains of Bacillus spp. have proved to have beneficial effects in poultry production. However, the most used bacterium in commercial probiotics is Lactobacillus, a vegetative cell. In contrast, Bacillus spp are bacterial spores, highly resistant to harsh conditions, which makes them preferable, in some cases, to Lactobacillus because of shelf life and storage conditions. There is published information regarding mycotoxin detoxification by bacteria. Mycotoxins are …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Meat And Bone Meal Nutritional Variability On Broiler Performance, Christopher Caleb Eagleson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this trial was to determine if varying the nutritional composition of meat and bone meal (MBM) would impact broiler performance and yield compared to diets which provide a consistent quality of MBM. Twelve hundred day-old male broilers from the Cobb 500 female line were randomly allocated to 48 pens (25 chicks/pen; 22 square feet) and grown to 49 days of age. Starter, grower, and withdrawal diets were formulated to contain MBM at 10, 7.5 and 5% respectively using the Cobb nutritional standards. Four treatments provided were: 1) H.J. Baker proprietary blend, ProPlus 57 fed continuously; 2) MBM …

The Effect Of Alternative Fertilization And Application Time On Voluntary Intake Of Forages, Jessica Clark

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dairy slurry and poultry litter have increased in popularity as fertilizers in the agriculture industry. However, residual effects of these manures on voluntary intake of forages from subsequent harvests are not well known. The objectives of this two part study were to determine if moisture level of alfalfa silage and the use of dairy slurry as a fertilizer have an effect on intake and digestibility by sheep, and if forage species and the use of poultry litter as a fertilizer have an effect on intake by horses. Eighteen ewes (47.6 ± 5.34 kg) were used in experiment 1 and were …

Effects Of Wind Turbine Noise On Male Greater Prairie-Chicken Vocalizations And Chorus, Cara E. Whalen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind energy facilities are constructed without full knowledge of their effects on birds, and the noise generated by wind turbines is a particular concern. I investigated the effects of wind turbine noise on male Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) vocalizations and chorus near Ainsworth, NE, USA in 2013 and 2014. I studied 14 leks located in the area surrounding a 36-turbine wind energy facility. I used two main approaches in this study. First, I recorded Greater Prairie-Chicken boom, cackle, whine, and whoop vocalizations at each of the study leks and measured the duration, sound pressure level, peak frequency, …

Occupancy Analysis And Density Estimation Of Kori Bustards (Ardeotis Kori) And Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida Meleagris) For Use In Landscape Conservation Planning In The Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, Kathryn R. Mccollum

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For understudied species, more informed conservation planning and decision-making on both the local and landscape levels may be attained through the use of occupancy and abundance estimations. Here, we focus on two iconic bird species in eastern Botswana, kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) and helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris). The overall goal of this project was to better understand the hierarchy of factors that influence occupancy (ψ) and density of kori bustard and helmeted guineafowl populations within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and how these factors may interact to affect landscape conservation and usage. We performed distance sampling …

In Vivo Periodical Monitoring Of Immune Cell Infiltration In Response To Feathers And Intramuscular Injection Of Ionps Using The Pulp (Dermis) Of Growing Feathers As Test Site Tissue In Chickens, Olfat Taleb Alaamri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The applications of nanoparticles are growing, but little is known about their interactions with the immune system as most studies did not use suitable in vivo test systems. The purpose of these studies was to investigate the utility of chicken growing feathers as an in vivo test site for iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) interactions with the immune system. The first objective of this study was to monitor leukocyte infiltration into the growing feather pulp upon the administration of IONP and IO-mIgG preparations. The second objective was to test the utility of IONPs as vaccine adjuvants by monitoring primary and memory …

Influence Of Habitat And Intrinsic Characteristics On Survival Of Neonatal Pronghorn, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks, Troy W. Grovenburg, Robert Wayne Klaver

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Increased understanding of the influence of habitat (e.g., composition, patch size) and intrinsic (e.g., age, birth mass) factors on survival of neonatal pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a prerequisite to successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and the role of population models in adaptive species management. Nevertheless, few studies have presented empirical data quantifying the influence of habitat variables on survival of neonatal pronghorn. During 2002–2005, we captured and radiocollared 116 neonates across two sites in western South Dakota. We documented 31 deaths during our study, of which coyote (Canis latrans) predation (n = 15) was the …

Maternal Effects And Offspring Behavior: Potential Contributors To The Lack Of Recruitment In Mississippi Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus), Aaron L. Holbrook

Master's Theses

Federally threatened in Mississippi, gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations within the state have strongly variable recruitment and are generally in decline. Hatching success is significantly lower in Mississippi than in any other part of the species’ range , and most hatchlings die within the first year. There are few refuges where survival and hatching success is high. Here I compare two populations that differ in recruitment and offspring survival for differences in corticosterone. Corticosterone is a hormone that influences both energy availability and is released in elevated levels during stressful events, like living in poor quality habitat. Prolonged corticosterone elevation …

Prevalence Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Small Mammals And White-Tailed Deer In Southeast Nebraska, Tim M. Hotaling

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The prevalence of tick-borne diseases has been increasing in the United States for the past couple decades. Studies have been conducted throughout the US identifying tick-borne disease pathogens as well as their hosts and prevalence. Research was conducted in Nebraska to determine the presence of some tick-borne disease pathogens, their vectors, and their hosts, with emphasis made on Borrelia spp., Rickettsia rickettsii, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

Small rodents in southeast Nebraska were trapped and sampled at eight study sites using live capture traps. Captured rodents were assessed for active parasitism by ticks which were collected and placed in alcohol. …

Towards A Framework For Reproductive Violence”, Caitlyn Kelty-Huber

All Student Scholarship

Since the inception of ecofeminist discourse in the 1970’s, ecofeminists and feminists alike have been divided on their stances toward the ethics of consuming the bodies and by-products of other animals. A powerful cohort of ecofeminists, in part comprised by such scholars as Marti Kheel, Lori Gruen, Greta Gaard, and Carol J. Adams, have done a tremendous amount of work to situate a concern for more-than-human animals within ecofeminism and beyond. Unfortunately, as Cusack highlights, feminism’s failure to both recognize the parallel oppression of “dairy” cows and female farmed animals, and to thoughtfully incorporate that knowledge into feminist praxis has …

Evidence Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Bajos Surrounding Tikal, Guatemala, Adam Calvin Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Current Central American agricultural practices are environmentally and economically unsustainable, yet the ancient Maya who lived in the same region thrived for thousands of years. Archaeologists have attempted to understand the factors enabling the prolonged success and ultimate collapse of the Maya societies. Some have proposed that the karst seasonal wetlands, called bajos, that border many Maya sites in the region were an influential factor in the Maya's ability to flourish. For the past decade, researchers have used carbon isotope analyses to identify areas of ancient maize agriculture at Maya archaeological sites. In this study, we collected soil samples from …

Mountain Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp Vaseyana) Seed Production, Melissa L. Landeen

Theses and Dissertations

Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) is the most widespread and common shrub in the sagebrush biome of western North America. Of the three most common subspecies of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), mountain big sagebrush (ssp. vaseyana; MBS) is the most resilient to disturbance, but still requires favorable climactic conditions and a viable post-fire seedbank for successful unassisted recovery. This study was designed to assess MBS seed production throughout post-fire recovery. We performed 2 pilot studies to develop methods for estimating seed production and plant age. The results of the pilot studies and a space-for-time substitution strategy were used to measure …

Digestibility Of Two Complete Pelleted Diets By The Horse (Equus Caballus) As A Model Animal For Nondomestic Hindgut Fermenters, Emily M. Schwartz

Master's Theses

Estimating nutrient and energy requirements of exotic animals is a necessary component of nutrition management in zoos and other wildlife facilities. In the absence of species-specific data, domestic animal models are often referenced. Herbivorous hindgut fermenters, such as horses, zebra, and rhinoceros, rely on microbial fermentation in the cecum and colon to utilize dietary structural carbohydrates. The study objective was to measure the digestible energy of two (LOW, HIGH) complete pelleted diets by the horse as a model for nondomestic hindgut fermenters. Seven, individually housed, adult Quarter Horse (Equus caballus) geldings were assigned to one of two diets as 100% …

Gut Microbiota Of Migratory Passerines At Stopover, William Bagley Lewis

Master's Theses

Although the gut microbiota provides many beneficial functions to animal hosts, relatively little is known about the gut microbiota of passerines. It is likely that gut microbes are especially important during the migratory phase; however gut atrophy experienced during prolonged migratory flight may cause disruptions of the stable microbiota. Fecal samples were collected from several species of passerine after crossing the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration and before crossing during fall, and microbiota communities were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Despite showing large inter-individual variation, a core microbiota composed largely of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria was identified in all birds. Microbiota …

Are Large Dogs Smarter Than Small Dogs? Investigating Within Species Differences In Large And Small Dogs: Spatial Memory, Megan S. Broadway

Master's Theses

The study of canine cognition can be useful in understanding the ontology and selective pressures that affect the development of cognitive abilities. Dogs have undergone intensive artificial selection yielding distinctive breeds which differ both phenotypically and behaviorally. Breed based cognitive differences have not been found but some studies suggest there may be differences in broader categories such as working disposition and sex. The influence of size on canine cognition has not been thoroughly addressed despite the fact that large dogs are often perceived to be ‘smarter’ than small dogs. This preconception has only recently been addressed and supported in one …

Territorial Defense Strategies In The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis Cardinalis): Who Is The Bigger Threat?, Kaylee M. Gentry

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the use of defensive strategies in relation to territories year round in the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Responses to recorded neighbor song and stranger song playback from the middle of a focal male’s territory were measured. This allowed for an estimation of aggression in both the winter and spring seasons. Each focal male was subjected to both treatments (stranger song and neighbor song). Males were more responsive over-all to neighbor song playback, however in the winter months, persistence of response to neighbor song playback increased. It was also shown that southeastern United States cardinals show …

Evaluation Of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus) For Duckweed (Lemna Minor) Control In South Carolina's Private Waters, William Heaton

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT We investigated the potential of Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) as a means for biological control of duckweed in agricultural impoundments, and assessed the potential for naturalization of this non-native fish in coastal regions of South Carolina. Additionally, we studied growth characteristics and nutrient accumulation abilities of duckweed (Lemna minor) growing in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain. Observations of tank feeding trials indicated juvenile Blue Tilapia consumed 36 – 86% of their body weight in fresh duckweed every 24 hours. Tilapia were stocked in agricultural impoundments in the piedmont and coastal plain during the 2012 and 2013 …

Comparing Reproductive Capacity Of Nearshore And Offshore Red Snapper, Lutjanus Campechanus, On Artificial Reefs In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Ricky J. Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

Red snapper collected quarterly from four artificial reefs in south Texas were examined to compare total length, total weight, age, and the proportion of male to female red snapper, calculate gonadosomatic index values, batch fecundity, annual spawning frequency, and annual fecundity, and estimate size and age at maturity. Spawning occurred from April to September, with most active spawning observed in June (58%). Despite larger red snapper producing more eggs, and fish being larger offshore, most active spawning (68%) and egg production (74%) was observed nearshore. Female red snapper reached 50% maturity (L50) between 350-550 mm, and L75 by 600 mm. …

Performance, Body Temperature And Blood Metabolites Of Feedlot Steers As Influenced By Environmental Conditions And Supplementation Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride, Bradley M. Boyd

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

Trial one was conducted at the United States Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) near clay center, NE during the summer of 2014. The objective of this trial was to measure the effects of supplementing zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) for the final 21 days of the finishing period, and shade, on performance, body temperature, respiration rate, and mobility of finishing beef steers. Feeding ZH increased hot carcass weight, dressing percent, longissimus muscle area, and reduce USDA yield grade. Shade did not affect steer performance and did not reduce body temperature. Zilpaterol hydrochloride increased respiration rate when compared to control cattle and had …

Autophagy And Its Potential Role In Stress And Feed Efficiency Using Avian Lines, Alissa Laura Piekarski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular mechanism that is responsible for the degradation and recycling of damaged organelles. Recently, autophagy has been involved in critical roles during overall development of the organism and degradation of damaged cellular components. This pathway has witnessed dramatic growth in the last few years and has been extensively studied in yeast and mammals, however, there is a paucity of information in avian (non-mammalian) species. First, we characterized genes involved in the autophagy pathway in male and female Jungle Fowl to determine gender and tissue specific differences. Secondly, tissue and genotype differences in Japanese quail selected …

Genomic Analysis Of Sow Reproductive Traits: Identification Of Selective Sweeps, Major Genes, And Genotype By Diet Interactions, Melanie D. Trenhaile

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

Reproductive traits, such as litter size and reproductive longevity, are economically important. However, selection for these traits is difficult due to low heritability, polygenic nature, sex-limited expression, and expression late in life. Marker-assisted selection may provide an alternative to increase genetic progress.

Nebraska Index Line (NIL) has been selected for litter size related traits since 1981. It is one of the main contributing lines to the UNL reproductive longevity resource population (n > 1,500), which was genotyped for 60,000 SNPs, phenotyped for age at puberty (AP), lifetime number of parities (LTNP), litter size traits, and other reproductive traits, and fed …

Fall Field Report, August–November 2015, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

To start, a housekeeping item: in the species accounts that follow, whenever I use the term "migrant" I am referring to fall migration only. Many species, of course, have differing migration strategies and timing in spring and fall.

Much of the data used in this report relating to western and Pine Ridge passerines comes from the outstanding banding efforts by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountains Bird Observatory) at Chadron State Park (CSP) and Wildcat Hills Nature Center (WHNC) in Scotts Bluff Co. This year’s operators were Josh Lefever and Holly Garrod. Related to the Chadron State Park …

Subscription And Organization Information [December 2015]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household (one or more people) $25; Sustaining …

Impact Of Urban Factors And Invasive Species On White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus Leucopus) Habitat Use And Foraging Behavior In An Urban Forest Park., William Persons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) select for areas of greater canopy cover at the macro scale, and for areas with more CWD at the micro-scale. White-footed mice potentially avoid habitats with higher invasive species richness. White-footed mice preferentially foraged under the honeysuckle canopy in response to changes in temperature and humidity. This study suggests that the interaction between P. leucopus and ground layer invasive species is complex, and that the effect of moonlight may be diminished in this urban park. Urban ecosystems demonstrate high levels of anthropogenic land-use change, modification of abiotic inputs, and altered disturbance regimes. These changes result …