Meat Science Commons^™

Impact Of Full-Fat Wet Distillers Grains Inclusion In Steam-Flaked Corn Based Finishing Diets, Gatlin Hissong, Bill Dicke, Doug Smith, Andrea Watson, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Steam-flaked corn and distillers grains are common feed ingredients in finishing rations, but the interaction between the two is not well understood. A finishing trial at a commercial feedlot using 700 calf-fed heifers was conducted to evaluate cattle performance when fed 18 or 30% (dry matter basis) full-fat wet distillers grains plus solubles in steam-flaked corn based diets with 8% roughage (hay + corn silage). No effects on cattle performance were observed due to distillers grains inclusion in the diet. Final body weight, dry matter intake, average daily gain, feed conversion, and hot carcass weight were not …

Effect Of Feeding Palm Oil On Finishing Cattle Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Methane Production, Anna M. Kobza, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Mitchell C. Norman, Joshua R. Benton, Long Zou, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Increased demand for biofuel production has increased demand and price of commonly fed supplemental fat sources in beef operations. This finishing study evaluated the effect of feeding palm oil products on performance, carcass characteristics and methane production of feedlot finishing steers. Dietary treatments were feeding no supplemental fat or feeding one of the following fat sources at 4% of diet dry matter: whole palm oil, palm stearin, palm olein, or corn oil. Feeding supplemental fat, regardless of source, increased final body weight, average daily gain, and hot carcass weight. Feeding supplemental fat had no effect on dry …

Impact Of Feeding Distillers Grains Compared To New Fractionated Distillers Grains (Solbran) On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Enteric Methane, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Mitchell M. Norman, James C. Macdonald, Rick Stock, Ryan A. Mass, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

This study evaluated feeding wet or dry traditional distillers grains with wet and dry fractionated distillers (Solbran) fed at 40% of diet DM compared to a corn control diet on enteric methane emissions and performance. Compared to the control, there was no difference in carbon dioxide production, but there was an increase in methane production in the steers fed fractionated distillers compared to conventional distillers. Feeding steers traditional or fractionated distillers grains increased consumption, increased gain, but improved conversions only for steers fed WDGS, while steers fed the other distillers grains had worse or the same feed …

Effect Of Feeding Two Different Feed Additives (Optipartum C+ And Prime Force) On Finishing Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Sofia Suarez-Lorences, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Joshua R. Benton, Robert Bondurant, Willard Lemaster, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A feedlot study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding two different natural feed additives, Prime Force and Optipartum C+, on finishing cattle performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments were applied as a 2×2 factorial that included a control diet with no additive; a diet containing Prime Force; a diet containing Optipartum C+; and a diet containing both Prime Force and Optipartum C+ combined. Treatment diets were fed the last 67 d prior to slaughter as designed. Cattle fed Prime Force had greater live final body weight, carcass weight, intake, and average daily gain compared to cattle …

Effects Of Replacing Wet Corn Distillers Grains With A Purefield Distillers Grains® At 15% And 30% (Dm Basis) In Feedlot Diets, Sofia A. Canafoglia, Pablo L. Loza

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A 2×2 +1 factorial experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of replacing wet corn distillers grain (WCDGS) with PureField distillers grains, a proprietary blend of wet distillers grains plus wheat middlings (Purefield LLC, Kansas, United States) at 15% or 30% of the diet (DM basis), on finishing performance and carcass characteristics. The inclusion of either byproduct resulted in improved steer performance, and carcass characteristics when compared to the treatment without the byproduct inclusion. No interactions between byproduct and inclusion level were observed for steer performance or carcass characteristics. A tendency for higher average daily gains was …

2025 Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow-calf Nutrition, Reproduction, and Management

Artificial Insemination of Beef Heifers with Multi-sire Semen, Dempster M. Christenson, Jordan M. Thomas, Daniel J. Kelly, Rick N. Funston

Impact of Overwinter Gain on Growth and Reproductive Performance in March- born Heifers, Josie N. Crouch, J. Travis Mulliniks, Jacki A. Musgrave, Kacie L. McCarthy

Impact of Pre- and Post-breeding Supplementation on Performance of May-born Heifers, Josie N. Crouch, J. Travis. Mulliniks, Jacki A. Musgrave, Kacie L. McCarthy

Growing Calf and Yearling Management

Effects of Allocation Frequency on Cattle Performance and Forage Utilization when Swath Grazing a Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid in Eastern Nebraska, Thomas E. Aquino, …

Effect Of Using Whole Soybeans, Roasted Soybeans, Or Soybean Meal In Finishing Cattle Diets, Melissa K. Bausch, James C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson, Pablo L. Loza

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A feedlot study compared the effect of using whole or roasted soybeans at two inclusion rates (12% and 16% of diet dry matter), soybean meal, distillers grains, or a dry-rolled corn with urea control in finishing cattle diets. Steers fed the diet with the 16% inclusion of roasted soybeans had better average daily gain, feed conversion, and hot carcass weight. All other diets resulted in similar performance to the dry-rolled corn and distillers grains treatments. Roasted soybeans fed at a 16% inclusion improved F:G over the 12% roasted soybeans as compared to the whole soybeans which were …

Jbs’S Initial Public Offering: Threats To Environmental And Human Rights, Kayla Thompson

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

This paper centers around the decision to be made regarding JBS, the world’s largest meat company, wanting to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and the environmental and social impacts that could result from the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval. JBS has been at the center of various controversies over the last several years, including sourcing cattle from ranches acquired through illegal deforestation, engaging in greenwashing practices, incorrectly reporting greenhouse gas emissions, and engaging in human rights abuses. Many environmental groups have filed complaints with the SEC concerning JBS’s bid to list on the NYSE. The …

Fat Deposition, Β- Carotene, And Vitamin A Metabolism In Bulls, Steers, And Heifers, Tesla Trammell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research highlights the impact of Vitamin A on cattle growth and meat quality. Supplementing Vitamin A early in life has been linked to enhanced IMF content and growth rates in calves, especially when administered at birth or during early developmental stages. This is attributed to the role of the ZFP423 gene in adipocyte formation, with studies noting its involvement in the development of IMF during the finishing phase.

This study aims to add to the present research by evaluate the effect of calves’ sexual class on blood β-carotene and Vitamin A before weaning. The second study evaluated the β- carotene …

Using High-Pressure Processing To Improve The Quality Of Dark-Cutting Beef, Ashley A. Hahn

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

Previous studies have shown high-pressure processing (HPP) can be utilized to improve lean color of dark-cutting beef color by increasing the lightness and redness of steaks. However, the optimal parameters of length of time product is held under pressure and at which pressure must be applied have yet to be fully defined. Furthermore, the impact of HPP on color labile muscles in dark-cutting beef are currently unknown. Therefore, two studies were designed and specific efforts were focused on first defining optimal parameters for color stable muscles, followed by determining the effect of HPP on dark-cutting color labile muscles.

In the …

Porcine Peritoneal Macrophages Are Susceptible To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Infection, Kassandra Durazo-Martinez, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Sushmita Kumari, Hiep Vu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Previous studies have suggested that porcine peritoneal macrophages (PPMs) are resistant to PRRSV infection, whereas porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) are highly susceptible. This contrast is intriguing, as both cell types belong to the same monocyte/macrophage family. The current study aimed to investigate the host factors contributing to the differing susceptibility of PPMs and PAMs to PRRSV infection. We found that PPMs exhibit a higher frequency of CD14+ cells compared to PAMs, suggesting a more immature macrophage phenotype in PPMs. Importantly, PPMs expressed both CD163 and CD169, the key receptors for PRRSV entry, although the frequency and intensity of CD163 and …

Managing The Beef Breeder Herd In Southern Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Kilograms of beef produced per hectare is a significant driver of profit for a beef business. Cow longevity (length of productive life) plays an important role in achieving a profitable business. A balanced approach to genetic selection and nutritional management are essential factors underpinning the efficiency of the breeding herd.

Protracted Maternal Malnutrition Induces Aberrant Changes In Maternal Uterine Artery Hemodynamics And The Metabolic Profiles Of The Dam And Neonate, Jennifer F. Thorson, Ligia D. Prezotto

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Malnutritional stress during gestation is a well-established driver of metabolic disfunction in offspring. Extended exposure to malnutrition requires metabolic plasticity as the animal shifts toward a catabolic state. In this paper we demonstrate the influence of malnutrition throughout gestation on uterine artery hemodynamics and the metabolism of the dam and neonate. We hypothesized that gestational malnutrition reduces blood flow of the maternal uterine artery and regulates the metabolic profile of the dam and offspring. Further, the combination of these factors consequently influences the concentration of metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid of the neonate at birth. To test our hypotheses, pregnant …

Cattle Performance Grazing Canola And Cereal Crops, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the performance of cattle grazing canola and cereal compared to animals left on pasture and investigate the value of spelling the pasture during the time the cattle are grazing crops.

Cattle grazing cereal crops had a higher liveweight gain compared to the cattle that remained on the pasture. However to see a significant benefit from grazing dual purpose crops, the grazing period may need to be longer than 4 weeks particularly when grazing canola.

The highest growth rates for cattle grazing the cereal crops were achieved …

Confined Paddock Feeding And Feedlotting Of Sheep, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Confinement feeding (also referred to as lot feeding or feedlotting) is an intensive feeding system in a confined area where all, or the majority of, feed and water is supplied to the contained animals. The department recommends using confinement feeding as part of a whole farm livestock, pasture and erosion management program.

We recommend having a confinement feeding system as an integral part of a whole farm livestock, pasture and erosion management program. Guides and resources that provide more detailed information are listed at the bottom of this fact sheet.

Adding Gastrointestinal Parasite Resistance To The Breeding Objective In Hair Sheep: Initial Step, Robert M. Forbes, Thomas W. Murphy, Joan M. Burke, David R. Notter, Matthew L. Spangler, Michael D. Macneil, Ronald M. Lewis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The U.S. Maternal Hair Index was designed by the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) to increase total weight of lamb weaned per ewe lambing (TW). Producers are interested in adding gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) resistance to this breeding objective since parasitism causes substantial economic losses. The NSIP provides producers with estimated breeding values (EBV) for postweaning fecal egg count (PFEC), an indicator of GIN resistance. Our objective was to gauge the effects of including PFEC as another selection criterion and goal trait. Selection index theory was used to construct 11 indexes. …

Analyses Of Whole-Genome Sequences From 185 North American Thoroughbred Horses, Spanning 5 Generations, Ernie Bailey, Carrie J. Finno, Jonah N. Cullen, Ted Kalbfleisch, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Whole genome sequences (WGS) of 185 North American Thoroughbred horses were compared to quantify the number and frequency of variants, diversity of mitotypes, and autosomal runs of homozygosity (ROH). Of the samples, 82 horses were born between 1965 and 1986 (Group 1); the remaining 103, selected to maximize pedigree diversity, were born between 2000 and 2020 (Group 2). Over 14.3 million autosomal variants were identified with 4.5–5.0 million found per horse. Mitochondrial sequences associated the North American Thoroughbreds with 9 of 17 clades previously identified among diverse breeds. Individual coefficients of inbreeding, estimated from ROH, averaged 0.266 (Group 1) and …

Breeding Ewes Are Worth Feeding, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Despite potentially elevated grain prices, strong prices for meat and wool mean that Western Australian sheep farmers can confidently supplementary feed their underweight ewes in summer/autumn.

Analysis in 2019, based on then-current prices, showed it was a profitable investment to feed all ewes to maintain condition during pregnancy, and to feed low condition score single bearing ewes and low and medium condition score twin bearing ewes to gain condition.

In 2019, John Young from Farming Systems Analysis Service completed an analysis on the value of a ewe in the WA farming system. His report had some important messages for the …

Technical Note: Assessing Gps Sensor Accuracy Using Real-Time Kinematic Device For Livestock Tracking, Biquan Zhao, Rebecca Mcdermott, Galen E. Erickson, Yijie Xiong

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The technical aspects of global positioning system (GPS) sensors have been improved substantially over the years, making them valuable and popular tools for livestock tracking. Using GPS sensors allows producers and researchers to locate grazing livestock, monitor their behavior and distribution, and gather referencing information about the health status of the animals and pastures. However, interpreting the behavior of grazing livestock, such as cattle, from GPS data can be difficult due to positioning inaccuracies. Without knowing the positioning accuracy range of GPS sensors, achieving high-level confidence in determining grazing densities and identifying abnormal livestock movement patterns is challenging. …

Knockdown Of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Ii Receptor Impairs Ovulation Rate, Corpus Luteum Development, And Progesterone Production In Gilts, Amy T. Desaulniers, Rebecca Cederberg, Clay A. Lents, Brett White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Reproduction is classically controlled by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-I) and its receptor (GnRHR-I) within the brain. In pigs, a second form (GnRH-II) and its specific receptor (GnRHR-II) are also produced, with greater abundance in peripheral vs. central reproductive tissues. The binding of GnRH-II to GnRHR-II has been implicated in the autocrine/paracrine regulation of gonadal steroidogenesis rather than gonadotropin secretion. Blood samples were collected from transgenic gilts, with the ubiquitous knockdown of GnRHR-II (GnRHR-II KD; n = 8) and littermate controls (n = 7) at the onset of estrus (follicular) and 10 days later (luteal); serum concentrations of 16 steroid hormones …