Genetics and Genomics Commons^™

Genomic Differences Between Preweaning Survival And Mortality Of Piglets Following Pedv Outbreaks, Francesca Bertolini, John C.S. Harding, Benny Mote, Graham S. Plastow, Max Rothschild

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) is a serious and potentially devastating disease in the US and Canadian pig industries. To investigate if there is genetic resistance to PEDV a total of 156 dead and 106 surviving neonatal piglets infected with PEDV were genotyped with over 60,000 genetic markers to investigate genetic differences between the two groups. This allows for the identification of genomic regions that could be linked to susceptibility/resistance to virus infection and in cellular components that are involved in the PED virus infection cycle, providing new insights on the genetic resistance to this disease.

Joint Angles For Feet And Leg Conformation Traits In Second Gestation Sows, Joseph D. Stock, Julia A. Calderón Díaz, Benny Mote, Kenneth J. Stalder

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

This study is a portion from the validation process of an

objective methodology to measure feet and leg joint angles

and to evaluate their relationship with sow longevity. Five

feet and leg conformation traits (knee, hock, front and rear

pasterns and rear stance) that have been described in the

literature as being related with sow longevity were selected

for this study. Profile and rear stance digital images were

obtained from 277 sows during their 2nd gestation (26.7 ±

17.2 days of gestation; range 0 to 87 days). Sows were

obtained from a single gilt population and were moved to

three …

Genetic And Genomic Basis Of Antibody Response To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome (Prrs) In Gilts And Sows, Nick V. Serão, Robert A. Kemp, Benny Mote, Philip Willson, John C.S. Harding, Stephen C. Bishop, Graham S. Plastow, Jack C.M. Dekkers

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Our recent research showed that antibody response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), measured as sample-to-positive (S/P) ratio, is highly heritable and has a high genetic correlation with reproductive performance during a PRRS outbreak. Two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) on Sus scrofa chromosome 7 (SSC7; QTL_MHC and QTL₁₃₀) accounted for ~40 % of the genetic variance for S/P. Objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for PRRS S/P in gilts during acclimation, identify regions associated with S/P, and evaluate the accuracy of genomic prediction of S/P across populations with different prevalences of …

Rumen Bacterial Community Composition In Holstein And Jersey Cows Is Different Under Same Dietary Condition And Is Not Affected By Sampling Method, Henry A. Paz, Christopher L., Makala J. Muller, Paul J. Kononoff, Samodha C. Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The rumen microbial community in dairy cows plays a critical role in efficient milk production. However, there is a lack of data comparing the composition of the rumen bacterial community of the main dairy breeds. This study utilizes 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the rumen bacterial community composition in Holstein and Jersey cows fed the same diet by sampling the rumen microbiota via the rumen cannula (Holstein cows) or esophageal tubing (both Holstein and Jersey cows). After collection of the rumen sample via esophageal tubing, particles attached to the strainer were added to the sample to ensure representative sampling …

Results Of Survey Of Stakeholders Regarding Knowledge Of And Attitudes Towards Feed Intake, Efficiency And Genetic Improvement Concepts, R. L. Weaber, J. E. Kerley, H. C. Freetly, D. J. Garrick, S. L. Hansen, K. A. Johnson, M. S. Kerley, D. D. Loy, E. Marques, H. L. Neibergs, E. J. Pollak, R. D. Schnabel, C. M. Seabury, D. W. Shike, M. L. Spangler, J. F. Taylor

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Individual animal feed efficiency plays a key role in the profitability and sustainability of the US beef industry. During the growing and finishing phase of production, a 10% improvement in feed efficiency has a two-fold greater impact on profit than a 10% increase in rate of gain (Fox et al., 2001). The traits that beef producers routinely record are outputs which determine the value of product sold and not the inputs defining the cost of beef production. The inability to routinely measure feed intake and feed efficiency on large numbers of cattle has precluded the efficient application of selection despite …

Development Of Economic Selection Indices For Beef Cattle Improvement, Kathleen P. Ochsner

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Profitability is the primary goal for most beef cattle producers. The main source of long-term profitability for a beef cattle operation lies in its production efficiency relative to other operations (Harris, 1970). There are numerous approaches to achieve greater efficiency including nutrition, reproduction, management, and genetics. The goal in animal breeding and genetics is to improve animal populations and future generations of animals (Dekkers et al., 2004). Expected progeny differences (EPD) are the traditional genetic tools used to select parents. A drawback to EPD is that they represent genetic merit in only one trait while in reality multiple traits influence …

Genomic Selection For Feed Efficiency Traits, Kashly Rene Schweer

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Feed costs comprise the majority of variable expenses in beef cattle systems making feed efficiency an important economic consideration within the beef industry (Koch et al., 1963; Dickerson et al., 1974). Aside from the direct economic impact of this trait complex at the individual producer level, the projections of global population growth provide extra pressure for efficient beef cattle production as producers try to combat the growing food demand with limited resources (Eggen, 2012). Improved feed efficiency also has an environmental impact through a decreased carbon footprint as more efficient cattle have fewer days to finish, emitting less methane throughout …

National Program For Genetic Improvement Of Feed Efficiency In Beef Cattle, Jerry Taylor, Monty Kerley, Robert Schnabel, Daniel Pomp, Dorian Garrick, Stephanie L. Hansen, Dan Loy, J. R. Tait, Robert Weaber, Chris Seabury, Jon Beever, Dan Faulkner, Dan Shike, Scott Fahrenkrug, Matt Spangler, Tad Sonstegard, Harvey C. Freetly, John Pollak, Kris Johnson, Holly Neibergs

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Our goal is to sustainably reduce feed resources required to produce beef via the rapid development and deployment of novel nutritional, genomic and genetic improvement technologies.

We will strengthen the international competitiveness of US agriculture and enable increased food production by increasing the animal protein produced without additional feed inputs and with a reduced greenhouse gas footprint.

Comparison Of Wet And Dry Distillers Grains Plus Solubles To Corn As An Energy Source In Forage-Based Diets, Nerissa Ann Ahern, Brandon L. Wingeyer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Four experiments compared wet or dry distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS or DDGS) to corn as energy sources in forage-based diets. In Exp. 1, 66 individually fed steers (268 kg of initial BW) were fed a 60:40 blend of sorghum silage and alfalfa hay and supplemented at 0, 0.33, 0.67, or 1.0% of BW with either WDGS or DDGS. In Exp. 2, 160 steers (286 kg of initial BW) were fed 25% WDGS or 33.6% dry rolled corn (DRC) in 35% sorghum silage and grass hay diets (DM basis). In Exp. 3, 60 individually fed steers (231 kg of initial …

Vegfa Splicing: Divergent Isoforms Regulate Spermatogonial Stem Cell Maintenance, Kevin M. Sargent, Debra T. Rozell, Ningxia Lu, William E. Pohlmeier, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Despite being well-known for regulating angiogenesis in both normal and tumorigenic environments, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) has been recently implicated in male fertility, namely in the maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSC). The VEGFA gene can be spliced into multiple distinct isoforms that are either angiogenic or antiangiogenic in nature. Although studies have demonstrated the alternative splicing of VEGFA, including the divergent roles of the two isoform family types, many investigations do not differentiate between them. Data concerning VEGFA in the mammalian testis are limited, but the various angiogenic isoforms appear to promote seminiferous cord formation and to …

Genome To Phenome: Improving Animal Health, Production, And Well-Being – A New Usda Blueprint For Animal Genome Research 2018–2027, Caird Rexroad, Jeffrey Vallet, Lakshmi Kumar Matukumalli, James Reecy, Derek Bickhart, Harvey Blackburn, Mark Boggess, Hans Cheng, Archie Clutter, Noelle Cockett, Catherine Ernst, Janet E. Fulton, John Liu, Joan Lunney, Holly Neibergs, Catherine Purcell, Timothy P. L. Smith, Tad Sonstegard, Jerry Taylor, Bhanu Telugu, Alison Van Eenennaam, Curtis P. Van Tassell, Kevin Wells

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In 2008, a consortium led by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) published the “Blueprint for USDA Efforts in Agricultural Animal Genomics 2008–2017,” which served as a guiding document for research and funding in animal genomics. In the decade that followed, many of the goals set forth in the blueprint were accomplished. However, several other goals require further research. In addition, new topics not covered in the original blueprint, which are the result of emerging technologies, require exploration. To develop a new, updated blueprint, ARS and NIFA, along with scientists in the …

The Role Of Direct-Fed Microbials In Conventional Livestock Production, Joe O. Buntyn, Ty Schmidt, David J. Nisbet, Todd R. Callaway

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Supplementation of direct-fed microbials (DFM) as a means to improve the health and performance of livestock has generated significant interest over the past 15+ years. A driving force for this increased interest in DFM is to reduce or eliminate the use of low-dose antibiotics in livestock production. This increased attention toward DFM supplementation has generated an extensive body of research. This effort has resulted in conflicting reports. Although there has been considerable variation in the design of these studies, one of the main causes for this lack of consistency may be attributed to the variation in the experimental immune challenge …

Determination Of Yolk Contamination In Liquid Egg White Using Raman Spectroscopy, K. Cluff, G. Konda Naganathan, D. Jonnalagada, I. Mortensen, R. Wehling, Jeyamkondan Subbiah

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Purified egg white is an important ingredient in a number of baked and confectionary foods because of its foaming properties. However, yolk contamination in amounts as low as 0.01% can impede the foaming ability of egg white. In this study, we used Raman spectroscopy to evaluate the hypothesis that yolk contamination in egg white could be detected based on its molecular optical properties. Yolk contaminated egg white samples (n = 115) with contamination levels ranging from 0% to 0.25% (on weight basis) were prepared. The samples were excited with a 785 nm laser and Raman spectra from 250 to 3,200 …

Genetic Parameters For Docility, Weaning Weight, Yearling Weight, And Intramuscular Fat Percentage In Hereford Cattle, J. A. Torres-Vázquez, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Cattle behavior, including measures of docility, is important to beef cattle producers not only from a human safety perspective but also due to potential correlations to economically relevant traits. Field data from the American Hereford Association was used to estimate genetic parameters for chute score (CS; n = 25,037), weaning weight (WW; n = 24,908), yearling weight (YW; n = 23,978), and intramuscular fat percentage (IMF; n = 12,566). Single-trait and bivariate animal models were used to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations. All models included fixed effects of sex and contemporary group, defined as herd–year–season, and direct genetic and residual …

Effects Of Shade And Feeding Zilpaterol Hydrochloride To Finishing Steers On Performance, Carcass Quality, Heat Stress, Mobility, And Body Temperature, Bradley M. Boyd, Steven D. Shackelford, Kristin E. Hales, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Meredith L. Bremer, Matthew L. Spangler, T. L. Wheeler, D. A. King, Galen Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Steers (n = 480; 22% with black hides and 78% with red hides) were used to study the effects of shade and feeding zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) on performance, carcass quality, heat stress, mobility, and body temperature (BT). A randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement was used with 4 replicates per treatment. Factors included housing type (open or shaded pens) and the feeding of ZH (0 or 8.33 mg/kg DM) the last 21 d on feed with a 3-d withdrawal. Cattle were blocked by BW into a heavy or light block and randomly assigned to pen …

Vegfa: Just One Of Multiple Mechanisms For Sex-Specific Vascular Development Within The Testis?, Kevin M. Sargent, Renee M. Sargent, Renata Spuri Gomes, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Testis development from an indifferent gonad is a critical step in embryogenesis. A hallmark of testis differentiation is sex-specific vascularization which occurs as endothelial cells migrate from the adjacent mesonephros into the testis to surround Sertoli-germ cell aggregates and induce seminiferous cord formation. Many in vitro experiments have demonstrated that Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) is a critical regulator of this process. Both inhibitors to VEGFA signal transduction and excess VEGFA isoforms in testis organ cultures impaired vascular development and seminiferous cord formation. However, in vivo models using mice which selectively eliminated all VEGFA isoforms: in Sertoli and germ …

Evaluating Equations Estimating Change In Swine Feed Intake During Heat And Cold Stress, R. R. White, P. S. Miller, M. D. Hanigan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to evaluate heat stress feed intake models for growing swine using a data set assembled from the literature and to develop a series of new equations modeling the influence of the thermal environment and interactions between the thermal environmental and other factors on feed intake. A literature survey was conducted to identify studies assessing intake responses to temperature. The resulting data set comprised 35 studies containing 120 comparisons to thermoneutral intake. Intake as a fraction of thermoneutral intake (FFI) was the primary response variable, where a value of 1 represented no change from thermoneutral …

A Tail Of Two Phages: Genomic And Functional Analysis Of Listeria Monocytogenes Phages Vb_Lmos_188 And Vb_Lmos_293 Reveal The Receptor-Binding Proteins Involved In Host Specificity, Aidan Casey, Kieran Jordan, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The physical characteristics of bacteriophages establish them as viable candidates for downstream development of pathogen detection assays and biocontrol measures. To utilize phages for such purposes, a detailed knowledge of their host interaction mechanisms is a prerequisite. There is currently a wealth of knowledge available concerning Gram-negative phage-host interaction, but little by comparison for Gram-positive phages and Listeria phages in particular. In this research, the lytic spectrum of two recently isolated Listeria monocytogenes phages (vB_LmoS_188 and vB_LmoS_293) was determined, and the genomic basis for their observed serotype 4b/4e host-specificity was investigated using comparative genomics. The late tail genes of these …

Prediction Of Plant Height In Arabidopsis Thaliana Using Dna Methylation Data, Yaodong Hu, Gota Morota, Guilherme J. M. Rosa, Daniel Gianola

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Prediction of complex traits using molecular genetic information is an active area in quantitative genetics research. In the postgenomic era, many types of -omic (e.g., transcriptomic, epigenomic, methylomic, and proteomic) data are becoming increasingly available. Therefore, evaluating the utility of this massive amount of information in prediction of complex traits is of interest. DNA methylation, the covalent change of a DNA molecule without affecting its underlying sequence, is one quantifiable form of epigenetic modification. We used methylation information for predicting plant height (PH) in Arabidopsis thaliana nonparametrically, using reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS) regression. Also, we used different criteria for …

Evaluation Of Reduced Subsets Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms For The Prediction Of Age At Puberty In Sows, Katherine L. Lucot, Matthew L. Spangler, Melanie D. Trenhaile, Stephen D. Kachman, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Genomic information could be used efficiently to improve traits that are expensive to measure, sex limited or expressed late in life. This study analyzed the phenotypic variation explained by major SNPs and windows for age at puberty in gilts, an indicator of reproductive longevity. A genome-wide association study using 56,424 SNPs explained 25.2% of the phenotypic variation in age at puberty in a training set (n = 820). All SNPs from the top 10% of 1-Mb windows explained 33.5% of the phenotypic variance compared to 47.1% explained by the most informative markers (n = 261). In an evaluation population, consisting …

Activity Of The Porcine Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Promoter Is Partially Conferred By A Distal Gonadotrope Specific Element (Gse) Within An Upstream Enhancing Region, Two Proximal Gses And A Retinoid X Receptor Binding Site, Rebecca Cederberg, Jacqueline Smith, Emily A. Mcdonald, Chanho Lee, Amy R. Perkins, Brett R. White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor (GnRHR) numbers on gonadotropes within the anterior pituitary gland represents a critical point for control of reproductive function. Binding of GnRH to its receptor regulates follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) release and levels of this G-protein coupled receptor on the surface of gonadotropes determines their sensitivity to GnRH pulses. While transcriptional regulation of this gene has been studied in mice, rats, humans and sheep, little is known about its regulation in the pig, an important agricultural species and human research model.

Methods: We isolated 5118 bp of 5′ flanking …

Characteristics Of Trailer Thermal Environment During Commercial Swine Transport Managed Under U.S. Industry Guidelines, Y Xiong, Angela Green, Richard S. Gates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Transport is a critical factor in modern pork production and can seriously affect swine welfare. While previous research has explored thermal conditions during transport, the impact of extreme weather conditions on the trailer thermal environment under industry practices has not been well documented; and the critical factors impacting microclimate are not well understood. To assess the trailer microclimate during transport events, an instrumentation system was designed and installed at the central ceiling level, pig level and floor-level in each of six zones inside a commercial swine trailer. Transport environmental data from 34 monitoring trips (approximately 1–4 h in duration each) …

Sphingolipids Are Required For Efficient Triacylglycerol Loss In Conjugated Linoleic Acid Treated Adipocytes, Wei Wang, Michael E. Fromm

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces adiposity in human and mouse adipocytes. This outcome is achieved through a variety of biological responses including increased energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation, increased inflammation, repression of fatty acid biosynthesis, attenuated glucose transport, and apoptosis. In the current study, profiling of 261 metabolites was conducted to gain new insights into the biological pathways responding to CLA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Sphinganine and sphingosine levels were observed to be highly elevated in CLA treated adipocytes. Exogenous chemicals that increased endogenous ceramide levels decreased lipid levels in adipocytes, and activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as well as …

Genome-Wide Analysis Of Tnf-Alpha Response In Pigs Challenged With Porcine Circovirus 2b, C. A. Kreikemeier, T. B., K. L. Lucot, Thomas E. Burkey, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine with a role in activating adaptive immunity to viral infections. By inhibiting the capacity of plasmacytoid dendritic cells to produce interferon-α and TNF-α, porcine circovirus 2 (PCV₂) limits the maturation of myeloid dendritic cells and impairs their ability to recognize viral and bacterial antigens. Previously, we reported QTL for viremia and immune response in PCV₂- infected pigs. In this study, we analyzed phenotypic and genetic relationships between TNFα protein levels, a potential indicator of predisposition to PCV₂ co-infection, and PCV₂ susceptibility. Following experimental challenge with …

Repercussions Of Growth Path On Carcass Characteristics, Meat Colour And Shear Force In Alentejana Bulls, P Costa, J A. Simoes, A S.H. Costa, J P.C. Lemos, D Navas, J F. Hocquette, C R. Calkins, R J.B. Bessa

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to evaluate the carcass and meat characteristics of eight muscles from bulls with distinct growth paths. A total of 40 Alentejana male calves were allocated to two distinct feeding regimes. In the continuous growth (CG) system, the animals were fed concentrates plus hay and were slaughtered at 18 months of age. On the other hand, in the discontinuous growth (DG) system, the animals were fed hay until 15 months of age; the cattle were then fed the same diet provided to the CG group from 15 to 24 months of age. The DG reduced …

Loss Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (Vegfa) Isoforms In Granulosa Cells Using Pdmrt-1-Cre Or Amhr2-Cre Reduces Fertility By Arresting Follicular Development And By Reducing Litter Size In Female Mice, Kevin M. Sargent, Ningxia Lu, Debra T. Clopton, William E. Pohlmeier, Vanessa Brauer, Napoleone Ferrara, David W. Silversides, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Because VEGFA has been implicated in follicle development, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of granulosa- and germ cell-specific VEGFA loss on ovarian morphogenesis, function, and female fertility. pDmrt1-Cre mice were mated to floxed VEGFA mice to develop granulosa-/germ cell-specific knockouts (pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa^-/-). The time from mating to first parturition was increased when pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa^-/- females were mated to control males (P = 0.0008) and tended to be longer for heterozygous females (P < 0.07). Litter size was reduced for pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa^-/- females (P < 0.007). The time between the first and second parturitions was also increased for heterozygous females (P < 0.04) and tended to be increased for pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa^-/- females (P < 0.07). pDmrt1-Cre;Vegfa^-/- females had smaller ovaries (P …

Estimation Of Breed-Specific Heterosis Effects For Birth, Weaning, And Yearling Weight In Cattle, Lauren N. Schiermiester, R. M. Thallman, Larry Kuehn, Stephen D. Kachman, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heterosis, assumed proportional to expected breed heterozygosity, was calculated for 6834 individuals with birth, weaning and yearling weight records from Cycle VII and advanced generations of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) project. Breeds represented in these data included: Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Simmental, Limousin and Composite MARC III. Heterosis was further estimated by proportions of British × British (B × B), British × Continental (B × C) and Continental × Continental (C × C) crosses and by breed-specific combinations. Model 1 fitted fixed covariates for heterosis within biological types while Model 2 fitted …

Technical Note: Collection And Preparation Techniques Change Nutrient Composition Of Masticate Collected From Esophageally Fistulated Cattle, Jacqueline A. Musgrave, J. V. Judy, K. H. Jenkins, T. J. Klopfenstein, L. A. Stalker

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Two experiments determined effects of collection and preparation techniques on nutrient composition of masticate samples from esophageally fistulated cattle. In Exp. 1, 12 esophageally fistulated cattle were maintained on 2 precollection diets, high CP (24% CP; n = 6) or low CP (7.7% CP; n = 6), for 8 d. On d 9, the esophageal plug was removed, screen bottom bags were attached, and each cow was offered fresh grass. Immediately after fresh grass sample collection was complete, dry grass (hay) was offered and a sample was collected. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for serum urea nitrogen concentration. Masticate …

Dehydrated Citrus Pulp Alters Feedlot Performance Of Crossbred Heifers During The Receiving Period And Modulates Serum Metabolite Concentrations Before And After An Endotoxin Challenge, J. T. Cribbs, B. C. Bernhard, T. R. Young, M. A. Jennings, N.C. Burdick Sanchez, J. A. Carroll, T. R. Callaway, T. B. Schmidt, B. J. Johnson, R. J. Rathmann

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

English × Continental heifers (n = 180) were sourced in 2 loads (219.3 ± 16.0 and 221.4 ± 16.4 kg, respectively) from commercial auction barns to study the effects of feeding dehydrated citrus pulp (DCP) on feedlot performance of newly received heifers. A completely randomized block design was used with BW nested within arrival load and blocked by BW into 3 dietary treatments (36 pens, 5 heifers/ pen, 12 blocks, 3 pens/block, and 12 pens/treatment). Treatment diets contained 1) 0% DCP (control diet [CON]), 2) 10% DCP, or 3) 20% DCP on a DM basis. Diets containing DCP were exchanged …

Case Study: Producer Concerns And Perceptions Regarding The Effect Of Methane On Cattle Production And The Environment: A Survey Of Nebraska Producers, B. M. Boyd, A. Jones, Lisa Franzen-Castle, K. Jenkins, Richard J. Rasby, Matt K. Luebbe, Richard R. Stowell, Samodha C. Fernando, Galen E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Enteric methane production from cattle and its effect on climate change has been a topic of debate. Multiple studies have explored methods to reduce cattle enteric methane production while simultaneously improving performance. However, most strategies developed have not been widely implemented by cattle producers. Knowledge of producer concerns and perceptions on methane production from cattle and its effect on the environment may be limited. Therefore, the objectives of this survey were to determine what Nebraska producers know about methane production by cattle and how it affects performance and to determine whether different age groups, regions of Nebraska, and production size …