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

Downed Wood Removal Effects On Survival And Site Fidelity Of Woodrats In A California Oak Woodland, Timothy J. Smyser, Michael A. Hardy, Amy J. Davis, William L. Preston, William D. Tietje

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Owing to the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires in the western United States, the removal of woody debris (downed dead wood and snags) from fire‐prone landscapes is being evaluated for wildfire mitigation. Consequently, the study of the ecological value of coarse woody debris to sustain dependent species has become of foremost importance. From 2004–2009, we used a before‐after control‐impact (BACI) study design to assess the effects of downed wood removal on a population of big‐eared woodrats (Neotoma macrotis) in an oak woodland (Quercus spp.) in coastal‐central California, USA. Using Pollock's robust design mark‐recapture analyses (with 12 …

Effects Of Ungulate‐Proof Fencing On Space Use By Wild Pigs, Kelly Koriakin, D. Buck Jolley, Benjamin Smith, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a highly adaptable species that have invaded many regions and cause significant damage throughout the world. Ungulate‐proof fencing is increasingly used in conjunction with other control techniques to manage wild pig populations. However, little is known about how fencing affects wild pig space use behaviors and whether any changes may be exploited to increase efficacy of control activities. Our goal was to understand how wild pigs altered their space use behaviors in response to newly constructed fencing. Specifically, we examined for changes in space use area (home range and core area), increases in …

Pathology Of Chronic Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae Carriers In A Declining Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Population, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Samantha E. Allen, Jessica E. Jennings-Gaines, Marguerite Johnson, Katie L. Luukkonen, Kara M. Robbins, Todd E. Cornish, Rachel A. Smiley, Brittany L. Wagler, Zach Gregory, Daryl Lutz, Pat Hnlicka, Kevin L. Monteith, William H. Edwards

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across North America commonly experience populationlimiting epizootics of respiratory disease. Although many cases of bighorn sheep pneumonia are polymicrobial, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is most frequently associated with all-age mortality events followed by years of low recruitment. Chronic carriage of M. ovipneumoniae by adult females serves as a source of exposure of naïve juveniles; relatively few ewes may be responsible for maintenance of infection within a herd. Test-and-remove strategies focused on removal of adult females with evidence of persistent or intermittent shedding (hereafter chronic carriers) may reduce prevalence and mitigate mortality. Postmortem confirmation of pneumonia …

High Thermal Quality Rookeries Facilitate High Thermoregulatory Accuracy In Pregnant Female Rattlesnakes, Haley A. Moniz, Jack Henry Buck, Hayley L. Crowell, Scott M. Goetz, Trevor D. Ruiz, Emily N. Taylor, Scott M. Bobacks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Temperature is a primary factor influencing organismal development, and the fluctuating daily and seasonal thermal regimes of temperate climates may challenge the ability of viviparous reptiles to optimize body temperatures during gestation. Testing how viviparous reptiles navigate highly variable thermal conditions (e.g., relatively cold nights and/or highly fluctuating temperatures) is a powerful way to understand how they use microhabitats for thermoregulatory benefits. We assessed the thermal ecology of pregnant and non-pregnant female prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) inhabiting a high-elevation, montane shrubland in northwest Colorado throughout their short summer active season, addressing the thermal consequences of microhabitat selection with …

Characterizing Feral Swine Movement Across The Contiguous United States Using Neural Networks And Genetic Data, Rachael M. Giglio, Courtney F. Bowden, Ryan K. Brook, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Timothy J. Smyser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Globalization has led to the frequent movement of species out of their native habitat. Some of these species become highly invasive and capable of profoundly altering invaded ecosystems. Feral swine (Sus scrofa × domesticus) are recognized as being among the most destructive invasive species, with populations established on all continents except Antarctica. Within the United States (US), feral swine are responsible for extensive crop damage, the destruction of native ecosystems, and the spread of disease. Purposeful human-mediated movement of feral swine has contributed to their rapid range expansion over the past 30 years. Patterns of deliberate introduction of …

Comparing Efficiencies Of Population Control Methods For Responding To Introductions Of Transboundary Animal Diseases In Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Benjamin Smith, Michael J. Lavelle, Michael P. Glow, Kayleigh Chalkowski, Bruce R. Leland, Sarah Sherburne, Justin W. Fischer, Keely J. Kohen, Seth M. Cook, Hatton Smith, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan S. Miller, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introductions of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) into free-ranging wildlife can be difficult to control and devastating for domestic livestock trade. Combating a new TAD introduction in wildlife with an emergency response requires quickly limiting spread of the disease by intensely removing wild animals within a contiguous area. In the case of African swine fever virus (ASFv) in wild pigs (Sus scrofa), which has been spreading in many regions of the world, there is little information on the time- and cost-efficiency of methods for intensively and consistently culling wild pigs and recovering carcasses in an emergency response scenario. We compared the …

Chronic Wasting Disease Effects On A Breeding Season Behavior In White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Miranda Hsiang-Ning Jacobson Huang, Stephen Demarais, Bronson K. Strickland, Allan Houston, Alejandro Banda, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife disease outbreaks can lead to population declines, which are usually attributed to increased direct or indirect mortality. Alternatively, behavior associated with sickness can lead to social isolation, potentially decreasing fitness of affected individuals. A useful case study to examine this dynamic is chronic wasting disease (CWD), a neurological disease of cervids, known to affect behavior and movement. In this study, we monitored scraping, a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) breeding season behavior, in an area of high CWD prevalence to determine if this reproductive behavior is affected by CWD. At 107 scrape sites, we detected 3,063 scrape interactions and …

Bayesian Integrated Species Distribution Models For Hierarchical Resource Selection By A Soaring Bird, Ryo Ogawa, Guiming Wang, L. Wes Burger, Bronson Strickland, J. Brian Davis, Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Migratory birds exhibit seasonal geographic range (hereafter, range) dynamics during the annual cycle. Few studies have examined how migratory birds select their habitats for range occupancy at the species level and space use at the individual level simultaneously. We hypothesized that environmental variables directly related to fitness components would affect the range occupancy probabilities of migrants, whereas environment variables related to movements and flights would affect the space use intensities of migrants. We built Bayesian integrated species distribution models (ISDMs) to evaluate the effects of climate conditions, wind conditions, and landcover compositions on the seasonal range dynamics of American white …

Raccoon Density Estimation From Camera Traps For Raccoon Rabies Management, Amy J. Davis, Wesley C. Dixon, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, Jacob E. Hill, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Guha Dharmarajan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Density estimation for unmarked animals is particularly challenging, yet density estimates are often necessary for effective wildlife management. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the primary terrestrial wildlife reservoir for Lyssavirus rabies within the United States. The raccoon rabies variant (RRVV) is actively managed at landscape scales using oral rabies vaccination (ORV) within the eastern United States. To effectively manage RRVV, it is important to know the density of raccoons to appropriately scale the density of ORV baits distributed on the landscape. We compared methods to estimate raccoon densities from camera‐trap data versus more intensive capture‐mark‐recapture (CMR) estimates across 2 …

Spatiotemporal Partitioning Of Two Invasive Ungulates In Guam [Abstract], Kelly J. Koriakin, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan P. Snow, D. Buck Jolley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interspecific interactions are crucial in shaping ecosystem dynamics (Connell 1983, Tilman 1987, Barbosa and Castellanos 2005). Non-native ungulates have been introduced across the globe (Ferretti and Lovari 2014, Volery et al. 2021) and in environments where multiple invasives thrive, these co-occurring sympatric species may shift spatiotemporal patterns to minimize interspecific competition (Schoener 1974, Chesson 2000). Spatiotemporal shifts can lead to cascading effects to the native flora and fauna (Simberloff and Von Holle 1999). Given the potential negative impacts, understanding these interactions is vital for effective management of these ecosystems.

Two invasive ungulates, the wild pig (Sus scrofa) and …

Statistics Used In The Nebraska Beef Reports And Their Purpose, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The 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. The use of statistics allows the researcher and readers of the Nebraska Beef 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 detailed description of …

2024 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow- calf Nutrition, Reproduction, and Management

• Impact of Increasing Level of Milk Production on Cow- Calf Performance in Nebraska Sandhills
• Artificial Insemination of Beef Heifers with Multi- Sire Semen
• Effect of Heifer Percent Mature Body Weight at Breeding on Heifer Performance, Calf Production, and Subsequent Pregnancy Rates
• Effect of Glucogenic Feed Additive on Reproductive Performance in Young Postpartum Range Cows
• The Effect of Late Gestation Supplementation Strategy on Cow- Calf Performance in March- Calving Mature Cows
• The Impact of Pre- partum Supplementation Strategy on Cow- Calf Performance in May- Calving Mature Cows
• The Effect of Postpartum Supplementation Strategy on Performance …

Predicting Live Body Wight Of Yearling Beef Heifers Using 3d Imaging, Dalton J. Anderson, Yijie Xiong, Andrea K. Watson, J. Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of using 3D imaging technology as a method to predict shrunk body weight (BW) of growing yearling beef heifers. Red Angus x SImmental heifers (n = 69, BW = 726 ± 62 lbs; 12 months of age) were utilized for data collection. A time-of-flight depth camera (Azure Kinect, Microsoft) was used to collect depth videos as heifers walked out of the chute. Ideal image frames were identified from videos and used to determine the body volume of each heifer. Prediction of BW using images produced an R² (estimate of model fit) …

Evaluation Of Vivalto® On Growth Performance And Carcass Characteristics In Growing And Finishing Beef Steers, Garrett N. Lemon, Rebecca Mcdermott, Galen E. Erickson, Jeff Heldt, Pablo L. Loza

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A finishing trial conducted at the Pan-handle Research, Extension, and Education Center (PREEC) near Scottsbluff, NE evaluated the effect of Vivalto^®, a B-vitamin complex, on the feeding performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers. The design of the study was completely randomized block design with three treatments, control without Vivalto^®, 1g Vivalto^®/steer/day, and 2g Vivalto^®/steer/day. Cattle fed the diets that included Vivalto^® feed had lower intakes during the first 56 days than cattle that received no Vivalto^® in the diet. No significant differences were observed for ADG, intake, feed efficiency …

Impact Of Varying Inclusion Of Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Compared To Constant Inclusion On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca Mcdermott, Mitch M. Norman, J. C. Macdonald, Rick A. Stock, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying inclusion of modified distillers grains plus solubles on a weekly basis with two inclusions of grass hay on the performance of finishing steers. no interaction was observed between modified distillers grains plus solubles inclusion (0%, 25% constant, or 25% varying from 15-35%) and hay inclusion (6% or 12%). When evaluating the effect of hay inclusion on performance, cattle fed 6% grass hay had less dry matter intake than those fed 12% grass hay, and there was a tendency for gains to be greater for cattle fed 6% grass hay. Adding …

Impact Of Feeding New Fractioinated Distillers Grains (Fiber Plus Syrup) On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Mitch M. Norman, James C. Macdonald, Rick Stock, Ryan A. Mass, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Fractionation processes are being explored to supply higher protein distillers grains for premium markets. Resulting distillers grains after a fraction is isolated will still be marketed as a cattle feed so knowing the impact on performance is important. This study evaluated feeding wet or dry conventional distillers grains with wet and dry fractionated distillers (fiber plus syrup) fed at 0, 20, or 40% of diet DM. When compared to the corn control, intake and gain increased for each of the four distillers types were fed, but feed conversion was poorer (i.e., increased) for dry distillers grains and dry fiber plus …

Comparison Of Corn Silage And Earlage In Finishing Diets When Fed As A Roughage On A Neutral Detergent Fiber Basis, Garrett N. Lemon, Rebecca Mcdermott, Alfredo Dicostanzo, Galen E. Erickson, Pablo L. Loza

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The finishing trial was conducted to evaluate the ability of earlage to serve as a roughage source compared to corn silage when both sources were balanced on an NDF basis. Steers were fed in a randomized block design with a 2x2 treatment arrangement, with one factor being NDF source (corn silage or earlage) and the other factor being inclusion ("normal" amount of roughage provided by corn silage or earlage as the only grain source and roughage source). No significant interactions were observed between roughage source and inclusion level on steer performance. Steers fed corn silage and grain had greater intakes …

Nebraska Producer Perceptions On The Role And Implications Of Negotiations In Fed Cattle Transactions, Taralee Hudson, Elliott James Dennis, Brad D. Lubben, James C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A survey of ten feelot operators, as identified through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture's (NDA) 2019-2020 Cattle Feeder's Directory was conducted to identify the important concepts related to negotiated transactions and price discovery within the fed cattle market. The surveyed feedlots account for approximately 10 percent of the cattle on feed identified within the directory, on a one time capacity basis. Conducted in April of 2023 via phone conversation, the questions were related to 1) negotiated cash transactions, 2) the bidding process, and 3) thinning cash trade. Such results lend insight into the marketing practices that currently dominate the fed …

Evaluation Of Gas Emissions From Cattle On Different Diet Adaptation Strategies Using Either Forage Or Ramp, Cindy D. Mansfield, Rebecca Mcdermott, Braden C. Troyer, Mitchell M. Norman, Maggie Youngers, Andrea K. Watson, Rick Stock, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 173-day finishing experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding RAMP (Cargill Corn Milling, Blair, NE) during diet adaptation compared to a traditional forage adaptation program on methane and carbon dioxide emissions, animal performance and carcass traits in beef steers. Cattle were monitored using a calorimetry emission barn to quantify production of methane and carbon dioxide during step 1 of grain adaptation and at two subsequent times while fed a common finishing diet. Feeding RAMP reduced methane by 12% during the initial diet (step 1) compared to a traditional diet that contained 43% forage. When cattle were fed …

Effect Of Biochar On Enteric Methane Production And Cattle Performance, Hanna Cronk, Holly Heil, Rebecca Mcdermott, Mitch Norman, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea Watson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Because ruminant animals, including cattle, emit methane, strategies are actively being sought to reduce these emissions. Pistachio shell-sourced biochar was included at 0.5% of a finishing cattle diet to determine effects on methane emissions and cattle performance. Eight pens of cattle were rotated through a 2-chambered emissions barn to analyze methane and carbon dioxide produced by the cattle. Biochar tended to increase methane emissions on a g/d basis with no effect on methane emissions as g/lb of feed intake and no differences in carbon dioxide emissions. There were no differences …