Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Shade In Beef Feedyards On Performance, Body Temperature, And Heat Stress Measures, Brett A. Melton, Bradley M. Boyd, Casey Macken Macken, Andrea K. Watson, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A study using crossbred steers was conducted at a commercial feedyard to determine the effects of pen shades on cattle performance, body temperature, and cattle activity. Two heat events (Event 1 and Event 2) and one cool event were defined for the feeding period. No significant differences were observed for average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed to gain, or carcass characteristics at the end of the trial. During Event 1, cattle in pens with shade had lower panting scores than cattle in open pens. During Event 2, cattle in shade pens had greater dry matter intake, lower panting scores, …

A Comparison Of Synovex One® Alone To Synovex Choice® Followed By Synovex Plus® As Implant Strategies For Finishing Heifers, Elizabeth A. Schumacher, Galen E. Erickson, D. J. Jordon Jordon, Robert J. Cooper, Tony L. Scott, Sheri Bundy, Gary Sides, Ralph M. Cleale

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A commercial feedlot study utilizing 1,737 crossbred heifers (initial BW 690 lb) compared the effect of two implant strategies [Synovex ONE Feedlot (day 0) or Synovex Choice (day 0) followed by Synovex Plus (day 95)] on performance and carcass characteristics. No differences were observed in carcass weight, final body weight, or gain, but heifers implanted with Synovex ONE Feedlot had slightly greater feed conversion and greater intake than heifers implanted using Synovex Choice/Synovex Plus. Heifers implanted with Synovex Choice/Synovex Plus had lower marbling score and yield grade, higher dressing percentage, and greater loin muscle area compared to heifers implanted with …

Effects Of Brown Midrib Corn Silage Hybrids With Or Without Kernel Processing At Harvest On Nutrient Metabolism In Beef Steers, Lauren A. Ovinge, Melissa L. Jolly-Breithaupt, Hannah C. Hamilton Hamilton, John N. Anderson, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 2 × 3 factorial digestion study evaluated three corn silage hybrids and kernel processing for finishing steers. The three hybrids included a control corn silage, a brown midrib, and a brown midrib with a softer endosperm. Both brown midrib hybrids had greater fiber digestibility than the traditional control corn silage hybrid. No differences were observed between brown midrib hybrids for all other nutrients. Cattle fed brown midrib hybrids had a lower average ruminal pH compared to the control suggesting more fermentation, but no differences in volatile fatty acid concentration or proportions. Kernel processing had no effect on apparent total …

Effects Of Varying Levels Of Silage Inclusion And Brown Midrib Corn Silage On Finishing Performance Of Steers, Lauren A. Ovinge, F. Henry Hilscher, Brad M. Boyd Boyd, John N. Anderson, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 2 × 3 factorial finishing study evaluated traditional or brown midrib corn silage fed at three inclusions in finishing diets. Silage inclusion was 15%, 45%, or 75% inclusion (DM basis) for 70 days followed by 15% inclusion for the remainder of the finishing phase. Cattle were ultrasounded twice to calculate backfat deposition rate for a target backfat of 0.55 inches, as cattle were fed longer if silage inclusion was 45 or 75/15%. Cattle fed 45% or 75/15% silage inclusion had greater final body weight (BW) and days on feed, but higher feed:gain (F:G) than cattle fed 15% silage. Daily …

Impact Of Corn Silage Inclusion On Nutrient Digestion And Rumen Fermentation In Finishing Cattle, Hannah C. Hamilton, Melissa L. Jolly-Breithaupt, Andrea K. Watson Watson, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A digestion study was conducted comparing different inclusions of corn silage used as a roughage source on digestibility, feeding behavior and rumen environment. 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. As expected, increasing available energy and decreasing roughage (either silage or alfalfa) showed an increase in diet digestibility and ruminal propionate concentrations. However, average ruminal pH was least, with more time spent in subacute acidosis (pH < 5.3) when cattle were fed no roughage. These data suggest that feeding cattle increasing silage inclusions as a roughage source prevented ruminal conditions from entering and remaining in subacute acidosis. Feeding corn silage at 15% gave similar digestibility responses compared to 7.5% alfalfa. Including silage as a roughage source at 15% could help prevent acidosis and digestive upset in feedlot cattle.

Corn Oil Supplementation On Performance And Methane Production In Finishing Steers, Tommy M. Winders, Brad M. Boyd, Henry F. Hilscher, Samodha C. Fernando, Rick R. Stowell, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A finishing trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn oil on animal performance, carcass characteristics, and methane production in finishing cattle. Corn oil was supplemented at 3% of the diet (dry matterbasis) and led to a decrease in intake, a numerical improvement in average daily gain, and improved feed efficiency compared to the control cattle. Dry matter intake while in the methane barn was not decreased between treatments, although it was numerically similar to what was observed outside of the methane barn. Corn oil did not affect any carcass parameters. Methane production (g/d) was reduced with the inclusion …

Biochar Supplementation In Growing And Finishing Diets, Tommy M. Winders, Collin B. Freeman, Brittney A. Mark Mark, Melissa L. Jolly-Breithaupt, Hannah C. Hamilton, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Two metabolism studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of biochar (0, 0.8, or 3% of diet dry matter) on digestibility and methane production in growing and finishing diets. Intake was not affected by biochar inclusion in the growing diet and increased with 0.8% biochar inclusion in the finishing study. Digestibility tended to increase quadratically with biochar inclusion in the growing study while digestibility tended to linearly decrease with biochar inclusion in the finishing study. Methane production (g/d) decreased 10.7% in the growing study and 9.9% in the finishing study with 0.8% biochar compared to no biochar. Methane production was …

Three Year Summary: Comparison Of Diets Collected From Esophageally Fistulated Cows To Forage Quality Estimated From Fecal Analysis, Bethany M. Johnston, Jay D. Jenkins, Jacki A. Musgrave Musgrave, J. Travis Mulliniks, Mitchell B. Stephenson, James C. Macdonald, L. Aaron Stalker

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Inconsistency was found in forage quality (crude protein and energy) when esophageally fistulated diets were compared to Nutrition Balance Analyzer (NUTBAL) analysis of fecal samples. On upland range sites, hand-clipping of samples (not a recommended practice to measure forage quality), was closer to fistulated diets than NUTBAL analysis. If cattle managers are solely utilizing NUTBAL for estimates of forage value, incorrect supplemental energy and protein decisions will likely be made resulting in the purchase of unnecessary supplements, thereby reducing the profitability of the operation.

Prediction Of Energy Value (Tdn) In Grazed And Hayed Forages, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Mary E. Drewnoski, Karla H. Jenkins Jenkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The goal of producers and nutritionists is to meet the nutritional needs of their cattle. Requirements are well established, but the diets of grazing cattle are difficult to predict. Selection by the animal, sample handling, lab analysis, and relating the lab analysis to the animal are issues that have been researched the last 20 years. Based on that research, data have been compiled to predict the energy and protein values of grazed Sandhills range, meadows, smooth brome, and corn residue. Additionally, equations used by commercial labs to predict the TDN of grass hays based on ADF were compared to TDN …

Impact Of Grazing Spring Rye On Subsequent Crop Yields And Profitability, Ashley C. Conway, Robert G. Bondurant, Fred H. Hilscher Hilscher, Jay Parsons, Daren Redfearn, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Steers (729 ± 19 lb BW) grazed in two November-planted cereal rye fields for 22 d in April, either with or without an ionophore in their free choice mineral supplement. Subsequent corn yields were measured to assess impact of planting cereal rye as a cover crop (not grazed) or grazing the rye compared to a no rye control. There was no statistical impact of rye or grazing on subsequent corn yield. Supplying an ionophore in the mineral did not uniformly improve gains across fields. However, gains were high at 3.2 lb/d and were able to offset the cost of planting …

Nitrate Concentrations Of Annual Forages Grown For Grazing In Nebraska, Mary E. Lenz, Rebecca J. Kern, Carrie E. Orvis Orvis, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Annual forage samples sent by producers to Ward Laboratories Inc. for nitrate analysis were evaluated to determine which cover crop species in Nebraska are most likely to accumulate nitrates, and how often the accumulated nitrates are considered toxic by traditional recommendations. Additionally, nitrate levels of cover crop mixes grown in research trials were analyzed to ensure species differences were repeated when grown together in the same fields. Brassicas accumulate more nitrate than small grains, millet, sorghum/sudan grasses, or cover crop mixes. Brassicas accumulated levels of nitrate considered moderately to highly toxic in 48% of the samples. The other cover crop …

Effect Of Rapeseed Inclusion In Late-Summer Planted Oats Pasture On Growing Performance Of Beef Steers, Hannah E. Riley, Kristin E. Hales, Steven D. Shackelford Shackelford, Harvey C. Freetly, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Fall cover crops have been shown to be an effective way to background calves into the winter. An oat monoculture was planted in late summer at 100 lb/ac and compared to oats planted at 50 lb/ac with rapeseed included at 3 lb/ac. Initial forage yield was not affected by the inclusion of rapeseed with fall oat. Calf gain tended to be greater and cost of gain was decreased when rapeseed was included. Including rapeseed in late summer planted oats may be beneficial for producers who want to graze growing calves in the fall.

Economics Of Field Pea Supplementation For Cattle Grazing Crested Wheatgrass, Braden C. Troyer, Hannah L. Greenwell, Andrea K. Watson Watson, James C. Macdonald, Karla H. Jenkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Heifers grazing crested wheat grass were supplemented either field peas or dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) at 0.4% or 0.8% of body weight. Heifers supplemented with field peas had 10% lower daily gain compared to their DDGS supplemented counterparts. The decision to supplement field peas for producers depends on the price at which field peas can be acquired, as well as the distance that DDGS has to be hauled in order to be utilized. Field peas are a viable option in western Nebraska as a supplement for grazing cattle when DDGS is unavailable or field peas are in excess …

Effects Of Supplemental Soypass In Forage-Based Diets Containing Distillers Grains On Performance Of Growing Steers, Tyler J. Spore, Zachary E. Carlson, Galen E. Erickson Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Andrea K. Watson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

SoyPass was supplemented in two grass hay diets containing 20% or 35% wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) to analyze the effects on growing cattle performance. The SoyPass supplement replaced 0, 30, or 60% of dietary WDGS for a total of 6 treatments with a factorial design. Substituting SoyPass into the diet did not affect average daily gain (ADG) of calves; however, calves consuming the 35% WDGS diet gained 31% more than the 20% WDGS treatment calves. Dry matter intake (DMI) and feed to gain (F:G) increased linearly in the 35% WDGS diet with the inclusion of SoyPass. In the …

Effects Of Isolated Nutrients In Distillers Grains On Total Tract Digestibility And Digestible Energy In Forage Diets, Tasha M. King, Melissa L. Jolly-Breithaupt, Hannah C. Hamilton Hamilton, Galen E. Erickson, Jim C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A digestion study was conducted to evaluate the contribution of individual nutrient components of distillers grains on nutrient digestibility and digestible energy. All diets contained 56% brome hay with a control diet containing either 40% corn; or 40% modified distillers grains. Four additional diets compared the contribution of fat, protein, fiber, and solubles components of distillers grains. No differences were observed for digestibility of DM, OM, and NDF among treatments. Feeding the isolated protein resulted in similar digestible energy to modified distillers grains, suggesting the bypass protein component contributes heavily to energy in distillers.

Confined Cow-Calf Production System And Post-Weaning Management Impact On Calf Production, Shelby E. Gardine, Brad M. Boyd, F. Henry Hilscher Hilscher, Galen E. Erickson, Karla H. Jenkins, Andrea K. Watson, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Calf performance was measured in a 3-yr study with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment design: 1) cow-calf production system (dry lot feeding or grazing corn residue) and 2) directly finishing calves or growing prior to finishing. Calves wintered on cornstalks were lighter at weaning than calves wintered in the dry-lot. However, following the finishing period, there were no effects of pre-weaning production system on final body weight or hot carcass weight. Calves directly adapted to a finishing diet had greater gain and improved efficiency compared to calves fed a grower diet prior to finishing. However, calves that were grown …

Impacts Of 40 Years Of The Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory On Beef Cattle And Range Systems, Jack C. Whittier, Kelly W. Bruns, Rick N. Funston Funston, Jerry D. Volesky, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Don C. Adams

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The University of Nebraska (UNL) Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) is a 12,800-acre research ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills. In 1978, Elmer “Pete” and Abbie Gudmundsen gifted the former Rafter C Ranch to the University of Nebraska Foundation. Thus, 2018 was the 40th year of UNL oversight of GSL. To the credit of UNL Administration, GSL development for range livestock research was delegated to a team of Research and Extension Specialists chaired by Dr. Don Clanton. Other members of that original team were Jim Nichols, Range Science; Gene Deutscher, Reproductive Physiologist; Dick Clark, Agricultural Economist; and Ivan Rush, Beef Extension Specialist. …

Evaluation Of Lactation Demands On Nutrient Balance In Two Calving Seasons In Range Cows Grazing Sandhills Upland Range, Travis Mulliniks, Don C. Adams

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A modeling study evaluated the effects of milk production level on nutrient balance in March-and May-calving cows grazing Sandhills upland range during the breeding season. Forage quality of upland range peaks in June and steadily declines in July until November. In March-calving cows, metabolizable protein (MP) and energy were deficient by July 1 in all milking potential cows, which is exacerbated in greater milking potential cows. May-calving cows with 20 to 30 lbs of milk are predicted to enter the breeding season with a deficiency in MP and energy. In an effort to match cow type to environment in the …

Impact Of Cow Size On Cow-Calf And Subsequent Steer Feedlot Performance, Molly Benell, Jacki A. Musgrave, Rick N. Funston Funston, J. Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study retrospectively evaluated the effect of cow size on cow-calf performance and post-weaning steer feedlot performance of cows at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman. Cows were categorized at small, medium, or moderate within cow age from 13 years of data. Small cows had decreased reproductive performance, weaned smaller calves, and produced steer progeny with smaller carcass weights. In this dataset and under the environmental and management conditions at Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, overall productivity of the cowherd decreased as cow size decreased with 1,150 to 1,200 lb cow being the most productive cow size.

Effects Of Maternal Late Gestation Nutrition On May-Born Steer Progeny, Alicia C. Lansford, Jacki A. Musgrave, T. L. Meyer, Rick N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

May-calving dams were assigned to graze either sub-irrigated meadow or upland range with or without supplementation (1 lb/d 33% CP). Treatment began at approximately 160 d of gestation. Supplementation continued for 85 ± 2 d, while grazing system treatment continued for 116 ± 2 d. Steer progeny were backgrounded after weaning and then assigned to either a short or long yearling feedlot system. Dam supplementation tended to decrease marbling score within both feedlot systems. Short yearling steers had an increased percentage of carcasses grade USDA low Choice or greater if their dams grazed meadow in late gestation. Long yearling steers …

Effects Of Maternal Late Gestation Nutrition On May-Born Heifer Progeny, Alicia C. Lansford, Jacki A. Musgrave, Rick N. Funston Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

May-calving dams in late gestation grazed either sub-irrigated meadow with or without supplement or upland range with or without supplement. Supplementation was 1 lb/d of a 33% CP (DM) supplement. Heifer progeny from these dams were followed through their first and second breeding seasons. Both dam grazing and supplement treatment affected heifer progeny BW and BCS. Heifers born to dams who grazed meadow in late gestation attained a greater percentage of mature BW at the start of their first breeding season and increased pregnancy rates as primiparous cows. Grazing of meadow by May-calving dams in late gestation may increase stayability …

Economic Analysis Of Beef Systems, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Shebly E. Loeffelholz, Karla H. Jenkins Pas, Andrea K. Watson, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Economic analysis of complete beef production systems is important. An analysis of 5 systems was conducted. Three of the systems were based on cows calving in March, June or August and grazing Sandhills range and corn residue. The other 2 systems were based on complete confinement feeding or confinement in the summer and corn residue grazing in the winter. The range-based systems gave similar results, however, complete confinement was not competitive. Partial confinement with stalk grazing was competitive with range-based systems. Stalk grazing is very economical and important for many cow-calf systems.

The Effect Of Cow Udder Score On Subsequent Calf Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Joslyn K. Beard, Jacki A. Musgrave, Rick N. Funston Funston, J. Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow records were evaluated over a 5-yr period to investigate how cow udder score affected calf growth and carcass performance. Cows from 2 calving herds, March and May, were classified as bad or good based on udder scores recorded at calving. Calves suckling dams with bad udders performed similarly during the pre-weaning period to good udder counterparts, with no differences in overall steer feedlot performance between udder groups. However, steers suckling good udder cows had heavier carcass weights and greater back fat thickness.

2019 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow/Calf

• The Effect of Cow Udder Score on Subsequent Calf Performance in the Nebraska Sandhills
• Economic Analysis of Beef Systems
• Effects of Prepartum Nutrition on May-Calving Cows and Progeny
• Effects of Maternal Late Gestation Nutrition on May-Born Heifer Progeny
• Effects of Maternal Late Gestation Nutrition on May-Born Steer Progeny
• Impact of Cow Size on Cow-Calf and Subsequent Steer Feedlot Performance
• Evaluation of Lactation Demands on Nutrient Balance in Two Calving Seasons in Range Cows Grazing Sandhills Upland Range
• Impacts of 40 Years of Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory on Beef Cattle and Range Systems

Growing

• Confined Cow-Calf Production System and Post-Weaning Management …

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% …

The Role Of Serum Histones In Canine Heat Stroke, Jenna Acutt

Scripps Senior Theses

Rising temperatures all over the world has correlated with more frequent heat stroke related injuries and death. This statistic not only applies to humans, but to canines as well, who have similar body temperature thresholds. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum histones, released after cell death from heat stroke, play a role in heat stroke related injuries and death. This proposal aims to determine the severity of the effects caused by serum histone release after heat stroke by exposing selected canine cell lines to cell lysate and purified histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, which have been found to be …

Development And Evaluation Of Vaccine Candidates For Senecavirus A, Bishwas Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Senecavirus A (SVA) has been associated with several outbreaks of vesicular disease (VD) since 2014 in major swine-producing countries around the world. The virus causes VD that is clinically indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in pigs. Currently there are no commercial vaccines available for SVA. Here, we developed a live attenuated SVA strain by mutating a wild type SVA strain SD15-26 (wt SVA). The live attenuated virus, rSVA mSacII, replicated less efficiently in cell cultures in vitro and expressed lower amounts of VP1 and VP2 capsid proteins than wt SVA. Most importantly, the rSVA mSacII virus failed to induce clinical …

Senecavirus A: Pathogenicity And Interactions With Host Cell Death Pathway, Maureen Hoch Vieira Fernandes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Senecavirus A (SVA) is a positive sense single-strand RNA virus of the genus Senecavirus, family Picornaviridae. Senecavirus A is an emerging picornavirus of swine, which causes vesicular disease (VD) in pigs that is clinically indistinguishable from footand- mouth disease and other high consequence VDs of swine. There is evidence that SVA has been circulating in the US swine population since the late eighty’s, however, recently the virus emerged worldwide, and it has been associated with several VD outbreaks in pigs in many of the major swine producing countries. Despite the recent surge in the number of cases of …

Alternative Treatment Options For Controlling Anthelmintic-Resistant Haemonchus Contortus Populations In South Dakota Sheep Herds, Adam Sarah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Haemonchus contortus is a common economically important gastrointestinal nematode that obliges the survival and productivity of small ruminants, especially sheep and goats. Anthelmintic resistance is a primary challenge in ruminant health management programs in preventing and controlling the H. contortus populations; therefore, there is a great necessity in finding and developing natural plant products for use as alternatives to commercial anthelmintics for controlling H. contortus in pastured sheep and goats. This dissertation has three major aims conducted in three separate studies: the first in vivo one was to evaluate the extended effect of a springtime, combined-treatment with 3 anthelmintics having …

Performance Differences Between Two Groups Of Commercial Pigs Following Experimental Infection With Prrs Virus 1-7-4, Erin Little

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the costliest swine disease in North America. Vaccines and management alone have not been effective in controlling this disease. Genetic selection for resilience may be a complimentary approach for controlling PRRSV. The objective of this study was to estimate performance differences between two groups of pigs from the same commercial line following infection with PRRSV 1-7-4: 1) pigs sired by boars selected based on a standard index (TN-S), which emphasized feed efficiency and carcass quality; and 2) pigs sired by boars selected based on an experimental index (TN-E), which emphasized feed intake, …