Effect of Grazing Corn Residue on Corn and Soybean Yields

Grazing corn residue in the fall/winter or spring in either a corn-soybean rotation or a continuous corn system shows generally positive effects on yields. Soybean yields for both fall/winter and spring-grazed corn residue when compared to ungrazed corn residue in a corn followed by soybean rotation show an increase in yields

Effect of Grazing Corn Residue on Corn and Soybean Yields

Grazing corn residue in the fall/winter or spring in either a corn-soybean rotation or a continuous corn system shows generally positive effects on yields. Soybean yields for both fall/winter and spring-grazed corn residue when compared to ungrazed corn residue in a corn followed by soybean rotation show an increase in yields

The Cattle Price Cycle: Revisited Again

New analyses and statistical techniques were applied to historical data to determine if time, changes in production technology, and business structure changes in the sector had altered the length of the cattle price cycle. Most recent work has been done the cattle inventory cycle. The price cycle was shown to be remarkably constant, despite many changes in the industry. Feeder cattle prices have continued to follow an approximate 10-year cycle. The model demonstrates the consistency of the cycle but shows that unexplained price variations occur suggesting caution be employed when it is used as a marketing guide

A System for Wintering Beef Heifers Using Dried Distillers Grains

A two-year experiment compared two systems for wintering pregnant heifers. The standard system used by the ranch served as the control (CON) and the treatment system (TRT) included a dried distillers grains based supplement. Heifers in the TRT system were heavier and had greater body condition score at end of supplementation. Calving difficulty, percentage of live calves weaned and subsequent pregnancy rate were similar between systems. Calves born to heifers in the TRT system were heavier at birth and weaning. The TRT system cost $10.47/heifer less than the CON system and resulted in equivalent or improved heifer and calf growth performance

EC07-281 Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows: A Tool for Managing the Nutrition Program for Beef Herds

This 2007 Extension Circular describes the nine-point body condition scoring system, relationship between body condition and the productivity of the cow herd, and the use of body condition as a management tool to develop and monitor nutritional programs. Using body condition scoring as a management tool can increase the profit potential of the cow/calf enterprise

Urea Inclusion in Forage Based Diets Containing Dried Distillers Grains

Two experiments evaluated supplemental degradable intake protein requirements when dried distillers grains were fed as an energy source in forage-based diets. Diets were formulated to be greater than 100 g/day deficient in degradable intake protein but with excess metabolizable protein. In both experiments, no response in performance was observed when urea was added to the diet. Sufficient urea was probably recycled to correct the degradable intake protein deficiency. These studies indicate adding urea to meet the degradable intake protein requirement is not necessary when dried distillers grains are fed as an energy source in forage-based diets

Post Weaning Management of Heifer Calves Impacts ADG and Feed Efficiency as Pregnant Heifers

Replacement heifers were developed on cornstalks (Exp. 1, 2, and 3), dry lot (Exp. 1 and 2), or winter range (Exp. 3). In Exp. 1, pregnant heifers were individually fed during mid to late gestation. Heifers developed on cornstalks were more feed efficient than heifers developed in a dry lot. In Exp. 2 and 3, pregnant heifers grazed cornstalks during mid to late gestation. Heifers developed on cornstalks gained more and were more efficient, especially compared to heifers developed in a dry lot. These data provide evidence of an adaptive response to grazing low quality forages and may be beneficial in the critical period leading up to the first calving season

Energy Value of Wet Distillers Grains in High Forage Diets

One hundred sixty crossbred steers were used to determine the energy value of wet distillers grains in high forage diets. By design, steers had similar intakes and gains across treatments. Diets included either wet distillers grains (WDGS) or dry rolled corn, sorghum silage, grass hay and supplement (DRC). Diets were formulated to meet degradable intake protein and metabolizable protein requirements. The energy value of wet distillers grains was calculated using the National Research Council model (1996). In this study, wet distillers grains contained 130% of the energy of dry rolled corn when fed in forage-based diets

Effect of Calving Season and Wintering System on Cow Performance

Four years of data from three different calving seasons and two different cow wintering systems were evaluated utilizing 218 cows/year. Cows calved in spring, summer, or fall and were wintered on native Sandhills range or cornstalks. Calving season affected cow body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) throughout the production year; calving in the fall reduced number of calves weaned per cow. No differences were observed between cows wintered on Sandhills range and those wintered on cornstalks

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead