Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons^™

Evaluation Of Masters Choice Corn Silage On Growing Steer Performance, Jiehua Xiong, Bradley M. Boyd, Levi Mcphillips, Kyle Vosburgh, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A growing study evaluated three corn silage hybrids on growing steer performance. Th e three hybrids were: a conventional hybrid- Farm Choice (CON) commonly grown in Eastern Nebraska which served as the control, Masters Choice hybrids MCT6365 RIB (MC1) selected to improve fi ber and starch digestion and MCT6733 GT3000 (MC2) that has been selected to improve fi ber digestion in cattle. Relative to CON, feeding hybrid MC1 resulted in similar DMI, but numerically increased ADG which significantly improved F:G compared to CON. Feeding MC2 led to greater DMI, similar ADG, and poorer (greater) F:G compared to CON. Feeding Masters …

Evaluation Of Level Of Milk Potential On Nutrient Balance In 2- And 4- Year- Old May- Calving Range Cows Grazing Sandhills Upland Range, J. Travis Mulliniks, Don C. Adams

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A modeling study evaluated the effects of milk production level on nutrient balance in May- calving cows grazing Sandhills upland range during the breeding season. Forage quality of upland range peaks in June and steadily declines in July until November. With timing of forage quality decline and increasing nutrient demands due to lactation, cows were in a negative energy balance in late June and early July prior to deficiency of metabolizable protein. Supplementation to meet energy deficiencies in June and July and MP deficiencies in July with distiller grains that is high ruminally undegradable protein and high fiber energy may …

Evaluation Of Rup Content Of Nexpro Dried Distillers Grains Plus Solubles And Their Effect On Growing Calf Performance In Corn Silage Based Diets, Aksel R. Wiseman, Zachary E. Carlson, Levi J. Mcphillips, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson, Scott L. Tilton

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A growing study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing NexPro, a high- protein dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) from the FluidQuip MSC post- fermentation separation process, in a corn- silage based diet and to determine the rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content of NexPro. Three test proteins (NexPro, SoyPass, and soybean meal) and 4 inclusion levels (4.5, 9, 13.5, and 18%) were evaluated against a common control (0% test protein). Th ere were no differences in dry matter intake among treatments. Increasing inclusion of NexPro resulted in improved feed conversion and daily gain. SoyPass and soybean meal supplementation …

Forage Production And Calf Gains When Grazing Oats Following Corn Harvest, Mckenna M. Brinton, Benjamin H. Hansen, Kristen M. Ulmer, Zachary E. Carlson, F. Henry Hilscher, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 4 yr. study was conducted to evaluate forage yield and grazing potential of double cropped annual forages following corn silage or high- moisture corn harvest. An irrigated field in a corn- soybean rotation was split in half and harvested as either corn silage or high- moisture corn, and crops were sampled to determine any effects on subsequent yield due to cover and grazing. Over the four years, steers grazing oats aft er corn silage harvest gained an average of 2.35 lb/d, while those grazing corn residue and oats aft er high- moisture corn harvest averaged 1.28 lb/d. Average oat …

Evaluation Of Fluidquip Fiber Stream Dried Distillers Grains Plus Solubles On Performance And Carcass Characteristics In Finishing Diets, Aksel R. Wiseman, Bradley M. Boyd, Levi J. Mcphillips, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson, Scott L. Tilton

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A finishing study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) from the MSC- fi ber stream of the FluidQuip post- fermentation fiber separation process compared to conventional DDGS at two inclusion levels (20% and 40% of diet dry matter). Inclusion of DDGS from MSC or conventional processing methods resulted in increased dry matter intake and daily gain. Despite increased gain, feed conversion tended to be worse for MSC DDGS. Daily gain tended to respond quadratically with increasing inclusion of conventional DDGS with gain increasing from 0 to 20% inclusion, but decreasing from 20 …

Statistics Used In The Nebraska Beef Cattle Report And Their Purpose

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Th e purpose of beef cattle and beef product research at UNL is to provide reference information that represents the various populations (cows, calves, heifers, feeders, carcasses, retail products, etc) of beef production. Obviously, the researcher cannot apply treatments to every member of a population; therefore he/she must sample the population. Th e use of statistics allows the researcher and readers of the Nebraska Beef Cattle Report the opportunity to evaluate separation of random (chance) occurrences and real biological effects of a treatment. Following is a brief description of the major statistics used in the beef report. For a more …

Impact Of Myoglobin Oxygenation State On Color Stability Of Frozen Beef Steaks, Morgan L. Henriott, Felipe A. Ribeiro, Nicolas J. Herrera, Kellen B. Hart, Nicolas A. Bland, Chris Calkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of myoglobin oxygenation level and frozen storage duration on frozen beef color. Strip loins were wet- aged for 4 or 20 days and were fabricated into steaks that were assigned a myoglobin oxygenation level (highly oxygenated, lowly oxygenated, or deoxymyoglobin) and packaging film (impermeable or permeable). Steaks were then frozen for 0, 2, 4, or 6 months of storage and analyzed for various beef color measurements. Highly oxygenated steaks had greater a* values (redness) and percent oxymyoglobin compared to the other treatments. Frozen storage beyond 4 months and oxygen impermeable …

Dose Titration Of Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Replacing Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn And Interaction Between Corn Type And Distillers Inclusion, Mckenna M. Brinton, Bradley M. Boyd, Brianna B. Conroy, Hannah C. Wilson, J. C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

incomplete 2×4 factorial finishing study evaluated the effect of corn hybrid fed as dry- rolled corn, and inclusion level of wet distillers grains plus solubles on finishing performance of yearling steers. Th e two hybrids included a conventional commercial corn and Syngenta’s Enogen Feed Corn which contains an alpha amylase enzyme trait. Diets contained 0, 15, 30, or 45% with Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn and 0 or 30% wet distillers grains plus solubles in control corn diets. Increasing wet distillers grains plus solubles with Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn linearly increased hot carcass weight, dry matter intake, and average daily gain, …

Nutrient Digestibility Of Condensed Algal Residue Solubles In Beef Cattle Fishing Diets, Mitchell M. Norman, Hannah C. Wilson, Andrea K. Watson, Galen E. Erickson, Jonathan W. Wilson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Condensed algal residue solubles (CARS) were evaluated in finishing cattle diets. Six treatments were evaluated (2 × 3 factorial arrangement), CARS inclusion in the diet at 0, 5, or 10% of diet dry matter with 0 or 20% wet distillers grains. Th e remainder of the diets consisted of 57.5– 87.5% dry rolled corn, 7.5% sorghum silage and 5% supplement. Increasing wet distillers grains in the diet had no effect on dry matter and organic matter intake but decreased dry matter and organic matter digestibility. Increasing CARS inclusion in the diet resulted in lower dry matter and organic matter intake …

Mixed Ancestry From Wild And Domestic Lineages Contributes To The Rapid Expansion Of Invasive Feral Swine, Timothy J. Smyser, Michael A. Tabak, Chris Slootmaker, Michael S. Robeson Ii, Ryan S. Miller, Mirte Bosse, Hendrik-Jan Megens, Martien A.M. Groenen, Samuel Rezende Paiva, Danielle Assis De Faria, Harvey D. Blackburn, Brandon S. Schmit, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive alien species are a significant threat to both economic and ecological systems. Identifying the processes that give rise to invasive populations is essential for implementing effective control strategies. We conducted an ancestry analysis of invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758), a highly destructive ungulate that is widely distributed throughout the contiguous United States, to describe introduction pathways, sources of newly emergent populations and processes contributing to an ongoing invasion. Comparisons of high-density single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes for 6,566 invasive feral swine to a comprehensive reference set of S. scrofa revealed that the vast majority of feral swine were …

The Role Of European Starlings (Sturnus Vulgaris) In The Dissemination Of Multidrug- Resistant Escherichia Coli Among Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Jennifer E. Anders, Nicolas A. Blouin, James C. Carlson, Jeffrey T. Lejeune, Lawrence D. Goodridge, Baolin Wang, Leslie A. Day, Anna M. Mangan, Dustin A. Reid, Shannon M. Coleman, Matthew W. Hopken, Bledar Bisha

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antimicrobial use in livestock production is a driver for the development and proliferation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Wildlife interactions with livestock, acquiring associated AMR bacteria and genes, and wildlife’s subsequent dispersal across the landscape are hypothesized to play an important role in the ecology of AMR. Here, we examined priority AMR phenotypes and genotypes of Escherichia coli isolated from the gastrointestinal tracts of european starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) found on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). European starlings may be present in high numbers on cAfos (>100,000 birds), interact with urban environments, and can migrate distances exceeding 1,500 km in North …

Reporting The Limits Of Detection And Quantification For Environmental Dna Assays, Katy E. Klymus, Christopher M. Merkes, Michael J. Allison, Caren S. Goldberg, Caren C. Helbing, Margaret E. Hunter, Craig A. Jackson, Richard F. Lance, Anna M. Mangan, Emy M. Monroe, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Joel P. Stokdyk, Chris C. Wilson, Catherine A. Richter

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is increasingly being used to detect the presence and relative abundance of rare species, especially invasive or imperiled aquatic species. The rapid progress in the eDNA field has resulted in numerous studies impacting conservation and management actions. However, standardization of eDNA methods and reporting across the field is yet to be fully established, with one area being the calculation and interpretation of assay limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ).

Aims: Here, we propose establishing consistent methods for determining and reporting of LOD and LOQ for single‐species quantitative PCR (qPCR) eDNA studies.

Materials …

Safety, Immunogenicity, And Efficacy Of Intramuscular And Oral Delivery Of Era-G333 Recombinant Rabies Virus Vaccine To Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus), Amy T. Gilbert, Xianfu Wu, Felix R. Jackson, Richard Franka, Gary F. Mccracken, Charles E. Rupprecht

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Attenuated strains of rabies virus (RABV) have been used for oral vaccination of wild carnivores in Europe and North America. However, some RABV vaccines caused clinical rabies in target animals. To improve the safety of attenuated RABV as an oral vaccine for field use, strategies using selection of escape mutants under monoclonal antibody neutralization pressure and reverse genetics–defined mutations have been used. We tested the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of one RABV construct, ERA-g333, developed with reverse genetics by intramuscular (IM) or oral (PO) routes in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). Twenty-five bats received 5×10⁶ mouse intracerebral …

Psychological Drivers Of Risk-Reducing Behaviors To Limit Human–Wildlife Conflict, Stacy A. Lischka, Tara L. Teel, Heather E. Johnson, Courtney Larson, Stewart Breck, Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conflicts between people and wild animals are increasing globally, often with serious consequences

for both. Local regulations or ordinances are frequently used to promote human behaviors that minimize these conflicts (risk-reducing behaviors), but compliance with ordinances can be highly variable. While efforts to increase compliance could be improved through applications of conservation psychology, little is known about the relative influence of different factors motivating compliance. Using concepts from psychology and risk theory, we conducted a longitudinal study pairing data from mail surveys with direct observations of compliance with a wildlife ordinance requiring residents to secure residential garbage from black bears …

What The Covid-19 Crisis Is Telling Humanity, David Wiebers, Valery Feigin

Animal Sentience

The planet is in a global health emergency exacting enormous medical and economic tolls. It is imperative for us as a society and species to focus and reflect deeply upon what this and other related human health crises are telling us about our role in these increasingly frequent events and about what we can do to prevent them in the future.

Cause: It is human behavior that is responsible for the vast majority of zoonotic diseases that jump the species barrier from animals to humans: (1) hunting, capture, and sale of wild animals for human consumption, particularly in live-animal markets; …

China's Lack Of Animal Welfare Legislation Increases The Risk Of Further Pandemics, Amanda Whitfort

Animal Sentience

Legislation enforcing positive animal welfare standards provides an important buffer against the spread of disease when other safeguards to promote animal health have failed. The continuing absence of animal welfare legislation in China increases the risk of future pandemics, like COVID-19, and puts animal health, and consequently public health in danger.

Timing And Extent Of Crop Damage By Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa Linnaeus) To Corn And Peanut Fields, C. M. Boyce, Kurt C. Vercauteren, James C. Beasley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The global expansion of wild pigs over the last few decades has resulted in an increase in extent and distribution of damages to crops, placing a growing strain on agricultural producers and land managers. Despite the extent of wild pig damage to agriculture, there is little data regarding timing and spatial variability of damage to corn (Zea mays Linnaeus) and we found no data regarding the effect of these factors on peanuts (Arachis hypogaea Linnaeus). Our objective was to determine the timing and extent of wild pig damage to corn and peanut fields, as well as the extent …

Validation Of A Screening Method For The Detection Of Colistin-Resistant E. Coli Containing Mcr-1 In Feral Swine Feces, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Alan B. Franklin, S. N. Bevins, Kevin T. Bentler, Jonas Bonnedahl, Christina A. Ahlstrom, Bledar Bisha, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A method was developed and validated for the detection of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli containing mcr-1 in the feces of feral swine. Following optimization of an enrichment method using EC broth supplemented with colistin (1 μg/mL) and vancomycin (8 μg/mL), aliquots derived from 100 feral swine fecal samples were spiked with of one of five different mcr-1 positive E. coli strains (between 10⁰ and 10⁴ CFU/g), for a total of 1110 samples tested. Enrichments were then screened using a simple boil-prep and a previously developed real-time PCR assay for mcr-1 detection. The sensitivity of the method was determined in …

Cattle Egrets Regurgitate House Mouse Carcasses Onto A Mouse-Free Island: Implications For Rodent Eradications, Aaron B. Shiels, Mele Khalsa, Doreen L. Griffin, Clay K. Chow, Sheri S. Mann, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Eradication of invasive rodents on islands typically results in positive conservation gains, and maintaining a rodent-free island requires elevated biosecurity, including prevention of assisted rodent arrival via watercraft, aircraft and animals such as birds. Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are widespread, and often fly several kilometres daily to roost and forage. They frequently swallow insects and vertebrates (including rodents) whole, and some regurgitate prey. Cattle egrets have been regularly observed flying between the Hawaiian Islands of Ni’ihau (where non-native mice and rats are established) and Lehua (where one species of non-native rat is established and was targeted during …

Competing Reproductive And Physiological Investments In An All‑Female Lizard, The Colorado Checkered Whiptail, Lise M. Aubry, Spencer B. Hudson, Bryan M. Kluever, Alison C. Webb, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Organisms in the wild have to allocate limited resources towards competing functions such as reproduction, growth, and self-maintenance. These competing investments create significant changes in physiological activity, and we still know little about the relationship between physiological activity and reproductive investment in natura. We investigated trade-offs between physiological activity and reproductive investment in the parthenogenetic Colorado checkered whiptail, Aspidoscelis neotesselata, across three different sites at the US Army Fort Carson Military Installation near Colorado Springs, CO, through-out the reproductive season in 2018 and 2019. We measured clutch size and reproductive activity and quantified plasma corticosterone (CORT), reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), …