Meat Science Commons^™

A High-Androgen Microenvironment Inhibits Granulosa Cell Proliferation And Alters Cell Identity, Renee Mcfee Fee, Sarah Romereim, Alexandria P. Snider, Adam F. Summers, William E. Pohlmeier, Scott G. Kurz, Robert A. Cushman, John S. Davis, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A naturally occurring bovine model with excess follicular fluid androstenedione (High A4), reduced fertility, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-like characteristics has been identified. We hypothesized High A4 granulosa cells (GCs) would exhibit altered cell proliferation and/or steroidogenesis. Microarrays of Control and High A4 GCs combined with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated that High A4 GCs had cell cycle inhibition and increased expression of microRNAs that inhibit cell cycle genes. Granulosa cell culture confirmed that A4 treatment decreased GC proliferation, increased anti-Müllerian hormone, and increased mRNA for CTNNBIP1. Increased CTNNBIP1 prevents CTNNB1 from interacting with members of the WNT signaling pathway thereby …

Relationships Among Intramammary Health, Udder And Teat Characteristics, And Productivity Of Extensively Managed Ewes, Ryan M. Knuth, Whitney C. Stewart, Joshua B. Taylor, Bledar Bisha, Carl J. Yeoman, Megan L. Van Emon, Thomas W. Murphy

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Mastitis is an economically important disease and its subclinical state is difficult to diagnose, which makes mitigation more challenging. The objectives of this study were to screen clinically healthy ewes in order to 1) identify cultivable microbial species in milk, 2) evaluate somatic cell count (SCC) thresholds associated with intramammary infection, and 3) estimate relationships between udder and teat morphometric traits, SCC, and ewe productivity. Milk was collected from two flocks in early (<5 >d) and peak (30 to 45 d) lactation to quantify SCC (n = 530) and numerate cultivable microbial species by culture-based isolation followed by matrix-assisted laser …

Locus Of Heat Resistance (Lhr) In Meat-Borne Escherichia Coli: Screening And Genetic Characterization, Manita Guragain, Dayna M. Brichta-Harhay, James L. Bono, Joseph M. Bosilevac

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Microbial resistance to processing treatments poses a food safety concern, as treatment tolerant pathogens can emerge. Occasional foodborne outbreaks caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli have led to human and economic losses. Therefore, this study screened for the extreme heat resistance (XHR) phenotype as well as one known genetic marker, the locus of heat resistance (LHR), in 4,123 E. coli isolates from diverse meat animals at different processing stages. The prevalences of XHR and LHR among the meat-borne E. coli were found to be 10.3% and 11.4%, respectively, with 19% agreement between the two. Finished meat products showed the highest LHR …

Characterization Of The Domestic Goat Γδ T Cell Receptor Gene Loci And Gene Usage, Alexandria Gillespie, Al Yirsaw, Karthick P. Gunasekaran, Timothy P. L. Smith, Derek M. Bickhart, Michael Turley, Timothy Connelley, Janice C. Telfer, Cynthia L. Baldwin

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Goats and cattle diverged 30 million years ago but retain similarities in immune system genes. Here, the caprine T cell receptor (TCR) gene loci and transcription of its genes were examined and compared to cattle. We annotated the TCR loci using an improved genome assembly (ARS1) of a highly homozygous San Clemente goat. This assembly has already proven useful for describing other immune system genes including antibody and leucocyte receptors. Both the TCRγ (TRG) and TCRδ (TRD) loci were similarly organized in goats as in cattle and the gene sequences were highly conserved. However, the number of genes varied slightly …

Cytokine And Haptoglobin Profiles From Shipping Through Sickness And Recovery In Metaphylaxis- Or Un-Treated Cattle, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown, Gary L. Bennett, Larry A. Kuehn, Keith D. Dedonder, Michael D. Apley, Gregory P. Harhay, Michael L. Clawson, Aspen M. Workman, Bradley J. White, Robert L. Larson, Sarah F. Capik, Brian V. Lubbers

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Fifty-six head of cattle, 28 animals with bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), and 28 healthy animals that were matched by treatment, sale barn of origin, day, and interactions among these variables, were identified from a population of 180 animals (60 each purchased at three sale barns located in Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky) enrolled in a study comparing animals receiving metaphylaxis to saline-treated controls. Cattle were transported to a feedlot in KS and assigned to treatment group. Blood samples were collected at Day 0 (at sale barn), Day 1, Day 9, and Day 28 (at KS feedlot), and transported to the …

Maternal Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation And Rate Of Maternal Weight Gain Affects Placental Expression Of Energy Metabolism And Transport-Related Genes, Wellison J. S. Diniz, Lawrence P. Reynolds, Pawel P. Borowicz, Alison K. Ward, Kevin K. Sedivec, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Cierrah J. Kassetas, Friederike Baumgaertner, James D. Kirsch, Sheri T. Dorsam, Tammi L. Neville, J. Chris Forcherio, Ronald R. Scott, Joel S. Caton, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Maternal nutrients are essential for proper fetal and placental development and function. However, the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation under two rates of maternal weight gain on placental genome-wide gene expression have not been investigated so far. Furthermore, biological processes and pathways in the placenta that act in response to early maternal nutrition are yet to be elucidated. Herein, we examined the impact of maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation (from pre-breeding to day 83 post-breeding) and two rates of gain during the first 83 days of pregnancy on the gene expression of placental caruncles (CAR; maternal placenta) and cotyledons …

Attainment And Maintenance Of Pubertal Cyclicity May Predict Reproductive Longevity In Beef Heifers, Sarah R. Nafziger, Sarah C. Tenley, Adam F. Summers, Mohamed A. Abedal-Majed, Mariah Hart, Jeffrey W. Bergman, Scott G. Kurz, John S. Davis, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We hypothesized the manner that heifers achieve puberty may indicate their future reproductive longevity. Heifers with discontinued or delayed cyclicity during puberty attainment may have irregular reproductive cycles, anovulation, and infertility in their first breeding season contributing to a shorter reproductive lifespan. Therefore, plasma progesterone (P4) was measured from weaning to breeding on 611 heifers born 2012–2017 and four pubertal classifications were identified: (1) Early; P4 ≥ 1 ng/ml < March 12 with continued cyclicity, (2) Typical; P4 ≥ 1 ng/ml ≥ March 12 with continued cyclicity, (3) Start-Stop; P4 ≥ 1 ng/ml but discontinued cyclicity, and (4) Non-Cycling; no P4 ≥ 1 ng/ml. Historical herd records indicated that 25% of heifers achieved puberty prior to March 12th in the 10 years prior to the study. Start-Stop and Non-Cycling yearling heifers were lighter indicating reduced growth and reproductive maturity traits compared with Early/Typical heifers. In addition, Non-Cycling/Start-Stop heifers were less responsive to prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α) to initiate estrous behavior and ovulation to be artificially inseminated. Non-Cycling heifers had fewer reproductive tract score-5 and reduced numbers of calves born in the first 21-days-ofcalving during their first breeding season. Within the Start-Stop classification, 50% of heifers reinitiated cyclicity with growth traits and reproductive parameters that were similar to heifers in the Early/Typical classification while those that remained non-cyclic were more similar to heifers in the Non-Cycling group. Thus, heifers with discontinued cyclicity or no cyclicity during puberty attainment had delayed reproductive maturity resulting in subfertility and potentially a shorter reproductive lifespan.

Breed Differences In Placental Development During Late Gestation Between Chinese Meishan And White Crossbred Gilts In Response To Intrauterine Crowding, Jeremy R. Miles, Jeffrey L. Vallet

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective of this study was to evaluate placental development during late gestation (day 100) between Chinese Meishan (CM; n = 7) and White crossbred (WC; n = 5) gilts following intrauterine crowding induced by unilaterally hysterectomy-ovariectomy. Gross placental morphology and areolae density as well as histological morphology (i.e., folded bilayer and placental stroma) were analyzed using computer-assisted morphometry for placentas of the smallest and largest fetuses within each litter. There was a breed by fetal size interaction (P < 0.01) for areolae density in which placentas for large CM fetuses had greater areolae density compared to small CM fetuses, but the density of areolae was greater for CM fetuses compared to WC fetuses, irrespective of fetal size. The width of the folded bilayer was greater (P < 0.01) in placentas for WC gilts compared to CM gilts, irrespective of fetal size. Placentas for small fetuses had greater (P < 0.01) folded bilayer width compared to large fetuses, irrespective of breed. The placental stromal width was greater (P < 0.01) in placentas for large fetuses compared to small, irrespective of breed. The difference between stromal width in placentas between divergent-sized littermates, however, was greater (P = 0.05) in WC gilts compared to CM gilts, indicating there was a limited response to intrauterine crowding in CM gilts. These results indicate there is an altered placental development during late gestation in CM compared to WC gilts, thus, there are likely different mechanisms for responding to intrauterine crowding between breeds.

A Reference Genome Assembly Of Simmental Cattle, Bos Taurus Taurus, Michael P. Heaton, Timothy P.L. Smith, Derek M. Bickhart, Brian L. Vander Ley, Larry A. Kuehn, Jonas Oppenheimer, Wade R. Shafer, Fred T. Schuetze, Brad Stroud, Jennifer C. Mcclure, Jennifer P. Barfield, Harvey D. Blackburn, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, Kimberly M. Davenport, Kristen L. Kuhn, Richard E. Green, Beth Shapiro, Benjamin D. Rosen

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Genomics research has relied principally on the establishment and curation of a reference genome for the species. However, it is increasingly recognized that a single reference genome cannot fully describe the extent of genetic variation within many widely distributed species. Pangenome representations are based on high-quality genome assemblies of multiple individuals and intended to represent the broadest possible diversity within a species. A Bovine Pangenome Consortium (BPC) has recently been established to begin assembling genomes from more than 600 recognized breeds of cattle, together with other related species to provide information on ancestral alleles and haplotypes. Previously reported de novo …

A Reference Genome Assembly Of American Bison, Bison Bison Bison, Jonas Oppenheimer, Benjamin D. Rosen, Michael P. Heaton, Brian L. Vander Ley, Wade R. Shafer, Fred T. Schuetze, Brad Stroud, Larry A. Kuehn, Jennifer C. Mcclure, Jennifer P. Barfield, Harvey D. Blackburn, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, Derek M. Bickhart, Kimberly M. Davenport, Kristen L. Kuhn, Richard E. Green, Beth Shapiro, Timothy P.L. Smith

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Bison are an icon of the American West and an ecologically, commercially, and culturally important species. Despite numbering in the hundreds of thousands today, conservation concerns remain for the species, including the impact on genetic diversity of a severe bottleneck around the turn of the 20th century and genetic introgression from domestic cattle. Genetic diversity and admixture are best evaluated at genome-wide scale, for which a high-quality reference is necessary. Here, we use trio binning of long reads from a bison-Simmental cattle (Bos taurus taurus) male F1 hybrid to sequence and assemble the genome of the American plains bison (Bison …

“Adopt-A-Tissue” Initiative Advances Efforts To Identify Tissue-Specific Histone Marks In The Mare, N B. Kingsley, Natasha A. Hamilton, Gabriella Lindgren, Ludovic Orlando, Ernie Bailey, Samantha Brooks, Molly Mccue, T S. Kalbfleisch, James N. Macleod, Jessica L. Petersen, Carrie J. Finno, Rebecca R. Bellone

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Generation Of A Biobank From Two Adult Thoroughbred Stallions For The Functional Annotation Of Animal Genomes Initiative, Callum G. Donnelly, Rebecca R. Bellone, Erin N. Hales, Annee Nguyen, Scott A. Katzman, Ghislaine A. Dujovne, Kelly E. Knickelbein, Felipe Avila, Ted S. Kalbfleisch, Elena Giulotto, Nicole B. Kingsley, Jocelyn Tanaka, Elizabeth Esdaile, Sichong Peng, Anna Dahlgren, Anna Fuller, Michael J. Mienaltowski, Terje Raudsepp, Verena K. Affolter, Jessica L. Petersen, Carrie J. Finno

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Following the successful creation of a biobank from two adult Thoroughbred mares, this study aimed to recapitulate sample collection in two adult Thoroughbred stallions as part of the Functional Annotation of the Animal Genome (FAANG) initiative. Both stallions underwent thorough physical, lameness, neurologic, and ophthalmic (including electroretinography) examinations prior to humane euthanasia. Epididymal sperm was recovered from both stallions immediately postmortem and cryopreserved. Aseptically collected full thickness skin biopsies were used to isolate, culture and cryopreserve dermal fibroblasts. Serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and gastrointestinal content from various locations were collected and cryopreserved. Under guidance of a board-certified veterinary anatomic …

Evaluating Accuracy Of Dna Pool Construction Based On White Blood Cell Counts, Amy N. Abrams, T. G. Mcdaneld, John W. Keele, Carol G. Chitko-Mckown, Larry A. Kuehn, Michael G. Gonda

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Pooling individual samples prior to DNA extraction can mitigate the cost of DNA extraction and genotyping; however, these methods need to accurately generate equal representation of individuals within pools. The objective of this study was to determine accuracy of pool construction of blood samples based on white blood cell counts compared to two common DNA quantification methods. Fifty individual bovine blood samples were collected, and then pooled with all individuals represented in each pool. Pools were constructed with the target of equal representation of each individual animal based on number of white blood cells, spectrophotometric readings, spectrofluorometric readings, and whole …

Rapid Estimation Of Salmonella Enterica Contamination Level In Ground Beef – Application Of The Time-To-Positivity Method Using A Combination Of Molecular Detection And Direct Plating, Dayna M. Harhay, Margaret D. Weinroth, James L. Bono, Gregory P. Harhay, Joseph M. Bosilevac

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Little progress has been made in decreasing the incidence rate of salmonellosis in the US over the past decade. Mitigating the contribution of contaminated raw meat to the salmonellosis incidence rate requires rapid methods for quantifying Salmonella, so that highly contaminated products can be removed before entering the food chain. Here we evaluated the use of Time-to-Positivity (TTP) as a rapid, semi-quantitative approach for estimating Salmonella contamination levels in ground beef. Growth rates of 14 Salmonella strains (inoculated at log 1 to −2 CFU/g) were characterized in lean ground beef mTSB enrichments and time-to-detection was determined using culture and molecular …

Assessment Of Alternative Models For Genetic Analysis Of Worm And Tick Infestation In Nellore Cattle, T. L. Passafaro, F. B. Lopes, Thomas W. Murphy, B. D. Valente, R. C. Leite, G. J.M. Rosa, F. L.B. Toral

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Worms and ticks are important parasites in beef cattle, especially in tropical areas, causing significant economic and production losses. Understanding animal-to-animal variation on infestation for these parasites might guide genetic selection and improvement of management practices to attenuate its detrimental effects. Statistical models used to analyze such traits usually assume a Gaussian distribution for the observed data. However, this assumption is quite often inappropriate for counting data. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: 1) Estimate genetic parameters for worms and tick infestations in Nellore cattle, and 2) To compare the overall performance of six data analysis approaches for worm …

Genomic Comparisons Of Persian Kurdish, Persian Arabian And American Thoroughbred Horse Populations, Navid Yousefi-Mashouf, Hassan Mehrabani-Yeganeh, Ardeshir Nejati-Javaremi, Ernest Bailey, Jessica L. Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The present research aimed to characterize the Persian Kurdish horse population relative to the Persian Arabian and American Thoroughbred populations using genome-wide SNP data. Fifty-eight Kurdish, 38 Persian Arabian and 83 Thoroughbred horses were genotyped across 670,796 markers. After quality control and pruning to eliminate linkage disequilibrium between loci which resulted in 13,554 SNPs in 52 Kurdish, 24 Persian Arabian and 58 Thoroughbred horses, the Kurdish horses were generally distinguished from the Persian Arabian samples by Principal Component Analyses, cluster analyses and calculation of pairwise F_ST. Both Persian breeds were discriminated from the Thoroughbred. Pairwise F_ST between …

Longitudinal Assessment Of The Bovine Ocular Bacterial Community Dynamics In Calves, Alison Bartenslager, Nirosh D. Aluthge, John Dustin Loy, Matthew M. Hille, Matthew L. Spangler, Samodha C. Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most significant diseases of beef cattle. As such, IBK costs the US beef industry at least 150 million annually. However, strategies to prevent IBK are limited, with most cases resulting in treatment with antibiotics once the disease has developed. Longitudinal studies evaluating establishment of the ocular microbiota may identify critical risk periods for IBK outbreaks or changes in the microbiota that may predispose animals to IBK.

Results: In an attempt to characterize the establishment and colonization patterns of the bovine ocular microbiota, we conducted a longitudinal study …

Longitudinal Assessment Of The Bovine Ocular Bacterial Community Dynamics In Calves, Alison Bartenslager, Nirosh D. Aluthge, John Dustin Loy

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most significant diseases of beef cattle. As such, IBK costs the US beef industry at least 150 million annually. However, strategies to prevent IBK are limited, with most cases resulting in treatment with antibiotics once the disease has developed. Longitudinal studies evaluating establishment of the ocular microbiota may identify critical risk periods for IBK outbreaks or changes in the microbiota that may predispose animals to IBK.

Results: In an attempt to characterize the establishment and colonization patterns of the bovine ocular microbiota, we conducted a longitudinal study …

Utilizing An Electronic Feeder To Measure Individual Mineral Intake, Feeding Behavior, And Growth Performance Of Cow–Calf Pairs Grazing Native Range, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Michael Undi, Stephanie Becker, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Crossbred Angus cow–calf pairs (n = 28 pairs) at the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center (Streeter, North Dakota) were used to evaluate an electronic feeder to monitor individual mineral intake and feeding behavior and their relationship with growth performance and liver mineral concentrations. Cows and calves were fitted with radio frequency identification ear tags that allowed access to an electronic feeder (SmartFeed system; C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, South Dakota) and were provided ad libitum minerals (Purina Wind and Rain Storm, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Arden Hills, MN). Mineral intake, number of visits, and duration at the feeder were recorded over …

An Environmental Assessment Of Cattle Manure And Urea Fertilizer Treatments For Corn Production In The Northern Great Plains, C. Alan Rotz, Senorpe Asem-Hiablie, Erin Cortus, Mindy J. Spiehs, Shafiqur Rahman, Anne Stoner

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) emissions from livestock systems have become important regional, national, and international concerns. Our objective was to use process-level simulation to explore differences among manure and inorganic fertilizer treatments in a corn production system used to feed finishing cattle in the Northern Great Plains region of the U.S. Our analysis included model assessment, simulation to compare treatments under recent climate, and comparisons using projected midcentury climate. The Integrated Farm System Model was evaluated in representing the performance and nutrient losses of corn production using cattle manure without bedding, manure with bedding, urea, and no …

Use Of Bedding Materials In Beef Bedded Manure Packs In Hot And Cool Ambient Temperatures: Effects On Ammonia, Hydrogen Sulfide, And Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Jeff P. Jaderborg, Mindy J. Spiehs, Bryan L. Woodbury, Alfredo Dicostanzo, David B. Parker

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Throughout the Upper Midwest, producers have observed increased land and fertilizer prices, resulting in increased popularity of confinement feeding facilities such as mono-slope and hoop barns with bedded packs. Environmental and public pressure has been placed on the agriculture community to reduce ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This study was conducted to determine the effects of bedding material (corn stover (CS), bean stover (BS), wheat straw (WS), or pine wood chips (PC)) and ambient temperature (15°C (COOL) or 30°C (HOT)) on NH3, CH4, CO2, N2O, and H2S flux in …

Evaluation Of Cd109, Pcp4 And Sema3d Genes For Their Association With Ovine Johne’S Disease In Turkish Sheep, Yalçın Yaman, Ramazan Aymaz, Murat Keleş, Veysel Bay, Ecem Hatipoğlu, Cüneyt Kaptan, Atilla Başkurt, Onur Yilmaz, Michael P. Heaton

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Johne’s disease is a chronic, contagious, zoonotic disease that affects numerous species including livestock and sometimes humans. The disease is globally distributed in sheep populations and caused by Mycobacterium avium Subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). A previous genome-wide association study identified single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with OJD serostatus in CD109, PCP4, and SEMA3D genes. Our aim was to evaluate the same markers for association with OJD seroprevalence in Turkish sheep in a retrospective matched case-control study. The serological status for OJD in 1801 sheep was determined for four native and four composite breeds from three research flocks. One hundred eleven …

Comparison Of Performance Of F1 Romanov Crossbred Ewes With Wool And Hair Breeds During Spring Lambing Under Intensive And Extensive Production Systems, Brad A. Freking, Thomas W. Murphy

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective was to evaluate wool (Dorset and Rambouillet) and hair (Dorper, Katahdin, and White Dorper) breeds for their ability to complement Romanov germplasm in two distinct production systems by estimating direct sire and grandsire effects on lamb growth, survival, and ewe productivity traits. Rams of the five breeds (n = 75) were mated to Romanov ewes (n = 459) over a 3-yr period to produce five types of crossbred lambs (n = 2,739). Sire breed (P > 0.06) did not impact body weight or survival traits of the first-generation crossbred (F1) lambs. The productivity of retained crossbred ewes (n = …

Accuracy Of Gebv Of Sires Based On Pooled Allele Frequency Of Their Progeny, Napoleón Vargas Jurado, Larry A. Kuehn, John W. Keele, Ronald M. Lewis

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Despite decreasing genotyping costs, in some cases individually genotyping animals is not economically feasible (e.g., in small ruminants). An alternative is to pool DNA, using the pooled allele frequency (PAF) to garner information on performance. Still, the use of PAF for prediction (estimation of genomic breeding values; GEBVs) has been limited. Two potential sources of error on accuracy of GEBV of sires, obtained from PAF of their progeny themselves lacking pedigree information, were tested: (i) pool construction error (unequal contribution of DNA from animals in pools), and (ii) technical error (variability when reading the array). Pooling design (random, extremes, K-means), …

Use Of Bedding Materials In Beef Bedded Manure Packs At Hot And Cold Ambient Temperatures: Effects On Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds And Odor Activity Values, Jeff P. Jaderborg, Mindy J. Spiehs, Bryan L. Woodbury, Alfredo Dicostanzo, David B. Parker

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Beef cattle producers are beginning to raise cattle in confinement facilities such as slatted-floor barns, hoop barns, and mono-slope facilities. Hoop and mono-slope facilities typically use bedding packs as part of their manure management system, with crop residues being the most commonly used bedding material. This study was conducted to determine the effects of bedding material, i.e., corn stover (CS), bean stover (BS), wheat straw (WS), or pine wood chips (PC), and environmental ambient temperature, i.e., cold (15°C) or hot (30°C), on the concentrations of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air samples collected in the headspace above lab-scale bedded …

Genetic Changes In Beef Cow Traits Following Selection For Calving Ease, Gary L. Bennett, Richard M. Thallman, Warren M. Snelling, John W. Keele, Harvey C. Freetly, Larry A. Kuehn

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

One approach to reducing calving difficulty is to select heifers with higher breeding value for calving ease. Calving ease is often associated with lower birth weight and that may result in other possible effects on lifetime productivity. Females from experimental select and control calving ease lines within each of the seven populations were compared. Random samples of 720 heifers from lines selected for better calving ease breeding values and 190 heifers from control lines selected for average birth weights were followed through four parities. Select and control lines within the same population were selected to achieve similar yearling weight breeding …

Comparison Of Performance Of F1 Romanov Crossbred Ewes With Wool And Hair Breeds During Fall Lambing And Body Weight And Longevity Through Six Production Years, Thomas W. Murphy, Brad A. Freking

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective of this study was to evaluate wool (Dorset and Rambouillet) and hair (Dorper, Katahdin, and White Dorper) breeds for their ability to complement Romanov germplasm in an annual fall lambing system by estimating direct maternal grandsire and sire breed effects on economically important lamb and ewe traits. After 3 yr of evaluation under spring lambing, ewes of the five F1 types were transitioned to spring mating, exposed to composite terminal sires, and evaluated under a barn lambing system at 4, 5, and 6 yr of age. A total of 527 first generation crossbred (F1) ewes produced 1,151 litters …

Review: Perspective On High-Performing Dairy Cows And Herds, J. H. Britt, R. A. Cushman, C. D. Dechow, H. Dobson, P. Humblot, M. F. Hutjens, G. A. Jones, F. M. Mitloehner, P. L. Ruegg, I. M. Sheldon, J. S. Stevenson

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Milk and dairy products provide highly sustainable concentrations of essential amino acids and other required nutrients for humans; however, amount of milk currently produced per dairy cow globally is inadequate to meet future needs. Higher performing dairy cows and herds produce more milk with less environmental impact per kg than lower performing cows and herds. In 2018, 15.4% of the world's dairy cows produced 45.4% of the world's dairy cow milk, reflecting the global contribution of high-performing cows and herds. In high-performing herds, genomic evaluations are utilized for multiple trait selection, welfare is monitored by remote sensing, rations are formulated …

Antibiotic Resistance In Manure- Amended Agricultural Soils, Maranatha Zelt, Zachary Staley, Xu Li, Bing Wang, Daniel N. Miller, Amy Schmidt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Manure application to agricultural land benefits soil health and agronomic yields. However, as antibiotic resistance becomes a more serious threat to public health, there is concern that antibiotic resistance originating from livestock manure could impact human health through contamination of the environment or food. This study sought to quantify this risk by monitoring concentrations of antibiotic resistance bacteria and genes in fallow soil during the period of October through April, representing fall manure application through spring planting. Resistance to three common antibiotics— tylosin, azithromycin and tetracycline— was monitored following application of fresh, stockpiled, or composted beef feedlot manure, or inorganic …

Impact Of Masters Choice Corn Silage On Nutrient Digestion In Growing Cattle, Jiehua Xiong, Mitch M. Norman, Hannah C. Wilson, Caleb Crabtree, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.