Animal Sciences Commons^™

Short Communication: Detection Of Yeast Dna In Omasal Digesta Of Dairy Cows Consuming Dried Distillers Grains And Solubles, E. Castillo-Lopez, Paul J. Kononoff, Jess L. Miner

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Purine analysis is widely used to estimate microbial crude protein (MCP) flow, and the method assumes that all purines contained in feed are degraded in the rumen and that purines detected are of microbial origin. The objectives of our experiment were (1) to determine if DNA from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) contained in dried distillers grains and solubles (DDGS) escapes degradation in the rumen and (2) to estimate the proportion of yeast DNA compared with total bacterial DNA in omasal samples. Two ruminally fistulated Holstein dairy cows averaging 649 kg (SD = 42.0) and 126 d in milk (SD …

Effect Of Pen Mates On Growth, Backfat Depth, And Longissimus Muscle Area Of Swine, W. L. Hsu, Rodger K. Johnson, L. Dale Van Vleck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Records on final BW (kg), backfat depth (cm), and LM area (cm²) of pigs from a University of Nebraska Large White/Landrace composite population were analyzed to estimate the effects of pen mates. Measurements were at approximately 180 d of age for 3,524 pigs in 351 pens (9 to 11 pigs per pen) farrowed from 1999 to 2005. The area of each pen was 8.13 m². The full model (M1) included the fixed effects of contemporary group, sex, line, and the covariates of age and inbreeding coefficient, and included random direct genetic, genetic pen-mate, permanent environmental, pen, …

Validation Of Live Animal Ultrasonic Measurements Of Body Composition In Market Lambs, J. C. Emenheiser, S. P. Greiner, Ronald M. Lewis, D. R. Notter

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Market lambs from the state fair of Virginia (n = 172) were ultrasonically evaluated by 4 scan technicians and 3 image interpreters to determine accuracy of ultrasonic estimates of loin muscle area (ULMA), backfat thickness (UBF), and body wall thickness (UBW). Lambs were initially scanned at the preferred magnification setting of each technician; 2 chose 1.5× and 2 chose 2.0×. Lambs were then scanned a second time for ULMA and UBF with machine magnification settings changed from 1.5 to 2.0×, or vice versa, midway through the second scan. Lambs were then slaughtered, and analogous measurements [carcass loin muscle area, …

Feed Intake Of Sheep As Affected By Body Weight, Breed, Sex, And Feed Composition, R. M. Lewis, G. C. Emmans

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The hypotheses tested were that genetic size-scaling for mature BW (A, kg) would reduce variation in intake between kinds of sheep and that quadratic polynomials on u = BW/A with zero intercept would provide good descriptions of the relationship between scaled intake (SI, g/A0.73 d) and degree of maturity in BW (u) across feeds of differing quality. Both sexes of Suffolk sheep from 2 experimental lines (n = 225) and from 3 breed types (Suffolk, Scottish Blackface, and their cross; n = 149) were recorded weekly for ad libitum feed intake and BW; recording of intake was from weaning through, …

Evidence Of Pachyostosis In The Cryptocleidoid Plesiosaur Tatenectes Laramiensis From The Sundance Formation Of Wyoming, Hallie P. Street, F. Robin O’Keefe

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

In this paper we present evidence for pachyostosis in the cryptocleidoid plesiosaur Tatenectes laramiensis Knight, 1900 (O'Keefe and Wahl, 2003a). Pachyostosis is not common in plesiosaurs and is particularly rare in non-pliosaurian plesiosaurs, although enlarged gastralia were first recognized in Tatenectes by Wahl (1999). This study aims to investigate the nature of the disproportionately large gastralia of Tatenectes m greater depth, based on new material. A recently discovered partial skeleton consisting of a dorsal vertebral series, ribs, gastralia, and a complete pelvic girdle was collected from the Jurassic-aged Sundance Formation of the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming during the summer of …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Otolith Chemistry For Tautog (Tautoga Onitis) In Narragansett Bay And Rhode Island Coastal Ponds, Ivan Mateo, Edward G. Durbin, David A. Bengtson, Richard Kingsley, Peter K. Swart, Daisy Durant

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The elemental composition of otoliths may provide valuable information for establishing connectivity between fish nursery grounds and adult fish populations. Concentrations of Rb, Mg, Ca, Mn, Sr, Na, K, Sr, Pb, and Ba were determined by using solution-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in otoliths of young-of-the year tautog (Tautoga onitis) captured in nursery areas along the Rhode Island coast during two consecutive years. Stable oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopic ratios in young-of-the year otoliths were also analyzed with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Chemical signatures differed significantly among the distinct nurseries within Narragansett …

The Influence Of Affiliative Relations On Copulatory Behaviors Of Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana), Laura P. Ginn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The genus Macaca is the largest and most widely distributed primate genus, but M. thibetana remains understudied. Field research on this species has focused on dominance style, post-conflict behaviors, and the effects of eco-tourism, with limited research on sexual selection. As a sexually dimorphic species with linear hierarchies, rank is expected to play a role in mate choice; however, recent data suggest that male rank is not correlated with mating. This study examined affiliative behaviors of male-female dyads in a free-living group of Tibetan macaques at Mt. Huangshan, China to assess whether affiliative interactions influenced copulation patterns. The proportion of …

Effects Of Uv Light On Local Stream Frog Behavior, John Buie, Eiichiro Uemura, Candy Hwang, D. Lee, Craig Sutter, Evan Mattiasen, Thomas Vandergon, Rodney Honeycutt, Lee Kats

Featured Research

Amphibian declines have been well documented throughout the world. Several studies have examined whether UV radiation from the sun is a possible contributing cause to declining populations. In Southern California, two closely related species of treefrogs, Pseudacris hypochondriaca and Pseudacris cadaverina, coexist in many perennial streams. P. hypochondriaca is primarily nocturnal while P. cadaverina is known to bask in direct sunlight. The purpose of the study is to determine how the two different species of frogs will react under different types of light emitted by a portable flashlight. The light was emitting either UV radiation or visible light, or …

Conceptual Model For Thermal Limits On The Distribution Of Reptiles, J. Sean Doody, Jennifer A. Moore

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Recent climate change has re-invigorated scientific interest in the dynamics of geographic distributions of organisms. Climate responses and their biogeographical ramifications can be predicted indirectly by studying variation in fitness-related traits across environmental gradients in wide-ranging species. We review evidence for such variation in reptiles. Clinal variation in seasonal timing (onset) of nesting is common but may offer only minor compensation. In contrast, clinal variation in nesting behavior in two wide-ranging species suggests that reptiles can use nest site choice to counter climate differences. We suggest that when range boundaries located at climate extremes are determined by thermal conditions of …

Comparative Evaluation Of Clinical Samples From Naturally Infected Dogs For Early Detection Of Canine Distemper Virus, Muhammad Zubair Shabbir, Masood Rabbani, Arfan Ahmad, Ali̇ Ahmed, Khushi Muhammad, Ikram Anwar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Early detection of canine distemper (CD) is critical for appropriate and timely treatment. The present study included 45 suspected cases with respiratory signs for a comparative evaluation of clinical samples in the early detection of canine distemper virus (CDV). Thirty-four dogs exhibited digestive system involvement, but none showed any neurological symptoms. Clinical progression of CD, based on age, sex, vaccination status, disease, and clinical findings, was observed. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect viral nucleoprotein RNA in plasma, conjunctival and nasal swabs. Only 10 dogs were positive for CDV infection. Among the 45 dogs, CDV RNA …

Oral Inoculation With Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium Or Choleraesuis Promotes Divergent Responses In The Somatotropic Growth Axis Of Swine, B. L. Davis, J. N. Fraser, Thomas E. Burkey, K. A. Skjolaas, S. S. Dritz, B. J. Johnson, J. E. Minton

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Enteric disease and immune challenge are processes that have detrimental effects on the growth performance of young swine. The current study tested the hypothesis that salmonella-induced enteric disease would perturb the endocrine growth axis in a serovar-dependent fashion. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Typhimurium) and serovar Choleraesuis (Choleraesuis) on critical regulatory components of growth in young swine. Weaned pigs were housed 2 per pen with ad libitum access to feed and water in a 14-d experiment. Pigs were then repeatedly fed 108 cfu of either Choleraesuis or Typhimurium in dough balls, with control pigs receiving …

Environmental And Endogenous Factors Influencing Emigration In Juvenile Anadromous Alewives, Benjamin I. Gahagan, Eric T. Schultz, Katie E. Gherard

EEB Articles

We analyzed juvenile anadromous alewife migration at Bride Lake, a coastal lake in Connecticut, during summer 2006 and found that migration on 24-hour and seasonal timescales was influenced by conditions of the environment and characteristics of the individual. To identify environmental cues of juvenile migration, we continuously video recorded fish at the lake outflow and employed information-theoretic model selection to identify the best predictors of daily migration rate. More than 80% of the approximately 320,000 juveniles that migrated from mid-June to mid-August departed in three pulses lasting one or two days. Pulses of migration were associated with precipitation events, transient …

Potassium For High Rainfall Pastures, Mike Bolland, Bill Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

Potassium plays a major role in plant growth. It maintains the solutions in plant cells at ionic strengths suitable for maintaining strong plant walls and for the proper functioning of leaf pores (stomata) and plant processes such as photosynthesis, transport of sugars and enzyme activation.

Potassium does not become a direct part of the plant structure but acts to regulate water balances, nutrient and sugar movement in plant tissue. Plants deficient in potassium cannot use other nutrients and water efficiently. They are less tolerant of stresses such as drought and waterlogging and are more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Evaluation Of Storage Covers When Wet Distillers Byproducts Are Mixed And Stored With Forages, Dana L. Christensen, Kelsey Rolfe, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Wet corn co-products were mixed with forage and stored in 55 gallon barrelswith different covers mimicking bunker storage methods to determine shrink losses and spoilage. Three mix combinations and seven cover treatments were used to compare spoilage levels of covered co-product mixes vs. uncovered mixes. Spoilage and losses of the mix were effectively reduced with all covers, with losses reduced from 8 to 9% when uncovered, to 1 to 5% when different cover treatments were used.

Alternative Muscles For Traditional Japanese And Korean Beef Recipes, Chris R. Calkins, Amilton S. Demello, Lasika S. Senaratne, Kanae Watanabe

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This research was conducted to identify alternative cuts that would be acceptable in popular dishes in Japan and Korea in order to encourage usage of a broader portion of beef carcasses that qualify for export. Typical dishes were tested twice (6 panels per country) using traditional and three alternative beef muscles. Dishes were compared regarding appearance, aroma, juiciness, tenderness, flavor, and overall acceptability by natives of each country who served as panelists. Japanese dishes were sukiyaki (sauté), shabu-shabu (hot pot), and yakiniku (grill); Korean dishes were jang jo rim (boiled), miyeok-guk (soup), and kalbi (grill). Alternative muscles were selected because …

Comparing Ensiled Or Fresh Mixed Wet Distillers Grains With Solubles With Straw At Two Inclusions In Growing Calf Diets, Crystal D. Buckner, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson, William A. Griffin, Joshua R. Benton

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study evaluated feeding ensiled or freshly mixed wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) with straw at 2 blends and the effect of an inoculum with the ensiled mixture on steer calf performance. Treatments included 30 or 45% WDGS (DM basis) mixed with straw and fed either as a fresh mix or ensiled with and without a microbial inoculum. No significant interactions were observed between type and level of mix. Steers fed the ensiled mixes had higher ADG and lower F:G compared to those fed the fresh mix.

Fiber Digestibility And Rumen Ph For Diets Containing Wet Corn Gluten Feed Or Wet Distillers Grains With Solubles, Crystal D. Buckner, Kelsey Rolfe, Nathan Meyer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Seven ruminally cannulated steers were used to evaluate fiber digestibility and rumen pH for diets containing 35 or 88% wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) or 35% wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS). These diets were top-dressed with or without a direct-fed microbial (DFM). Interactions were observed for DM and NDF digestibility. Feeding 88% WCGF decreased DM digestibility, but NDF digestibility increased especially with the DFM. Rumen pH was greatest for steers fed 88% WCGF and lowest for steers fed 35% WCGF.

Distillers Grains And Livestock Are Important To Ethanol Energy And Greenhouse Gas Balance, Virgil R. Bremer, Adam J. Liska, Haishun Yang, Daniel T. Walters, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Richard K. Koelsch, Kenneth G. Cassman

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A life cycle assessment of the impact of distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) on mitigation of energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions comparing corn ethanol to gasoline demonstrates the importanceof feeding wet DGS (WDGS) to feedlot cattle to optimize the environmental benefit of ethanol production relative to gasoline. Ethanol produced in Nebraska has a superior environmentalimpact compared to ethanol produced in Iowa or Texas.

Tympanic Temperature Of Steers Fed Different Levels Of Metabolic Energy Intake During Summer And Winter, Rodrigo A. Arias, Terry L. Mader

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Tympanic temperatures (TT) of steers were recorded during July (8 days) and January (6 days). In each experiment, steers were fed 11, 18, or 25 Mcal/day ME in a roughage-based diet, or 18, 25, or 32 Mcal/day ME in a concentrate-based diet. Tympanic temperatures were greater during summer than during winter. Also, steers fed a concentrate diet had greater TT than those fed a roughage diet. Linear equations were obtained to estimate TT of cattle for summer and winter seasons. During the winter, TT response to MEI was dependent on the type of diet. Resultsdemonstrate that increases in the energy …

Effects Of Feeding Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles And Vitamin E On Beef Tenderness And Color Under Different Packaging Systems, Amilton S. De Mello, Kanae Watanabe, Chris R. Calkins, Lasika S. Senaratne, Timothy P. Carr, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The effects of feeding wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS), vitamin E supplementation (E), and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and sensorial tenderness were investigated in m. longissimus lumborum aged 7 or 21 days. Steers (n = 90) were allocated to dietary treatments consisting of corn or 35% WDGS with 0, 100, 300, 500, and 1000 I.U. of E per head daily. Afteraging, muscles were displayed for 5 days under O2 permeable film, high O2 and low O2 atmospheres. Feeding 1000E extendedcolor stability of permeable film-packaged steaks during retail display. Feeding WDGS led to higher …