David A. Nichols

Evaporative cooling systems for swine

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1979 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Effect of temperature on performance of finishing swine

We used 128 barrows averaging approximately 160 lbs. and temperatures of 32, 41, 50, 59, 68, 77, 86 and 95 F to study the effects of temperature on growth and efficiency. No significant differences in performance were observed for pigs housed at temperatures from 50 to 77 F. Those housed at 32 and 41 F were significantly less efficient than those housed at any other temperature. Pigs exposed to 95 F ate significantly less and had lower daily gains than any other group. With increased energy costs, temperature for maximum performance may no longer be the temperature for most economical performance. Results from these studies indicate that environmental modifications for heating or cooling may not be justified when temperatures range from 50 to 77 F.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 13, 1980

Effect of fat source and level on finishing pig performance

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1991 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Effects of nursery diets on growth of pigs to market weight.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of nutrient concentrations and complexity of ingredients used in nursery diets on growth performance to market weight. In Experiment 1, nursery regimens were: 1) simple ingredients/low lysine (corn-soybean meal-dried whey-based diet with 1.25% lysine for d 0 to 23 and a corn-soybean meal-based diet with 1.1% lysine for d 23 to 37) and 2) complex ingredients/high-lysine (blood products, lactose, and other specialty ingredients with 1.5% lysine for d 0 to 9 and 1.25% lysine for d 9 to 23, and a corn-soybean meal-based diet with 1.1% lysine for d 23 to 37). In general, feed intake and rate of gain were increased for pigs fed the complex/high-lysine regimen. This improved performance resulted in an average advantage of 5 lb/pig at the end of the nursery phase. For the growing-finishing phase, pigs from the simple/low-lysine and complex/high-lysine nursery regimens were assigned to either a 2-step (.8 and .6% lysine to 150 and 250 lb, respectively) or 4-step (.95, .8, .75, and .6% lysine to 100, 150, 200, and 250 lb, respectively) regimen and fed to a market wt of 250 lb. Pigs fed the 4-step regimen had greater rate of gain, but there was no complementary effect of the complex/high-lysine regimen in the nursery phase with the 4-step regimen in the growing-finishing phase. We should note, however, that there was also no compensatory response of the pigs fed the simple/lowlysine diet in the nursery phase when given either the 2-step or 4-step regimen during growing-finishing. The net result was that the 5 lb difference at the end of the nursery phase resulted in an additional 3.6 d required for pigs fed the simple/low-lysine regimen to reach a market wt of 250 lb.

Space requirements of finishing pigs fed to a heavier weight (removed individually).

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1991 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Space requirements of finishing pigs fed to an average pen weight of 250 pounds

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1989 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Value of sprinklers to reduce heat stress of lactating sows

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1982 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Using sprinklers to improve performance of heat-stressed feedlot cattle

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1982 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Fertility after timed breeding using GnRH, PGF2, and norgestomet

At the KSU Purebred Unit, 164 purebred Angus, Hereford, and Simmental cows were used to test a new estrus-synchronization program using GnRH, PGF2, and norgestomet. Cows were inseminated after detected estrus, or in the absence of estrus, inseminations were made at one fixed time after a second injection of GnRH. The treatment consisted of a 100 μg injection of GnRH plus a 6-mg ear implant of norgestomet. Seven days later, the ear implant was removed, and 25-mg of PG F2% was injected. In the absence of estrus, the time-bred group received a second injection of GnRH 48 h after PGF2% and was inseminated 16 h later. The treatment induced 10 of 36 anestrous cows to ovulate. Conception rates tended (P<.09) to be greater in Angus (72.2%) than Hereford cows (52.8%) , with conception rates in Simmental cows (51.5%) being similar to those in Hereford. Overall, pregnancy rates were similar between the time-bred group (59.3%) and the estrus-bred group (53.8%). We conclude that using GnRH, PG F2%, and norgestomet in a timed breeding program ca n eliminate the necessity of heat detection. In addition, the treatment induced estrus in 28% of the noncycling cows.

Effect of Monensin on weight gain, growth traits, and semen characteristics in yearling beef bulls

Feeding the ionophore monensin to yearling beef bulls improved (P<.05) weight gain by 4.2%. Final hip height was similar between treatments, but bulls fed monensin had almost 1 cm greater (P<.01) scrotal circumference and more than 10 cm 2 larger (P<.01) pelvic area. Semen characteristics generally were unaffected by treatment. However, bulls fed monensin had less (P<.01) semen motility than controls. Approximately 30 sperm morphology traits were evaluated; values were similar between treatments except for those traits listed. Collection date tended to influence (P<.15) volume, concentration, motility, and postfreeze characteristics.