ASC-260: Controlling Reproduction in Female Yaks

Les Anderson, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Mary McCarty, Katherine VanValin | Oct. 26, 2023 (New)

The yak (bos grunniens) is a member of the bovine family and plays a vital role in the life of the people of the Himalayan region (China, Mongolia, India, Nepal, etc). The Himalayas is an especially harsh region with long, cold winters and sparse vegetation for most of the year. As with all bovine, nutrient availability, both quality and quantity of available foodstuffs, and current status of body reserves or degree of fat stored in the body dictate the ability of the cow to conceive during a breeding season. Even though conception rate (probability of conception at a single estrus event), is high (70+%), pregnancy rate (probability of conception at the end of a breeding season) is typically only 40%-60% in their natural environments because a high proportion of female yaks fail to have an estrus during the breeding window. Understanding the major factor reducing pregnancy rate is important to creating and implementing management protocols to improve the reproductive ability of female yaks.

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ID-275: Practical Corn Silage Harvest and Storage Guide for Cattle Producers

Donna Amaral-Phillips, Chad Lee, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Nick Roy | Sep. 27, 2023 (New)

Corn silage is often referred to as the "king of forages" and for good reason. With adequate and timely rainfall and normal environmental temperatures during the growing season, corn silage can yield 20 to 25 (or more) tons as fed per acre. Even in years with limited soil moisture, this crop can provide needed forage when harvested and stored properly although whole plant yield and/or grain content is often reduced.

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ID-273: Match-a-Yak: a Tool to Minimize Inbreeding in North American Yaks

Les Anderson, Darrh Bullock, Ted Kalbfleisch, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Mary McCarty | Sep. 25, 2023 (New)

The domesticated yak (Bos grunniens) arrived in North America in the late 1890s. A few animals were imported into Canada and North American zoos and became the foundation of the North American genetic pool. Research was conducted in Alaska hybridizing them with Highland cattle in the early 1900s. A handful of yaks were imported into the United States in the early 1900s and again later in the 1980s. However, the genetic diversity of the North American yak is limited, necessitating a need to manage breeding programs to reduce inbreeding.

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ASC-256: Comparison of Production Levels Among U.S. Beef Breeds

Darrh Bullock | Aug. 8, 2023 (New)

Genetic trends for beef breeds, for many traits, are on the move. The genetic trend for growth in most breeds is strongly positive. Maternal weaning weight (milk) on the other hand is breed dependent, with some breeds showing strong selection for increased milk and others slightly reducing their genetic potential for milking ability. For that reason, it is important to monitor relative differences between breeds for various production traits to assist beef producers in their breed selection decisions.

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ASC-255: A Guide to Body Condition Scoring Yaks

Les Anderson, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Mary McCarty | May. 1, 2023 (New)

Having issues with cows breeding back and raising a calf every year? Are your heifers taking longer to reach puberty than you think they should? Are some calves born weak and not able to stand quickly? Reproduction is closely associated with body-fat stores and muscling. Fat cells produce a hormone, leptin, that plays a role in the hormonal cascade regulating reproduction. Learning how to assess body reserves or condition as a management tool can help improve your reproductive efficiency and farm profitability.

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ASC-251: Traveling with Your Horse: Caring for Your Horse Away from Home

Fernanda Camargo | Jan. 12, 2023 (New)

Any time spent with horses is enjoyable, but there is something particularly fun about taking your steady steed on an off-farm adventure. Traveling with your horse, whether to a show, trail ride or other experience, is a great way to show off your horseback riding skills, to test what you and your horse have learned in training, and certainly to socialize with other horse-loving friends.

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ASC-252: Traveling with Your Horse: Trailer and Truck Packing

Fernanda Camargo | Jan. 12, 2023 (New)

Horse people love to go places with their horses. It is exciting and fun, and overall, it can be a great bonding experience - especially if you remembered to pack everything you need.

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ASC-253: Traveling with Your Horse: First-Aid Kits

Fernanda Camargo | Jan. 12, 2023 (New)

While some people may say that horses will get into trouble at every chance they get, it is more likely that horses will react to any situation based on their fight-or-flight responses. Instead of quietly lying down and waiting for help like other herbivores might, they panic more easily and may get themselves in deeper trouble. Of course, there are horses that are accident-prone, and no matter how clean and free of debris their environment is (including pastures, stalls, and barns), they still manage to injure themselves.

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PR-824: 2022 Cool-Season Grass Horse Grazing Tolerance Report

Jimmy Henning, Laurie Lawrence, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 14, 2022 (New)

Cool-season forages such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and orchardgrass are dominant pasture grasses for horses in Kentucky. Variety evaluations for yield have been carried out for many years, but little work has been done to evaluate varieties of these grasses for persistence when subjected to close, continuous grazing by horses.

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ASC-250: Reemergence of Bedbugs as Poultry Pests

Jacquie Jacob, Tony Pescatore | Dec. 2, 2022 (New)

It is estimated that one of every five Americans has had a bedbug infestation at home or knows someone who has. However, today bedbug infestations are not limited to just homes. Cage-free poultry houses have been found to have problems with bedbugs, and the incidence continues to rise. This makes bedbugs another important external parasite for which poultry producers need to be wary.