Animal Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Corn Silage Inclusion On Finishing Cattle Performance, Hannah C. Hamilton, F. Henry Hilscher, Zachary E. Carlson Carlson, Brad M. Boyd, Andrea K. Watson, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cattle fed high grain diets with little to no roughage are typically at greater risk for acidosis and reduced dry matter intake and average daily gain. An individual feeding study was conducted to compare different inclusions of corn silage used as a roughage source on finishing performance and liver abscess rate. Treatments consisted of 3 inclusions of corn silage at 0, 7.5 and 15% of the diet DM and a control treatment with 7.5% alfalfa. There were no differences for live animal performance or carcass characteristics. There were also no differences in liver abscess incidence. Feeding corn silage at 15% …

Advancing Urban Wildlife Research Through A Multi-City Collaboration, Seth B. Magle, Mason Fidino, Elizabeth W. Lehrer, Travis Gallo, Matthew P. Mulligan, María Jazmín Ríos, Adam A. Ahlers, Julia L. Angstmann, Amy Belaire, Barbara Dugelby, Ashley Gramza, Laurel Hartley, Brandon Macdougall, Travis J. Ryan, Carmen M. Salsbury, Heather Sander, Christopher Schell, Kelly Simon, Sarah St. Onge, David Drake

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Research on urban wildlife can help promote coexistence and guide future interactions between humans and wildlife in developed regions, but most such investigations are limited to short-term, single-species studies, typically conducted within a single city. This restricted focus prevents scientists from recognizing global patterns and first principles regarding urban wildlife behavior and ecol- ogy. To overcome these limitations, we have designed a pioneering research network, the Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN), whereby partners collaborate across several cities to systematically collect data to populate long-term datasets on multiple species in urban areas. Data collected via UWIN support analyses that will enable …

Relationships Between Animal Temperament And Systemic Immune Responses In Beef Cattle Exposed To Conditions Associated With Conventional Management, Alexander W. Altman

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Measures of temperament have been shown to influence physiological responses. Exit velocity (EV) has been identified as an objective, robust measure of temperament that can be used to predict subsequent performance of cattle. Additionally, previous studies from our lab indicate this measure of temperament may be related to production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a cytokine associated with cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Whereas research has investigated effects of EV upon immune responses, the overall goal of these studies was to examine this relationship under a variety of scenarios including human handling, transportation, and exposure to endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) for determination of its …

Improved Iron Status In Weanling Pigs Leads To Improved Growth Performance In The Subsequent Nursery Period, Tyler Chevalier

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of this thesis were: 1) to assess the iron status of piglets, 2) to thoroughly evaluate the blood profile, growth performance, and tissue mineral concentration of young pigs during the pre and postweaning periods after receiving various dosages of iron (0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg iron) at birth, 3) as well as evaluate the effects of an additional iron injection before weaning on hematological measures, growth performance, and tissue mineral concentration postweaning. In the initial experiment, there was a 60% incidence of iron deficiency at weaning after administration of a 150 mg iron injection at birth. …

Microalgae And Zinc Source Supplementation Of Broiler Breeder Diets Affects Broiler Breeder Skeletal Development And Reproduction With Transgenerational Impacts On Offspring Performance And Skeletal Characteristics, Marquisha A. Paul

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Leg problems and disorders are of major concern for the poultry industry and animal welfare. Previous studies suggest that it may be possible to improve skeletal characteristics through nutrition. Omega-3 fatty acids, including Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential nutrients and are known to play an important role in bone tissue development. FORPLUS™ (Alltech, Inc.) is an unextracted, whole-cell microalgae (Aurantiochytrium limacinum CCAP 4087/2) that contains 64% fat and 16% DHA. Zinc (Zn) is a trace element and essential nutrient for growth and skeletal development. Bioplex^® Zn (Alltech, Inc.) is a Zn proteinate that has been shown to be …

Novel Habitat Causes A Shift To Diurnal Activity In A Nocturnal Species, J. Sean Doody, Colin R. Mchenry, David Rhind, Simon Clulow

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Plastic responses may allow individuals to survive and reproduce in novel environments, and can facilitate the establishment of viable populations. But can novel environments reveal plasticity by causing a shift in a behavior as fundamental and conspicuous as daily activity? We studied daily activity times near the invasion front of the cane toad (Rhinella marina), an invasive species that has colonized much of northern Australia. Cane toads in Australia are nocturnal, probably because diurnal activity would subject them to intolerably hot and dry conditions in the tropical savannah during the dry season. Our study can demonstrate, however, that upon reaching …

Preferences Of Specialist And Generalist Mammalian Herbivores For Mixtures Versus Individual Plant Secondary Metabolites, Jordan D. Nobler, Jennifer S. Forbey

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Herbivores that forage on chemically defended plants consume complex mixtures of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). However, the mechanisms by which herbivores tolerate mixtures of PSMs are relatively poorly understood. As such, it remains difficult to predict how PSMs, singly or as complex mixtures, influence diet selection by herbivores. Although relative rates of detoxification of PSMs have been used to explain tolerance of PSMs by dietary specialist herbivores, few studies have used the rate of detoxification of individual PSMs to understand dietary preferences of individual herbivores for individual versus mixtures of PSMs. We coupled in vivo experiments using captive feeding trials …

Evaluation Of Genotype Quality Parameters For Sowpro90, A New Genotyping Array For Swine, Hiruni R. Wijesena, Gary A. Rohrer, Dan J. Nonneman, Brittney N. Keel, Jessica L. Petersen, Stephen D. Kachman, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Understanding early predictors of sow fertility has the potential to improve genomic predictions. A custom SNP array (SowPro90 produced by Affymetrix) was developed to include genetic variants overlapping quantitative trait loci for age at puberty, one of the earliest indicators of sow fertility, as well as variants related to innate and adaptive immunity. The polymorphisms included in the custom genotyping array were identified using multiple genomic approaches including deep genomic and transcriptomic sequencing and genome-wide associations. Animals from research and commercial populations (n = 2,586) were genotyped for 103,476 SNPs included in SowPro90. To assess the quality …

Coding Sequences Of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Atpase Regulatory Peptides And Expression Of Calcium Regulatory Genes In Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis, Stephanie J. Valberg, Kaitlin Soave, Zoe J. Williams, Sudeep Perumbakkam, Melissa Schott, Carrie J. Finno, Jessica L. Petersen, Clara Fenger, Joseph M. Autry, David D. Thomas

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Sarcolipin (SLN), myoregulin (MRLN), and dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) are transmembrane regulators of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transporting ATPase (SERCA) that we hypothesized played a role in recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER).

Objectives: Compare coding sequences of SLN, MRLN, DWORF across species and between RER and control horses. Compare expression of muscle Ca²⁺ regulatory genes between RER and control horses.

Animals: Twenty Thoroughbreds (TB), 5 Standardbreds (STD), 6 Quarter Horses (QH) with RER and 39 breed-matched controls.

Methods: Sanger sequencing of SERCA regulatory genes with comparison of amino acid (AA) …

Yes-Associated Protein 1 Is Required For Proliferation And Function Of Bovine Granulosa Cells In Vitro, Michele R. Plewes, Xiaoying Hou, Pan Zhang, Aixin Liang, Guohua Hua, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp, Xiangmin Lv, Cheng Wang, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a major component of the Hippo signaling pathway. Although the exact extracellular signals that control the Hippo pathway are currently unknown, increasing evidence supports a critical role for the Hippo pathway in embryonic development, regulation of organ size, and carcinogenesis. Granulosa cells (GCs) within the ovarian follicle proliferate and produce steroids and growth factors, which facilitate the growth of follicle and maturation of the oocyte.We hypothesize that YAP1 plays a role in proliferation and estrogen secretion of GCs. In the current study, we examined the expression of the Hippo signaling pathway in bovine ovaries and …

Postnatal Β2 Adrenergic Treatment Improves Insulin Sensitivity In Lambs With Iugr But Not Persistent Defects In Pancreatic Islets Or Skeletal Muscle, Dustin T. Yates, Leticia E. Camacho, Amy C. Kelly, Leah V. Steyn, Melissa A. Davis, Andrew T. Antolic, Miranda J. Anderson, Ravi Goyal, Ronald E. Allen, Klearchos K. Papas, William W. Hay Jr, Sean W. Limesand

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Placental insufficiency causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and disturbances in glucose homeostasis with associated β adrenergic receptor (ADRβ) desensitization. Our objectives were to measure insulin-sensitive glucose metabolism in neonatal lambs with IUGR and to determine whether daily treatment with ADRβ2 agonist and ADRβ1/β3 antagonists for 1 month normalizes their glucose metabolism. Growth, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and glucose utilization rates (GURs) were measured in control lambs, IUGR lambs and IUGR lambs treated with adrenergic receptor modifiers: clenbuterol atenolol and SR59230A (IUGR-AR). In IUGR lambs, islet insulin content and GSIS were less than …

Ractopamine Hcl Improved Cardiac Hypertrophy But Not Poor Growth, Metabolic Inefficiency, Or Greater White Blood Cells Associated With Heat Stress In Concentrate-Fed Lambs, Rebecca M. Swanson, Kristin A. Beede, Micayla D. Freeman, Morgan L. Eggleston, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica L. Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heat stress decreases livestock performance and well-being (Hahn, 1999; Nienaber and Hahn, 2007), causes metabolic dysfunction that decreases growth efficiency (O’Brien et al., 2010), and alters cardiovascular function (Crandall et al., 2008). Each year, heat stress costs the livestock industry up to $2.5 billion (St-Pierre et al., 2003). Ractopamine HCl acts as a nutrient repartitioning agent (Beermann, 2002); classified as a β adrenergic agonist (βAA), it shares pharmacological properties with adrenaline (Beermann, 2002). βAA increase muscle mass and decreases fat deposition through unknown mechanisms (Beermann, 2002). In feedlot cattle, they increase growth efficiency and improve carcass yield and merit (Scramlin …

Body Composition Estimated By Bioelectrical Impedance Analyses Is Diminished By Prenatal Stress In Neonatal Lambs And By Heat Stress In Feedlot Wethers, Rachel L. Gibbs, Caitlin N. Cadaret, Rebecca M. Swanson, Kristin A. Beede, Robert J. Posont, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Body composition correlates to carcass value in livestock, which makes the ability to accurately estimate body composition in the live animal beneficial (Berg and Marchello, 1994). Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a clinical tool used to assess body composition in humans (Lukaski et al., 1985), but its use in livestock has been minimal. Lean and fat content contribute to profitability for livestock producers, and poor body composition can be caused by stress that occurs either during in utero development (De Blasio et al., 2007) or during postnatal growth (Boyd et al., 2015). Maternal hyperthermia-induced placental insufficiency (Brown et al., 2015) …

Farm Animals Are Important Biomedical Models, Debora L. Hamernik

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

This issue of Animal Frontiers, “Farm animals are im- portant biomedical models,” describes several examples in which cattle, sheep, pigs, or chickens provide an excellent physiological model for studies related to human health or disease (Figure 1). While previous reports have discussed the use of domestic animals as dual-purpose models that benefit agricultural and biomedical research (Ireland et al., 2008), this issue of Animal Frontiers provides additional and novel examples of the value of farm animals for biomedical re- search. Because farm animals are larger in size than labora- tory species, scientists are able to collect larger volumes and …

The Heritability Of Pampiniform Plexus Vessel Size And Varicocoele In Boars, Tasha R. Gruhot, Lea A. Rempel, Matthew L. Spangler, Stephen D. Kachman, Benny E. Mote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Ultrasonography was used to capture a coronal–sagittal image of the veins of the pampiniform plexus (PP) and the testicular artery of 327 maternal‐line boars at approximately 6 months of age at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. Varicocoele was diagnosed by two methods. Method 1 diagnosed varicocoele when the average vessel area on one side of the scrotum was 1.5 times larger than the average vessel area on the other side of the scrotum. Method 2 diagnosed varicocoele when the average vessel area on one side of the scrotum of a boar was 1.5 times larger than the average vessel on the …

Adaptation Strategies: Ruminants, John B. Gaughan, Veerasamy Sejian, Terry L. Mader, Frank R. Dunshea

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

• Growing populations and reduced access to arable land mean that animal production systems will either need to intensify and/or produce more from a reducing land and other resource base.

• Variable and unpredictable environmental conditions mean that animal production faces numerous challenges. In add- ition to climate, these challenges include increased disease risk, increased nutritional deficiencies, and lack of capital to support diversification.

• Predicted changes in climate will impose selection pressures on traits important for biological fitness (and production).

• Genetic adaptation is important for the future of livestock systems. Animal adaptation involves trade-offs, which must be considered when selecting animals for …

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Livestock Animals To Study Infertility In Women, Mohamed A. Abedal-Majed, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

• Anovulation is a major cause of infertility in mammalian females.

• Ovarian research in humans is challenging due to the shortage of “normal tissue” that can be obtained from women that are trying to get pregnant.

• Livestock animals provide valuable resources to investigate the optimal intra-follicular environment required to facilitate folliculogenesis and translate to humans.

• Different livestock models may be more useful depending on the specific biological process studied.

Effect Of Environmental Temperature And Β-Adrenergic Agonist Supplementation On Rumen Volatile Fatty Acid Production In Sheep, Erin M. Duffy, Hannah C. Hamilton, Ty B. Schmidt, Dustin T. Yates, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Many environmental and dietary factors affect ruminant livestock performance (Ames, 1980; Carberry et al., 2012). Energy used by ruminants is mainly derived from volatile fatty acids (VFA), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are produced by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates (Barcroft et al., 1944). With the importance of VFA production in ruminants (Bergman, 1990), it is essential to understand how various conditions livestock may be subjected to, such as ambient conditions and diet, can affect VFA production.

With the profound role of VFA production in energy status of the ruminant, and given that heat stress (HS) events can affect ruminal …

Wpa News 110 (2019), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2019), number 110

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Using An Implantable Microchip For Measuring Body Temperature In Dairy Calves, Megan Woodrum, Melissa Cantor, Joao H. C. Costa

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

Body temperature is frequently used as a method for determining if illness is present with fever detection. Taking rectal temperature or alternatively tympanic temperature can be time consuming and requires restraint of calves. Alternatives, such as implantable microchips that can be passively read using a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner may allow for easier monitoring of body temperature.

This study aim was to validate an implantable microchip and to determine the best implant site.

Analyzing The Diet Composition Of Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaycush) In Upper Priest Lake, Coty W. Jasper

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were intentionally introduced to the Priest Lake system in 1925 with the intentions of creating a recreational fishery. As the Lake Trout population increased within this system, the native Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) population began to decline. Possible negative impacts of Lake Trout on Bull Trout include direct effects such as predation, or indirect effects, such as resource competition. In this study our objective was to estimate the frequency of piscivory of Lake Trout from Upper Priest Lake and document any possible Lake Trout predation upon Bull Trout in the Upper Priest Lake system. We obtained …

Overwinter Survival And Movement Of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) In Relation To Large Woody Debris And Low-Velocity Habitat In Northern California Streams, John D. Deibner-Hanson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Some studies suggest that Coho Salmon populations are limited by overwinter survival as a result of insufficient winter habitat. While many small-scale projects aim to define reach and basin-level habitat requirements for Coho Salmon, large-scale studies that assess multiple independent populations remain few. For my research, I quantified large woody debris (LWD) by volume and low-velocity rearing habitat (LVH) as percent area in three coastal watersheds of similar size in northern California to untangle the relationships between Coho Salmon overwinter survival, emigration timing and specific winter habitats. I used mark-recapture techniques with PIT tags to formulate Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for each …

Attainment And Maintenance Of Pubertal Cyclicity May Predict High A4 Cows With Reduced Fertility, Sarah Nafziger

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

Puberty attainment was investigated in heifers. Blood samples were collected from weaning until breeding during 6 years from heifers born in 2012-2017. Plasma progesterone concentrations ≥ 1 ng/ml were used to indicate cyclicity, and heifers were categorized into one of four puberty groups using SAS: 1) Early heifers reached puberty before March 12 and cycled continuously during the sampling period, 2) Typical heifers reached puberty on or after March 12 and cycled continuously, 3) Start-Stop heifers had at least one occurrence of progesterone ≥ 1 ng/ml but discontinued cycling during the sampling period, and 4) Non-Cycling heifers had no occurrence …

Longitudinal Study Of Humoral Immunity To Bovine Coronavirus, Virus Shedding, And Treatment For Bovine Respiratory Disease In Pre-Weaned Beef Calves, Aspen M. Workman, Larry A. Kuehn, Tara G. Mcdaneld, Michael L. Clawson, John Dustin Loy

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Bovine coronavirus (BCV) is associated with respiratory infections in cattle of all ages; however, a temporal study to evaluate the effect of BCV immunity on virus shedding and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) incidence in pre-weaned beef calves has not been reported. Thus, we report here a prospective study in three herds of crossbred beef calves (n = 817) with endemic BCV. Serial blood samples for measurement of serum anti-BCV antibody titers and nasal swabs for detection of BCV and other common viral and bacterial BRD pathogens were collected from all calves or subsets of calves at predetermined times …

The Impact Of Heat Load On Cattle, Angela M. Lees, Veerasamy Sejian, Andrea L. Wallage, Cameron C. Steel, Terry L. Mader, Jarrod C. Lees, John B. Gaughan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heat stress and cold stress have a negative influence on cattle welfare and productivity. There have been some studies investigating the influence of cold stress on cattle, however the emphasis within this review is the influence of heat stress on cattle. The impact of hot weather on cattle is of increasing importance due to the changing global environment. Heat stress is a worldwide phenomenon that is associated with reduced animal productivity and welfare, particularly during the summer months. Animal responses to their thermal environment are extremely varied, however, it is clear that the thermal environment influences the health, productivity, and …

Maternal Age Influences The Number Of Primordial Follicles In The Ovaries Of Yearling Angus Heifers, Sarah C. Tenley, Renata Spuri Gomes, Shelby L. Rosasco, Emmalee J. Northrop, Jerica J. J. Rich, Anthony K. Mcneel, Adam F. Summers, Jeremy R. Miles, Chadwick C. Chase Jr., Clay A. Lents, George A. Perry, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp, Robert A. Cushman

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The number of antral follicles detectable by ultrasonography in heifers is influenced by age of the dam, because daughters of primiparous cows have fewer antral follicles than daughters of mature cows. We, therefore, hypothesized that heifers with primiparous dams would have fewer primordial follicles in their ovaries than heifers born to mature (4+ y) cows. Angus heifers (n=464) were submitted for ultrasonographic evaluation of antral follicle number at 325, 355, and 385 d of age. Ovaries were collected from a random subset of heifers (n=79) and processed for histological evaluation to determine number of primordial follicles. A greater percentage of …

Reducing Methane Production With Corn Oil And Calcium Sulfate: Responses On Whole-Animal Energy And Nitrogen Balance In Dairy Cattle, J. V. Judy, G. C. Bachman, T. M. Brown-Brandl, S. C. Fernando, K. E. Hales, P. S. Miller, R. R. Stowell, P. J. Kononoff

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The addition of fat and calcium sulfate to diets fed to ruminants has resulted in a reduction in methane production, but the effects on energy balance have not been studied. A study using indirect calorimetry and 16 multiparous (8 Holstein and 8 Jersey; 78 ± 15 d in milk; mean ± standard deviation) lactating dairy cows was conducted to determine how mitigating methane production by adding corn oil or calcium sulfate to diets containing reduced-fat distillers grains affects energy and nitrogen balance. A replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 35-d periods (28 d of adaption and 4 d …

Use Of Indirect Calorimetry To Evaluate Utilization Of Energy In Lactating Jersey Dairy Cattle Consuming Common Coproducts, M. A. Reynolds, T. M. Brown-Brandl, J. V. Judy, K. J. Herrick, K. E. Hales, A. K. Watson, Paul J. Kononoff

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The use of coproducts as an alternative feed source is a common practice when formulating dairy rations. A study using 12 multiparous (79 ± 16 d in milk; mean ± standard deviation) lactating Jersey cows was conducted over 5 mo to evaluate the effects of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) or canola meal on milk and gas production. A replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design was used to compare 4 dietary treatments. Treatments comprised a control (CON) containing no coproducts, a treatment diet containing 10% (dry matter basis) lowfat DDGS (LFDG), a treatment diet containing 10% high-fat DDGS …

Real Supermodels Wear Wool: Summarizing The Impact Of The Pregnant Sheep As An Animal Model For Adaptive Fetal Programming, Kristin A. Beede, Sean W. Limesand, Jessica L. Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

• Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) continues to be a global epidemic that is associated with high early-life mortality rates and greater risk for developing metabolic disorders that lower length and quality of life in affected individuals.

• Fetal programming of muscle growth and metabolic function associated with IUGR is often comparable among nonlitter bearing mammalian species, which allows much of the information learned in domestic animal models to be applicable to humans (and other animals).

• Recent studies in sheep models of IUGR have begun to uncover the molecular mechanisms linking adaptive fetal programming and metabolic dysfunction.

• Targets of …

The Impact Of Selective Genotyping On The Response To Selection Using Single-Step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction, Jeremy T. Howard, Tom A. Rathje, Caitlyn E. Bruns, Danielle F. Wilson-Wells, Stephen D. Kachman, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Across the majority livestock species, routinely collected genomic and pedigree information has been incorporated into evaluations using single-step methods. As a result, strategies that reduce genotyping costs without reducing the response to selection are important as they could have substantial economic impacts on breeding programs. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of selectively genotyping selection candidates on the selection response using simulation. Populations were simulated to mimic the genome and population structure of a swine and cattle population undergoing selection on an index comprised of the estimated breeding values (EBV) for 2 …