Agricultural Science Commons^™

Changes In Corn Residue Quality Throughout The Grazing Period And Effect Of Supplementation Of Calves Grazing Corn Residue, Amanda J. Burken

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

Corn residue is an abundant feed source in Nebraska that can be utilized as an alternative winter feed. Calves were backgrounded on corn residue in order to determine gain and estimate forage intake when supplemented with distillers grains (DGS). Calves grazing the non-irrigated field gained more (1.03 kg/calf daily) when compared to those grazing the irrigated field (0.90 kg/calf daily; P < 0.01). In year 1, a quadratic effect for intake of DGS was present (P < 0.01) while year 2 observed a linear effect for increasing level of DGS (P < 0.01). The nutritional quality of corn residue was evaluated over time in order to determine changes in blade/sheath, cob, husk/shank and stem. Minimal changes in DM of the forage components occurred was grain reached 15.5% moisture. Digestibility of the blade/sheath declined linearly over time (P < 0.01) while the husk remained constant (P = 0.40). Cob digestibility decreased quadratically (P < 0.01) throughout the sampling period with few changes once grain reached 15.5% moisture. Differences observed in the digestibility of the blade/sheath were attributed to the effects of weathering. A third set of trials was conducted to evaluate the effects of by-product supplementation of calves grazing irrigated corn residue and supplemented with DGS or continuous access to lick tubs. The DGS treatment gained more (0.62 kg/calf daily) than the lick tub treatment (0.38 kg/calf daily; P < 0.01). Calves offered DGS consumed more supplement as a percentage of BW (0.52%) when compared with calves offered lick tubs (0.36%; P < 0.01) on a DM basis. Calves supplemented with DGS had a higher supplement efficiency (46.3% to 42.9%, DM basis) although no differences were present between treatments (P = 0.49). When analyzed on an OM basis, however, calves offered lick tubs had a numerically higher supplement efficiency (50.4%) in comparison to calves …

Restoring The Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Forests Using Pineywoods Cattle Grazing In Conjunction With Prescribed Burning, L. Tyler Albin

Honors Theses

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is major forest constituent of the Southern Coastal Plains of the United States. Ecologically, a virgin longleaf pine forests supports increased species richness. Since the 1800s, longleaf pine forests have been exploited as a massive source of commercial products (e.g., lumber, pulp, and naval stores). A decrease in species richness has been recorded following this vast decrease in longleaf pine presence. Rebuilding the longleaf pine ecosystem is essential for restoring species richness and maintaining the ecological health of many Costal Plains habitats. Presently, the most popular restoration and management method utilized is prescribed burning. Prescribed …

Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colonies Affected By Plague, David J. Augustine, Marc R. Matchett, Theodore P. Toombs, Jack F. Cully, Tommy L. Johnson, J. G. Sidle

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are a key component of the disturbance regime in semi-arid grasslands of central North America. Many studies have compared community and ecosystem characteristics on prairie dog colonies to grasslands without prairie dogs, but little is known about landscape-scale patterns of disturbance that prairie dog colony complexes may impose on grasslands over long time periods. We examined spatiotemporal dynamics in two prairie dog colony complexes in southeastern Colorado (Comanche) and northcentral Montana (Phillips County) that have been strongly influenced by plague, and compared them to a complex unaffected by plague in northwestern Nebraska (Oglala). …

Small Pasture Management Guide, James Barnhill, Scott Mckendrick

All Archived Publications

As more people select rural settings for their homes, traditional farms are being divided into small acreage home lots. Many small acreage owners would like to have lush green pastures where they can raise horses, cattle, or sheep. The purpose of this booklet is to provide the educational guidance these owners need to successfully establish and maintain a healthy grazing system.

Influence Of Soil Compaction On Nitrogen Volatilization In A Management Intensive Grazing System: Estimation Of Gaseous N Losses Using Mass Balance In Intact Soil Cores, Luke Alan Petersen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Increasing concern about the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases and PM 2.5 particulates has prompted many researchers to examine the processes of gaseous loss of nitrogen (N) from agricultural land. As agricultural production becomes more competitive and producers strive to become more efficient by reducing input costs, they will increasingly employ practices such as the rotational stocking, also called Management Intensive Grazing (MIG). MIG utilizes high animal stocking rates for short periods of time to efficiently harvest pasture crops. Unfortunately, MIG also produces relatively high concentrations of livestock excreta. This has caused intensive grazing practices to become a focal point …

Ec05-185 Grazing Winter Wheat In Nebraska, Tom Holman, Drew J. Lyon, David D. Baltensperger, Ivan G. Rush, Ray E. Weed

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Grazing cattle on winter wheat, often prior to grain harvest, is common throughout the southern Great Plains. Grazing generates about $50 million in income for Texas wheat producers and reduces the risk of growing wheat by providing a substantial income source other than grain. Benefits can be realized by grazing prior to the primary environmental risk period for drought, heat stress, and hail, all of which frequently reduce grain yield while having limited impact on forage production. Cattle also are grazed on winter wheat fields in western Nebraska and the surrounding region. Typically in Nebraska, fall forage would be used …

Postweaning Performance Of Hair And Wool Sheep And Reciprocal-Crosses On Pasture And In Feedlot, M. A. Brown, H. S. Mayeux

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Lambs from three diallel-mating plans (Dorset-St. Croix, n=140; Rambouillet-Gulf Coast, n=80; Katahdin-Suffolk, n=78) and a terminal-cross mating plan (Suffolk rams mated to Dorset, St. Croix and reciprocal-cross ewes, n=100) were used to evaluate postweaning grazing performance of traditional meat breeds and tropically adapted breeds of sheep.

Bulletin No. 385 - Comparitive Nutritive Value And Palatability Of Some Introduced And Native Forage Plants For Spring And Summer Grazing, C. Wayne Cook, L. A. Stoddart, Lorin E. Harris

UAES Bulletins

From 1952 to 1954 studies were conducted on foothill ranges of central Utah to determine the forage production, palatability, and nutritive value of some of the more important native and introduced species used for spring and summer grazing.

Plants studied were four introduced wheatgrasses (crested, tall, pubescent, and intermediate) , four native grasses (western wheatgrass, beardless wheatgrass, squirreltail grass, and Indian ricegrass), and two introduced annual forbs (Russian-thistle, and smother weed).

Field digestibility trials were conducted to determine the nutrient content by the lignin-ratio technique. In addition, both sheep and cattle preferences were studied on areas where both introduced and …

Bulletin No. 342 - The Nutritive Content Of The Grazing Sheep's Diet On Summer And Winter Ranges Of Utah, C. Wayne Cook, Lorin E. Harris

UAES Bulletins

Approximately two million sheep graze the native ranges of Utah each year. These animals are on the range most of the year and their food supply must come from range plants as they are normally selected. The nutritive value of range forage is often borderline or deficient in essential nutrients, yet, sufficiently adequate to prevent obvious physiological disorders. These mild deficiencies may affect the productive efficiency of the animal even though no symptoms are apparent.