Beef Science Commons^™

Summary Of The Value Of Distillers Grains Plus Solubles For Feedlot Cattle, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

An analysis of over 6,100 head of finishing cattle across 50 experiments was conducted to determine the feeding value of full-fat and de-oiled distillers grains. This analysis was limited to studies where dry-rolled corn, high-moisture corn, or a combination of the two corn processing methods were displaced by 15% or more distillers grains. Dry distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS), modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS), and wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) were evaluated as either full-fat or de-oiled. The feeding value of distillers grains was assessed relative to a corn-based control diet containing no distillers. Results …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Immune-Metabolic Adaptation To Direct-Fed Microbial Supplementation In Newly Weaned Beef Steers, Adekunle Odunayo Ajiboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune and metabolic disruption during weaning represents a major challenge to health and productivity in beef cattle. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that supplementation with multi-strain direct-fed microbials (DFMs) modulates immune regulation and metabolic pathways associated with adaptation to weaning stress. To address this, whole-blood transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics were used to evaluate molecular and metabolic responses in newly weaned beef steers during the receiving period. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expressions of genes associated with immune signaling and inflammatory regulation, indicating modulation of immune-related pathways without changes in growth performance. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in circulating metabolites related to amino …

Pbmc Transcriptome Analysis Following Lps Stimulation Reveals Distinct Inflammatory Strategies In Feed-Efficient And Inefficient Beef Cattle, Yarahy Leal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Improving feed efficiency is a primary objective in livestock production, serving as a major driver of profitability and sustainability in beef cattle operations as feed costs continue to rise. Residual feed intake (RFI) and residual average daily gain (RADG) are widely recognized indicators of feed efficiency and are commonly used as selection traits to reduce production costs and environmental impact. Previous research suggests a functional shift in transcriptional activity associated with immunity depending on efficiency phenotype, with evidence of greater immune system robustness in more efficient animals. This dissertation examines the molecular mechanisms linking feed efficiency and immune competence and …

Effect Of Ovarian Characteristics And Propylene Glycol Supplementation On Pregnancy Rates Per Ai In Suckled Beef Cows Subjected To A 7-Day Co-Synch Fixed-Time Ai Protocol Across Seasons, Body Condition Scores, And Postpartum Intervals, Pachara Pearodwong, Sarawanee Khunmanee, Kajohn Nitiwararuk, Thuwanon Boonkerd, Thananon Junsuri, Andrew A. Ponter, Winai Kaewlamun

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The present study evaluated the independent effects of ovarian characteristics and oral propylene glycol (PG) supplementation on pregnancy rates in suckled beef cows subjected to the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR fixed-time AI (FTAI) protocol across different seasons, body condition scores (BCS; 5-point scale), and parturition-to-FTAI intervals. Cows received a CIDR insert and 10 μg GnRH on day -10, followed by 25 mg PGF2α at CIDR removal on day -3, and another 10 μg GnRH 72 h later (day 0). In Study 1, the ovarian characteristics of 36 cows were assessed transrectally on days -10 and 0 relative to the FTAI. …

Associations Between Feed Efficiency And Feeding Behavior In Yearling Angus Bulls In A Competitive Environment, Amelia Katz

Master's Theses

Feed efficiency in beef cattle is a complex trait shaped by physiological, behavioral, and social factors that influence how animals access and utilize feed resources. This study examined feed efficiency classification and how it is influenced by feeding behavior, competitive interactions, and bunk approach patterns in yearling Angus bulls housed in a drylot over two years. Bulls were grouped into high and low feed efficiency categories using residual feed intake and feed conversion ratio within pen and year (n = 40 per year; n = 40 per treatment). Continuous electronic monitoring quantified feeder visitation, feeding duration, intake, and rate. A …

Patch Mow Grazing: Investigating The Effects Of Mowing On Forage Nutritive Value, The Biomass–Nutritive Value Relationship, And Herbivore Selection, Trace R. Stauble

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Herbivore foraging behavior plays a critical role in shaping grassland structural heterogeneity, with selection often driven by forage biomass and nutritive value. Currently, it is thought that herbivores primarily select areas that are greater in nutritive value, and low in biomass. More specifically, disturbances like fire and grazing have been thoroughly studied showing that recently burned and grazed areas are not only higher in nutritive value but disproportionately selected by herbivores in comparison to undisturbed areas. However, most studies address only narrow ranges of defoliation, comparing intensely defoliated sites (< 10 cm) to those that are either not defoliated or have experienced a much longer time since defoliation, thereby decreasing grazing pressure as biomass increases. However, one of the most widely used methods of defoliation in grasslands, mowing, hasn’t been thoroughly studied for its effects on nutritive value, and how it impacts herbivore selection. Our study aimed to (1) evaluate how mowing treatments—i.e., short (5 cm), medium (18 cm), and tall (>30 cm, unmown)—affect nutritive value and herbivore selection, (2) assess …

Characterizing The Relationship Between Parturition In Beef Cattle And The Lunar Phase And Meteorological Factors., Caroline E. Chambers

Honors College Theses

For beef cattle, parturition is one of the most critical stages in the reproductive process. It is crucial that farmers understand the factors that may influence the timing of parturition. There is a persistent preconception that the onset of parturition is influenced by the lunar phase and weather factors. The objective of this study is to characterize the association between parturition in beef cattle, the lunar phase, and/or different weather factors such as barometric pressure and temperature. Cattle records were obtained from Chambers Family Farm in Cumberland Furnace, TN. Data was collected from 142 calvings from January 2017 to October …

Recovery And Characterization Of Moraxella Species From Bovine Specimens, Laura G. Leger

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The family Moraxellaceae is made up of a diverse group of 24 named species that fall into three phylogenetic groups. While most Moraxella spp. act as commensal respiratory and/or ocular flora of mammals, some are associated with disease. One of these diseases, infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), has significant welfare and economic impacts to both cattle and cattle producers. Moraxella bovis is the only experimentally determined cause of IBK, however, an association of Moraxella bovoculi with disease has been proposed. Currently, available vaccines do not have high levels of efficacy in the field. Culture based methods are the gold standard for …

Fragmentation In The U. S. Fed Cattle Market: Implications For Price Transparency And Discovery, Taralee M. Hudson

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The U.S. fed cattle market is one plagued by recurring stakeholder concern. Market participants frequently raise questions about the transparency of fundamental information under existing reporting frameworks, and the extent to which Private Negotiation, the dominant trading institution, effectively facilitates price discovery. Although extensive research has sought to address these issues, much of it has failed to account for the market’s increasingly fragmented structure. This thesis is comprised of three chapters that collectively examine price transparency and discovery through the lens of market fragmentation. Each chapter presents research related to the fed cattle market and is intended to stand …

An Integrated Modeling Framework To Evaluate Circularity Of The Corn–Water–Ethanol–Beef Nexus, Heydi Han

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the transition from conventional linear agricultural and food bioenergy systems toward more circular, resilient, and resource-efficient configurations. Prior research indicates that spatial and temporal variability in soil, weather, animal biological responses, and management decisions strongly influences productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, and profitability. Studies have also shown that a diversified circular system can buffer these sources of variability, improving stability and adaptive capacity. Building on these insights, the central focus of this work is to develop an integrated modeling framework to evaluate circularity within the Corn-Water-Ethanol-Beef (CWEB) nexus and explore how climate variability and management choices shape system-wide performance. …

Comparative Analysis Of Citrate Synthase Activity In Skeletal Muscle, Liver, And Adipose Tissue In Beef Cattle, Abigail Webb

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Mitochondrial efficiency plays a central role in determining how cattle partition nutrients toward muscle growth or adipose deposition, yet little is known about tissue-specific differences in mitochondrial density among tissues or among beef cattle. This study aimed to quantify mitochondrial density in muscle, liver, and adipose tissue samples from beef cattle and evaluate its potential relationship with metabolic efficiency. Tissue samples of semitendinosus muscle (ST), liver, and subcutaneous adipose (SC) were collected, homogenized, and analyzed for citrate synthase (CS) activity using a fluorometric assay as a proxy for mitochondrial density. Preliminary analyses revealed that the semitendinosus muscle displayed the highest …

Cattle Funding Scheme 2023-24 Annual Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

I am pleased to present the 2023-24 annual report for the Cattle Industry Funding Scheme (Cattle IFS) to our participants, key stakeholders in the Western Australian (WA) cattle industry, and the Minister for Agriculture and Food. This financial year has brought its share of challenges to the WA cattle industry including domestic and global markets, dry weather conditions and high biosecurity concerns. With Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) detected in Indonesia, biosecurity threats remain ever-present. As a result, maintaining the health of our herd in WA continues to be our top priority. The Cattle IFS continues to …

Winter Supplementation Of Beef Cows In The Intermountain West, David Secrist

All Current Publications

Feed costs are the most significant expense of most ranching operations in the Intermountain West. Year-round grazing opportunities, hay cost and availability, calving season, cow size, milk production, and feeding logistics are all considerations in a supplementation program. The key to effective winter feeding is to balance the cost/benefit ratio of the supplementation programs while meeting nutritional demands at a minimal cost.

Economic Analysis Of Stockers Grazing Botanically Diverse Summer Annual Pasture, Kelly M. Mercier, Christopher D. Teutsch, S. Ray Smith, Kenneth H. Burdine, Eric S. Vanzant, Edwin L. Ritchey

Journal of Extension

Economic analyses were performed to determine the feasibility of retaining weaned fall-born calves on summer annual pastures (a monoculture, a 3-species mixture, or a 12-species mixture). Average daily gain was reduced by 0.3 lbs/day in calves grazing the complex mixture in two out of three years. Enterprise budgeting illustrated that retaining calves on summer annual forages was not economical. Two-way net return tables indicated that this scenario would only be profitable when cattle prices are high and pasture establishment costs are low. Extension educators should be sure to emphasize the economic risks when discussing these systems.

Associations Of Variation In Mtdna With Feed Efficiency In Beef Cattle And The Evaluation Of Transcriptomic Changes In Fetal Kidney Due To Hydrallantois, Lauren Elizabeth Seier

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

Project 1 focused on the central role that mitochondria play in ATP production, highlighting that variation within the mtDNA may influence feed efficiency. Variation in the mitochondrial genome was uncovered, and associations with feed efficiency in beef cattle were identified. Growth and feed intake phenotypes, as well as low-pass sequencing, were collected on beef steers across two populations. Protein coding variants were identified and used to classify animals into mitochondrial haplotypes. A linear mixed model was employed, which detected a significant association between mitochondrial haplotype and DMI. A significant haplotype with a variant in Complex I was associated with reduced …

The Influence Of Retail Display Conditions On Ground Beef Quality And Palatability, Sarah Lynn Shoup

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of these studies were to evaluate the impact of retail display case type and muscle type on meat quality attributes, including color, lipid oxidation, texture, and volatile compound profiles, as well as to assess economic implications based on retail color degradation. Case type effects were further evaluated by considering environmental factors such as temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity and their influence on the shelf life of beef patties. An economic analysis was also conducted to estimate the value of patties based on a* (redness) scores at different points during retail display. In Study 1, differences in L* …

Freezing And Shipping Optimization To Increase Quality And Profitability Of Meat E-Commerce, Paul Olaoluwaniyi Dahunsi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freezing remains one of the most reliable methods for preserving meat quality and extending shelf life. However, quality deterioration can still occur due to structural and biochemical changes activated during freezing, thawing, and distribution. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers’ preference for bulk purchasing and online meat shopping has increased, raising questions about the best strategies to balance both quality maintenance and profitability. This thesis aimed to evaluate two key stages where frozen beef is most vulnerable to quality degradation: consumer-level freezing and post-purchase shipping. The objectives were (1) to determine the effects of product size and subsequent consumer freezing practices …

Weaning Beef Calves, David Secrist

All Current Publications

Weaning a beef calf is likely the most stressful event in the animal’s life. Future growth and reproductive performance can be compromised by health challenges encountered through the weaning process. Consequently, proper management aimed at reducing stress and preparing the beef animal for the next stage of production is critical to reach its genetic potential. Proper management involves applying good animal husbandry techniques, using sound science in developing health and feeding protocols, and implementing low-stress animal handling practices.

2025 Nebraska Custom Rates For Livestock-Related Agricultural Services, Glennis Mcclure

Cornhusker Economics

Conclusion

The 2025 livestock custom rates report serves as a valuable reference for cost benchmarking and service pricing in Nebraska’s livestock sector. While most rates have remained stable, producers and service providers should refer to multiple years’ reports to understand trends and regional variation. As always, actual service rates will vary based on job complexity, geographic location, provider availability, and market demand.

Participation in Future Surveys

To strengthen future reports, producers and service providers are encouraged to participate in upcoming surveys. Interested individuals may register at the following URL: https://cap.unl.edu/nebraska-custom-rates-survey-sign

The 2025 Custom Service Rates Related to Livestock Production in …

Selecting For Less: How Much Methane Can We Truly Breed Away?, Sean B. Crowley

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background

Genetic selection has potential to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle, but a key challenge is determining how much of the genetic variation in methane traits is independent of traits already targeted in breeding programs, such as feed intake and growth.

Methods

Methane and carbon dioxide emissions were recorded in 1,700 crossbred, indoor-fed beef cattle using Greenfeed systems. Performance data included feed intake, metabolic liveweight, average daily gain, carcass weight, and ultrasound and skeletal traits. Genetic parameters and correlations among traits were estimated using animal linear mixed models to quantify the independence of methane-related genetic variation.

Results

Daily methane …