Shedding of lymphoid leukosis virus in chickens following contact exposure and vaccination

Chickens contact-exposed to lymphoid leukosis virus at various ages up to 32 weeks responded with relatively high rates of infection as determined by the presence of neutralizing antibody. Virus shedding as determined by cloacal swab and albumen testing occurred in 7 of 8 groups of such chickens, but the incidence was 10% or less and sporadic. Vaccination of chickens immediately before exposure with a low pathogenicity virus of subgroup A at 8 weeks of age did not eliminate subsequent shedding.     

Measurement of Wildlife Value Orientations Among Diverse Audiences: A Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Communities

Wildlife value orientations (WVOs) are increasingly being used to describe broad societal shifts that are altering the way people perceive wildlife. Concurrent with these shifts is a diversification of cultural heritages that complicate comparisons of WVOs across cultures. Yet, when measuring WVOs across cultures, differences in WVOs may be genuine variations between the populations, or may be artifacts of the measurement instrument. Therefore, there is a need to determine if various cultures interact with the instrument uniformly. Three multiple group confirmatory factor analyses (MGCFA) examined how ethnicity, acculturation, and language spoken are related to a WVO scale’s performance within Hispanic and non-Hispanic white communities. Results of each MGCFA support the cross-cultural stability of the WVO factor structure. Additional cross-cultural WVO research is needed to expand the construct and assist natural resource practitioners in understanding diverse constituencies, but conducting a MGCFA analysis should be a necessary precondition when comparing WVOs across cultures.     

Efficacy of bovine herpesvirus-1 inactivated vaccine against abortion and stillbirth in pregnant heifers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an inactivated bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) vaccine to protect against BHV-1 challenge-induced abortion and stillbirth. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 35 beef heifers. PROCEDURES: Before breeding, heifers were vaccinated with a commercially available BHV-1 inactivated vaccine SC or IM. The estrous cycle was then synchronized, and heifers were artificially inseminated 30 to 60 days after vaccination. Heifers (n = 21) were challenge inoculated IV at approximately 180 days of gestation with virulent BHV-1. Fourteen control heifers were not vaccinated. Clinical signs of BHV-1 infection were monitored for 10 days following challenge; serologic status and occurrence of abortion or stillbirth were evaluated until time of calving. RESULTS: 18 of 21 (85.7%) heifers that received vaccine were protected from abortion following challenge, whereas all 14 control heifers aborted. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that an inactivated BHV-1 vaccine can protect against abortion resulting from a substantial challenge infection, with efficacy similar to that of modified-live BHV-1 vaccines.     

Increased risk of select glucocorticoid adverse events in dogs of higher body weight

There are limited data on glucocorticoid treatment in dogs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dogs of higher body weight experienced more adverse events when receiving glucocorticoid therapy. Data pertaining to glucocorticoid therapy was abstracted from the records of 61 dogs that were prescribed glucocorticoids for treatment of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia or hemolytic anemia from 2014 to 2019. The odds of developing muscle atrophy and polyphagia during therapy were increased by 30% for each 5 kg of additional body weight. Almost half of the dogs (44.3%) fluctuated > 15% from baseline weight during therapy. Dogs whose body condition scored as above ideal were at increased risk (odds ratio = 4.2) for being diagnosed with urinary tract infection. Our findings suggest that standard linear glucocorticoid dosing may place higher body weight dogs at increased risk of developing adverse events. Accelerated glucocorticoid tapering and/or alternative dosing schemes in dogs with higher body weights may be prudent in efforts to improve tolerance and client compliance.     

Golf course superintendents’ knowledge of variability within fairways: a tool for precision turfgrass management

Precision Agriculture - Golf course superintendent’s knowledge of variability may be an overlooked and underutilized tool for precision turfgrass management (PTM). This case study used a...     

Influence of frame size and body condition score on performance of Brahman cattle

The effects of frame size (FS) and body condition score (BCS) on performance of Brahman cows were evaluated using records collected from 1984 to 1994 at the Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, Florida. Age at puberty (AP), calving rate (CR), calving date (CD), survival rate (SR), weaning rate (WR), birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), preweaning ADG, and kilograms of calf produced per cow exposed (PPC) were obtained from first- (n = 215), second- (n = 130), and third or greater-parity (n = 267) dams. Based on hip height at 18 mo of age, heifers were assigned to three FS groups: small (115 to 126 cm), medium (127 to 133 cm), or large (134 to 145 cm). Small and medium FS heifers attained puberty at younger (P<.05) ages (633.2+/-12.3 and 626.4+/-12.0 d) than large FS heifers (672.3+/-17.1 d). Calving rate in large FS second-parity dams was 27% less (P<.05) than in small and medium FS dams. In third or greater-parity dams, CR was greater (P<.05) for small FS cows than for medium and large FS cows. Across the three parity groups, CR improved with increasing BCS. Except for the first-parity dams, animals with better fall BCS calved earlier (P<.05). In first-parity dams, SR was less (P<.01) in large (47.9+/-11.0%) than in small (80.7 +/-5.2%) and medium (83.4+/-4.7%) FS groups. Weaning rates of large FS first- and second-parity dams were less (P<.05) than those of small and medium FS dams. Second-parity dams with BCS 3 had lower (P<.05) WR than dams with BCS 4 and 5. Within first- and third or greater-parity dams, BWT of calves born to small FS cows were the lightest, and those born to large FS dams were the heaviest; those born to medium FS dams were intermediate (P<.05). In second-parity dams, BWT of calves of large FS dams were greater (P<.05) than those of small and medium FS dams. In first-parity dams, calves weaned by small FS cows had lower (P<.05) WWT than those weaned by higher FS cows. In the third or greater-parity group, large FS dams weaned heavier calves (P<.05) than other dams. In all parity groups of dams, calves out of large FS cows had greater ADG (P<.05) than those from small and medium FS cows. In first-parity dams, PPC was comparable between small and medium FS dams, but both tended to be greater (P<.10) than PPC of large FS dams. Small and medium FS females reached puberty at an earlier age, calved earlier, and had greater calving, survival, and weaning rates, as well as greater kilograms of calf produced per cow exposed than the large FS females. As the large FS cows matured, they seemed to have overcome the negative effects imposed by FS that were observed at younger ages. Their performance traits were generally all comparable to those of smaller cows once they had reached maturity.     

Estimated genetic parameters for palatability traits of steaks from Brahman cattle

Heritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated from carcass and beef palatability data collected from Brahman calves (n = 504) born in central Florida from 1996 to 2000. Traits evaluated included Warner-Bratzler shear force (after 7, 14, and 21 d of aging), panel tenderness score, connective tissue amount, juiciness, flavor intensity, and off flavor (after 14 d of aging), percentages of raw and cooked lipids, and milligrams per gram of muscle calpastatin activity. Parameters were estimated using an animal model and derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood procedures. Estimated heritabilities for d 7, 14, and 21 shear force were 0.14,0.14, and 0.06, respectively, indicating that improvement in these traits by selection would be slow. Estimated heritabilities of sensory panel attributes were 0.11, 0.12, 0.05, 0.04, and 0.01 for tenderness, connective tissue amount, juiciness, flavor intensity, and off flavor, respectively. The estimated heritabilities for percentages of raw and cooked lipids, and calpastatin activity were 0.34, 0.17, and 0.07, respectively. Most of the estimated genetic correlations among palatability traits and for palatability traits with fat thickness, marbling score, and loin muscle area were consistent with other estimates from the literature. Results indicated that improvement in tenderness based on selection for favorable shear force, sensory panel tenderness, or calpastatin activity would be slow; therefore, postslaughter intervention programs should also be considered.     

Economic Impact of Double‐Crested Cormorant,Phalacrocorax auritus,Depredation on Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Aquaculture in Mississippi,USA

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi, USA, supports the largest concentration of hectares devoted to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture production in North America. The Yazoo Basin also supports large numbers of resident, wintering and migrating fish‐eating birds, with the Double‐crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, implicated as the most serious depredating species. We used data from aerial surveys of numbers and distribution of cormorants in the Yazoo Basin and on commercial catfish ponds during winters (November–April) 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 to refine estimates of regional economic losses due to cormorant depredation. In both periods, the greatest monthly estimates of cormorant foraging occurred from 1 January to 31 March. Losses in terms of biomass, number, and dollar value were greater for foodfish ponds than fingerling ponds. Monthly weighted estimates of catfish consumed were 1775.3 and 1346.6 m.t. over winters 2000–2001 and 2003–2004, respectively. Total estimated losses for foodfish and fingerling ponds in 2000–2001 were $11.56 and $0.48 million, respectively, and in 2003–2004 were $5.22 and $0.40 million, respectively. Maximum dollar loss occurred during March in 2000–2001 and during February in 2003–2004. In this study, the volatility in variable production costs and nominal sales price, and distribution of cormorants on pond types and regionally were key factors in resulting economic loss estimates.