Evaluation of Beef Cattle Operations Utilizing Different Seasons of Calving, Weaning Strategies, Postweaning Management, and Retained Ownership

Data from a 3-yr study in Montana were utilized to evaluate impacts of season of calving, weaning strategy, and retained ownership of steer calves on enterprise profitability. Calving seasons were late winter (LW), early spring (ES), or late spring (LS). Each season had 2 weaning times: 190 (LW190, ES190) or 240 (LW240, ES240) d for LW and ES, and 140 (LS140) or 190 (LS190) d for LS. Backgrounding options included shipping steers to Oklahoma (OK1), or backgrounding in Montana to a constant age (MT2) or weight (MT3). Steers from OK1 and MT2 were finished in Oklahoma in confinement or via self-feeders on pasture and harvested in Texas. Steers in MT3 were finished in Montana in confinement and harvested in Colorado. Performance of each system was modeled based on actual animal performance, market prices, and variable input costs. When calves were sold at weaning, gross margins per cow were greatest for LS190 (P \u3c 0.05) and lowest for LW240. During backgrounding, costs of gain were similar among cow-calf systems, and gross margins per steer were greatest for LS140 (P \u3c 0.05), but not different among backgrounding systems. During finishing, costs of gain were greatest for steers from MT2 due to transportation costs to Oklahoma (P \u3c 0.05), and gross margin per steer favored MT3 (P \u3c 0.05). Gross margin for a ranch with a fixed land base did not differ among systems if calves were sold at weaning, but was greatest for LS systems after backgrounding or finishing (P \u3c 0.05)

Effect of the Programmed Nutrition Beef Program on moisture retention of cooked ground beef patties and enhanced strip loins

This study evaluated the influence of the Programmed Nutrition Beef Program and exogenous growth promotants (ExGP) on water holding capacity characteristics of enhanced beef strip loins. Sixty, frozen strip loins, arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement with dietary program serving as the first factor and use of ExGP as the second factor, were thawed, injected with an enhancement solution, and stored for 7 days. Loins from ExGP cattle possessed the ability to bind more (P 0.10) before injection, but increased post-injection and after storage (P 0.10). The Programmed Nutrition Beef Program and use of ExGPs minimally impacted water holding capacity of enhanced frozen/thawed beef strip loins

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Japanese Brome Impacts on Western Wheatgrass in Northern Great Plains Rangelands: An Update

Japanese brome (Bromus japonicas Thunb.) is an annual grass that has invaded thousands of hectares of Northern Great Plains rangelands. We studied the effect of Japanese brome on the current year\u27s increase in biomass in a plant community in the Northern Great Plains dominated by western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii Rydb. (Love)]. In our experiment, brome seedlings were either removed or left in place in replicated l-m2 plots. Above-ground biomass of western wheatgrass increased (891 to 1,095 kg ha-1 ) with the removal of Japanese brome. However, total above-ground biomass decreased (1,873 to 1,334 kg ha-1) when brome was reduced in early spring (708 to 12 kg ha-1). Increased biomass of western wheatgrass resulted from increases in the density of tillers and not in the weight of each tiller. Since the effect of removing brome did not vary among the combinations of site and year, similar outcomes can be expected over a wide array of environmental conditions, such as among years with variable April to late-June or mid-July precipitation or stands with varying percents of brome and western wheatgrass. Thus, we conclude that the presence of annual Japanese brome reduces the biomass of important grasses in the Northern Great Plains

Livestock Management During Drought in the Northern Great Plains. I. A Practical Predictor of Annual Forage Production

This research addressed the hypothesis that spring precipitation data can be used to detect agricultural drought early in the growing season. The Rangetek range model was used to simulate yearly forage data based on historical precipitation and temperature records from the USDA-ARS Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory (Miles City, MT) and the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Manyberries Substation (Lethbridge, AB, Canada). Monthly total precipitation and monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures were used to develop regression equations predicting growing season forage production at the Fort Keogh Laboratory and Manyberries Substation. At Fort Keogh Laboratory, a combination of fall (October and November) and spring (April and May) precipitation were predictors of simulated forage yield index (P \u3c 0.01, R2 = 0.84). At Manyberries Substation, April and May precipitation were predictors of simulated forage yield index (P \u3c 0.01, R2 = 0.44). Using the actual forage data from Manyberries Substation yielded similar results, in that April, May, and June were predictors of forage production (P \u3c 0.01, R2 = 0.50). Although the regression equation for actual forage production data from Manyberries Substation did indicate that July precipitation was a significant predictor, adding July precipitation did not increase the ability of the equation to detect reduced forage production. These results imply that annual forage production can be estimated with considerable confidence by July 1 and that forage produced by early July is a good indicator of total growing season forage production. Early season detection of drought effects on forage production provides much-needed flexibility in devising management alternatives to minimize the negative impacts of drought on rangelands and beef enterprises

Clipping and Japanese brome reduce western wheatgrass standing crop

Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus Thunb.) and downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), introduced annuals, have invaded many northern mixed-prairie plant communities. This study determined the effect of removing Japanese brome and clipping western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii Rydb. (Love)] on aboveground forage production of a western wheatgrass dominated northern mixed-prairie community. During early spring 1993, a wet year, and 1995, a drier year, western wheatgrass tillers were clipped to ground level in May or June and Japanese brome seedlings were left undisturbed or removed in circular, 1-m2 plots on a clay-pan field site. Western wheatgrass standing crop and tiller densities were estimated by clipping and counting in May and June, and these plus community standing crops were estimated in all plots after Japanese brome matured in mid July. Year effects were significant for standing crop and tiller density due to annual variation in amount and distribution of fall, spring, and early summer precipitation. Conditions were most favorable for tiller initiation of western wheatgrass and germination of annual brome seed in fall 1994 and for herbage production in 1993. Clipping western wheatgrass tillers reduced accumulated standing crop 230 to 350 kg ha-1 and reduced tiller weight by 17 to 58%. Standing crop of western wheatgrass was increased 102 kg ha-1 with removal of Japanese brome, while total standing crop was reduced 284 kg ha-1 with brome removal. Increased standing crop of western wheatgrass appeared to result from increased tiller density rather than increased tiller weight. Removal of Japanese brome from northern mixed prairie plant communities may increase production of associated perennial grasses, but managers should also expect a short-term decrease in total standing crop.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Influence of Japanese brome on western wheatgrass yield

Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus Thunb.) has invaded many northern mixed-prairie plant communities. Understanding interactions of population dynamics of this and associated species is critical for proper management of communities infested with this annual. Objectives of this study were to determine the effect of Japanese brome removal on aboveground forage production and daily plant water relations of western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii Rydb. (Love)] and Japanese brome in a western wheatgrass dominated northern mixed grass prairie community. During early spring of 1991, a wet year, and 1992, a dry year, 2 treatments, undisturbed and complete (total) removal of Japanese brome seedlings, were applied by hand at silty clay loam and clay field sites in circular, 1-m2 quadrats. Vegetation in additional quadrats was left undisturbed or Japanese brome was removed to assess plant water relations at each site in 1992. Total standing crop was reduced 500 kg ha-1 with removal of Japanese brome, while standing crop of western wheatgrass was increased 220 kg ha-2 with Japanese brome removal. Increased standing crop of western wheatgrass appeared to result from increased tiller density of 153 tillers m-2 rather than increased weight per tiller. Western wheatgrass water relations were essentially unaffected by Japanese brome removal in 1992. Removal of Japanese brome from Northern Great Plains plant communities may increase production of associated perennial grasses, but managers should also expect a short-term decrease in total standing crop.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Cow-Calf Response to Stocking Rates, Grazing Systems, and Winter Supplementation at the Texas Experimental Ranch

Cow-calf performance from 1960 through 1978 was contrasted between three grazing treatments at the Texas Experimental Ranch. Grazing treatments were yearlong continuous stocked at annual rates averaging 5.1 and 7.6 ha/cow and a 4-pasture, 3-herd deferred rotation system stocked at an annual rate averaging 7.2 ha/cow. Averaged across three weighing periods, cows in the deferred rotation treatment averaged 447 kg while weight of cows in the heavily and moderately stocked continuous treatments averaged 427 and 438 kg, respectively. Calf weaning weights averaged 204, 212, and 217 kg for the heavy continuous, moderate continuous, and Merrill rotation treatments, respectively. Production-/cow averaged 182, 189, and 202 kg while production/ha averaged 35.9, 25.2, and 27.8 kg, respectively, for the heavy continuous, moderate continuous, and deferred rotation treatments. Cows fed winter supplement were significantly heavier in early spring and summer than nonsupplemented cows with no significant differences in weights by late summer. Supplemented cows weaned calves averaging 214 kg as compared to 208 kg for calves weaned from nonsupplemented cows. Winter supplementation significantly increased production in the heavily stocked treatment but not in either of the moderately stocked treatments. Numerous statistically significant interactions accompanied the significant main effects, and the biological significance of each was examined.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Interactive Effects of Drought and Grazing on Northern Great Plains Rangelands

Drought is common in rangeland environments and an understanding of its impacts on the structure and function of rangeland ecosystems is paramount for developing effective management strategies. This research was the second of a series of studies investigating the impacts of varying seasonal droughts on northern Great Plains rangelands. Research was conducted on native rangeland during the 1998 through 2001 growing seasons. Study plots were twelve 5 3 10 m nonweighing lysimeters. An automated rainout shelter was used to establish drought conditions on 6 lysimeters during April, May, and June of 1998 and 1999. Single-day, flash grazing events were imposed at the beginning of May, June, and July. Grazing treatments were 1) graze during the 2 years of drought and the year after; 2) graze during the 2 years of drought and rest the year after; and 3) rest all years. Results showed that the intense spring drought reduced soil water content in the upper 30 cm of the soil profile and subsequently reduced total herbage production 20% to 40%; cool-season perennial grasses were the primary contributor to the reduction and cool-season annual grasses were secondary. Periodic grazing during drought had minimal impact on herbage production, whereas impacts on nondrought plots ranged from moderate enhancement to moderate suppression, with effects varying depending on functional group. Results also showed that substantial recovery occurred during the 1st postdrought year, with near full recovery realized within 2 years.  The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 2020Legacy DOIs that must be preserved: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v58i1_klemen