Do Theoretical Restrictions Matter for the Translog Stochastic Production Function? Evidence from the Kansas Farm Sector

Farm Management, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis,

An Analysis of Efficiency of Midwestern Agricultural Cooperatives

Agribusiness,

Cash operating income and liquidity management for feeder cattle operations

Net cash flow measures the amount of cash remaining after all cash expense obligations are satisfied. This cash is available for additional farm investment, off-farm investment, family living, and additional debt repayment. A 5-year, average, monthly, cash-flow statement was used to determine net cash flow for 18 feeder cattle farms .Results indicate that excess cash was used primarily to invest in equipment, vehicles, and nonfarm assets. Investments in buildings increased moderately over the study period, while investment in land was minimal

Structural heat treatments against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): effect of flour depth, life stage and floor.

The effect of high temperatures (50-60°C) and two levels of sanitation (~0.5 and 43 g of flour), on mortality of eggs, young larvae, old larvae, pupae, and adults of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, were evaluated during heat treatment of a pilot flour mill at Kansas State University. The mill was heated once during 13-14 May 2009 and once during 25-26 August 2009. Each of the heat treatments lasted 24 h. Bioassay boxes, with life stages of T. castaneum and temperature sensors confined in small compartments, were placed in 25 locations across all five mill floors. Temperature data showed that the mean time to 50°C based on the two treatments ranged from 10.39 to 17.18 h, and the mean time above 50°C ranged from 6.01 to 13.63 h. The mean maximum temperatures attained ranged from 50.7 to 61.4°C. In general, temperatures were lower in compartments with 43 g of flour when compared with compartments with 0.5 g of flour. Temperatures were also lower on the first floor than on the remaining floors. In box bioassays, essentially none of the life stages survived the 24 h heat treatment (99-100% mortality), except on the first floor. The survival of insects, especially on the first floor, is related to how quickly temperatures reached 50°C and how long temperatures were held between 50 and 60°C, and the maximum temperatures attained at a given location. There were only small differences in mortality between the two levels of sanitation. These results show that heat treatment of flour mills can control all life stages of T. castaneum in 24 h. Keywords: Tribolium castaneum, Heat treatment, Sanitation, Life stages, Methyl bromide alternative

Economics of adding fat and increasing lysine:calorie ratio in diets for growing-finishing gilts

A total of 1,200 gilts was used to evaluate the economics ofadding fat and increasing lysine:calorie ratio in diets for growing-finishing pigs. Diets were fed in four phases and consisted of a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement with two levels of fat (0 and 6%) and four increasing lysine:calorie ratios. Eight economic scenarios combining com, soybean meal, fat, and hog prices with two packer grading systems were created. Stochastic dominance analysis was performed on 64 alternatives (8 treatments x 8 scenarios). The third and fourth (higher) lysine: calorie ratios increased income over feed cost when fat was added to the diets, except for the high fat price scenario in which the fourth lysine:calorie ratio without added fat dominated. The first two (lower) lysine: calorie ratios were inferior under all scenarios.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 18, 199

The Effects of Feeding Benzoic Acid and Essential Oils on Growth Performance, Survivability and Fecal Characteristics of Grower Pigs

A total of 200 pigs (DNA Line 200 × 400) with an initial body weight of 81 lb were used to determine the effects of feeding benzoic acid and an essential oil blend (Vevo- Vitall and CRINA Piglets AF, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) to grower pigs. There were 10 pigs per pen and 10 pens per treatment in this 28-d grower trial. Pigs were allotted by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Dietary treatments included a control diet, or the control diet with added benzoic acid (6.00 lb/ ton) paired with an essential oil blend (0.20 lb/ton). For overall growth performance (d 0 to 28), adding benzoic acid and an essential oil blend to the grower diet did not affect (P \u3e 0.05) ADG, ADFI, or F/G. Throughout the duration of this study, a trend (P = 0.06) was found for an increased loss from death and removals in pigs fed the control diet compared to pigs fed a diet containing an acidifier and essential oil blend. Lawsonia was detected in all d 28 fecal samples collected, except for one, whereas Salmonella was not detected in any of the fecal samples. Although there was no hemolytic Escherichia coli detected, there were other coliforms that were sporadic in occurrence. When comparing fecal samples collected on d 14, there was a tendency (P = 0.10) for pigs fed the control diet to have greater amounts of E. coli detected than those pigs fed the diet containing benzoic acid and an essential oil blend. More research is needed to confirm the reduced death loss found for pigs fed benzoic acid and an essential oil blend compared to pigs fed a control diet

The Effects of Feeding Benzoic Acid and Essential Oils on Sows and Litter Performance

A total of 48 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used in this study to determine if feeding sows and/or piglets benzoic acid (VevoVitall, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) paired with an essential oil blend (CRINA, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) enhances sow and pig performance during lactation, piglet weight gain in the nursery, and survivability to market. For sow and preweaned piglet performance in the farrowing house, adding benzoic acid and an essential oil blend to the maternal diet did not affect (P \u3e 0.05) litter performance or weaning weight of the piglets. Fecal swabbing litters the day before weaning showed the pigs did not eat the creep feed. Nursery pigs weighed on d 12 or d 45 postweaning were not heavier (P \u3e 0.05) due to the maternal diet or the presence/absence of creep feed in the farrowing crate. Also, survivability of pigs from weaning to market did not increase due to maternal diet (P \u3e 0.05). From this study, it appears that benzoic acid paired with an essential oil blend does not affect sow and pig performance or survivability to market

The Effects of Maternal Dietary Supplementation of Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) and 25(OH)D3 on Sow and Progeny Performance

A total of 69 sows (DNA Line 200 × 400) and their progeny were used to determine if feeding a combination of vitamin D3 (Rovimix D3, 500,000 IU/g; DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) and 25(OH)D3 (Hy-D, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) influences neonatal and sow vitamin D3 status, muscle fiber morphometrics and development of the piglets, and subsequent growth performance to market. Within 3 days of breeding, sows were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments fortified with 680 IU/lb vitamin D3 (CON), 227 IU/lb vitamin D3 + 11.3 μg/lb 25(OH)D3 (DL), or 680 IU/lb vitamin D3 + 22.7 μg/lb 25(OH)D3 (DH). Differences in sow productivity and growth performance of progeny due to dietary treatment were not observed (P \u3e 0.050). When pigs were sacrificed at birth, there were no treatment effects for all fiber morphometric measures (P \u3e 0.170), except primary fiber number and the ratio of secondary to primary muscle fibers (P \u3c 0.016). Pigs from CON fed sows had fewer primary fibers than pigs from sows fed the DH treatment (P = 0.014), with pigs from sows fed DL treatment not differing from either (P \u3e 0.104). Pigs from the CON and DL fed sows had a greater secondary to primary muscle fiber ratio compared to pigs from DH sows (P \u3c 0.022) but did not differ from each other (P = 0.994). There were treatment × time interactions for all sow and pig serum metabolites (P \u3c 0.001). Therefore, we further compared treatment means within time period. At all time periods, sow serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations differed for all treatments with the magnitude of difference largest at weaning (P \u3c 0.011). On all three collection days, DH fed sows contained the greatest serum levels of 25(OH)D3. For pig vitamin D3 status at birth, the interaction was because serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3 in pigs from sows fed CON and DL were not different from each other. But at weaning, pigs from all sow treatments differed. At both sampling days, progeny from DH fed sows contained the greatest serum levels of 25(OH)D3. There was no interaction for 25(OH)D3 concentration in colostrum and milk; however, a main effect of dietary treatment (P \u3c 0.001) and of time (P = 0.001) existed. Within maternal dietary treatment, colostrum collected within 12 h contained less (P = 0.001) 25(OH)D3 compared to milk collected on d 21. Within sampling time, 12 h for colostrum and 21 d for milk, sows from all treatments were different (P \u3c 0.030), with the largest 25(OH)D3 concentration from DH fed sows, followed by DL and then CON. In conclusion, combining vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 in the maternal diet improves the vitamin D3 status of the dam and progeny and it increases primary muscle fibers at birth

Estimating the impact of animal health and death loss on economic performance of feedlot cattle

This study examined the impacts of animal health and death loss on the economic performance of feedlot cattle. Using data from two feedlots in western Kansas, the impact of animal health on economic performance was quantified. Death loss and the percentage of animals treated significantly impacted feed conversion, average daily gain, and cost of gain. Feed conversion for a pen of cattle was found to increase by 0.27 lb feed/lb gain and daily gain decreased by 0.08 lb/day for each percentage point increase in death loss. An increase in death loss from 1% to 2% increased cost of gain by $2.29/100 lb gain

Cash operating income and liquidity management for dairy farms

Net cash flow measures the amount of cash remaining after all cash expense obligations are satisfied. This cash is available for additional farm investment, off-farm investment, family living, and additional debt repayment. A 5- year average monthly cash flow statement was used to determine net cash flow for 19 Kansas dairy farms. Results indicated that excess cash and debt were used primarily to invest in machinery, vehicles, and nonfarm assets and increase the allocation for family living. Investments in land and buildings increased moderately during the study period