Animal Sciences Commons^™

Feeding Strategies And Milking Behavior In Robotic Milking Systems, Katherine M. Kennedy, Elizabeth French, Porter D. Ricks, Emma K. Lundgreen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Adoption of automatic milking systems (AMS) in the US are expected to increase rapidly in the coming years driven primarily by a desire to improve labor efficiency and flexibility and decrease reliance on hired labor. As such, feeding and milking strategies to best optimize milk production and economic gains tailored to US dairy production systems are needed. Initially introduced as a method to encourage the cow to visit the AMS more frequently, offered feeds through the AMS provide an opportunity to individualize nutrient needs. Often, a pelleted concentrate is offered through the AMS due to its uniformity and customizable nature. …

Continuous Light And Pinealectomy: Two Models Of Melatonin Deficiency Revealing Distinct Interactions With Vitamin D Deficiency On Blood Parameters, Rebaz Sedeeq Shekh, Ismail Mustafa Maulood

Polytechnic Journal

Modern lifestyles reduce sunlight exposure and increase artificial light at night, potentially promoting vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and melatonin (MEL) suppression. The two hormones regulate immunity, erythropoiesis, and platelet (PLT) indices, but their combined hematological effects are not well characterized. We investigated the independent and combined effects of VDD and MEL deficiency on leukocyte profiles, erythrocyte indices, and PLT parameters in albino rats using two 12-week models (n = 8/group): continuous light (CL)-induced MEL suppression (Control, CL, VDD, and CL + VDD) and pinealectomy (Px)-induced MEL deficiency (Sham. Px, VDD, Px + VDD). Complete blood counts (CBCs) and inflammation-related ratios …

Exploring Decision-Making In Caenorhabditis Elegans: Navigating Dichotomous Envrionmental Cues, Hunarmeet K. Gill

Caroliniana Undergraduate Research Journal

All living organisms thrive off the survival choices they make and the factors they prioritize, but the mechanisms guiding these choices remain unclear. This study investigates decision-making in Caenorhabditis elegans, aiming to understand how they navigate dichotomous environments that contain both attractive and aversive cues. Despite possessing a simple nervous system, C. elegans express behaviors indicating a level of advanced sensory-processing abilities, making them ideal models for studying decision-making processes. The experiment consisted of five separate petri-dish tests, each with three sections: side A and side B (containing natural or UV light and/or E.coli or ethanol), and a neutral …

Evaluating Elisa-Based Domoic Acid Detection Methods In Fetal And Maternal Samples Of California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus), Deanie Woodruff, Emily Lickiss, Samuel Gardiner, Mia Gastile, Elizabeth Sandoval, Florybeth La Valle

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Harmful algal blooms produced by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia regularly expose marine mammals along the California coast to domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in marine food webs. In California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), domoic acid exposure is associated with seizures, hippocampal injury, and maternal-fetal transfer of the toxin that can result in abortion. Bloom events have led to large numbers of stranded sea lions along the California coast. Although some clinical and neurological effects of domoic acid toxicosis have been documented, especially with regard to the hippocampus, there is limited understanding of how domoic acid concentrations fluctuate over the …

Hot Cities, Cool Lizards: Do College Campuses Create Urban Oases For Wildlife?, Ethan Heck, Javier Monzon Phd

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Urban wildlife may experience stress due to the Urban Heat Island Effect. On the other hand, urban wildlife may experience relief, especially in arid ecosystems, due to the Urban Oasis Effect. The objective of this study was to test whether college campuses in southern California act as heat islands or oases for wildlife. We analyzed how temperature and water availability of microhabitats relate to the physiology of a widespread and common cold-blooded animal, the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). We logged environmental conditions in lizard hotspots at 11 university campuses across southern California and measured the hydration of lizards at …

Forest Characteristics And Avian Community Differences Among Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga Cerulea) Use Types, Dustin Kohler

ATU Scholars Symposium

Avian species are often used to measure the health of an ecosystem, in part because the specific forest structure can significantly impact the avian community. A heterogeneous landscape can support a more diverse avian community and benefit specialist species like the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a rapidly declining, neotropical migrant that can be found in large deciduous forests. The Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas represent a small core area for the species, but at all sites in the upland Ozarks where Cerulean Warbler research has been conducted, there are fewer individuals than there were twenty years ago; some …

Population Loss And Site Abandonment Of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga Cerulea) In The Ozarks, Brayden D. Johnson, Dustin Kohler

ATU Scholars Symposium

Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) have declined across their breeding range, including the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where historically occupied sites have experienced reduced populations or abandonment. Understanding population trends and habitat structure is important for informing forest management and conservation. This study compares historic and current Cerulean Warbler counts at selected upland sites within the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest and evaluates whether differences in canopy composition between abandoned historic sites and foraging sites currently used by Cerulean Warblers can explain site abandonment. Population trajectories varied among sites. Cherry Bend remained consistently occupied from 1998-2004 with 16-24 individuals and supported 17 …

Comprehensive Temporal, Spatial, And Environmental Analysis Of Arkansas Tournament Information Program (Atip) Data With A Lake Dardanelle Case Study., Jeffrey G. Phillips

ATU Scholars Symposium

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) established the Arkansas Tournament Information Program (ATIP) in 1990 to provide a long-term, standardized dataset to describe Black Bass (Micropterus spp.) tournament outcomes, angler performance, and fish size structures across Arkansas, yet most of its analytical potential has not been fully explored beyond yearly summary reports. This project will use ATIP data from 1990 to 2027 and a biological case study from Lake Dardanelle to evaluate long-term trends, compare lake-specific performance, identify environmental drivers of tournament success, access how well tournament data represents true Black Bass populations, and create an “average” year benchmark …

Grassland Bird Community Responses To Fire Management, Mason H. Dillard

ATU Scholars Symposium

Vegetation structure plays a major role in determining avian community makeup. Controlled burn frequency changes vegetation structure and consequently the makeup of avian communities. To examine this relationship, I surveyed breeding birds in grasslands and savannahs of the Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley, and Northwest Arkansas. I created models to outline the relationship between these three factors (avian community, fire management, and vegetation structure.) I also examined surrounding land cover and patch size as potential variables that may impact avian community structures.

I will outline the role fire management plays in determining the makeup of breeding bird communities in grasslands, …

Fish Community Assessment Of Goose Pond Natural Area, Macy Sparks

ATU Scholars Symposium

Natural areas play an integral role in the preservation and conservation of unique ecosystems (i.e., natural wetlands). However, many natural areas have never had a biological inventory of species utilizing these areas. Goose Pond Natural Area (Conway County and Pope County, Arkansas) is one of those natural areas lacking species occurrence data. We addressed this data gap by sampling fish species across multiple habitat types (shallow woody wetland, open grassy wetland, and stream). We employed multiple gear types (mesh umbrella minnow traps, seines, gill nets, mini-fyke nets, and backpack electrofishing) in hopes of increasing species detection. Sites within the natural …

Bluebird Bait: Quantifying The Attraction Of Ectoparasites To Nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Ella Grace Bollinger

ATU Scholars Symposium

Ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), blackflies (Simuliidae), and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), have been shown to reduce population viability by lowering post-fledging survival and decreasing the lifetime reproductive success of adult birds. This issue is particularly concerning for songbirds such as the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) because their nestlings are relatively naked and have limited mobility, making them highly vulnerable to attacks by biting flies. However, the specific mechanisms attracting ectoparasites to nests remain understudied. We hypothesized that biting fly and mosquito abundance would be significantly higher at active Eastern Bluebird nests than that of empty boxes and would increase with …

Assessing The Effect Of A Human-Made Reservoir On The Mussel Community In Caney Creek, Trakker Estes

ATU Scholars Symposium

Freshwater mussels are one of the most threatened taxonomic groups globally, with less than 32% of North American taxa considered secure. In Arkansas, over half of the state’s 85 species are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Small impoundments may contribute to these declines through reduced hydrological connectivity and the resulting decline of fish community movement. This study examines the effects of Tri-County Lake, a small impoundment of Caney Creek in southern Arkansas, on mussel abundance and diversity. In total, eight sites were surveyed upstream, within, and downstream of the impoundment across various habitat types. A timed-search approach utilizing scuba …

Colostrum Fatty Acid Composition And Its Association With Reproductive Traits In Sows Under Tropical Conditions, Dwi Sunu Datrianto, Kunaporn Homyog, Surasak Jittakhot, Padet Tummaruk

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Colostrum provides essential nutrients and immune factors that newborn piglets can absorb only within the first 24 h after birth. Fatty acids are essential for neonatal physiology, supporting thermoregulation, neurodevelopment, and immune function, and serving as a key energy source to reduce hypothermia and mortality in piglets. However, information on the fatty acid composition of sow colostrum under tropical conditions and its relationship with reproductive performance remains limited, warranting further investigation to improve piglet survival. This study evaluated the fatty acid profile of sow colostrum under tropical production conditions and examined its associations with reproductive traits. Colostrum samples were collected …

Detection Of Lupine Alkaloids In Earwax Of Sheep, Clinton A. Stonecipher, Stephen T. Lee, Benedict T. Green, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are a common plant species located on western U.S. rangelands. Most livestock death losses due to lupine toxicosis occur in sheep. Cattle are often affected due to the teratogenic nature of lupines in which crooked calf syndrome can occur. Earwax has been used to detect lupine alkaloids in cattle, but it is unknown if the alkaloids in lupine can be detected in the earwax of sheep. The objective of this study was to evaluate earwax as a noninvasive specimen to determine sheep exposure to lupine. Fifteen sheep (45 ± 3.8 kg body weight) were group housed …

The Effect Of Livelihood Capital Accessibility On The Financial Security And Financial Well-Being Of Sheep Farming Households (Survey In Wanaraja Subdistrict, Garut Regency), Suhendarsyah Suhendarsyah, Unang Yunasaf, Sondi Kuswaryan

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

This study analyzed the influence of livelihood capital accessibility on the financial security and financial well-being of sheep-farming households in Wanaraja Subdistrict, Garut Regency. A quantitative approach was used through a survey with organized interviews of 95 sheep farmers. The research variables include livelihood capital accessibility (X), financial security (Z), and financial well-being (Y). The livelihood capital accessibility construct was built as a Higher-Order Construct with five dimensions: human, natural, financial and physical capital. Data analysis used Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS_SEM) with a two-stage approach. The results evince that social capital are the most influential dimensions in …

Reproductive Performance Of Friesian Holstein Crossbred Dairy Cattle After A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Outbreak In Lembang, Indonesia, Hanunghanindito Pamungkas, Septiyani Septiyani, Nurcholidah Solihati

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that may impair reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the reproductive performance of Friesian Holstein crossbred dairy cows following an FMD outbreak at UPTD BPTSP and HPT Cikole, Lembang, West Java, Indonesia. A retrospective study was conducted using reproductive records collected from 2019 to 2023. The reproductive parameters analyzed were calving interval, service per conception, conception rate, service period, and first mating postpartum. Differences between the pre- and post-FMD periods were assessed using paired sample t-tests. The results showed significant differences in calving interval, service …

Polymorphism Of The Mx Gene In Riau Kampung Chickens, Elfawati Elfawati, Restu Misrianti, Sadarman Sadarman

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

One of the genetic markers for avian influenza is the Mx gene. The purposed of this study was to determine the polymorphism of the Mx gene of kampung chicken in Riau Province. A total of 61 samples from three subpopulations have been genotyped using PCR-RFLP. Allele and genotype frequencies have been calculated using PopGene. The Mx gene was amplified, producing a DNA fragment measuring 299 base pairs. This fragment was digested with the Hpy81 enzyme, which yielded three genotypes: the AA genotype showed by a single 299 bp band; AG showed by 299, 200, and 99 bp bands; and GG …

The Potency Of Inulin Extraction Waste Fermentation From Local Tubers As A Feed Additive, Mohamad Septian, Danes Suhendra, Mikael Sihite, Dyah Saputri

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

This study aims to determine the potential of inulin extraction waste fermentation as a feed additive based on the content of lactic acid, dry matter, pH, and Fleigh points. This research was conducted from March to June 2022 at the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Laboratory, Tidar University. The experimental design used in this study was a Completely Randomized Design with 4 treatments (fermentation of inulin extraction waste: T1 Dioscorea alata (uwi), T2: ganyong (Dioscorea alata discolor), T3: gadung(Dioscorea hispida), and T4: umbi ungu (Ipomoea batatas). Each treatment was replicated 5 times. The variables …

The Potential Of Bioactive Peptides From Goat Milk Kefir With Antibacterial Activity As An Antibiotic Substitute, Dhea Athillah, Jajang Gumilar, Eka Wulandari

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak Universitas Padjadjaran

This study aims to determine the optimal incubation time for goat milk kefir that produces the highest antibacterial peptides, and to determine the antibacterial activity of purified goat milk kefir. Protein levels were determined using the microassay method. Kefir, which is known to have the best incubation time for producing the highest antibacterial activity when ultrafiltered with a 10 kDa cut-off membrane, was analyzed for its molecular weight using SDS-PAGE. The antibacterial activity was tested against pathogenic bacteria E. coli and S. aureus. The highest soluble protein content was found in kefir incubated for 36 hours, with a soluble …

Ratfish (Chimaera Monstrosa) Chondocranium, Riley B. Glogowski, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.