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Measures of temperament have been previously related to gain and intake in beef cattle. Intake effects may be partially mediated through social interactions in that some temperament measures may directly relate to social dominance behavior. To examine the relationships between temperament, growth, and social dominance behavior, thirty-two crossbred steers were used in a 56-d randomized complete block design experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure. Temperament treatments (assigned on d −7) were chute exit velocity (EV; slow vs. fast) and objective chute score (OCS; low vs. high), a novel temperament measure, defined as the coefficient of variation of recorded weight values collected at five Hz for 10 s while an animal’s head was restrained in a chute. Electronic ear tags with accelerometers were used to continuously measure animal activity. Social dominance behaviors were quantified using video records of 2 h intervals directly following feeding for d 1–13. Dominance was calculated as average dominance index and David’s score. Jugular blood samples were collected to analyze antibody response to leptospirosis vaccines. There were no EV by OCS interactions (P ≥ 0.23) for average daily gain (ADG) or antibody titers. High OCS steers gained 0.26 kg/d more than low OCS steers (P < 0.01) and slow EV steers gained 0.12 kg/d more than fast EV steers (P = 0.02). Slow EV animals had an increased antibody response compared with fast EV animals (P = 0.05). Ranking in the dominance hierarchy was influenced by an EV × OCS interaction (P < 0.02), but there was not a linear relationship between dominance ranking and ADG. Low OCS steers tended to have higher daily activity counts than high OCS steers (P = 0.11), and fast EV steers had higher (P = 0.08) activity counts than slow EV steers. In conclusion, our two temperament-related measures, EV and OCS, were independently related to differences in ADG. Although dominance ranking was significantly related to the interaction of these two temperament measures, it was not linearly related to ADG. Alternatively, differences in accelerometer-based activity counts among temperament groups did correspond with trends in growth responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To test a unique electronic ear tag designed to collect movement data to determine whether physical activity of sick steers differed from that of healthy steers. ANIMALS 206 steers. PROCEDURES Physical activity in 2 groups of steers during November and December of 2010 (101 steers; the tag of I steer failed, and thus that steer was removed from the study, which resulted in data for 100 steers) and 201 1 (105 steers) was monitored with an electronic ear tag device with an on-board triple-axis accelerometer.The accelerometer recorded motion in all 3 axes in the form of counts per minute. A radio-frequency transmitter on the ear tag delivered serial packets of motion data to a local server. An algorithm was developed to analyze the activity data to determine whether this technique could be used to assess health status with high accuracy. RESULTS Steers that became sick had significantly fewer activity counts (approx 25% fewer), compared with the activity counts of steers that remained healthy the entire time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this study, automated detection of health status in growing cattle was feasible through remote monitoring of animal activity. Early identification of sick animals should lead to improved health outcomes, increased marketability, and improved animal well-being and help to minimize the use of antimicrobials that could contribute to resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships of forage nutritive value (NVAL) and quantity with individual animal performance on pasture have long been evaluated, but there have been few attempts to describe the specific roles or relative importance of NVAL and quantity in determining animal response. The objective of this review was to more clearly define these roles based on a comprehensive assessment of pastureland literature and the application of a meta-analysis. It is clear that quantity and NVAL interact. When pastures present a wide range in forage mass, 60 to 90% of variation in average daily gain (ADG) can be explained by quantity, but there may be no relationship of NVAL with ADG. If pastures present only high forage mass, there may be no relationship between quantity and ADG, but NVAL may explain more than 50% of variation in ADG. The meta-analysis and a review of studies that evaluated forages of differing NVAL across a range of forage mass provided evidence that NVAL (i) sets the upper limit for ADG, (ii) determines the slope of the regression of ADG on stocking rate (SR), and (iii) establishes the forage mass at which ADG plateaus. In contrast, forage quantity determines the proportion of potential ADG that is achieved and is the primary driver for direction of the ADG response (negative) to increasing SR. Thus, the literature supports a conclusion of interaction among forage NVAL and quantity in affecting individual animal performance on pasture, but it suggests that the roles of each are quite well defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study which used in situ techniques for measuring ruminal degradation of feedstuffs. Theoretical background; Sources of variation with in situ measurements; Implications.

Heat stress reduces reproductive efficiency in beef cattle. Recent evidence suggests that supplementation of red clover can alleviate the physiological impacts of fescue toxicosis which could decrease heat stress. Our objective was to determine the effect of supplementing heifers grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+ TF) with a conventional mineral containing red-clover leaf. We hypothesized that heifers supplemented with the red-clover leaf mineral would have greater conception rates to AI (CRAI) in times of possible heat stress compared with heifers supplemented with conventional mineral. A grazing study was conducted from May - August in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Yearling beef heifers (n = 32, 36, 40 heifers yr-1, respectively) were blocked by body weight, hair coat score and color into 4 grazing blocks that were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments (2 blocks treatment-1): 1. conventional non-medicated loose mineral control (0%-RC), or 2. conventional loose mineral + 20% wt/wt red clover leaf (20%-RC). Mineral treatments were provided in ground, 3-compartment mineral feeders ad libitum. Each grazing block was assigned to four, 0.8- ha. pastures consisting of predominantly E+ TF and were rotationally managed over the course of the study. Each year estrus was synchronized suitable for fixed time AI in May and all heifers resynchronized in June. In addition, each heifer was fitted with an ear-tag sensor (CowManager SensOor, Agis Automatisering BV, Harmelen, the Netherlands) for continuous behavioral monitoring (including high activity and activity). The CRAI were analyzed with the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS using the binomial distribution link logit function (v.9.4., SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Total daily activity and high activity reported by CowManger during May and June were analyzed by the MIXED procedure with repeated measures of SAS. The CRAI were similar for 20%-RC (67.30 ± 9.80%) and 0%-RC (60.70 ± 9.80%) heifers following the first service of AI (P = 0.51) during a thermoneutral period in May. In contrast, CRAI was greater (P = 0.02) for 20%-RC heifers (48.67 ± 13.47%) than CM (15.10 ± 13.47%) in June when temperatures increased to potential heat stress levels. Overall, conception rate after two rounds of AI for 20%-RC (78.30 ± 9.30%) heifers tended to be greater (P = 0.08) than CM (62.20 ± 9.30 %). While high activity (associated with estrous behavior) reported by CowManager did not differ between treatments (20%-RC: 203.94; 0%-RC: 213.90; SEM: 8.65 min d-1; P = 0.25), normal daily activity of 20%-RC heifers (150.69 ± 10.40 min d-1) tended to be greater (P = 0.06) than CM (126.33 ± 8.65 min d-1). Results of this study suggest supplementing red-clover containing mineral may mitigate negative effects of consuming E+ TF including decreased conception rates during times of heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, US growers have been allowed to cultivate hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), prompting interest in exploring the use of hemp products in ruminant diets. Extraction of cannabidiol (CBD) oil from hemp biomass generates spent inflorescent material that could be upcycled as a feedstuff, yet little is known about its fiber composition. A recent study measured in vitro true digestibility and fermentation parameters of multiple hemp cultivars, some intact and some CBD-extracted (Altman et al., 2022). Both categories of hemp inflorescence material had similar or greater total digestible nutrients (TDN) than an alfalfa cube control, supporting hemp's potential as a feedstuff. However, comparisons between non-extracted and CBD-extracted samples could not be made, and the fiber content was only described as neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Fiber composition can significantly impact ruminal digestibility, and in-depth characterizations of cell wall carbohydrate composition can provide further insight into the digestibility of a specific plantbased feed. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of CBD oil extraction on the cell wall carbohydrate composition of the inflorescent material of two hemp cultivars. Intact (Biomass) and CBDextracted (Spent) inflorescent material from two hemp cultivars, Mary and Zelios, were analyzed. The scell wall monosaccharides of the samples were released via two complementary acid hydrolyses, methanolysis and Saeman (sulfuric acid) hydrolysis, and separated and quantified using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). Additionally, the carbohydrate linkage patterns were assessed by generating partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). Student's unpaired t-tests were run in GraphPad Prism, and no differences (P > 0.05) in monosaccharide concentrations based upon treatment (CBD extraction) or cultivar were found with either hydrolysis method except for the methanolysis glucose concentration between the biomass forms of the two cultivars where Mary Biomass possessed more glucose than Zelios Biomass (P

Activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-controlled anabolic signaling pathways in skeletal muscle of rodents and humans is responsive to the level of dietary protein supply, with maximal activation and rates of protein synthesis achieved with 0.2 to 0.4 g protein/kg body weight (BW). In horses, few data are available on the required level of dietary protein to maximize protein synthesis for maintenance and growth of skeletal muscle. To evaluate the effect of dietary protein level on muscle mTOR pathway activation, five mares received different amounts of a protein supplement that provided 0, 0.06, 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 g of crude protein (CP)/kg BW per meal in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. On each sample day, horses were fasted overnight and were fed only their protein meal the following morning. A preprandial (0 min) and postprandial (90 min) blood sample was collected and a gluteus medius muscle sample was obtained 90 min after feeding the protein meal. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, and amino acid concentrations. Activation of mTOR pathway components (mTOR and ribosomal protein S6 [rpS6]) in the muscle samples was measured by Western immunoblot analysis. Postprandial plasma glucose (P = 0.007) and insulin (P = 0.09) showed a quadratic increase, while total essential amino acid (P < 0.0001) concentrations increased linearly with the graded intake of the protein supplement. Activation of mTOR (P = 0.02) and its downstream target, rpS6 (P = 0.0008), increased quadratically and linearly in relation to the level of protein intake, respectively. Comparisons of individual doses showed no differences (P > 0.05) between the 0.25 and 0.5 g of protein intake for either mTOR or rpS6 activation, indicating that protein synthesis may have reached near maximal capacity around 0.25 g CP/kg BW. This is the first study to show that the activation of muscle protein synthetic pathways in horses is dose-dependent on the level of protein intake. Consumption of a moderate dose of high-quality protein resulted in near maximal muscle mTOR pathway activation in mature, sedentary horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ergot alkaloids, in their active isomeric form, affect animal health and performance, and adsorbents are used to mitigate toxicities by reducing bioavailability. Adsorbents with high specificity (molecularly imprinted polymers: MIP) adsorb ergot alkaloids in vitro, but require evaluation for biological implications. Using ex vivo myography, synthetic polymers were evaluated for effects on the bioactivity of ergotamine tartrate (ETA). Polymers were first evaluated using isotherms. Lateral saphenous veins were collected from 17 steers for four independent studies: dose response of ETA, adsorbent dose response, validation of pre-myograph incubation conditions and MIP/ non-molecularly imprinted polymer (NIP) comparison. Norepinephrine normalized percent contractile response to increasing ETA exhibited a sigmoidal dose response (max: 88.47 and log of the effective molar concentration (EC50) (-log [ETA]) of 6.66 ± 0.17 M). Although sample preparation time affected contractile response (p < 0.001), pre-myograph incubation temperature (39 vs. 21 °C, 1 h) had no effect (p > 0.05). Isothermal adsorption showed a maximum adsorption of 3.27E-008 moles·mg-1 and affinity between 0.51 and 0.57 mg (R2 : 0.83-0.92) for both polymers, with no significant difference between polymers (p > 0.05). No significant differences in maximum inhibitory (p = 0.96) and IC50 responses (p = 0.163) between MIP and NIP were noticed. Normalized percent contraction could be predicted from the in vitro adsorption data (R2 = 0.87, p < 0.01), for both polymers. These studies indicate that synthetic polymers are potentially effective adsorbents to mitigate ergot toxicity caused by ergot alkaloids, with little evidence of significant differences between MIP and NIP in aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected grasses inhibit prolactin (PRL) secretion and may reduce milk production of cows consuming these grasses. We investigated the effects of consuming endophyte-infected fescue seed during late lactation and the dry period on mammary growth, differentiation, and milk production. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups. Starting at 90 ± 4 d prepartum, cows were fed endophyte-free fescue seed (control; CON), endophyte-free fescue seed plus 3×/wk subcutaneous injections of bromocriptine (0.1 mg/kg of body weight, positive control; BROMO), or endophyteinfected fescue seed (INF) as 10% of the diet on an as fed basis. Although milk yield of groups did not differ before treatment, at dry off (-60 d prepartum) INF and BROMO cows produced less milk than CON. Throughout the treatment period, basal concentrations of PRL and the prepartum increase in plasma PRL were reduced in INF and BROMO cows compared with CON cows. Three weeks after the end of treatment, circulating concentrations of PRL were equivalent across groups. In the subsequent lactation milk yield was not decreased; in fact, BROMO cows exhibited a 9% increase in milk yield relative to CON. Evaluation of mammary tissue during the dry period and the subsequent lactation, by quantitative histology and immunohistochemical analysis of proliferation markers and putative mammary stem or progenitor cell markers, indicated that feeding endophyte-infected fescue seed did not significantly affect mammary growth and development. Feeding endophyte-infected grasses during the dry period may permit effective utilization of feed resources without compromising milk production in the next lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, diagnosis of Parascaris equorum infection in equids is limited to patent infections. The goals of this study were to culture P. equorum larvae in vitro and identify excretory-secretory (ES) products for prepatent diagnostic testing. Parascaris equorum L2/L3 larvae were hatched and cultured for up to 3 weeks for ES product collection. Fifth stage (L5) P. equorum were also cultured for ES product collection. Examination of ES fractions by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and silver stain revealed L2/L3 products ranging from 12-94 kDa and L5 products ranging from 12-189 kDa. Western blot analyses were conducted using polyclonal antibodies produced against P. equorum or Baylisascaris procyonis L2/L3 ES products, sera from rabbits inoculated with B. procyonis or Toxocara canis eggs, and sera from animals naturally infected with P. equorum or T. canis. Western blot results indicated parasite antigens migrating at 19 and 34 kDa may be useful for specifically detecting P. equorum infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine if increasing forage botanical diversity improved stocker gains on warm-season annual (WSA) pastures. An opportunity exists to add extra gain on fall-born calves by grazing summer pastures after spring weaning and selling at a more favorable late summer market. However, cool-season perennial pastures in the Mid-South often have insufficient quality and yield to support desired summer gains. Therefore, the improved production and nutritive value of WSA forages shows promise in this system. A study was conducted near Princeton, KY, where calves (329, 366, and 297 kg in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively) grazed one of three WSA forage treatments without supplementation in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included 1) sorghum-sudangrass monoculture (MONO), 2) simple mixture (SIMPLE = sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet, soybean), and 3) complex mixture (COMPLEX = SIMPLE + sudangrass, corn, crabgrass, cowpea, sunflower, sunn hemp, daikon radish, forage rape, Korean lespedeza). In 2017, MONO and SIMPLE calves had higher average daily gain (ADG) than COMPLEX calves (0.79 kg/day vs. 0.66 kg/day, P < 0.03). In 2018, no differences in ADG were detected among treatments (P > 0.3); however, calves only gained 0.01 kg/day. In 2019, MONO and SIMPLE calves again had higher ADG than COMPLEX calves (0.59 kg/day vs. 0.43 kg/day, P < 0.03). The exceptionally low 2018 ADG was likely due to the higher nutritional demand of heavier calves and the lower nutritive value of mature forages compared to other years. In conclusion, complex WSA forage mixtures did not offer any improvement in animal performance, and proper management of all WSA forages (maintaining a vegetative state) is paramount to achieving adequate gains on stockers without supplementation; however, supplementation may be necessary to improve WSA forage utilization in the rumen, potentially leading to more favorable gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]