215 research outputs found
Beef Production Systems in the Nebraska Sandhills
Four studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of improving production systems of beef cattle in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. These studies were to determine impacts of modified estrus synchronization protocols, genomic testing heifer calves for longevity, and evaluation of 2 differing calving systems (March or May) for improving biological outcome and improved production. Experiment 1 utilized 180 yearling heifers to determine the effectiveness of a second dose of prostaglandin F2α(PGF) with those females not expressing estrus after an initial 14 d MGA-PG estrus synchronization protocol. The treatment of PGF did increase estrus expression, but did not increase the pregnancy success of these females. Experiment 2 utilized 1,518 yearling heifers in a 14 d MGA-PG estrus synchronization protocol. Treatment of 5 μg GnRH was administered 72 h prior to a fixed-time AI (TAI) simultaneous with the typical PGF administration (25mg). The dose of 5 μg GnRH did not increase pregnancy success for initial TAI when compared to the control females. Study 3 genotyped 414 March or May born heifers from the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory from the years 2009-2012. Phenotypic data for each individual was compared to the genomic results from the Igenity Gold panel reported on a 1-10 scale. Regression analysis revealed the birth BW genomic score is a predictor for actual birth BW. The genomic score for calving-ease direct is also a predictor for weaning BW. The iii genomic predictor scores for heifer pregnancy as well as stayability show no significance as predictors for actual heifer pregnancy and female stayability. The final study compared the biological differences when calving in a March versus a May calving season. Data from 3 consecutive years were utilized with 503 cows from the March and 301 from the May systems. Calf birth BW and calf BW at dam’s breeding was greater for May-born calves than March-born. Adjusted weaning BW was greater for March-born. Pregnancy rates, weaning rates, calving interval, calving difficulty, and calf vigor were similar between the systems.
Advisors: Richard N. Funston and James C. MacDonal
Understanding the Needs of Residents in Sevier County to Plan Impactful Programs
USU Extension provides evidence-based community education in response to community needs. A needs assessment was conducted in Sevier County UT in 2021 to determine critical needs of residents. The results of the assessment will guide Extension programming in Sevier County
Efficacy of a Second Injection of Prostaglandin F2α in Yearling Beef Heifers Following Previous Estrus Synchronization
Angus- based, yearling beef heifers were utilized to determine the effects of administering a second prostaglandin F2α (PGF; Lutalyse, Zoetis Animal Health, Parsippany, NJ) injection to heifers who did not previously respond to estrus synchronization. All heifers were exposed to a melengestrolacetate (MGA)- PGF protocol. Following PGF injection, heifers were observed for estrus (estrus detection patches rubbed) for 3 d and inseminated. Heifers who did not show signs of estrus were placed with fertile bulls. Aft er 3 d with bulls, heifers with greater than 50% of the rub- off coating removed from estrus detection aids were considered to have been bred. One- half of the heifers not showing estrus received a second PGF injection; the other half were the controls and received no further treatment. Heifers remained with bulls for 4 d. Percentage expressing estrus was greater for heifers receiving a second PGF injection. However, pregnancy rate was similar between treatments
Evaluation of Commercial Genomic Tests for Maternal Traits in Crossbred Beef Cattle
DNA samples were collected from beef heifers born at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory and analyzed with a genomic test. Phenotypic data from these females were compiled and used in a regression analysis to evaluate the utility of these genomic scores as predictors for phenotypic outcomes. Th e genomic score for birth body weight (BW) was signifi cantly associated with animal birth BW. Th e genomic score for heifer pregnancy was not a statistically significant predictor of actual pregnancy. Neither dam age or the genomic score for stayability were significant predictors of actual reproductive longevity
Effect of GnRH Injection at - 72 h in MGA- PGEstrus Synchronization Protocol
Yearling beef heifers from 2 locations were synchronized with melengestrol acetate (MGA)- prostaglandin F2α (PGF) fi xed time AI (TAI) protocol. At PGF administration 72 h before AI, heifers were randomly assigned to receive either 0 or 5 μg gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH). Th e administration of 5 μg GnRH at PGF did not increase estrus activity or improve TAI pregnancy rates at either location (Location 1, 56% (GnRH) vs. 57%; Location 2, 59% (GnRH) vs. 53%). Administering GnRH at PGF increased (74% vs. 63%) pregnancy rates for heifers inseminated during a follow- up heat detection period at one location. A low dose of GnRH administered 72 h prior to AI in a 14 d MGA- PGF synchronization protocol does not increase pregnancy rates or estrus expression in yearling, beef females bred with TAI when compared to the normal MGAPGF synchronization protocol
Comparing March and May Calving Systems in the Nebraska Sandhills
Three production years for March and May calving, Red Angus- based cows and their off spring from the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL), Whitman, NE, were evaluated. Steer progeny were evaluated through harvest and carcass data collected. Calf birth body weight (BW) and breeding BW were greater for May calves vs. March; however, adjusted weaning BW was greater for March calves. Pregnancy rates, weaning rates, calving interval, calving difficulty, and calf vigor were similar between calving systems. Udder score was greater for March cows. Compared with March calf- fed steers, May calf- fed steers had greater hot carcass weight (HCW), longissimus muscle area (LMA), marbling, and backfat. May yearlings had greater HCW, LMA, marbling, and backfat compared with March calf- feds. In the Sandhills, a May calving system can increase production while reducing total herd inputs when compared to a March calving system
Satellite Kinematics I: A New Method to Constrain the Halo Mass-Luminosity Relation of Central Galaxies
Satellite kinematics can be used to probe the masses of dark matter haloes of
central galaxies. In order to measure the kinematics with sufficient
signal-to-noise, one uses the satellite galaxies of a large number of central
galaxies stacked according to similar properties (e.g., luminosity). However,
in general the relation between the luminosity of a central galaxy and the mass
of its host halo will have non-zero scatter. Consequently, this stacking
results in combining the kinematics of satellite galaxies in haloes of
different masses, which complicates the interpretation of the data. In this
paper we present an analytical framework to model satellite kinematics,
properly accounting for this scatter and for various selection effects. We show
that in the presence of scatter in the halo mass-luminosity relation, the
commonly used velocity dispersion of satellite galaxies can not be used to
infer a unique halo mass-luminosity relation. In particular, we demonstrate
that there is a degeneracy between the mean and the scatter of the halo
mass-luminosity relation. We present a new technique that can break this
degeneracy, and which involves measuring the velocity dispersions using two
different weighting schemes: host-weighting (each central galaxy gets the same
weight) and satellite-weighting (each central galaxy gets a weight proportional
to its number of satellites). The ratio between the velocity dispersions
obtained using these two weighting schemes is a strong function of the scatter
in the halo mass-luminosity relation, and can thus be used to infer a unique
relation between light and mass from the kinematics of satellite galaxies.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS submitte
Satellite Kinematics II: The Halo Mass-Luminosity Relation of Central Galaxies in SDSS
The kinematics of satellite galaxies reflect the masses of the extended dark
matter haloes in which they orbit, and thus shed light on the mass-luminosity
relation (MLR) of their corresponding central galaxies. In this paper we select
a large sample of centrals and satellites from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS) and measure the kinematics (velocity dispersions) of the satellite
galaxies as a function of the -band luminosity of the central galaxies.
Using the analytical framework presented in Paper I, we use these data to infer
{\it both} the mean and the scatter of the MLR of central galaxies, carefully
taking account of selection effects and biases introduced by the stacking
procedure. As expected, brighter centrals on average reside in more massive
haloes. In addition, we find that the scatter in halo masses for centrals of a
given luminosity, , also increases with increasing luminosity.
As we demonstrate, this is consistent with , which reflects
the scatter in the conditional probability function , being
independent of halo mass. Our analysis of the satellite kinematics yields
, in excellent agreement with constraints from
clustering and group catalogues, and with predictions from a semi-analytical
model of galaxy formation. We thus conclude that the amount of stochasticity in
galaxy formation, which is characterized by , is well
constrained, is independent of halo mass, and is in good agreement with current
models of galaxy formation.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, MNRAS submitte
Satellite Kinematics III: Halo Masses of Central Galaxies in SDSS
We use the kinematics of satellite galaxies that orbit around the central
galaxy in a dark matter halo to infer the scaling relations between halo mass
and central galaxy properties. Using galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey, we investigate the halo mass-luminosity relation (MLR) and the halo
mass-stellar mass relation (MSR) of central galaxies. In particular, we focus
on the dependence of these scaling relations on the colour of the central
galaxy. We find that red central galaxies on average occupy more massive haloes
than blue central galaxies of the same luminosity. However, at fixed stellar
mass there is no appreciable difference in the average halo mass of red and
blue centrals, especially for M* \lsim 10^{10.5} h^{-2} Msun. This indicates
that stellar mass is a better indicator of halo mass than luminosity.
Nevertheless, we find that the scatter in halo masses at fixed stellar mass is
non-negligible for both red and blue centrals. It increases as a function of
stellar mass for red centrals but shows a fairly constant behaviour for blue
centrals. We compare the scaling relations obtained in this paper with results
from other independent studies of satellite kinematics, with results from a
SDSS galaxy group catalog, from galaxy-galaxy weak lensing measurements, and
from subhalo abundance matching studies. Overall, these different techniques
yield MLRs and MSRs in fairly good agreement with each other (typically within
a factor of two), indicating that we are converging on an accurate and reliable
description of the galaxy-dark matter connection. We briefly discuss some of
the remaining discrepancies among the various methods.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, MNRAS submitted, comments welcom
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