self-limiting complete feed changes forage intake and animal performance of growing meat goats

Rangeland or hay-based finishing systems often do not allow kids to reach slaughter weights of 30 - 50 kg by 12 months. This study determined the effects of a complete feed (CF) and a self-limiting complete feed (LCF) alone or in combination with ad libitum access to sorghum-sudan hay (SS) on average daily gain (ADG) and cost of gain of Boer cross doelings. Thirty kids (21.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of five treatments (SS, CF, LCF, SS + CF, and SS + LCF). The ADG over 63 days was greater for all treatments with CF and LCF when compared with SS (21.8, 152, 123, 181, and 172 g/d for SS, CF, LCF, SS + CF and SS + LCF, respectively). In this experiment, traditional and self-limiting supplements for forage-fed goats were useful in increasing ADG and controlling supplement intake when compared with supplement feeding alone. There were no statistical differences between the costs of gain for the five treatments. Finishing systems that promote gains of 4.6 to 7.3 times those of hay-only systems should be attractive to producers. Keywords: Forages, supplementation, small ruminant, intake limiterSouth African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 36 (4) 2006: pp. 257-26

[United States Soil Survey Report]

Text describes the area, climate, agricultural history and statistics, soil-survey methods and definitions, soils and crops, land uses and agricultural methods, irrigation, and morphology and genesis of soils of Jack County, Texas

Global Production Networks, Relational Proximity, and the Sociospatial Dynamics of Market Internationalization in Bolivia's Wood Products Sector

This article advances conceptualizations of global production networks (GPNs) through an analysis of the relational processes that firms in Bolivia\u27s growing wood products industry use to build ties to international markets. Both large- and small-scale manufacturers are increasingly internationalizing their operations in response to the global demand for tropical hardwoods and decentralization of control over the country\u27s forest resources. These firms use four different types of production networks and networking practices to develop international market ties. Each of these networks is distinguishable by its entry barriers, value-creation possibilities, upgrading strategies, and the cognitive, social, and cultural factors that influence who participates in them. There are important differences in the strategies used and challenges faced by Bolivian suppliers striving to develop relational proximity (i.e., a mutual alignment of interests) to international buyers or clients. These differences-in the role of power, positionality, social interactions, and local factors-create important discontinuities between the production networks that require distinct policy interventions. Beyond their policy implications, the findings contribute to theories on the role and dynamics of agency, power, and embeddedness in GPNs and raise important epistemological questions for economic geographers. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC