Meat Science Commons^™

Assessment Of Meat Quality Attributes Of Four Commercial Broiler Strains Processed At Various Market Weights, Ashleigh Jo Mueller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for poultry meat continues to grow, the industry is challenged with how to meet these needs of consumers. The growth rate of broilers is continuously improving in order to increase production efficiently resulting in greater yields and an increase in product to satisfy consumer needs. However, the industry has seen an increase in quality issues of the meat as growth rates and growth periods continue to increase. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various strains (standard and high-yielding) and target weights on meat quality attributes such as pH, water holding capacity (WHC), …

Sustainable Winter-Feeding Practices For Meat Goats Within The Southeastern United States, Nikisha Ryan, Nar Gurung, Jeremy Byrant, Frank Abrahamsen, Wendell Mcelhenney

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Winter feeding systems were evaluated on male Kiko meat goats against the traditional practice of raising goats in the winter months. Forty-Five Kiko bucks were randomly assigned to one of three treatments; Treatment 1, Treatment 2, and Treatment 3 consisted, respectively, of Cosaque Oats, annual Ryegrass, Crimson Clover mix, and 1.0% of BW concentrate supplementation with free choice hay. Forage clippings were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber. Body weights were monitored over the grazing period. Blood samples were collected during the experiment, and animals were slaughtered for the evaluation of carcass traits. Data were analyzed …

Effects Of Farrowing Stall Layout And Number Of Heat Lamps On Sow And Piglet Behavior, Suzanne M. Leonard, Hongwei Xin, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Brett C. Ramirez, Anna K. Johnson, Somak Dutta, Gary A. Rohrer

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Farrowing stalls are used in the United States swine industry to reduce pre-weaning piglet mortality, enable efficient individual animal management, and decrease facility construction and operating costs. The quantity and quality of space provided for sows and piglets in farrowing stalls are important economic and welfare considerations. To further explore the impacts of farrowing stall space allocation, a large-scale field study was conducted to compare sow and piglet behavior when housed in three farrowing stall layouts (TSL – traditional stall layout, ECSL – expanded creep area stall layout, ESCSL – expanded sow and creep area stall layout) with either one …

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 …

Evaluation Of Supplementing Whole Cottonseed Within Feedlot Rations During The Stockerphase Of Production With The Goal Of Increasing Average Daily Gain, Emily Lauren Cook

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Beef calves are weaned at 6-months of age and enter the stocker phase of beef production. Stocker producers have the primary goal of adding weight inexpensively to increase profit on weaned calves. Whole cottonseed is an inexpensive feed ingredient that is popularly top-dressed within dairy and finishing beef diets and is high in protein and energy. During three periods lasting 50-days (fall 2019, fall 2020, and spring 2020), freshly weaned calves were placed on a finishing ration with the goal of increasing average daily gain. Base rations were calculated at 25% tall fescue hay, 23% corn, and 52% distillers’ solubles. …

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 …

Managing And Buying Bulls, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Weaning percentage and therefore conception rate, can significantly influence profitability in the breeder herd.

Bulls need to be managed to optimise their performance for the mating period to maximise conception rates. For producers retaining females in the breeding herd, bulls can have a significant impact on future herd productivity through the genetics they pass on.

Various tools are available to assess how a bull will perform before purchase, including visual appraisal, obtaining a bull breeding soundness examination (BBSE) and utilising estimated breeding values (EBVs).

“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.

Sensitivity Of Wild-Type And Rifampicin-Resistant O157 And Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli To Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure And Lactic Acid In Ground Meat And Meat Homogenate, Abimbola Allison, Aliyar Cyrus Fouladkhah

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Various serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli have been epidemiologically associated with foodborne disease episodes in the United States and around the globe, with E. coli O157: H7 as the dominant serogroup of public health concern. Serogroups other than O157 are currently associated with about 60% of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli related foodborne illness episodes. Current study evaluated sensitivity of the O157 and epidemiologically important non-O157 serogroups of the pathogen to elevated hydrostatic pressure and 1% lactic acid. Pressure intensity of 250 to 650 MPa were applied for 0 to 7 min for inactivation of strain mixtures of …

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 …