Survey on concentrations of manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc and molybdenum in prepartum diets for beef cows and those associations with calving interval in commercial cow-calf operations in Japan

Abstract Worldwide, beef production systems represent a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG), and enteric methane (CH4) emissions are the primary concern. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether biochar (Oregon Biochar Solution, White City, OR) supplementation can reduce CH4 emissions from grazing beef cows. Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced through the pyrolysis of organic matter (typically forestry waste). Sixty-four cows and their calves were blocked by cow body weight and calf age, and randomly allocated to 8 paddocks, each with 8 cow-calf pairs. Using a crossover design, each paddock was assigned to one of two treatments: (1) biochar supplemented at approximately 3% of estimated dry matter intake (DMI) or (2) control (no biochar). Biochar was incorporated into a pellet containing 45% biochar, 42.5% wheat midds, 10% canola oil, and 2.5% dry molasses and fed in a portable trough once daily. Each period consisted of 28 days: 21 days for biochar adaptation and 7 days for data collection. Enteric gas emissions from each paddock were measured using C-Lock GreenFeed trailers (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD, USA) with pasture DMI estimated using paddock entry/exit quadrats during each sampling week. Enteric CH4 emissions expressed as g CH4/d were 249 and 260 ± 50.3 g (P ≥ 0.37) for control and biochar, respectively. Similarly, g CH4/kg DM and g CH4/kg BW were not affected (P ≥ 0.44) by biochar supplementation on pasture. Biochar supplementation did not affect estimated DMI or cow/calf body weights (P ≥ 0.15). Results suggest that biochar was ineffective for reducing methane emissions from grazing beef cows; however, measures of animal performance were not affected by biochar consumption. Further work is required to determine if type or higher inclusions of biochar can reduce CH4 emissions from beef cattle.

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Concentration of Certain Trace Elements in the Soils of Dagestan Lowlands and Its Medical and Ecological Significance

Journal of Medical and Biological Research ◽

10.37482/2687-1491-z045 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 69-76

Author(s):

Patimat M. Ibnumaskhudova ◽

◽

Patimat D. Kazanbieva ◽

Umiyat A. Magomedova ◽

Khadizhat N. Abdurazakova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Trace Element Composition ◽

Economic Problem ◽

Research Centre ◽

Morbidity Rate ◽

State Budget ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Copper Zinc ◽

The Republic ◽

Cobalt Copper

Neurological and endocrine diseases, being widespread and producing significant impact on peopleʼs health as well as increasing the risk of disability of the working population (thus burdening the state budget), remain a most important medical and economic problem today. The study aimed to establish a link between these pathologies and the content of trace elements (cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese) in the soils of Dagestan plains. The concentration of active forms of cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese in the soil was established using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer model 170-70 (Hitachi, Japan) at the Biogeochemistry Laboratory of the Caspian Institute of Biological Resources, Dagestan Federal Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences. To determine the morbidity rate in the population, we turned to the data of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Dagestan. The study revealed that the relevant pathologies in Dagestanʼs population, leading to disability, are caused by the trace element composition of the soil. Having compared the data on the content of cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese in the soils of the republicʼs lowland districts (Kizilyurt, Khasavyurt, Babayurt) and the prevalence of endocrine and neurological pathologies, we found a high correlation. The number of patients was in direct proportion to the content of manganese and in inverse proportion to the content of cobalt, copper and zinc. However, in Kizlyar District endocrine pathologies only correlated with zinc in the soil, which, apparently, can be explained by the local diet, fish products playing an important role, and by the fact that the territory is often flooded with coastal waters, changing the elementsʼ concentration in the soil.

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An index framework founded on the future profit potential of female beef cattle to aid the identification of candidates for culling

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa334 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (11) ◽

Author(s):

Fíona L Dunne ◽

Donagh P Berry ◽

Margaret M Kelleher ◽

Ross D Evans ◽

Siobhan W Walsh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beef Cattle ◽

Population Distribution ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Calving Interval ◽

Transition Matrices ◽

Individual Female ◽

The Mean ◽

Carcass Performance ◽

Expected Longevity ◽

Profit Potential

Abstract Meticulous culling decisions, coupled with careful breeding decisions, are fundamental to shifting a population distribution in the favorable direction and improving profit per cow. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of easy-to-use dynamic tools to aid in culling decisions in beef cattle. The motivation for the present study was to develop a monetary-based culling tool, here referred to as the Beef Female’s Profit Potential (BFPP), to identify females for culling. The BFPP reflects the expected lifetime profitability of an individual female in a herd for the expected remainder of her lifetime; this profit included that of the beef female herself as well as her progeny. The BFPP index framework was composed of 4 subindexes reflecting the value of an animal: (1) as a nulliparae (this was voided if the cow had already calved), (2) for the remainder of her current parity, (3) summed across each of her expected remaining parities, and (4) when she is retained within the herd and not voluntarily culled. Each subindex was comprised of different components reflecting both genetic and non-genetic effects associated with each female. Transition matrices predicting the expected longevity of each female and their expected month of calving were also utilized in calculating the expected remaining lifetime profitability of each female. The BFPP index was validated on 21,102 beef cows as well as their harvested progeny from 875 herds by stratifying the cows, within herd, into 4 strata based on their BFPP. The mean of the within-herd correlation between the BFPP and the Irish national replacement (i.e., breeding) index was, on average, 0.45 indicating the shortcomings of the breeding index as a culling tool. Cows within the top BFPP stratum had a genetic expectation of accruing almost an additional €36 profit per calving, relative to cows within the worst stratum; when validated on the cow’s own calving interval and survival performance as well as their progeny’s carcass performance, the actual phenotypic value was estimated to be an additional €32 profit per calving. A proportion of this additional profit was due to the harvested progeny of the high BFPP cows having, on average, heavier, more conformed carcasses with less fat cover relative to their poor BFPP contemporaries. This BFPP framework is a useful and easy-to-use tool to aid in producer decision making on the choice of females to voluntarily cull but also on which replacement heifers to graduate into the mature herd.

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Marginal cost of the calving interval in beef cows is not uniform

Veterinary Record ◽

10.1136/vr.104193 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 183 (5) ◽

pp. 160-160

Author(s):

Didier Raboisson ◽

Philippe Citerne

Keyword(s):

Marginal Cost ◽

Economic Assessment ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Calving Interval ◽

Replacement Rate ◽

Market Prices ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Management Measures ◽

Feeding Costs ◽

Calving Intervals

To understand the profitability of reproduction management measures, an economic assessment based on a beef cow life simulation was proposed. It accounted for the discounted feeding costs of the dam and its calves for the different periods of their lives up to their sale and for the overall production from calves adjusted by mortality and culling. The calibration was proposed for various combinations of typical French and European situations. The maximal cash flow was observed for the lowest calving interval, corresponding to the maximal number of calves produced. The marginal cost of the calving interval was not uniform: on average, it was twice as high at a calving interval of 360 days (€1/day) as at 500 days (€0.5/day). It was also higher when age at first calving was lower and when culling was late or the replacement rate was low. The results were sensitive to the costs of the calves’ diets and to the market prices for calves. These assessments may assist the evaluation of the profitability of various measures taken in the field when faced with deteriorating calving intervals in beef production.

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Antagonism in the carbon footprint between beef and dairy production systems

South African Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4314/sajas.v44i5.4 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 17-20

Author(s):

MM Scholtz ◽

J Du Toit ◽

FWC Neser

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Production Systems ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Feed Water ◽

Dairy Production ◽

Pasture Production ◽

Total Mixed Ration ◽

Cow Calf

Primary beef cattle farming in South Africa is largely extensive, whereas dairy farming is based on both total mixed ration and pasture production systems. Under natural rangeland conditions, decomposition of manure is aerobic, which produces carbon dioxide (CO2), part of which is absorbed by the regrowth of vegetation rather than released into the atmosphere, and water (H2O) as end products. Thus the cow releases methane (CH4) and the manure CO2. This is in contrast to intensive cow-calf systems in large parts of Europe and North America, where large quantities of manure are stockpiled and undergo anaerobic decomposition and produce CH4. Thus both the cow and the manure release CH4, which result in a higher carbon footprint than the extensive cow-calf systems. In dairy farming, increasing cow efficiency through intensive feeding (same kg milk output by fewer animals) can reduce farm CH4 production by up to 15%. In addition, when differences in productivity are accounted for, pasture systems require more resources (land, feed, water, etc.) per unit of milk produced and the carbon footprint is greater than that of intensive systems. This raises the question as to why the carbon footprint of intensive dairy cow production systems is less, but the carbon footprint of intensive beef cow-calf production systems is higher. The explanation lies in the differences in production levels. In the case of beef cows the weight of the intensive cows will be ± 30% higher than that of the extensive cows, and the weaning weight of their calves will also differ by ± 30%. In the case of dairy cows the weight of the intensive cows will be ± 20% higher, but their milk production will be ± 60% higher. The higher increase in production (milk) of intensive dairy cows, compared to the increase in production (calf weight) of intensive beef cows, explains the antagonism in the carbon footprint between different beef and dairy production systems. Unfortunately, carbon sequestration estimates have been neglected and thus the quantitative effects of these differences are not known.Keywords: Cow-calf production, methane, pasture production, production levels, total mixed ration

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Survey of Salmonella Serotypes Shed in Feces of Beef Cows and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-63.12.1648 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 63 (12) ◽

pp. 1648-1653 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

D. A. DARGATZ ◽

P. J. FEDORKA-CRAY ◽

S. R. LADELY ◽

K. E. FERRIS

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Herd Size ◽

National Study ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Fecal Samples ◽

Beef Cow ◽

Common Serotypes ◽

Cow Calf

Salmonella prevalence on cow-calf operations was studied as a part of a national study of health and management of the U.S. beef cow-calf industry and was conducted as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System. Within this study, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. shed in feces was determined. A total of 5,049 fecal samples were collected from 187 beef cow-calf operations each visited on a single occasion. The number of fecal samples collected per operation was predetermined based on herd size. Salmonellae were recovered from 1 or more fecal samples collected on 11.2% (21 of 187) of the operations. Overall 78 salmonellae representing 22 serotypes were recovered from 1.4% (70 of 5,049) of samples. Multiple serotypes were recovered from eight samples from a single operation. The five most common serotypes were Salmonella Oranienburg (21.8% of isolates), and Salmonella Cerro (21.8%), followed by Salmonella Anatum (10.3%), Salmonella Bredeney (9.0%), and Salmonella Mbandaka (5.1%). The most common serogroups identified were C1 (33.3%), K (21.8%), B (16.7%), and E (15.4%). Even though the recovery rate of salmonellae from fecal samples was very low, 43.6% (34 of 78) and 38.5% (30 of 78) of the isolates were among the 10 most common serotypes from cattle with clinical signs of disease or isolated from humans, respectively. The majority of the isolates (50 of 78; 64.1%) were recovered from fecal samples from two operations. All isolates were screened for resistance to a panel of 17 antimicrobics, and 87.2% (68 of 78) were susceptible to all of the antimicrobics. The resistant isolates were most commonly resistant to streptomycin (n = 9) and/or sulfamethoxazole (n = 9). Nine isolates showed multiple (≥2 antimicrobics) resistance most commonly to streptomycin and sulfamethoxazole (n = 6).

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Alternative fall and winter feeding systems for spring calving beef cows

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/a03-069 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 84 (3) ◽

pp. 511-522 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

D. McCartney ◽

J. A. Basarab ◽

E. K. Okine ◽

V. S. Baron ◽

A. J. Depalme

Keyword(s):

Feeding Strategy ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Interval Length ◽

Feeding Strategies ◽

Calving Interval ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Production Cycles ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

Barley Silage ◽

Winter Feeding

This study evaluated the effects of early (EW) and late (LW) weaning on calf post-weaning growth performance and carcass characteristics. It also quantified the effects of EW and LW in combination with three winter feeding strategies on cow growth, reproductive performance and cost of production. EW calves were weaned in late August, while LW calves were weaned 56 d later in late October. The three cow winter feeding strategies were: (1) traditional (TD), or straw fed ad libitum and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) silage fed every day; (2) alternate day (AD), or straw fed ad libitum and equivalent amounts of barley silage fed every second day (AD); and (3) swath graze (SG), or swath grazing whole-plant barley, cut in the soft dough stage. The study was conducted over three production cycles (1997/1998, 1998/1999 and 1999/2000). EW calves weighing 213 kg and fed a backgrounding diet (82% barley silage: 18% concentrate) for 56 d, grew 0.36 kg d-1 (EW = 0.61 ± 0.02 kg d-1; LW = 0.97 ± 0.02 kg d-1; P < 0.001) slower from early to late weaning than LW calves (210 kg) on pasture nursing their mothers. Over the next 124–128 d, EW and LW calves fed the backgrounding diet grew similarly at 0.95 ± 0.01 and 0.93 ± 0.02 kg d-1, respectively. Both groups of calves also grew similarly during the finishing phase (EW = 1.56 ± 0.04 kg d-1; LW = 1.53 ± 0.05 kg d-1; P = 0.62), such that at slaughter, EW and LW calves were the same age (461 ± 4 vs. 455 ± 5 d, P = 0.326) and weight (522 ± 5 vs. 515 ± 6 kg, P = 0.390), with similar levels of carcass backfat, yield and quality grade. EW cows weighed 12 to 15 kg more (P < 0.01) in mid-November (first winter feeding), mid-February (pre-calving) and late-May (prebreeding) and tended to have a shorter calving span (49 vs. 62 d, P = 0.07) than the LW cows. Calving interval, calving pattern and cumulative open and cull rates, monitored over three consecutive production cycles, were similar for EW and LW cows. Differences (P < 0.05) in body weight were observed between winter feeding treatments. SG cows had the lowest weight (605 kg) and backfat thickness (4.5 mm) at pre-breeding; AD cows were intermediate (623 kg and 5.1 mm); and TD cows were heaviest (639 kg) with the most backfat (6.4 mm). Calving interval, length of the calving span, calving pattern and cumulative open and cull rates were similar among the winter feeding strategies for cows monitored over three production cycles. Swath grazing required 38.4% less labour than traditional feeding and 20.9% less labour than alternate day winter feeding. Total cash cost over the first 100 d of winter feeding for the SG winter feeding strategy was $70.00 cow-1 less than TD (45.5%) and $56.70 cow-1 less than AD (40.4%) winter feeding strategies. On average, 300 and 314 cow swath grazing d ha-1 were required to cover the cost of feed in the TD and AD winter feeding strategies, respectively. Key words: Beef cows, Western Canadian Parkland, swath grazing, alternate day, early and late weaning

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