Calving records collected between 2000 and 2008 at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, were used to determine the effect of estrous synchronization on calving distribution and the impact of time of calving on carcass characteristics. Calves born between 2000 and 2006 resulted from non-synchronized 60 d breeding seasons between 1999 and 2005 (n = 2075). Calves born in 2007 and 2008...

The objective in this study was to assess breed effects in fecal prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in heifers on a development program in Florida and in their steer half siblings in stocker and feedlot phases in Oklahoma. A secondary objective was to characterize fecal shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella in subsets of the same samples. After weaning, heifers (n = 501; purebreds and F1...

A 3-year study, using 84 fall-born and 28 spring-born calves of similar genotypes, was conducted to integrate pasturing systems with drylot feeding systems. Calves were started on test following weaning in May and October. Seven treatments were imposed: 1) fall-born calves directly into feedlot; 2 and 3) fall-born calves put on pasture with or without ionophore and moved to the feedlot at the e...

The steer progeny of sires genetically diverse for fatness and meat yield were grown at different rates from weaning to feedlot entry and effects on growth, carcass and meat-quality traits were examined. The present paper, the second of a series, reports the effects of genetic and growth treatments on carcass traits. A total of 43 sires, within three ‘carcass class’ categories, defined as high ...

A 4-yr study was conducted at Corona Range and Livestock Research Center, Corona, NM, to establish if a protein-dense self-fed supplement could substitute for a traditional hand-fed (range cube) supplement that is less protein dense and minimize or maintain cow BW and BCS during late gestation and the subsequent steer progeny feedlot performance, health, and economic viability. Late gestation c...

Concerns are growing over the impact of livestock farming on environment and public health. The livestock industry is faced with the double constraint of limiting its use of natural resources and antimicrobials while ensuring its economic sustainability. In this context, reliable methods are needed to evaluate the effect of the prevention of endemic animal diseases on the productivity of livest...

Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. A three part review series has been developed focusing on calf health from birth to weaning. In this paper, the last of the three part series, we review disease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf. Pneumonia in recently weaned suckler calv...

In 2000, EU regulations for organic animal production set new guidelines for organic pig feeding requiring that this be based on mainly home-grown organic feedstuffs. Doubts were however raised whether these feeding regimes can maintain good growth performance and carcass quality of pigs. Three experiments were carried out to study different organic feeding regimes in weaned piglets and fatteni...

Three trials, utilizing a total of 240 crossbred gilts, were conducted to study the influence of 0 (NB) or 220 (SB) microgram supplemental biotin/kg of diet on feedlot performance, plasma biotin and development of toe lesions in developing gilts. Corn-soybean meal diets were fed from weaning to 92 kg body weight. Gilts were housed on expanded-metal floors to 50 kg body weight and on partially s...