Impact of thetexas beef partnership in extension program on profitability of beef cow-calf herds

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether beef herds could increase profitability by reducing production cost per 100 lb (hundredweight [CWTI; ie, 45.4 kg) of calf through implementation of advice from teams of veterinarians and county extension agents supported by university specialists. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 6 commercial cow-calf herds comprising 1,927 cows. PROCEDURE: Teams of veterinarians and county extension agents provided advice on 25 profitable ranch management practices to herd owners for 3 years. Use of each practice in herds was measured on a scale of 1 to 5 for baseline year 1999. Similar measurements were made at the end of each year for comparison with baseline values. Outcomes were measured by standardized performance analysis. RESULTS: Mean weaning weight of calves per exposed cow of the 6 herds increased significantly from 1999 (2000, 26.8 kg [59 lb; 17%]; 2001, 49.1 kg [108 lb; 31%]; and 2002, 43.2 kg [95 lb; 27%]). Mean cost per CWT of calf decreased significantly from the 1999 value (2000, -$20.04 [-18%]; 2001, -$33.40 [-29%]; and 2002, -$22.52 [-20%]). Additional profits for the 6 herds were $54,407 in 2000, $135,695 in 2001, and $116,089 in 2002 (3-year total of $306,191). Mean increase in management score of herds was positively correlated with increase in net income and accounted for > 60% of increased profits. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Profitability of beef cow-calf operations can be substantially increased through a team approach by identifying opportunities for improvements in management and helping ranch managers implement profitable practices.     

The jump behavior of the humeroradial and tarsocrural joints of the horse

Osteoligamentous preparations of the elbow and hock joints of the horse show “jump” behavior when flexed and extended. This behavior is not seen in undissected anatomical specimens or in the live horse. The hypothesis is that energy is stored in the collateral ligaments during the middle range of joint displacement and quickly released nearing full flexion or extension. This energy storage mechanism has the attribute of negative work. In the undissected specimen and the live horse energy is stored in muscles and tendons as well as in the collateral ligaments, and the obvious jump phenomenon is not observed although the principle of negative work still pertains.     

Growth, Survival, and Biochemical Composition of Freshwater Prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii Fed Natural Food Organisms Under Controlled Conditions

Under production conditions freshwater prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii are supplied nutrients by a combination of prepared diets and natural pond organisms. For maximum production efficiency and profitability it is important that the nutritional contributions of natural foods be identified and quantified. In this study the relative importance of forage organisms previously identified as important natural foods for prawns in ponds were evaluated under controlled conditions. Juvenile prawns (average weight 1.80 ± 0.06 g) were stocked into 18 37.5-L aquaria at a density of 10 prawns per tank. The six dietary treatments tested were: 1) unfed (negative control); 2) commercially prepared diet (positive control); 3) oligo-chaetes; 4) chironomids; 5) zooplankton; and 6) a combination of the latter three. Each treatment was evaluated in triplicate aquaria for 7 wk. The growth rate of prawns in the unfed treatment was statistically lower than in fed treatments ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences ( P > 0.05) between growth rates and survivals among prawns in the five fed treatments. Selective retention of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), eicosapentanoic acid (22: 5n-3), and docosahexanenoic acid (22:6n-3) in unfed prawns likely indicates the relative nutritional importance of these fatty acids. Comparisons of whole-body fatty acid and amino acid concentrations of prawns and food organisms indicate that zooplankton and oligochaetes may have the most appropriate biochemical compositions as prawn food sources.     

Growth and Body Composition of Juvenile Hybrid Bluegill Lepomis cyanellus × L. macrochirus Fed Practical Diets Containing Various Percentages of Protein

Growth, survival, and body composition were evaluated in two feeding trials using juvenile hybrid bluegill Lepomis cyanellus × L. macrochirus . In Experiment 1, hybrid bluegill (20 g) were stocked into 1.25-m³ cages at a rate of 300 fish/cage and fed diets containing 35, 40, 44, or 48% protein for 12 wk. Fish meal comprised 32% of the dietary protein in all diets. Fish were fed all they could consume in 40 min. No significant differences ( P > 0.05) in individual length, individual weight, specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (K), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were found among treatments and averaged 13.4 cm, 47.4 g, 1.02%/d, 1.96, and 4.06, respectively. Whole-body composition of hybrid bluegill indicated that fish fed a diet containing 35% protein had a significantly lower ( P < 0.05) percentage protein (56.3%) and a higher ( P < 0.05) percentage lipid (29.3%) compared to fish fed diets containing 40, 44, and 48% protein. In Experiment 2, 15 hybrid bluegill (15 g) were stocked into 110-L aquaria and fed one of four diets containing 28, 32, 36, or 38% protein for 10 wk. Fish were fed twice daily all they would consume in 20 min. Fish fed a diet containing 38% protein had higher ( P < 0.05) percentage weight gain (265%) than fish fed diets containing 28% (203%) and 32% (219%) protein, but were not significantly different ( P > 0.05) compared to fish fed a diet containing 36% protein (251%). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of hybrid bluegill fed diets containing 36% and 38% protein (average 1.39) were significantly lower ( P < 0.05) than fish fed a diet with 28% protein (1.73). Results from these studies indicate that hybrid bluegill can be fed a practical diet containing 35–36% protein (with fish meal comprising 32% of the protein). Further refinement of the diet formulation may allow producers to reduce diet and production costs.     

Changes in Plasma Cortisol, Glucose, and Selected Blood Properties in the Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Associated with Sequential Movement to Three Experimental Conditions

To determine the changes in blood chemistry associated with sequential transfer of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus (320–480 g), 300 hatchery-reared fish were moved to three different environmental conditions during a 20-d period. Fish were transferred in progression from a recirculating seawater system (22 ppt, 22.5 C) to a flow-thru seawater system (31 ppt, 20.0 C), to three small coastal net pens (33 ppt, 15.5 C), and finally to a large open ocean net pen (33 ppt, 16.0 C). For this study, eight random fish were captured at each progressive step (environmental condition), anesthetized (MS222), and bled from the caudal vein (2 mL). Transferred flounder were bled every 12 h for 48 h to collect plasma cortisol and glucose samples. Fish were bled 24 h after transport and every 3 d thereafter for osmolarity, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, glucose, cortisol, and the electrolytes Cl^- Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca⁺. The most significant perturbations to blood chemistry (P < 0.05) occurred within 24 h of initial transfer from the recirculating to flow-thru seawater systems, suggesting an osmoregulatory rather than handling or transfer related stress. Osmolarity, electrolyte, and hematological parameters fluctuated and then recovered to stable levels by day 8 in the flow-thru seawater system. However, unlike the initial transfer, successive movement to the coastal and then the open ocean net pens produced transient increases in both plasma cortisol and glucose levels, suggesting a high level of stress associated with extended flounder handling and transfer.     

Weed control and sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) response to preplant incorporated herbicides and method of incorporation

Field studies were conducted at two sesame-growing regions of Texas in 2004 and 2005 to determine weed control and sesame response to four dinitroaniline herbicides and their method of incorporation. Ethalfluralin, pendimethalin (formulated as Prowl EC), and trifluralin were applied at the X, 1X, and 2X of the suggested label dose for Gossypium hirsutum L. Pendimethalin (formulated as Prowl H₂O) was applied at the X, 1X, and 1X rate. Two methods of incorporation included rolling cultivator mixing wheels and spring tooth harrow. With rolling cultivator mixing wheels, all herbicides controlled Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D. Sauer at least 74% regardless of dose. The X dose of ethalfluralin and pendimethalin (formulated as Prowl EC), or the X and 1X dose of pendimethalin (formulated as Prowl H₂O) controlled Brachiaria platyphylla (Griseb.) Nash no better than 73% while all other doses of the herbicides controlled B. platyphylla at least 80%. The use of mixing wheels to incorporate the herbicides resulted in better sesame stands and less stunting than the use of the spring tooth harrow; however, sesame stands were reduced as herbicide rate increased when using mixing wheels. Ethalfluralin at the 1X dose, pendimethalin (formulated as Prowl H₂O) at the X dose, and trifluralin at the X dose produced the highest sesame yield while ethalfluralin at the 2X dose produced the lowest yield.     

Performance of Mashona doelings supplemented with different levels of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L. DC. var. utilis) seed meal

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing levels of velvet bean seed meal (VBM; 0, 12, 24, and 36 %) on the performance of Mashona doelings. Dry matter intake was lower (P?<?0.05) for the control diet compared to VBM diets, but linearly declined (P?<?0.05) with increasing levels of VBM. Average daily weight gain was significantly different between experimental groups. Doelings’ final live weights and average daily gains were slightly higher in control group than other three supplemented groups where they linearly declined (P?<?0.05) with increasing levels of VBM. The cost per kilogram of feed, however, decreased with high inclusion level of VBM. Result suggested that high inclusion level of VBM negatively influenced the growth of young goats probably due to the presence of some anti-nutritional factors which needs further investigation.     

Atypical fibrosarcoma in the skin of a Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii)

A 2.5‐year‐old intact male Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) was presented with a large subcutaneous mass overlying the abdomen, affecting the animal's ambulation and access to different compartments of the cage through narrow tubing. Ultrasound examination delineated a well‐circumscribed mass in the subcutis of the caudoventral abdominal region. The mass was surgically excised and on cytologic examination showed, in a background of blood, a small population of individually arranged oval to spindle‐shaped cells that exhibited a moderate degree of anisokaryosis, coarsely stippled chromatin, one or more prominent nucleoli, and lightly basophilic well‐defined cytoplasmic processes. Histologically, the mass was composed of interlacing streams and bundles of pleomorphic spindle cells (ganglion‐like cells) with variable amounts of collagenous stroma. The neoplastic cells exhibited moderate features of malignancy. These cells stained intensely with vimentin, but not with any other markers, including antibodies to cytokeratin AE1/AE3, S100 protein, desmin, smooth muscle actin, synaptophysin, neurofilament, and androgen receptor. Based on histologic features, the mass was diagnosed as an atypical fibrosarcoma. This is the first report of an atypical fibrosarcoma in a Roborovski hamster and one of few reports of atypical fibrosarcoma in domesticated hamsters overall.