bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PSV-19 Effect of Low Nutrient Density Diet with Probiotic Mixture (B. Subtilis ms1, B. Licheniformis SF5-1, and S. Cerevisiae) Supplementation on Performance of Weaner Pigs
Authors: Sampath Vetriselvi , Park Hyun Ju , Kim Yong min , Ahn Je Min , Kim Inho
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND: A total of one hundred and forty, 28 d-old weaner pigs [Duroc x (Yorkshire x Landrace)] with initial body weight (BW) of 6.56±1.25kg were used in a six-week treatment (7 replicate pens per treatment; barrows, and 2 gilts/pen) to evaluate the effect of low nutrient density diet supplement with probiotic mixture supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, and gas emission of weaner pigs. RESULTS: Pigs fed low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation had linearly increased (P = 0.028, 0.014) the body weight (BW) at weeks 3, and 6. Moreover, average daily gain (ADG) was linearly improved (P=0.018, 0.014, 0.014) at week 3, 6, and overall experiment. However, there were no interactive effects found on the nutrient digestibility of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and energy (E) throughout the experiment. Dietary inclusion of low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation has improved the fecal lactobacillus counts linearly, but E. coli was unaffected during the trail. On day 42, Ammonium gas emission was significantly decrease in pigs fed a low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation. However, H2S, acetic acid, and CO2 were not significantly affected by the probiotic mixture supplementation diet. CONCLUSION: Low-density diet with probiotic mixture supplementation had positively affected the growth performance, fecal microbial, and fecal gas emission on weaner pigs.
PSV-20 The Effect of Black Pepper (Piperine) Extract Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Fecal Microbial, Fecal Gas Emission, and Meat Quality of Finishing Pigs
Authors: Sampath Vetriselvi , Park Hyun Ju , Kim Inho , Wang Huan , Hoque Raihanul
Published: May 2021

The study was conducted to assess the effect of black pepper (BP) supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] finishing pigs with average initial body weight (BW) of 53.72 ± 1.42 kg were used in 10-week trial and allotted to 6 dietary treatments (6 replications pens/treatment with 5 pigs per pen). The dietary treatments were: CON (basal diet), TRT1- CON + 0.025% BP, TRT2- CON + 0.05% BP, TRT3- CON + 0.1% BP, TRT4- CON + 0.2% BP, TRT5- CON + 0.4% BP. A linear increase (P = 0.0380, 0.0061) in body weight gain (BWG) and average daily gain (ADG) were observed respectively, during the overall trial in pigs fed BP supplemented diet compared to control. The dietary supplementation of BP showed a linear increase (P=0.0065) in gain and feed ratio (G: F) at week 10. However, there were no significant results observed on average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the overall experiment. The total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM) was linearly improved (P=0.0531) in BP treatment groups compared to control. In addition, BP diet supplementation had linearly increased fecal Lactobacillus counts (P=0.0482) and decreased E. coli counts (P=0.0306) in pigs at week 10. Furthermore, NH3, methyl mercaptans, and acetic acid was linearly decreased (P=0.0227, 0.0555,0.0541) in pigs fed BP supplementation compare to control. The inclusion of BP supplementation in pigs diet had linearly increased (P=0.0146) the backfat thickness at week 10. Thus, we concluded that BP supplementation had positively enhanced the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbial, fecal gas emission, and meat quality of finishing pigs.
PSV-14 The Efficacy of Feeding a Bioactive Peptide in Comparison to Narasin in Growing Pigs in a Commercial System on Growth Performance and Efficiency
Authors: Bradley Casey L , Shieh Thomas S , Azain Michael J , Tsai Tsung Cheng Cheng , Nosbisch Shelby , Walk Roger
Published: May 2021

At 8-wk post-weaning, pens of split-sexed pigs (26.0 ± 0.25 pigs/pen; 31.3 ± 0.11 kg; DNA genetics) being housed in a commercial research unit were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments to compare the growth performance and efficiency of the system’s commercial nutritional program that included narasin (Skycis™, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) at 13.6 g/tonne to a product (2 kg/tonne) containing a combination of bioactive peptides and enzymes (PEP; Peptiva® Optimo, Vitech Bio-Chem Corporation, Orange, CA). Dietary treatments were fed through 4 phases based on feed budgets. Pens were weighed bi-weekly through 59-d on test. There were 12 replications or pens per treatment. Feed was delivered and measured using a Feed Logic system and weigh backs were conducted utilizing a calibrated ruler. Average daily gain and feed intake were calculated on a pen basis. Data were analyzed as a mixed model with dietary treatment, gender, and treatment x gender interaction included. There were no interactions reported (P ≥ 0.0965). During the study pigs performed at or above their commercial counterparts. Overall, body weight, ADG, and ADFI were not impacted by treatment, but pigs fed PEP had an 2.1% improvement in feed efficiency compared to the narasin fed pigs. These results indicate that feeding bioactive peptides plus enzymes may improve feed efficiency without the need of an ionophore in the grower period in a commercial swine facility.
PSVI-19 The Association of Benzoic Acid and Essential Oils Increases the Cecal Biodiversity in Weaned Piglets and Improves Growth Performance in Finishing Pigs
Authors: Junior Sudario Roberto Silva , Resende Maíra , Chaves Rhuan F , Marques Athos Silveira , Murata Pedro Massahiro de Matos , Barbosa Aline Maria Silva , Silva Carina Fernanda Gomes , Ribeiro Charles Muller , Falleiros Francine T , Fascina Vitor S , Silva Claudia Cassimira , Prata Maurício F , Passos Adsos , Cantarelli Vinicius de Souza
Published: May 2021

Benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EO) have antimicrobial properties and can be used in antibiotic restriction situations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of BA and EO on cecal content microbiota in weaned piglets and growth performance from the nursery to finishing phase. One hundred and twenty barrows were weaned at 23 days (6.40 ± 0.53 kg) and assigned into 3 treatments (10 replicates) in randomized block design: basal diet without additives (NC), basal diet with antibiotics (PC), and association of 0,3% benzoic acid and essential oil (BA+EO). Colistin sulphate (200 ppm) in the nursery diets and enramycin (10 and 5 ppm) in the growing and finishing diets were used in the PC treatment. The pigs were weighed 0, 42 and 132 days into the experiment. On day 9, one animal per pen (7 replicates) was euthanized and the cecal content was collected for microbiome analyses. Growth performance was analyzed by MIXED procedure (SAS, 2009) and the Tukey test was used to compare the means (P < 0.050). The averages for biodiversity between treatments were compared using the number of OTUs and the Kruskal Wallis test (P < 0.050), and the statistical program STAMP was used. In the microbiome analyses, the results of the taxonomic classification, by principal components analysis (PCA), showed a marked difference in bacterial communities per treatment and a significant increase in the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was observed in the BA+EO group (P < 0.05). At 132 days, the final weight (P = 0.006) and total average daily gain (P = 0.028) of BA+EO and PC were higher than NC. In conclusion, supplementation with BA+EO increases biodiversity in cecal content in the post-weaning period, resulting in an improvement in the growth performance of finishing pigs.
PSVI-18 Nutritional Value of High-protein Yeast Products Fed to Growing Pigs in Comparison to Commonly Used Protein Sources in Swine Diets
Authors: Duarte Ricardo Garavito , Perez-Palencia Jorge Y , Herrick Kevin , Levesque Crystal L
Published: May 2021

Alternative ingredients and co-products from the ethanol and biofuel industries represent an opportunity for utilization in swine diets. The objective of this study was to determine standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in two yeast-based high protein DDGS products (HP-DDGS) fed to growing pigs in comparison to common swine diet protein sources. Cornstarch-based diets were formulated using six ingredients as the sole source of AA: spray dried HP-GDDS, ring dried HP-GDDS, conventional DDGS, soybean meal (SBM), enzymatically-treated soybean meal (HP300) and fishmeal (FM). A N-free diet was used to estimate endogenous ileal AA losses. Seven barrows (25 ± 0.8 kg BW) were fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum. The experiment was conducted as a 7 × 7 Latin square design with 7 collection periods of 7d (5d adaptation and 2d ileal digesta collection). Pigs were fed at 4% of BW. Diets and ileal digesta were analyzed for AA and titanium. Digestibility values were calculated according to the marker method. The CP and AA concentrations in Spray HP-GDDS and Ring HP-GDDS samples were higher than in the DDGS sample and similar to the SBM and HP300 samples. General SID values were within the mean +/- SD of NRC (2012) values for the six ingredients evaluated. The SID of AA was greater (P < 0.05) in HP300 than in the other protein sources (90.09 vs. 79.97). The SID values were generally similar (P > 0.05) in SBM, FM, Spray HP-GDDS, and Ring HP-GDDS samples (81.49, 78.71, 81.52, and 79.20). The SID values for Lys were greater (P < 0.05) in Spray HP-GDDS than in Ring HP-GDDS and DDGS (83.56 vs. 77.33 and 68.53). The HP-GDDS products are potential alternative ingredients to commonly used protein sources in swine diets and the obtained data allows its use in practical diet formulation.
PSV-3 Milk Lactose Concentration Is Altered in Multiparous Sows Supplemented with Sugar from Mid-gestation Through Lactation
Authors: Siomka Alexis M , Young Jennifer M , Vonnahme Kimberly A , Swanson Kendall C , Berg Eric P
Published: May 2021

Using swine as a biomedical model, this study examined whether consumption of added protein (red meat) or free sugar (glucose) throughout gestation and lactation will affect milk composition. Multiparous sows were fed an isocaloric supplement in addition to their normal corn-soybean meal base diet starting on day 40 of gestation and throughout lactation: cooked ground beef (BEEF; n = 10); free sugar (SUG; n = 9); a mixture of the BEEF and SUG diet (BEEFSUG; n = 7); or a caloric equivalent of the base diet (CONTROL; n = 8). Milk samples (30 mL) were collected from each sow at days 0, 6, 12, and 18 of lactation by hand-milking teats after intramuscular injection of 1 cc of oxytocin. Milk was frozen at -20 °C until analyzed for percentage of fat, protein, lactose, total solids, other solids, and milk urea nitrogen (MUN). Analyses were conducted using the mixed procedure in SAS. For traits occurring over time, a repeated measures statement was used with sow as the subject and the best fit method based on AICC was chosen. There was a day × treatment interaction (P < 0.01) for fat and lactose. There were no significant treatment effects within a day for fat when evaluating mean separations. While percentages were similar across treatment groups on days 0, 6, and 12 for lactose, SUG sows had decreased lactose on day 18 compared to CONTROL and BEEFSUG sows (P = 0.02 and 0.04), with no other significant differences between treatments. There were no treatment or treatment ×day interactions for protein, MUN, total solids or other solids. There was a main effect of day where protein decreased from day 0 to 12; MUN decreased between days 6 and 18; total solids decreased from day 0 to 6; and other solids increased from day 0 to 6 and further increased on day 12. Consumption of a maternal supplementation may impact the percentage of lactose in milk.
PSV-8 Effects of Air Exposure and Agitation on Quality of Stored Boar Semen Samples
Authors: Balogun Kayode B , Stewart Kara R
Published: May 2021

Recent adoption of post cervical artificial insemination facilitates lowered concentrations of semen inseminated. In order to achieve this reduced concentration, the volume of the insemination dose has been reduced and replaced with additional air in the semen storage container. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of semen volume, air contact inside semen dose tubes, daily agitation of semen doses and extender type on semen quality, thermo-resistance and bacterial growth in extended boar semen doses over 7 days of liquid storage at 17 C. Ejaculates from 4 terminal cross-bred boars were collected for 4 weeks and used in the 3 x 2 x 2 factorial study. The effects of treatment (CON: 80ml doses sealed at the top of the tube; 40HIGH: 40ml doses sealed at top of tube; and 40LOW: 40ml doses sealed at top of the liquid), extender type (long-term vs short-term), and agitation (agitated vs not agitated) were investigated. The result of the study revealed that motility (P=0.014) and viability (P=0.007) in 40HIGH were lower than CON. pH (P< 0.001) was higher in 40HIGH compared to CON. Agitation did not impact motility (P=0.541), viability (P=0.406) or morphology (P=0.970) while long-term extender maintained higher motility (P=0.034), viability (P< 0.001) and normal acrosomes (P< 0.001) compared to short-term extender. VAP (P=0.039) of 40HIGH was lower than CON in a thermo-resistance test. Bacteria were cultured on both sheep’s blood and MacConkey agar and neither treatment (P=0.798; 0.766) nor agitation (P=0.396; 0.476) impacted bacterial growth in this study. In conclusion, semen doses prepared with 80mL or 40mL of total volume with minimal air contact in the tubes yield more desirable semen quality, as air contact negatively impacts boar semen pH and sperm motility. Additionally, regardless of volume or air exposure, daily agitation of boar semen doses did not affect semen quality.
PSV-9 Effects of Natural Honey Inclusion in Dilution and Freezing Extenders on Frozen-thawed Semen Quality in Boars
Authors: Balogun Kayode B , Nicholls Griffin , Sokunbi Olujide , Stewart Kara R
Published: May 2021

Improvements in the post-thaw quality of frozen semen could allow increased utilization of this technology in the swine industry. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of natural honey inclusion in semen extender and freezing media on motility, mobility, and morphology of cryopreserved boar sperm. Ejaculates from 6 terminal cross-bred boars were collected using the gloved-hand technique for 3 weeks and used in a 2 x 3 factorial study design. Following collection, semen samples were incubated overnight in dilution extender with and without natural honey (D0: Androhep Plus; D1: Androhep Plus + 0.25% honey). The following day, the semen samples were cooled to 4 C in LEY cooling extender then frozen in freezing media containing 93% cooling extender + 6% glycerol + 1% Equex-STM Paste (F1), or freezing media with natural honey replacing 50% of the glycerol (F2) or 50% of the Equex-STM paste (F3). Semen samples were frozen using a controlled-rate freezer and stored in liquid nitrogen. Two straws per treatment for each boar were thawed and semen quality assessed. The inclusion of natural honey in dilution extender had no effect on post-thaw motility (P=0.733), progressive motility (P=0.562), or other mobility parameters (0.995≤P≥0.081). However, D1 had a higher percentage of normal acrosomes (P=0.001) and morphologically normal cells (P< 0.001) resulting from lower tail abnormalities compared to D0 (P=0.006). Post-thaw motility (P< 0.001) and progressive motility (P< 0.001) were increased in F3 compared to both F2 and F1. F1 had reduced normal acrosomes (P=0.009) and morphologically normal cells (P< 0.001) resulting from higher tail abnormalities (P< 0.001). In conclusion, the inclusion of natural honey, at 0.25%, in dilution extender helps maintain normal sperm and acrosome morphology, and replacing 50% Equex-STM Paste with honey in freezing extender improves post-thaw sperm motility and progressive motility of frozen-thawed boar semen.
PSIV-5 Characterization of the Fecal Bacterial Communities of Grass-fed and Grain-fed Bison Heifers
Authors: Rueda Anlly M Fresno , Kruse Carter , Griffin Jason , St-Pierre Benoit
Published: May 2021

In comparison to the rumen, the bacterial communities of the hindgut have remained largely unexplored in ruminants. They not only strongly influence host health, but also efficiency, notably by continuing fermentation of feed that escaped foregut digestion. In non-domesticated ruminants, such as the North American bison, they are thought to contribute to the higher efficiency of their host on feed of poor quality. To gain further insight on this gut microbial ecosystem, fecal bacterial community composition of bison heifers raised at two locations [Standing Butte (n=17), SD, and Blue Creek (n=17), NE] were investigated. Each animal was sampled once while on pasture, then after 100 days on a grain-based diet. Data generated from Illumina MiSeq (2×300) sequencing of PCR amplicons targeting the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene were analyzed using a combination of custom Perl scripts, and publicly available software (Mothur v.1.40, RDP classifier and NCBI Blast). A total of 26,379 and 13,294 species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from Standing Butte and Blue Creek samples, respectively, with 446 and 281 OTUs shared between diets at each respective location. Further analysis of the most highly represented OTUs from each ranch revealed that the abundance of six OTUs differed between diets in Standing Butte heifers compared to nine OTUs in Blue Creek heifers (Kruskal-Wallis sum-rank test; P < 0.05). These included OTUs SD_Bb-00727 (µgrass = < 0.01% vs µgrain = 13.13%) and SD_Bb-00728 (µgrass = 5.62% vs µgrain = < 0.01%) from the Standing Butte samples, as well as OTUs SD_Bb-00730 (µgrass = 0.01% vs µgrain = 10.21%) and SD_Bb-00745 (µgrass = < 0.01% vs µgrain = 3.5%) from the Blue Creek samples. Together, these results indicate that the composition of hindgut bacterial communities of the North American bison are greatly affected by changes in diet.
PSIV-4 The Impacts of Feeding Corn Co-products and Ionophores to Growing Boer Goats
Authors: Dahmer Payton L , Kott Tamra , Crane Alison , Lattimer James , Jones Cassandra K
Published: May 2021

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate corn dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) and corn gluten feed (CGF) as replacements for soybean meal (SBM) and determine the impact of an ionophore on Boer goat growth performance and carcass characteristics. In Exp. 1, 75 Boer-goat kids (initial BW 26.9 ± kg) were allotted to one of 5 dietary treatments: 1) Negative control (100% SBM, 0% DDGS and 0% CGF; 100SBM); 2) Positive control (100% DDGS, 0% CGF and 0% SBM; 100DDGS); 3) 66% DDGS, 33% CGF and 0% SBM (66DDGS/33CGF); 4) 66% CGF, 33% DDGS and 0% SBM (33DDGS/66 CGF); and 5) 100% CGF, 0% DDGS and 0% SBM (0DDGS/100CGF). Dietary treatment did not impact (P ≤ 0.21) growth. In Exp. 2, 72 Boer-goat kids (initial BW 21.7 ± kg) were allotted to one of 4 dietary treatments in a 2 X 2 factorial with 2 protein sources and 2 ionophore inclusions: 1) SBM/no ionophore (SBM-NI); Diet 2) SBM with ionophore (SBM-I); Diet 3) DDGS/no ionophore (DDGS-NI); and Diet 4) DDGS with ionophore (DDGS-I). On d 21, goats were split into 2 groups according to their protein source and fed an additional d 10 (Group 1: DDGS-I; Group 2: SBM-I). The 15 heaviest goats from each group were harvested and carcass data collected. The protein source X ionophore interaction was not significant (P ≥ 0.15) for any measured response criteria. Goats fed a diet with SBM had significantly increased (P = 0.04) ADG compared to goats fed DDGS. No evidence of difference was observed (P ³ 0.10) for ADFI or G:F. Dietary treatment did not impact (P > 0.05) carcass characteristics. In summary, these data suggest that corn co-products can be economically included in Boer-goat diets, however their impact on growth performance is variable compared to that of soybean meal.
PSVI-7 Evaluation of Feed Mitigant Efficacy for Control of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus When Inoculated Either Alone or Together
Authors: Elijah Catherine , Nichols G E , Gebhardt J T , Jones Cassandra K , Woodworth Jason C , Dritz S S K , Bai J , Anderson J W , Porter E G , Singrey A C , Paulk Chad B
Published: May 2021

Research has demonstrated that swine feed can be a fomite for viral transmission and certain feed additives can effectively reduce viral contamination. However, additional information is needed to evaluate the efficacy of additives when feed is inoculated with more than one virus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two feed additives for mitigation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) when inoculated individually or together. Feed additives included: 1) no treatment, 2) 0.33% commercial formaldehyde-based product (Sal Curb, Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA), and 3) 0.50% medium chain fatty acids blend (MCFA; 1:1:1 ratio of C6:C8:C10, Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO). Samples were inoculated with PEDV and PRRSV alone or together at an inoculation concentration of 106 TCID50/g for all viruses. Once inoculated, feed was stored at ambient temperature for 24-h before analyzed via qRT-PCR. For samples inoculated with PEDV or PRRSV alone, a qRT-PCR assay was used which was designed to detect PEDV or PRRSV nucleic acid. For co-inoculated samples, an assay was designed to independently detect both PEDV and PRRSV within a single reaction. For PEDV alone, there was marginally significant evidence that feed additives resulted in differences in cycle threshold (Ct) value (P = 0.052), but no evidence was observed for pairwise differences. For PRRSV alone, formaldehyde increased Ct compared to the untreated control and MCFA treatment (P < 0.05). For co-infection of PRRSV and PEDV, MCFA and formaldehyde increased Ct (P < 0.05) in comparison to non-treated feed. In summary, formaldehyde increased Ct values in feed when contaminated with PRRSV while both mitigants increased Ct value in feed when co-inoculated with PRRSV and PEDV.
PSVI-9 Effects of Mixing Prior to Automated Packaging in Extended Boar Semen
Authors: Suarez-Trujillo Aridany , Minton Amanda , Nicholls Griffin , Mills Kayla M , Stewart Kara R
Published: May 2021

It is known that sperm cells will settle out of extender over time which could impact the concentration per dose within a batch. The objective of this study to investigate the effects of mixing prior to packaging on concentration of packaged insemination doses. At a commercial boar stud, three ejaculates were collected, extended, pooled and assigned to one of three treatment groups: pour-mix (PM) where ejaculates were immediately packaged after combining the three ejaculates, stir-mix (SM) where three ejaculates were combined and stirred thoroughly then packaged, or no mixing (NM) where pooled ejaculates were allowed to sit for 10 min then packaged. Semen was packaged with 35ml per tube creating ~350 individual doses of semen. Every fifth dose was labeled with consecutive numbers (~70/treatment) and overnighted to Purdue University. Concentration of each dose was determined using the NucleoCounter® SP-100TM. The entire study was repeated over 6 weeks. Within treatment, concentration did not differ among doses for the PM and SM treatments. However, NM doses were less concentrated (P< 0.001) in doses >300 compared to all others and doses 251–300 were less concentrated than doses 1 to 50. NM samples 1–250 averaged 36.12 million cells/ml whereas samples 251 to the end of the batch averaged 34.68 million/ml. This results in the last 20 doses having ~50.4 million less cells/dose. Across treatments, NM had lower concentrations (P=0.02) from doses >200 compared to the SM treatment. PM appeared to be an intermediate as it was numerically lower than SM, but not statistically different from either NM or SM. The difference in concentrations between the NM and SM >200 was 1.85 million/ml equaling 64.75 million fewer cells. Overall, allowing semen to settle and not mixing prior to packaging can result in 50–64 million cells fewer per dose in the last 50–100 doses packaged.
PSI-9 Evaluation of an Electronically-controlled Floor Cooling Pad on Semen Quality in Boars During Moderate Heat Stress
Authors: Hedrick Hailey M , Shirley Larissa K , Fields Tyler , Schinckel Allan P , Johnson Jay S , Stwalley Robert , Stewart Kara R
Published: May 2021

Heat stress (HS) decreases semen quality and production in boars. Therefore, the study objective was to evaluate the use of electronically-controlled cooling pads to reduce the negative effects of HS on semen quality. Boars (n=24) were randomly allotted to two treatment groups: boars housed on a non-functional cooling pad (CON) or pads flushing water every 8 minutes or when the pad reached 28.5°C (FLUSH). For 3 d, boars were subjected to cyclical HS (28 to 32°C; >50% relative humidity). Semen was collected for 7 weeks (2 weeks prior to determine baseline semen parameters, the day after HS, and weekly for 4 weeks post HS), and evaluated for volume, sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, morphology, viability, and kinematic motion parameters. FLUSH boars had higher semen volumes compared to CON (P=0.011) without a corresponding increase in total sperm produced (P=0.852). Boars in FLUSH had higher motility in all weeks (87.0–90.8%) when compared to CON boars. FLUSH boars had higher motility starting in week 4 after HS compared to CON (P=0.017). No differences in progressive motility or kinematic motion parameters were found. There was a tendency for FLUSH boars to have a higher percent normal morphology compared to CON boars (83.1 vs 77.5%, P=0.083) resulting from decreased proximal and distal droplets in the FLUSH boars (P=0.029 and P=.0014, respectively). During week 2 post HS, there was a tendency for FLUSH boars to have a lower percentage of non-viable cells compared to all other weeks for FLUSH and CON boars (P=0.088). Cooling pads were effective at reducing the negative impacts of HS on semen volume, motility, and morphological abnormalities.
PSI-7 Evaluation of Form of Supplement with or Without Ionophore on Stocker Steer Performance While on Bromegrass
Authors: Malone Katie , Farney Jaymelynn K
Published: May 2021

Cattle producers have a wide variety of supplements available to increase gains, extend forage, and balance for forage deficiencies; however, this becomes challenging with determining the correct supplement for a specific operation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate form of supplementation with or without the addition of ionophore on cattle gains while grazing bromegrass during the summer. Growing steers (n = 72; initial weight 245 ± 22 kg) were used in a 2 x 2 + 2 factorial treatment and grazed 18 bromegrass pastures from March through August. Factors include base form of supplement at two levels [pressed block (Mintrate) or hand-fed 50:50 corn:DDG blend offered 3x weekly at 0.25% BW] and ionophore at two levels (Rumensin; none or 90 g/ton). Other treatments were liquid supplement (Mix30) and control (free-choice mineral). Cattle were weighed at beginning and end of 150 d grazing period and every 28 d, with carcass ultrasound on d 150. Data was analyzed with ProcMixed (SAS v. 9.4, Cary, NC) with pre-planned contrasts. Hand-fed supplemented steers had greater ADG than steers on free-choice supplements (P = 0.05). Between d 56 and d 140 on grass, hand-fed steers had greater ADG than steers on the block treatment with liquid supplemented steers being intermediate (P < 0.10). Addition of ionophore did not result in differences in ADG (P = 0.43). There was not difference in ADG between steers that were supplemented or only received free-choice mineral (P = 0.48). Marbling score tended (P = 0.08) to be greater for control steers than all other supplemented. Backfat tended (P = 0.08) to be greater with hand-supplemented steers than steers on a free-choice supplement. Even though supplemented steers did not outperform non-supplemented steers during this project, there was gain advantages to hand-feeding supplement instead of a free-choice feed.
PSI-1 Assessment of Nursing Calf Feed Intake Equations in Predicting Calf Feed Intake
Authors: Buessing Zachary T , Davis M E , Tedeschi Luis O , White B J , Lancaster P A
Published: May 2021

Nutrition models are important in predicting animal growth; however, little research has focused on nursing calf performance submodels. This project’s objective was to determine the accuracy and precision of two equations to compute nursing calves’ feed intake. Data were collected on 394 nursing calves from 4 sets of cows (years 1953, 1959, 1964, 1974) of various breeds in which monthly milk yield and butterfat content, individual calf feed intake, and birth and weaning weights were measured during their first three lactations. Cows were milked at 14-d intervals to determine milk yield. The calf feed intake equations used to predict observed feed intake were Equation 9.1 (TED06; Tedeschi et al., 2006, In “Nutrient Digestion and Utilization in Farm Animals: Modeling Approaches”) and Equation 25 (TED09; Tedeschi and Fox, 2009, J. Anim. Sci. 87:3380). Peak milk was estimated from lactation yield using the NASEM (2016) milk yield equation. The average (SD) peak milk, calf ME intake (MEI) over a 240-day preweaning period, and weaning weight were 10.84 (5.64) kg/d, 1,286 (328.71) Mcal of ME, and 280.93 (46.70) kg, respectively. When compared to the observed calf feed intake, TED06 and TED09 had Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.19 and 0.59, respectively. The MEI mean biases were -355.3 and 190.7 Mcal of for TED06 and TED09, respectively, indicating a 27.6% over prediction and 14.8% under prediction, respectively. The RMSE and R2 from linear regression of observed on predicted values of calf MEI were 308.7 Mcal and 0.0365 for TED06, and 253.2 Mcal and 0.3514 for TED09, respectively. In conclusion, neither equation adequately predicted calf feed intake, but the TED09 equation was more accurate and precise than the TED06 equation. Further research is needed to enhance our understanding of factors affecting feed intake of nursing calves to develop better prediction equations.
Evaluation of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes as a Surrogate for RNA-Seq Detection of Gene Expression in Stress Axis Tissues of Mature Brahman Cows
Authors: Earnhardt Audrey L , Baker Emilie C , Cilkiz Kubra Z , Riley David G , Ghaffari Noushin , Littlejohn Brittni P , Collins Haley C , Riggs Penny K , Long Charles R , Cardoso Rodolfo C , Randel Ron D , Welsh Thomas H
Published: May 2021

Longitudinal studies of gene expression where sampling certain organ systems is precluded may become more feasible if a more accessible, representative biological sample could be identified. The objective of this study was to determine whether peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) could be an effective surrogate for assessing gene expression differences within neuroendocrine tissues that regulate stress responses. Specifically, leukocyte samples and stress axis tissues, including the paraventricular region of the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary gland, adrenal cortex, and adrenal medulla were isolated from humanely slaughtered 5-yr-old Brahman cows (n = 8). RNA was extracted from each sample and gene expressions were calculated using bioinformatic approaches of RNA-Seq analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) between adrenal axis tissue RNA and PBL RNA were identified using the edgeR Package from Bioconductor, R. More than 3,000 DEGs were identified in each tissue relative to the PBLs. Overall, higher gene expression levels were observed in the hypothalamus vs PBL, while the remaining tissues had reduced expression compared to PBL (Table 1). Pearson correlation values were calculated from the mean normalized gene count in the PBL and tissues for genes (n = 17) important for stress response and metabolism to assess PBL as a possible surrogate for gene expression analyses (Table 2). Only two genes, oxytocin and 11β-hydroxylase, were positively correlated (P < 0.05) between PBL and specific tissue gene expression. As typically observed among different cell types, gene expression differences exist between the PBL and various tissues of the HPA axis. Therefore, it remains to be determined if gene expression in the surrogate PBL will shift in a direction similar to that of specific adrenal axis tissue of mature Brahman cows exposed to stressors during key developmental periods.
Case Study: On-farm Demonstration for the Impact of Applied Reproductive Technologies
Authors: Carter Courtnie L , Rhinehart Justin D
Published: May 2021

Demonstrating the implementation of, and results from, applied management technologies on privately held farms is an essential method for Extension educators. A commercial cow/calf herd, for which the management was being transitioned to a younger family member, was used for this multi-year demonstration. Beginning summer 2019, the cow herd was inventoried and evaluated, and a plan was put in place to improve profitability through enhanced reproductive management. Initial evaluation showed an overall pregnancy rate of 75.6% with a 153 d calving season for cows and breeding age heifers (n = 209). Non-pregnant and un-sound cattle were sold (n = 56). The average initial BCS was a 4.5 (1 to 9 scale). Estrus synchronization for natural service was utilized in the first breeding season (Fall 2019) to condense the subsequent calving season. Melengestrol acetate (MGA) was fed at a rate of 0.5 mg/head/d for 7 d and bulls introduced on he last day MGA was fed. Also in year 1, timed artificial Insemination was used to breed purchased (n = 37) and home raised (n = 18) replacement heifers. A group of pregnant cows ranging in age from 5 to 8 years (n = 47) were also purchased in year 1. Ultrasonography was used to detect pregnancy and estimate calving date on 30 d post AI, and 30 d post bull removal. Year 2 pregnancy rate was 93% for heifers and 88% for cows with a 131 d estimated calving interval for all cows and heifers (n = 255), with 94% expected to calve in the first 90 days. In summary, while it is difficult to eliminate year-over-year variables, a combination of culling strategy and estrus synchronization for both natural service and AI resulted in an increased proportion of cows and heifers calving earlier in the calving season, which is expected to improve marketing potential and profitability of the resulting calf crop. Condensing the calving interval provides opportunity to introduce additional reproductive management practices. Results from this demonstration will be incorporated into Extension educational curricula.
Availability and Management of Cotton Byproducts in North Carolina: A State Survey
Authors: Mullins Elizabeth P , Poore Matt H , Shaeffer April , Harmon Deidre D , Pickworth Carrie L
Published: May 2021

Whole cottonseed and cotton gin byproduct, also known as gin trash or cotton burrs, are known to be economical feed ingredients for beef cattle diets. There are several sources of information available to producers regarding the feeding of cotton byproducts; however, there is little information on the local supply chain and availability of these products. The objective was to survey cotton gins in North Carolina to determine how whole cottonseed and cotton gin byproduct are marketed. The 19-question survey was developed using Qualtrics survey software and emailed to all cotton gins in the state. Those who failed to respond to the weblink were contacted by phone. This resulted in a 73.5% response rate (n = 25 responses). Data were analyzed using the reporting feature of Qualtrics. On average, 7,716 metric tons of cottonseed and 1,523 metric tons of gin byproduct are produced per gin during a typical season. All respondents reported that the majority of their whole cottonseed is marketed out-of-state as livestock feed. All respondents reported that they either already sell or would consider selling cottonseed locally as cattle feed. In contrast, 78% of respondents reported that the majority of their gin byproduct stays in the state, with 40% being sold as cattle feed and the remaining 60% either being stockpiled and allowed to decompose on-site or used as compost. Of the respondents, 95% already sell gin byproduct locally as cattle feed or would consider doing so. The majority of respondents (92%) answered that they would like to be added to a directory to be distributed to cattle producers. This survey demonstrates that North Carolina cotton gins have cotton byproducts available and that they are interested in selling these locally to cattle producers.
Woodland Grazing: Untapped Resource to Increase Economic Benefits from Forestland
Authors: Karki Lila B , Karki Uma , Tiwari Anand
Published: May 2021

The southeastern United States offers a tremendous opportunity for expanding woodland grazing technology for small ruminants in its almost 60 percent woodland. Like in many other states, Alabama alone has 23 million acres of woodland. Conversely, livestock owners face a daunting challenge to forage their animals for about seven lean months each year. Raising animals on concentrates, of course, is economically unfeasible for small-scale producers. Woodland grazing is an untapped practice that boosts economic, social, and environmental benefits to woodland owners. The objectives of this study were to diversify household cash flow for woodland owners and simultaneously promote forage-based livestock production systems. The study was conducted at Tuskegee University from 2017 to 2020 in 6 acres of woodland (southern pines and non-pine species). Meat goats (8 Wethers) and hair sheep (5 Rams) were grazed rotationally for 6 months (May–Oct.) until they consumed 50% of the available foliage. They were not fed any supplement feed while grazing in woodlands. The feeding cost was estimated using four scenarios: sack/pellet, hay, sack/pellet and hay, and woodland grazing holding health, management, minerals and water costs constant. Feeding cost was 58–204% lower, and labor cost was 50–100% less in woodland grazing compared to conventional feeding systems. Extrapolated data reveal that woodland owners may generate about $9,947.00 more cash flow annually from 50 acres with woodland grazing than without grazing. Moreover, the system approach strengthens knowledge, attitude, awareness, skill, and motivation of the family members and community as a percolation effect. Besides, the environmental benefits (controlling unwanted and invading species and aesthetic pleasure) increase the economic value. Results reveal that woodland grazing can open an enormous economic opportunity to all forestland owners by upholding annual cash flow while trees are growing and making the total returns from woodlands much higher than the monocropping-timber.
Development of Online Alfalfa Management Extension Education Resources Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: da Silva Liliane Severino , Mullenix Kim K , Dillard S Leanne L , Tucker Jennifer J , Thompson Gerry
Published: May 2021

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Extension programs used web-based resources but balanced those with in-person events for interpersonal connection with producers and for individuals with limited access to technology. In 2020, in-person Extension programs were cancelled or converted to online versions. This was the case for the ‘Alfalfa in the South’ (AITS) program, a collaboration between Auburn University (AU) and University of Georgia (UGA). Two online AITS programs were held (May and Sept) and are examples of rethinking traditional models and optimizing resources to prioritize our commitment to clientele. In its first program, the program content was delivered through 1) a series of webinars from AU, UGA and University of Florida (UF) Extension Specialists (n = 6 webinars) and a 1-h live roundtable discussion held through Zoom on May 13, 2020. The roundtable consisted of a moderator interacting with five panelists (faculty, Extension agents and producers) answering live questions from the audience (n = 45 participants). All content was archived by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) for later access using online resources. The second program occurred in Sept 2020 as a collaboration between AU, UF and UGA Specialists. This program included several pre-recorded short videos and e-publications on topics in establishment and management of alfalfa in the South. In 2020, the web-metrics gathered for the ACES webpage and Youtube channel across these programs sums over 3000 views of alfalfa resources. Similarly, engagement on the AL Beef and Forage Extension Facebook pages were over 3000 people. Although a traditional formal post-programming survey was not conducted with participants, an online survey was distributed simultaneously in the south region (n = 12 states) from May through December 2020 aiming to identify main challenges and limitations of alfalfa adoption. The results (n = 212 respondents) showed approximately 65% participants already invested time in learning about alfalfa using Extension online programs and resources available. This shows increased importance of online outreach as a tool to maintain relevance and connection with clientele.
Use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to Document Vegetation Coverage Rate in Managed Grasslands Following a Historic River Flood
Authors: Gadberry Shane , Lawson Kevin , Jennings John , Simon Kenny
Published: May 2021

Our objective was to document the vegetation coverage rate of grasslands impacted by a historic flood event that occurred May and June 2019 within the Arkansas river valley. Primary flooding within the observation area lasted 21 d with a maximum water depth of 3m above flood stage. Three cooperator fields were monitored. Aerial images were captured at 7, 14, 33, and 48 d following water recession. Geo-referenced images were captured at 76.2 m above ground level using an UAV fitted with an integrated camera and a secondary camera with a near infrared filter. Images were stitched and aligned prior to vegetation indexing. Two vegetation indices were calculated: green leaf index (GLI, using the integrated camera color bands) and normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI, using the secondary camera color bands). Image pixels were classified as green vegetation or non-vegetation based on a threshold for each processed image’s indices. The estimated proportion green vegetation was modeled as a dependent variable with day (post water recession) and index method as fixed covariates. A simplex regression model (simplexreg package for R) was chosen for analyzing longitudinal proportion data. Both day (P < 0.001) and index method (P = 0.002) were significant with NDVI predicting less vegetation than GLI. The estimated daily coverage rate was 0.02 ± 0.003. Although fields achieved 90% coverage in 45 d, each cooperator experienced different outcomes in plant community. A d 48 field inventory indicated 38 to 77% undesirable species. The field with the greatest percentage undesirable species was covered with barnyardgrass. Assessment of residual statistics suggests NDVI likely under-estimated vegetation cover of this field on d 48. At inventory, this grass’ growth appeared very erect, with sufficient plant spacing that soil may have influenced NDVI more than GLI. These results demonstrate green vegetation coverage can be estimated without specialized UAV cameras. The UAV was helpful in that it accounted for the entire field at high resolution and images could be captured on cloudy days. Documented flood impacts will be useful in future events.
Determination of Blood Micromineral and Fat-Soluble Vitamin Values for White-tailed Deer
Authors: Greenwood Megan P , Kelley Stanley F , Beverly Marcy M , Urso Phil , Anderson Mark
Published: May 2021

The current National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for trace mineral and vitamin requirements for cervids are based on data collected from various small ruminant species. Lack of baseline requirements make diet formulation for high fenced, white-tailed deer (Odocoileis virginianus) herds particularly ambiguous. This study was to determine a baseline value for whole blood and serum micromineral and vitamin concentrations for white-tailed deer in an attempt to establish dietary requirements of trace minerals and vitamins. Open does (n = 226) were sampled using jugular venipuncture during fall breeding procedures. Captive-raised does housed at various high fenced ranches (n = 3) throughout Texas were used, each with unique management strategies. Blood samples were analyzed for micromineral levels (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn) and fat-soluble metabolites (vitamin A, vitamin E, and cholesterol). Age of the doe and ranch were used as main effects using the GLM procedure in. Sampled averages across all ranches were 6.26 ng/mL of Co, 1.05 µg/mL of Cu, 219.47 µg/mL of Fe, 4.40 ng/mL of Mn, 4.23 ng/mL of Mo, 172.32 ng/mL of Se, 0.54 µg/mL of Zn, 286.76 ng/mL of vitamin A, 1.80 µg/mL of vitamin E, and 79.27 of cholesterol. Micronutrient levels were not affected by age; however, least squared differences existed between the main effect ranch for Co (P < 0.01), Cu (P < 0.01), Fe (P < 0.01), Mo (P < 0.01), Mn (P < 0.01), Se (P < 0.01), Zn (P < 0.01), vitamin E (P < 0.01), and cholesterol (P = 0.038) in serum. There was an observed interaction of age and ranch for vitamin A (P = 0.038). Factors such as feed, forage, soil, genetics, and health management protocols could explain the broad range in values. The establishment of circulating blood micronutrient levels will serve as a baseline for future white-tailed deer nutrient requirement research and feed formulation.
Investigating Plasma Metabolomic Profiles at the Time of Weaning, Based on Pregnancy Outcome, in Bos Taurus heifers
Authors: Rutledge Lauren V , Marks Landon , Rodning Soren P , Elmore Josh , Stanford Kent , Dyce Paul W
Published: May 2021

The objective of this study was to identify differences in the metabolomic profiles of heifers at the time of weaning based on their subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Angus/Simmental-cross heifers (n = 36) were weighed at weaning and 10ml of blood was collected. The blood plasma and white blood cells (WBCs) were isolated. Heifers were then assessed 30 days prior to artificial insemination (AI) for weight, pelvic area (PA), body condition scores (BCS) and reproductive tract scores (RTS). Reproductively mature heifers underwent an AI program with estrus detection and were then exposed to a bull two weeks after AI. Heifers were categorized into three groups: pregnant by AI, pregnant by natural breeding or open after 3 consecutive estrous cycles. 9 heifers pregnant by AI and 11 open heifers were chosen for metabolomic profiling. Of the 20 heifers selected, there was no difference in weight at weaning (355.6±21.9 kg AI, 364.2±33.3 kg Open, p >0.05), BCS (5.7±0.4 AI, 5.6±0.4 Open, P >0.05), RTS (4.1±0.6 AI, 4.0±0.7 Open, P > 0.05) or PA (173.7±10.8cm2 AI, 175.6±9.1cm2 Open, P > 0.05). Ten metabolites were found to be significantly up or down regulated in the heifers who remained open after three consecutive cycles, when compared to those pregnant by AI. Alanine, cystine, lysine, methionine, tyrosine, tryptophan and valine were down regulated while glycerol, fructose-6-phosphate and ribulose-5-phosphate were found to be up regulated in open heifers (P < 0.05). RNA isolated from WBCs was used to compare the expression of five inflammatory cytokines in the open and pregnant by AI groups (TNFα, IL6, CXCL5, POSTN and MCP1). Inflammatory cytokines were increased in all heifers that remained open after three consecutive cycles (p< 0.05). In summary, the quantity of specific metabolites present within the blood plasma are different at weaning between heifers with differing reproductive potentials. This could potentially be used to develop an assay to aid in selecting replacement females.