Hybrid Bluebirds in the Pine Ridge

A hybrid pair of bluebirds is raising young in Dawes County, Nebraska, in the yard of Jim and Hope Minyard, approximately 8 miles south of Crawford. The female of the pair is a Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides). She is basically a dull gray bluebird, with little contrast between upperparts and underparts. There is no rusty or tan on her breast, and no sharp demarcation between the gray breast and the lighter belly. Her rump and the bases of her outer tail feathers are a light, bright blue, while the other tail feathers and the primaries are blackish. When the wing is folded, her longest wing feathers approach, but do not reach, the tip of her tail. The male presents a more complicated picture. Superficially he resembles an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) because the upper parts are uniformly bright blue, the breast and throat are rusty, and the belly is white. The blue of his upperparts appears a lighter, more cerulean blue than is typical of Eastern Bluebirds, though it is difficult to judge without direct breast comparison. The rusty breast is paler and duller than usual for male Easterns as well. Most peculiarly, there is a small, bright blue bib or necklace on the upper breast, similar in color to the back. When folded, the male’s wing tips reach a little over half way down the tail. In other words, his wings are relatively shorter than those of the female. We believe that the male is a Mountain x Eastern Bluebird hybrid

Pilot Planning Grant

Report summarizing key findings of focus groups assessing Georgians' attitudes and opinions regarding the development of a plan for providing affordable insurance coverage statewide

Developing Replacement Beef Heifers

This publication provides guidance on the care of calves at weaning, nutritive requirements, possible nutritive deficiencies, and the desired rate of gain

The theology of Phillips Brooks

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityThe purpose of this dissertation is to expound the theology of Phillips Brooks as it is set forth in his writings, published and unpublished, for the contri bution which his thought may make, not to the field of technical theology, but to the use of doctrine in the nurture of souls. The problem in such a study is that of drawing from his non-technical language, more illustrative than definitive, the specific meanings which differentiate one school of theology from another. Part I is a survey of Brooks's theology as a whole. He chose, as the expression of his peculiar genius, to devote himself to the translation of doctrine in terms of life. Identified with the broad, evangelical elements in the Episcopal Church, he held generally to the words of creedal orthodoxy while giving them such a breadth of interpretation as to bring him to a position in harmony with the "New Theology" of the last half of the nineteenth century. Running through all his writings are certain conceptual principles which stand as presuppositions and ruling factors in his thought: the immediateness of the divine influence, the sanctity of the common life, the naturalness of the ideal, the dignity and worth of t he human soul, and the supremacy of the spiritual over the formal. On the basis of these principles, Brooks reduced the essentials of Christian doctrine to these four ideas: (1) the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man: (2) the redemption of man by Christ; (3) the perfectibility of the soul; and (4) the immortality of hunan life [TRUNCATED

A Study of Factors Influencing Weaning Weights of Beef Calves

The ability of the cow to wean a heavy, vigorous and good quality calf every year is probably the most important economic trait in a beef cattle enterprise. But wide variations in the weaning weight of beef calves exist in almost every herd. These variations persist despite possible continued selection and general improvement and form the basis for further genetic improvement of the trait. Background information necessary for the development of effective herd improvement programs include knowledge of (1) the variability present in the performance traits, (2) the relative importance of heredity on the expression of the traits, and (3) the magnitude of the influence of specific environmental factors. The improvement in livestock production is dependent, not only on how much of the individual variation is due to heredity, but also on how accurately we can recognize and make adjustments for the environmental influences. The purpose of this study then is to evaluate the various environmental and genetic factors that may affect the weight of beef claves at weaning

Crop Residue Utilization by Beef Cows

Costs associated with beef cow-calf production and particularly the high cost of meeting nutritional requirements of beef cows dictate efficient use of all available feeds. Crop residues can be an important and economical source of feed for beef cows in many South Dakota beef operations. Corn, milo, small grain and soybean residues are those most commonly available

Systems Thinking in Injury Prevention: An Innovative Model for Informing State and Local Policies

[West J Emerg Med. 2011;12(3):273-274.

Embryo Transfer in Beef Cattle

Embryo transfer allows one or more fertilized eggs (embryos) to be transferred from a donor female to other cows (recipients or surrogate mothers) for subsequent development and birth. Generally, the embryo transfer calf remains with its surrogate mother through weaning. Persons with adequate training and experience can perform embryo transfer with a reasonably high success rate. However, due to its relatively high cost, the use of embryo transfer to date has been limited mostly to increasing the reproductive rate of valuable cows from seedstock herds and to research applications. Most beef cows produce only one calf per year and fewer than 10 calves in their lifetimes. By combining embryo transfer with the process of superovulation (increased ovulation rate via hormonal stimulation of ovarian follicles), some cows can yield 50 or more embryos per year

Calculating Beef Cattle Rations

This publication explains feed and nutrient requirements for different ages and classes of cattle including intake, energy, roughage, grain, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It also provides two procedures and tables for balancing rations. Nutritional supplements are also discussed