Animal Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Water Quality On Drinking Preferences Of Heifer Calves, Nirosh Senevirathne, Jill Anderson

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

Drinking water quality requirements focus mainly on removing hazardous substances from the water supply, making it safe to drink and appropriate for livestock use. However, there is a concern that high mineral content in water may affect the drinking behavior of heifer calves, which may affect health and performance. In South Dakota, the primary water sources for agricultural use are surface or groundwater. Water quality varies between different regions of the state; in the eastern part of the state, the water is classified as “hard water” and calcium is the primary mineral found in the water. Our objective was to …

Economic Damages Of Wild Pigs In Non-Traditional Areas: From The Fairway To The After Life, Sophie Mckee, Julie Elser, Maryfrances Miller, Lirong Liu, Ryan Miller, Steven S. Shwiff, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pigs are widely known to cause damage to agricultural properties and commodities, but less has been reported about damages to other types of property. A survey was distributed to golf courses and cemeteries across Texas to explore the extent of damage these properties experience. While both property types reported significant damages, golf courses were found to experience more damage than cemeteries. Using average reported costs and predicted county-level damage, total costs for all golf courses and cemeteries across the state were estimated to exceed $1.6 million USD per year.

Improving Efficiency Of Prairie Dog Surveys By Using A Small Copter Drone, Aaron B. Shiels, J. W. Fischer, Danika Spock, Meagan Allira

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prairie dogs are an accessible and enjoyed wildlife species in Colorado that require occasional surveys because populations can change abruptly due to plague outbreaks or human-induced control. We evaluated the use of small copter drones at four prairie dog colonies on Open Space and Mountain Parks lands, City of Boulder, to determine if this methodology improves efficiency over ground-based survey methods. We counted prairie dogs and burrows using two types of drones (DJI Matric 210 and Autel Evo II) at altitudes 100', 150', and 400' (burrows only). We recorded video and merged still images into orthomosaics prior to having USDA …

Foot Injuries In Michigan, Usa, Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus), 1992–2014, Daniel J. O'Brien, Dean E. Beyer Jr., Erin Largent, Julie R. Melotti, Caitlin N. Ott-Conn, Donald H. Lonsway, Thomas M. Cooley, Robert Atkinson, Michelle Clayson, Kelly A. Straka

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The range of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the contiguous US is expanding. Research and monitoring to support population recovery and management often involves capture via foothold traps. A population-level epidemiologic assessment of the effect of trap injuries on wolf survival remains needed to inform management. We describe the baseline rate, type, and severity of foot injuries of wolves born 1992–2013 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, evaluate the reliability of field-scoring trap-related injuries, and the effect of injuries on wolf survival. We assessed foot injuries by physical and radiographic exam at postmortem and/or time of capture for 351 wolves using the …

Olfactory Lures In Predator Control Do Not Increase Predation Risk To Birds In Areas Of Conservation Concern, Page Klug, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Lethal control of predators is often undertaken to protect species of conservation concern. Traps are frequently baited to increase capture efficacy, but baited traps can potentially increase predation risk by attracting predators to protected areas. This is especially important if targeted predators can escape capture due to low trap success. Snake traps using live mouse lures may be beneficial if traps effectively remove snakes in the presence of birds and do not attract additional snakes to the area.

Aims. The present study evaluated whether mouse-lure traps in areas occupied by birds (simulated by deploying birdlure traps) could influence predation …

Wild Pig Removal Reduces Pathogenic Bacteria In Low-Order Streams, Sara A. Bolds, B. Graeme Lockaby, Latif Kalin, Stephen S. Ditchkoff, Mark D. Smith, Kurt Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pig populations have undergone enormous increases in the United States and particularly across the southern U.S. in recent years. High fecundity rates and abilities to adapt quickly to varied habitats have enabled pig populations to become entrenched and difficult to eliminate. The pigs cause many negative impacts on ecosystems including degradation of water quality through infusion of fecal contamination and other non-point source pollutants. Our goal was to determine the effects of pig removal on water quality in streams that were known to be significantly polluted by pig activity Bolds (J Environ Qual 50: 441–453, 2021). We compared …

Student Perceptions Of Messages Regarding Genetically Modified Organisms Delivered Using Creative Media, Faith Mills, Casandra K. Cox

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The purpose of this study was to determine how communicating authentic agricultural information using an infographic affects Millennial and Generation Z students’ perceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and to determine the perceptions of college students regarding the infographic used to convey agricultural messages. This study used survey research methods with open- and closed-ended questions administered through Qualtrics. The questionnaire was designed with five sections including a pre-questionnaire, content presentation, post-questionnaire, infographic perception questionnaire, and demographics section. All questions in the pre- and post- questionnaire were focused on the content found in the researcher developed infographic. Overall, participants increased accuracy …

Preventative Weed Management Strategies In Arkansas Tomato Production, Gracie E. Morrison, Matthew Bertucci

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Cost-effective weed suppression is an important consideration for tomato growers. Growers often choose methods which minimize hand labor, as hand weeding can be prohibitively expensive. This project determined economic viability of high tunnel tomatoes treated with several methods of weed control, both organic and chemical. These methods included: 2-week hand weeding, 1-week hand weeding, preemergent herbicide application (plots sprayed with herbicide prior to weed emergence), straw mulch (plots bedded with straw), landscape fabric (plots covered in fabric), and untreated weedy control plots. These six treatments were applied to randomized blocks in a high tunnel. Weeding, planting, and harvesting were all …

Using Poultry To Enhance Food Security In Stann Creek, Belize, Emily Spatz, Lisa S. Wood

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Food insecurity is a growing issue in developing and developed countries alike, and in countries like Belize, the prevalence of hunger has soared in recent years. Not having access to diets with sufficient calories and nutrients leads to a host of developmental issues, including stunting and cognitive delays. The purpose of this work was to create an all-encompassing manual for small-scale poultry production in order to provide nourishment for the students and staff of a school in Belize. After determining that the best way to meet the school’s needs was through dual-purpose birds, background research was conducted to determine small-scale …

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, Isabel M. Whitehead

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

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 as pandemic stressors increased individual facilities such as animal rescues, shelters, day care and boarding facilities felt the pressures associated with it. 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 early 2020 to …

Effects Of Sunrise/Sunset Lighting On Corticosterone Levels In Coturnix Quail (Coturnix Coturnix), Hannah M. Feuerborn, Sara K. Orlowski

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Both genetics and environment play important roles 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. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of genetics and the effect of sunrise/sunset lighting on the stress response of 4 genetic lines of Coturnix quail. The 4 lines utilized in this study included high stress (H), low stress (L), stress control (R), and Arkansas randombred (A) quail lines. Day old chicks from these lines were placed in one of two environmentally controlled rooms. …

Time Course Investigation Of The Dermal Leukocyte Response To Lipoteichoic Acid In Chickens, Ian M. Gilbert, Jossie M. Santamaria, Gisela F. Erf

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a cell-wall polymer in Gram-positive bacteria that stimulates inflammation. Few studies have investigated in vivo immune response to LTA, and none of the in vivo studies have been performed in birds. For this project, the pulp (a skin derivative) of growing feathers (GF) of chickens was used to investigate the in vivo effects of intradermally injected LTA. In Study 1, GF of chickens were injected with 10 μL of differing concentrations of LTA (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 or 250 μg LTA/mL; 3 chickens/dose). Growing feathers were plucked before injection (0 h) and at 6, 24, 48, …

Using Acid-Detergent Insoluble Ash As An Internal Marker To Compare Digestibility And Fecal Output By Ovine That Were Offered Hays Of Varying Nutrient Composition, Kennedy Barnett, Trisha Adams, Kenneth P. Coffey, Kathleen S. Jogan

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Digestibility markers are used to determine total digestibility without collecting total feces, which reduces time and labor and allows greater numbers of animal observations to be obtained. The goal was to determine if the digestibility marker acid detergent insoluble ash (ADIA) was fully recovered, and based on that information, determine the accuracy of total digestion predictions using ADIA. Different proportions of sericea lespedeza hay and alfalfa silage were offered to 16 gestating Dorper ewe lambs (Ovis aries) (41.8 ± 4.61 kg body weight) to determine digestibility. Total feed intake and fecal excretion were measured during 2 experimental periods consisting of …

Genetic Selection For Improved Efficiency And Profitability In Beef Cattle, David Kelly

Theses

Despite the importance of feed intake and efficiency in beef production, there are still gaps in our knowledge on optimal production efficiency traits and breeding strategies for improved feed, production and economic efficiency. The objectives of this thesis were to redefine production efficiency in growing cattle by exploiting carcass information and to validate current beef breeding goals for improving efficiency, and to investigate the relationships of feeding behaviour with performance, feed efficiency, and carcass merit. Feed intake and liveweight data were available on up to 6,088 cattle, of which 3,146 had carcass data, 4,672 had ultrasound data and 1,548 had …

Genetic And Morphological Assessment Of Pigtoe Mussels (Unionidae: Pleurobemini: Fusconaia/Pleurobema Spp.) In Ozark Drainages, Logan Tyler Phelps

Online Theses and Dissertations

North America is home to nearly 300 species of native freshwater mussels. Many species within this group are in need of conservation efforts and for these efforts to be effective, species delimitations must be as accurate as possible. Intraspecific variation and interspecific convergence are sources of confusion within morphology-based taxonomy, particularly within the Pleurobemini. Molecular phylogenetic work has revealed multiple problems within currently accepted Pleurobemini classifications. Specifically, Fusconaia has been shown to harbor cryptic diversity within drainages of the Ozarks. Further, Pleurobema rubrum and P. sintoxia have been shown to be possible conspecifics despite have differing shell morphologies. This study …

Increased Signal Complexity Is Associated With Increased Mating Success, Noori Choi, Matt Adams, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Elise Knowlton, Malcolm Rosenthal, Aaron Rundus, Roger D. Santer, Dustin J. Wilgers, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The evolution of complex signals has often been explored by testing multiple functional hypotheses regarding how independent signal components provide selective benefits to offset the costs of their production. In the present study, we take a different approach by exploring the function of complexity per se. We test the hypothesis that increased vibratory signal complexity— based on both proportional and temporal patterning—provides selective benefits to courting male Schizocosa stridulans wolf spiders. In support of this hypothesis, all of our quantified metrics of vibratory signal complexity predicted the mating success of male S. stridulans. The rate of visual signalling, which is …

Description Of The Courtship And Copulation Behaviours Of The Wall Spider Oecobius Concinnus (Oecobiidae), Diego Solano-Brenes, Laura Segura-Hernández, Gilbert Barrantes

Eileen Hebets Publications

Courtship and copulation behaviours are yet scantily described in many spider families, and this lack of information limits our understanding of the evolution of such behaviours within and across families. Here, we provide a detailed description of both courtship and copulation behaviour for Oecobius concinnus Simon, 1893. A striking characteristic of the male courtship is the construction of a tubular web (mating web) in which most courtship and copulation occurs. This web likely functions to restrain the female in a reduced space and as a substrate for male pheromones. The courtship consists of a complex web of interactions between both …

Wpa News 119 (2022), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2022), number 119

Published by the World Pheasant Association

River Report. State Of The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, Contaminants, 2022., Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Gerry Pinto, Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser, John Burr, Dale Casamatta, Charles Closmann, Brian P. Zoellner, Ashley Johnson, An-Phong Le, William Penwell, Radha Pyati

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Plague Risk In The Western United States Over Seven Decades Of Environmental Change, Colin J. Carlson, Sarah N. Bevins, Boris V. Schmid

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

After several pandemics over the last two millennia, the wildlife reservoirs of plague (Yersinia pestis) now persist around the world, including in the western United States. Routine surveillance in this region has generated comprehensive records of human cases and animal seroprevalence, creating a unique opportunity to test how plague reservoirs are responding to environmental change. Here, we test whether animal and human data suggest that plague reservoirs and spillover risk have shifted since 1950. To do so, we develop a new method for detecting the impact of climate change on infectious disease distributions, capable of disentangling long-term trends (signal) and …

Analysis Of Hematocrit Levels In Walleye Sander Vitreus From Similar Waterbodies, Alyssa Hauser

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Walleye Sander vitreus are a popular fish among anglers and hold a prominent place in Minnesotan’s identity as their state fish. Because of this, multiple management practices are used to ensure the continued health of their populations within Minnesota waters. In this study, the process of analyzing hematocrit levels was used to determine if the analysis of hematological parameters could be a useful tool in detecting differences in population health. To evaluate this, blood samples were acquired from age-0 and age-1 fish from two similar lakes and run through a hematocrit centrifuge to separate platelets from plasma to read the …

The Effects Of Diet On Yellow Perch Morphology Throughout Lake Bemidji, Quiana L. Radaich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Morphology is very important as it looks at the arrangement of an organism’s parts to determine their functionality, development, and how they could have changed through evolution. It is also important for the identification of species as it can show how closely species are related. This study examines if the morphology of yellow perch changes throughout Lake Bemidji. Along with examining a subset of five stomachs for each group (A-F) of yellow perch collected to determine if diet was a driving force behind morphological changes. The data collected in this study suggested that morphology does change throughout Lake Bemidji and …

Model Definition For Genetic Evaluation Of Purebred And Crossbred Lambs Including Heterosis, Napoleón Vargas Jurado, David R. Notter, Joshua B. Taylor, Daniel J. Brown, Michelle R. Mousel, Ronald M. Lewis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Crossbreeding is a common practice among commercial sheep producers to improve animal performance. However, genetic evaluation of U.S. sheep is performed within breed type (terminal sire, semi-prolific, and western range). While incorporating crossbred records may improve assessment of purebreds, it requires accounting for heterotic and breed effects in the evaluation. The objectives of this study were to: 1) describe the development of a paternal composite (PC) line, 2) determine the effect of direct and maternal heterosis on growth traits of crossbred lambs, 3) estimate (co)variance components for direct and maternal additive, and uncorrelated maternal environmental, effects, and 4) provide an …

Interaction Of Urea With Frequency And Amount Of Distillers Grains Supplementation For Growing Steers On A High Forage Diet, Haley F. Linder, Josh E. Sebade, Zac E. Carlson, Hannah C. Wilson, Tyler J. Spore, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jim C. Macdonald

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Two studies were conducted to determine interactions of urea inclusion to a dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS; 29.4% crude protein, 5.48% ether extract) supplement fed at two amounts and two frequencies to steers on a high forage diet. In Exp. 1, 120 (247 kg; SD = 20) steers were fed individually for 84 d. Steers received ad libitum grass hay (6.8% crude protein) and one of eight treatments. Treatment design was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial. Supplement was fed daily or three times per week, amount of supplement fed was 6.36 kg dry matter (DM)/week [0.37% body …

Production Cow-Calf Responses From Perennial Forage-Based And Integrated Beef-Cropping Systems, Zac E. Carlson, Levi Mcphillips, Galen E. Erickson, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jim C. Macdonald

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

An experiment was conducted to measure production responses of an alternative cow-calf production system integrated into a cropping system without access to perennial forage compared to a traditional cow-calf system utilizing perennial forage. Multiparous, cross-bred beef cows (n = 160; average age = 6.2 ± 2.8 yr) were utilized in a randomized complete block experimental design and unstructured treatment design. Upon initiation, cows were blocked by age and stratified by source, assigned randomly to one of two production systems, each with four replicates (n = 20 cows/replicate). Once allotted to their treatment groups, cows remained in their experimental units for …

Evaluation Of A Novel Computer Vision-Based Livestock Monitoring System To Identify And Track Specific Behaviors Of Individual Nursery Pigs Within A Group-Housed Environment, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica M. Lancaster, Eric T. Psota, Benny E. Mote, Lindsey E. Hulbert, Aaron Holliday, Ruth Woiwode, Lance Perez

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Animal behavior is indicative of health status and changes in behavior can indicate health issues (i.e., illness, stress, or injury). Currently, human observation (HO) is the only method for detecting behavior changes that may indicate problems in group-housed pigs. While HO is effective, limitations exist. Limitations include HO being time consuming, HO obfuscates natural behaviors, and it is not possible to maintain continuous HO. To address these limitations, a computer vision platform (NUtrack) was developed to identify (ID) and continuously monitor specific behaviors of group-housed pigs on an individual basis. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the capabilities …

Assessing Population Structure And Genetic Diversity In Us Suffolk Sheep To Define A Framework For Genomic Selection, Carrie S. Wilson, Jessica L. Petersen, Harvey D. Blackburn, Ronald M. Lewis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Long-term sustainability of breeds depends on having sufficient genetic diversity for adaptability to change, whether driven by climatic conditions or by priorities in breeding programs. Genetic diversity in Suffolk sheep in the United States was evaluated in four ways: 1) using genetic relationships from pedigree data [(n = 64 310 animals recorded in the US National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP)]; 2) using molecular data (n = 304 Suffolk genotyped with the OvineHD BeadChip); 3) comparing Australian (n = 109) and Irish (n = 55) Suffolk sheep to those in the United States using molecular data; and 4) assessing genetic relationships …

Site Of Infusion Of A Commercially Available Direct-Fed Microbial On Performance And Digestibility In Lactating Holstein Cows, K. S. Thompson, A. G. Mckeith, C. R. Krehbiel

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Objective: The objective of this research was to evaluate site of infusion of a commercially available direct-fed microbial (DFM) containing 10⁹ cfu/g of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 10⁹ cfu/g Propionibacterium freudenreichii on DMI, rumen kinetics, ruminal VFA, digestibility, milk production, milk components, and blood metabolites in lactating dairy cows.

Materials and Methods: Four Holstein cows equipped with ruminal cannulas were used in a Latin square design experiment with 4 periods. Each 37-d period consisted of 14 d of no treatment to prevent crossover contamination, 14 d of adaptation to treatments, 8 d of sampling, and 1 d for …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Cascade Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton Cascadae), Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Cascade torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae) using NatureServe methodology, 2022

Mortality In Interspecific Hybrids Of Nasonia Vitripennis And Nasonia Giraulti, Bonnie Cobb

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Nasonia is a parasitoid wasp genus that serves as an emerging model for studying speciation due to an incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between sister taxa. Short generation times, easy rearing in a lab setting, producing large amounts of progeny, and whole genome sequencing make Nasonia is an excellent candidate for studying incomplete reproductive isolation. Nasonia have five chromosomes and exhibit haplo-diploid sex determination in which fertilized eggs develop into diploid females and unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males. Recessive phenotypes are hidden in diploid females but are laid bare in haploid males as there is no interaction between …