SDSU Animal Science Research on Display at Regional Meeting

South Dakota State University Extension highlights that the SDSU Department of Animal Science students and faculty will present their latest research and Extension projects at this year’s Midwest Section meeting of the American Society of Animal Science.

The annual meeting will be March 12-15 in Madison, Wisconsin, and will include competitions for undergraduate and graduate students, symposiums, and research presentations from faculty and students.

Graduate and undergraduates compete in oral and poster presentations of their research work. The annual conference also offers a chance to see national and international research work in the animal science industry.

SDSU Department of Animal Science researchers and SDSU Extension specialists will present their latest findings on breeding, nutrition and production efficiency in livestock operations. The conference includes a full slate of research project presentations from other universities as well, spanning beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine and sheep.

Some of the topics SDSU Extension and Animal Science faculty will talk about include the effect different hybrid rye processing methods can have on steers’ growth, and how ramped piglet housing in the nursery phase can improve loading times during transportation to market.

Oral presentations this year are:

March 13

• On-farm rapid test to assess immunological health of young pigs, by Kyerra Carter, Eric Weaver and Crystal Levesque (SDSU)
• Using finishing pig body measurements as a tool to estimate body weight, by Branigan Steichen, Hannah Miller and Crystal Levesque (SDSU and Texas Tech University)
• Identification of vaginal gene expression differences in gilts achieving early or late puberty, by Shannon Dierking, Jodi Morton, Michael Gonda, Hossein Rekabdarkolaee, Jeffrey Clapper and Crystal Levesque (SDSU and Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College)
• Impact of increasing levels of hybrid rye on carcass characteristics and product sensory evaluation in grow-finish pigs, by Caitlyn Sullivan, Robert Thaler, Kiah Berg, Jon De Jong, Joe Ward, Paul Frahm and Mike Boerboom (SDSU, Pipestone Nutrition, Pipestone Applied Research and Boerboom Ag Resources)

March 14

• Developing mortality risk profiles to better feed and manage high-producing sows, by Eric Weaver (SDSU)
• Creating a more efficient production system (feed efficiency in the real world), by Wes Gentry and Zachary Smith (Midwest PMS LLC and SDSU)
• Yeast-based postbiotic supplementation in sow diets to enhance offspring growth and health through the nursery period, by Joel Kieser, Jorge Perez-Palencia, Lee Johnston and Crystal Levesque (SDSU and University of Minnesota)
• Effects of yeast carbohydrates fed to lactating sows on sow and offspring performance, by Garrin Shipman, Jorge Perez-Palencia, Rob Patterson and Crystal Levesque (SDSU and CBS Bio-Platforms Inc.)
• Kernel processing corn silage included at 65% of the diet (DM basis) and fed to growing beef steers increases apparent total tract digestibility of neutral detergent fiber but not starch, by Becca Grimes, Forest Francis, Erin Gubbels, Warren Rusche and Zachary Smith (SDSU)
• Effect of processing method of hybrid rye on growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy utilization, and carcass characteristics of yearling steers fed a finishing diet, by Cassidy Ross, Scott Bird, Zachary Smith and Warren Rusche (SDSU)
• Effects of branched-chain amino acids to lysine ratios in diets of corn dried distillers grains with solubles on growth performance, plasma nitrogen profile, carcass traits, and economic analysis in growing-finishing pigs, by Jinsu Hong, David Clizer, Paul Cline and Ryan Samuel (SDSU and Christensen Farms)
• Ramped piglet housing during the nursery phase increases speed of loading during transportation to market, by Mary Kasakamu, Jennifer Young, Ryan Samuel, Sarah Wagner and Christopher Byrd (North Dakota State University, SDSU and Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine)
• Examining the vaginal microbiome during gilt reproductive development, by Emily Fowler, Shannon Dierking, Crystal Levesque and Benoit St.-Pierre (SDSU)
• Investigating the ruminal metagenome of neonatal Holstein dairy calves fed an essential oil-based feed additive, by Anlly Fresno Rueda and Benoit St.-Pierre (SDSU)
• Evaluation of a single growing-finishing diet for single source, pre-conditioned beef steers of lighter (273 kg) and heavier (356 kg) initial body weight, by Tommy Norman, Thiago Maia Ribeiro, Forest Francis, Erin Gubbels, Santana Hanson, Becca Grimes, Warren Rusche and Zachary Smith (SDSU)
• Evaluation of precision feeding on production efficiency responses in finishing beef cattle, by Santana Hanson, Warren Rusche and Zachary Smith (SDSU)

Poster presentations:

March 13

• Effect of calcium magnesium carbonate and/or tylosin phosphate supplementation on behavior and rumination activity in yearling beef steers fed a finishing diet, by Haley Maday, Becca Grims, Forest Francis, Erin Gubbels, Thomas Norman, Santana Hanson, Thiago Maia Ribeiro, Zachary Smith, Cassidy Ross and Devan Paulus (SDSU and Papillon Agricultural Company)
• A comparison in vaginal gene expression and circulating hormone concentration in pre-pubertal gilts achieving puberty at different ages, by Kallista Roers, Shannon Dierking and Crystal Levesque (SDSU)
• Evaluation of precision feeding on animal behavior in finishing beef cattle, by Santana Hanson and Hanna Braaten (SDSU)
• Considerations for creating an agricultural program aimed at engaging elementary students, by Shannon Dierking, Christina Bakker and Crystal Levesque (SDSU)

March 14

• Understanding intestinal health in nursery pigs through potential non-invasive biomarkers, by Gabriela Miotto Galli, Ines Andretta, Crystal Levesque, Carlos Kippert, Karine Ludwing Takeuti and Marcos Kipper (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, SDSU; Brazil Food – BRF; Universidade Feevale; and Elanco)
• Characterization of the rumen bacterial communities of lambs that transitioned from forage to a concentrate-based diet, by Reid Anema, Emily Fowler, Forest Francis, Zachary Smith and Benoit St.-Pierre (SDSU)
• Evaluation of HydraFit pre-slaughter on finishing beef steer: Dressing percentage, hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight, by Thiago Lauro Maia Ribeiro, Erin Gubbels, Forest Francis, Jeff Heldt, Santana Hanson, Thomas Norman, Warren Rusche and Zachary Smith (SDSU and Micronutrients)
• Nutritional value of corn sourced from U.S. and Ukraine on growth performance, energy digestibility, and amino acid digestibility in pigs, by Caitlyn Sullivan, Jinsu Hong, Crystal Levesque and Robert Thaler (SDSU)
• Nutritional value of corn sourced from U.S., Brazil and Argentina on growth performance, energy digestibility and amino acid digestibility in pigs, by Caitlyn Sullivan, Jordan Jansen, Jinsu Hong, Jorge Perez-Palencia, Crystal Levesque and Robert Thaler (SDSU)

For more information, contact Bob Thaler, SDSU Extension Swine Specialist.