Estimating body weight and body condition score of mature beef cows using depth images.

Obtaining accurate body weight (BW) is crucial for management decisions yet can be a challenge for cow-calf producers. Fast-evolving technologies such as depth sensing have been identified as low-cost sensors for agricultural applications but have not been widely validated for U.S.

Effect of protein and glucogenic precursor supplementation on forage digestibility, serum metabolites, energy utilization, and rumen parameters in sheep.

Supplementation of glucogenic precursors in roughage diets may increase production responses due to improved efficiencies of nutrient utilization. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of source of supplemental glucogenic potential (GP) on forage digestibility, serum metabolites, energy utilization, and rumen parameters of growing wethers consuming a roughage diet (8.8% crude protein, 71.

The impact of cow size on cow-calf and postweaning progeny performance in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Optimizing beef production system efficiency requires an understanding of genetic potential suitable for a given production environment. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the influence of cow body weight (BW) adjusted to a common body condition score (BCS) of 5 at weaning-influenced cow-calf performance and postweaning steer and heifer progeny performance. Data were collected at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, on crossbred, mature cows ( 1,607) from 2005 to 2017.

Developmental Programming in a Beef Production System.

Beef production is a complex system, in which cows are expected to perform in varied environmental conditions. In cattle, the most commonly reported developmental programming influence is nutrient restriction during the prenatal period due to climatic conditions affecting forage availability and quality. Recent research has demonstrated maternal or prepartum nutrition can affect more than just subsequent pregnancy rates.

The effect of cow udder score on cow/calf performance in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Poor udder and teat confirmation decreases profitability due to decreased calf weaning weight, increased incidence of mastitis and labor, and decreased cow lifetime productivity. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of beef cow udder score on cow performance and pre- and postweaning progeny performance. In a 5-yr study, crossbred cows at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, were assigned an udder score each year at calving, from 1 to 5, using an udder and teat combination score.

Effects of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed and red clover isoflavones on rumen microbial populations and physiological parameters of beef cattle.

[() tall fescue] toxicosis is responsible for substantial beef production losses in the United States, due to its negative effects on reproduction, growth, and feed efficiency. These effects are consequences of toxic alkaloids within tall fescue. Interseeding legumes, such as (red clover), into pastures has been shown to mitigate a portion of these effects.

BEEF SPECIES-RUMINANT NUTRITION CACTUS BEEF SYMPOSIUM: Sustainable and economically viable management options for cow/calf production through enhanced beef cow metabolic efficiency1.

Beef cow herds are expected to be metabolically and reproductively efficient in varied and ever changing environmental conditions. Therefore, selection and management of grazing beef cows provides unique and diverse challenges in achieving optimal production efficiency for any environment. Beef cows face dynamic and highly variable nutritional environments that periodically are inadequate in meeting nutrient and energy requirements.

Eimeria gilruthi-associated abomasitis in a group of ewes.

Nine of 23 (39%) research ewes with severe diarrhea and weight loss had histologic lesions consistent with Eimeria gilruthi infection in their abomasa. Gross anatomic lesions included hundreds of opaque 1-mm nodules in abomasal mucosa that corresponded microscopically to 200-300 µm diameter organisms surrounded by areas of necrosis. Analysis of fecal samples from 4 ewes demonstrated oocysts from typical ovine Eimeria species, none of which were E.

Effects of red clover isoflavones on tall fescue seed fermentation and microbial populations in vitro.

Negative impacts of endophyte-infected Lolium arundinaceum (Darbyshire) (tall fescue) are responsible for over $2 billion in losses to livestock producers annually. While the influence of endophyte-infected tall fescue has been studied for decades, mitigation methods have not been clearly elucidated. Isoflavones found in Trifolium pratense (red clover) have been the subject of recent research regarding tall fescue toxicosis mitigation.

Winter grazing of stockpiled native forages during heifer development delays body weight gain without influencing final pregnancy rates.

The objective of this study was to test the effects of protein supplementation strategy and different stockpiled forage species on growth, nutritional status, and reproductive performance of yearling beef heifers. In a 5-yr study, yearling beef heifers (n = 266) were stratified by body weight (BW) at weaning to 1 of 3 stockpiled forages: 1) endophyte-infected tall fescue (TF, Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort; 7.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate infusion identifies acutely differentially expressed genes related to metabolism and reproduction in the hypothalamus and pituitary of castrated male sheep.

To identify molecular pathways that couple metabolic imbalances and reproduction, we randomly assigned 10 castrated male sheep to be centrally injected into the lateral ventricle through intracerebroventricular cannulas with 1 ml of β-hydroxybutyric acid sodium salt solution (BHB; 12,800 µmol/l) or saline solution (CON; 0.9% NaCl). Approximately 2 h postinjection, sheep were humanely euthanized, and hypothalamus and pituitary tissues were harvested for transcriptome characterization by RNA sequencing.

Effect of forage species and supplement type on rumen kinetics and serum metabolites in growing beef heifers grazing winter forage.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of stockpiled forage type and protein supplementation on VFA production, serum metabolites, and BW in yearling beef heifers. Over 2 yr, spring-born, Angus crossbred yearling beef heifers ( = 42; 305 ± 2.9 kg initial BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 forage pasture types: 1) endophyte-infected tall fescue [TF; (Schreb.

Lowering rumen-degradable and rumen-undegradable protein improved amino acid metabolism and energy utilization in lactating dairy cows exposed to heat stress.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of reducing dietary rumen-degradable protein (RDP) and rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) on protein and energy metabolism in heat-stressed dairy cows. Eighteen primiparous and 30 multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows were used in a completely randomized design arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial (n = 12/treatment). Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments that included 2 levels of RDP (10 and 8%; D) and 2 levels of RUP (8 and 6%; U) of dry matter for 21 d as (1) 10D:8U, (2) 8D:8U, (3) 10D:6U, and (4) 8D:6U.

Post-weaning feed efficiency decreased in progeny of higher milk yielding beef cows.

Current trends in the beef industry focus on selecting production traits with the purpose of maximizing calf weaning weight; however, such traits may ultimately decrease overall post-weaning productivity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of actual milk yield in mature beef cows on their offspring's dry matter intake (DMI), BW, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI) during a ~75-day backgrounding feeding trial. A period of 24-h milk production was measured with a modified weigh-suckle-weigh technique using a milking machine.

Circulating beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration may be a predictive measurement for young cows that have a greater probability to conceive at a fixed-time artificial insemination.

Timing of conception, which has been indicated to be negatively influenced by metabolic dysfunctions, can influence lifetime productivity within the cow herd. Therefore, our objective was to analyze the association of milk production, serum metabolites as an indicator of nutrient status, cow BW and BW change, and calf BW with timing of pregnancy in 183 spring-calving beef cows. Cows were retrospectively classified by timing of pregnancy as cows that were diagnosed pregnant by timed AI (TAI; = 118) or natural breeding (NAT; = 65).

Rumen-protected arginine alters blood flow parameters and luteinizing hormone concentration in cyclic beef cows consuming toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue seed.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rumen-protected arginine on median caudal artery blood flow and LH dynamics in cows fed toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue seed. Four ruminally cannulated nonlactating beef cows (539 ± 30 kg) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments utilizing a 4 × 4 Latin square design with 4 periods of 31 d each. Each cow was assigned to individual pens and fed orchardgrass hay (10.

High milk production decreases cow-calf productivity within a highly available feed resource environment.

The beef cattle industry tends to focus on selecting production traits with the purpose of maximizing cow-calf performance. One such trait is milking ability, which is considered the primary influence on weaning weight of the calf. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of actual milk yield on reproductive performance, circulating blood metabolites, and calf performance in beef cows in the Southeastern US.

Water temperature impacts water consumption by range cattle in winter.

Water consumption and DMI have been found to be positively correlated, and both may interact with ingestion of cold water or grazed frozen forage due to transitory reductions in the temperature of ruminal contents. The hypothesis underpinning the study explores the potential that cows provided warm drinking water would have increased in situ NDF and OM disappearances and a more stable rumen temperature, drink more water, and lose less BW during the winter. This hypothesis was tested in 3 experiments.