A Preliminary Assessment of Lung lesion Distribution in Fed Cattle

The objectives of this research were to describe the lobar location of lung lesions and determine diagnostic sensitivity of lung lesion detection when only a portion of lobes are evaluated

The Repose of a Very Delicate Balance: Postulants and Celebrants of the Sacrament of Marriage in the Detective Fiction of Dorothy L. Sayers

Sayers, like Lewis, used the vehicle of genre fiction to explore something rarely explored in modern fiction: “marriage as a human relationship which has a potential for good, for human growth, individuation, mutuality, and love.” The fulfillment of the potential in the marriage of Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane is explored in detail

A Retrospective Case Study Implicating Foster Calves in a Calf Diarrhea Epidemic

This report is a retrospective case study of a herd that experienced a severe calf scours epidemic in 2000. The objective of this study was to determine risk factors at work in this epidemic

TEMPORAL ALLOCATION ALTERNATIVES FOR SOUTHEASTERN RED DELICIOUS APPLES

This study examines the economic feasibility of storing southeastern U.S. Red Delicious apples under various circumstances. Circumstances encompassed type of storage, potential market share in the storage periods, perceived level of quality, and opportunity cost of storage. Reactive programming was used to allocate shipments throughout the harvest and storage periods. Except for apples harvested in August, storage was found to be economically feasible under all situations studied. The greatest economic benefit to producers was shown to come from the synergistic effect of storage and improvement in perceived quality.Crop Production/Industries,

An Overview of Escherichia coli 0157:H7

This document provides an overview of Escherichia coli in regards to what it is, what are some symptoms, when it was discovered, how it is transmitted, and several other factors

Quality Assurance (QA) Programs for Livestock Production

A major goal of the livestock industry is to produce a high-quality product for consumers. All livestock groups (beef, dairy, pork, and sheep) have developed quality assurance (QA) programs to help producers meet consumer expectations. The focus of QA programs in the past has been to address issues such as drug residue avoidance and/or elimination and to reduce quality defect in the meat produce. More recent consumer concerns about microbial contamination with organisms such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, have prompted QA programs to begin to address pathogen reduction strategies on the farm. By participating in these programs, livestock producers are sharing the responsibility for safe, quality food production

Competitive Exclusion Products for Reducing Pathogens in Poultry

Salmonella is an important foodborne pathogen that may contaminate up to 90% of poultry. Contamination of poultry begins on the farm – very early in the chick’s life. Most research by the poultry industry to decrease Salmonella contamination has been focused in this area

An Empirical Investigation in to the Factors Influencing the Economic Incentive to Retain Ownership of Weaned Steer Calves

Marketing and production data collected from weaned calves (628 head) in a university sponsored retained ownership demonstration program are analyzed to identify factors affecting the annualized rate of return when retaining ownership versus selling the calves at weaning. Data were collected on the following characteristics associated with the calves: 1) ranch-of-origin production management practices; 2) feedlot performance; 3) carcass merit; 4) health history; and 5) market prices. Retained ownership until slaughter was more profitable, on average, when compared to selling calves at weaning. The calculated annualized rate of return to retained ownership versus selling calves at weaning averaged 11.5% per head. Regression analyses indicate that market prices paid for weaned calves and fed cattle have the greatest influence on the rate of return to retained ownership. The other five categories (ranch-of-origin, production management practices, feedlot performance, carcass merit, health history) also contributed to explaining the variability in the rate of return per head. Marketing and production risks were not incorporated into the regression model. However, summary statistics indicate that coefficient of variation associated with per-head retained ownership revenue is 50% higher than the estimated per-head revenue for weaned calves

Fenceline Weaning on Pasture and Forage Barley to Extend the Grazing Season for Replacement Heifers - a Three-year Summary

In a three-year study at the SDSU Cow/Calf Teaching and Research Unit, Brookings, SD, heifer calves were allotted to two weaning management treatments in early October. The pasture-weaned group was separated from their dams and grazed a grass pasture across the fence from their dams for two weeks. Then, until early December, they grazed “Robust” barley (forage type) that had been no-till planted into oat stubble in early August. The drylot-weaned group was fed a traditional weaning diet of grass hay, corn and protein supplement from weaning until early December. Heifers received the same diet and were managed as one group from December until April. The effect of management on heifer weight gain depended on year. In the first two years gains for two and four weeks after weaning were affected by weaning treatment, but gains from weaning to December and April were similar. In the third year gains of heifers while grazing forage barley were less from weaning to December and April than those in dry lot. Pasture weaning appeared to cause less stress for both cows and calves, but no differences in incidence of disease were observed. Antibody titers for IBR, BVD type 1 and BVD type 2 were determined at weaning and two and four weeks after weaning to measure the development of immunity from vaccinations administered about two months prior to and at weaning. There was no overall effect of treatment on antibody titers, but there was an interaction of treatment and year for BVD type 1 at 2 weeks after weaning but not by 4 weeks. The percentage of heifers with positive titers was similar at all three sampling times. Heifers fed in drylot had more backfat, larger rib eye area, and % intramuscular fat in April. The results of this study indicate fenceline weaning on pasture combined with small grain pasture to extend the grazing system is a feasible alternative for managing replacement heifers compared to a traditional drylot weaning system. As would be expected, forage conditions as affected by year can influence performance. Weight of calves at weaning and forage conditions influence the need for supplementation

Risk and the Economic Incentive to Retain Ownership of Steer Calves

Retained ownership of steer calves is an investment decision for cow/calf producers. Data collected over a three-year period on 845 steer calves reveals that retaining ownership of steer calves is, on average, profitable. Systematic and unsystematic risks associated with retaining ownership of steer calves are identified. Empirical results indicate that unsystematic risk account for 67% of the variability in the rate of return to retained ownership. Empirical evidence also suggests that retaining ownership is a riskier investment decision than assumed in the earlier literature. This suggests that the lack of enthusiasm for retaining ownership by cow/calf producers is the result of the level of risk associated with retaining ownership rather than producers being too risk averse