Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Overview

The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (U.S. Meat Animal Research Center) was authorized by Congress on June 16, 1964, thereby creating a single facility that provides an unusual opportunity for making major contributions to the solution of problems facing the U.S. livestock industry. Development of the 35,000-acre facility started in the spring of 1966and is continuing at the present time. Phase I construction, consisting of an office-laboratory building for intensive investigations, was completed in January 1971.These facilities provide a physical plant for 42 scientists and about 200 support personnel. Phase II construction, consisting of the Meats Research Laboratory and the Biological Engineering Building, was completed in October 1977 and provides a physical plant for 25 scientists and about 60 support personnel. Phase III construction will provide for an Animal Health Systems Research Laboratory and a Veterinary Service- Training Facility. Both buildings are scheduled for completion in August 1989 and will accommodate 15 professional and 25 subprofessional employees. Approximately 50 percent of the research program is devoted to beef cattle, 30 percent to swine, and 20 percent to sheep. Current research program objectives require breeding-age female populations of approximately 7,250 cattle (18 breeds), 4,250 sheep (10 breeds), and 600 swine litters (4 lines) to carry out the various experiments. The research program at the Center is organized on a multidisciplinary basis and is directed toward providing new technology for the U.S.livestock industry by extending investigations into new areas not now being adequately studied. The research program complements research conducted elsewhere by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is cooperative with the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division and other land grant university agricultural experiment stations throughout the country. On October 10, 1978, the President signed into law a bill renaming the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. The purpose of the bill was to honor former Nebraska Senator Roman L. Hruska for his efforts in the establishment of a centralized facility for the research, development, and study of meat animal production in the United States

Parametrization of the Davis Growth Model using data of crossbred Zebu cattle.

The system of differential equations proposed by Oltjen et al. [1986, named Davis Growth Model (DGM)] to represent cattle growth has been parameterized with data from Bos taurus (British) and Bos indicus (Nellore) breeds. The DGM has been successfully used for simulation and decision support in the United States. However, the effect of about 30 years of genetic improvement and the use of different breeds may affect the model parameter values, which also may need to be re-estimated for crossbred animals. The aim of this study was to estimate parameter values and confidence intervals for the DGM with growth and body composition data from Zebu crossbred animals. Confidence intervals and asymptotic distribution were generated through nonparametric bootstrap with data from a field experiment conducted in Brazil. The parameters showed normal probability distribution for most scenarios. The rate constant for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis had a minimum increase of 156 % and the maximum of 389 %, compared to the original values and the maintenance requirement had a minimum increase of 126 % and maximum of 160 % compared to the original values. Lower limits of 95 % confidence intervals for the parameters related to maintenance and protein accretion rates were higher than the original estimates of the DGM, evidencing genetic differences of the Zebu crossbred animals in relation to the original DGM parameters

BeefTader (part I): optimal economical endpoint identification using mixed modeling approach decreases greenhouse gases emission and other pollutants for livestock farmers.

The current study is the first from three sequential abstracts based on BeefTrader DSS to maximize profitability of farmers and the meat industry.Coordenador: Roberto Giolo de Almeida. II SIGEE

BeefTrader (part II): optimal economical endpoint identification using nonparametric bootstrapping technique decreases greenhouse gases emission and other pollutants in feedlots.

The current study is the second from three sequential abstracts based on BeefTrader DSS to maximize profitability of farmers and the meat industry.Coordenador: Roberto Giolo de Almeida. II SIGEE

BeefTrader (part III): meat industry opportunity to improve its profitability reducing greenhouse gases emission and pollutants based on optimal economical endpoint identification.

The aim of this study was evaluate the economic and environmental benefits to meat packers based on OEE individual identification.Coordenador: Roberto Giolo de Almeida. II SIGEE

UTILIZATION OF THE INTACT MALE FOR RED MEAT PRODUCTION: A REVIEW

Castration has long been a traditional practice in the United States. Research studies indicate that intact males grow more rapidly, utilize feed more efficiently and produce a higher-yielding carcass with less fat and more edible product. The disadvantages of the intact male include aggressive behavior (bull and boar); undesirable odors and flavors (boar and ram); lower quality grade (bull); lower meat tenderness (bull and ram) and undesirable meat color (bull and ram). Research is needed to develop antemortem and(or) postmortem handling procedures that offset the disadvantages of the intact male so that the meat and livestock industry can take advantage of their rapid growth and favorable lean production traits. This paper reviews the growth characteristics, carcass traits and consumer acceptance of meat from intact males