American Livestock Research Articles

XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller

Reviewed by: XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana by Michael M. Miller Kevin Kipers XIT: The Story of Land, Cattle, and Capital in Texas and Montana. By Michael M. Miller. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020. 288 pp. Illustrations, tables, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $29.95 cloth. In XIT, Michael M. Miller examines the XIT Ranch’s cattle business activity by contextualizing the company’s place in the American livestock industry and against the broader context of an ever-emerging economic system of capitalist enterprise, often run by businessmen overseas, on a disappearing western frontier. Miller weaves together his narrative through examinations of XIT cattle activity in Texas and Montana from 1885 to 1912. Events in chapters 2 and 3 represent the setup for Miller’s narrative about the ranch’s origins and subsequent business growth until its operations ceased in the early twentieth century. In chapter 2, Miller discusses provisions in the 1876 Texas constitution aimed at promoting open settlement for average small farmers, yet loopholes around and constant legal increases in acreage limits resulted in many public lands falling into corporate ownership. Miller, in chapter 3, details the chaotic set of events surrounding reconstruction plans for and disagreements about the Texas capitol between 1881 and 1888 and the role XIT associates played in it while dysfunctional leadership delayed project completion. Although this chapter tells an important story about how an expensive real estate venture ultimately inclined XIT to invest in cattle as a potentially more profitable market, Miller does not make this premise explicit until chapter 4. For the remainder of the book, Miller effectively describes XIT’s transition from investing in real estate to cattle, as well as the challenges company officials encountered in securing desired levels of revenue. XIT owners started their initial cattle operations in 1885 on lands purchased in the Texas panhandle. There they intended to profit through selling the livestock to prospective settlers hoping to obtain land in the waning era of open westward expansion. Miller highlights several underlying sets of obstacles that plagued goals of XIT affiliates and settlers alike, including cattle diseases, harsh winters, and difficulties securing transportation contracts with railroad companies. Cattle frequently suffered fevers that spread among herds, for which XIT operators in Texas constantly received blame, hindering efforts to expand when nearby jurisdictions imposed laws restricting transport of cattle. Securing transport agreements with railways like the Fort Worth & Denver City, and eventual additional land purchases for cattle grazing in Montana, initially helped offset some of the issues with dwindling property availability in Texas and business growth. Still, XIT businessmen were ultimately unable to accomplish long-term sustainability and profits. Cattle prices and demand among buyers declined into the early years of the twentieth century, and the company mismanaged its operations. Miller’s work skillfully sheds light on a declining livestock market in a period when open western settlement was also diminishing. [End Page 359] Kevin Kipers Department of History Washington State University, Tri-Cities Copyright © 2023 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for Latin American dairy production: A Costa Rica case study

This study utilises data collected from Costa Rican dairy farmers to conduct a cradle to farm gate Life Cycle Assessment and the first Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for dairy production in Latin America. Ninety dairy farms across five farm typologies were assessed, reflecting Costa Rica's diverse agroclimatic zones and varying degrees of dairy/beef specialisation. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of specific mitigation measures depend on farm typology, but several promising technologies are identified that increase efficiency whilst substantially reducing emissions across most farms – in particular, measures that improve animal health and increase pasture quality. Pasture measures are synergistic with silvopastoral practises and are highly effective at emission mitigation, although relatively expensive. The replacement of lower quality by-product feeds with high quality concentrate feed is a cost-effective mitigation measure at farm level, but emission reductions could be negated by indirect land use change outside the scope of the MACC analyses. Achieving carbon neutrality at farm level is not likely to be possible for most farms, with the exception of extensive farm typologies. Not all measures are suitable in every context, and additional policy support will be needed to offset financial and technical challenges related to adoption. Results of this first tropical dairy MACC study are constrained by lack of high-resolution data, but they highlight the need for farm-typology-specific mitigation recommendations. Overall, there is a high potential for pasture improvement and silvopastoral measures to mitigate the globally significant contribution of Latin American livestock production to climate change.

6. Carbon net zero approaches for South American Livestock

6. Carbon net zero approaches for South American Livestock

Landscape and cattle management attributes associated with the incidence of Desmodus rotundus attacks on cattle

Bovine paralytic rabies, transmitted by Desmodus rotundus, causes economic losses for Latin American livestock producers. Although the total number of reported cases has decreased markedly due to vaccination campaigns, economic losses can be significant for smallholders. Identifying risk factors for vampire bat attacks on cattle could help guide preventive control efforts in specific areas. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the incidence of D. rotundus attacks on cattle and various landscape features and cattle management practices in northeastern Puebla, Mexico. We visited 61 properties with cattle between May and October 2011, in which we quantified the incidence of attacks on cattle and described landscape and cattle management attributes. The following features were described within a 200-m radius around the nightly resting site of cattle: topography, percent forest cover, and number of forest fragments, rivers and streams, tree lines, buildings, roads and highways. With these variables, we built models that were assumed to describe the levels of human interference, prey availability, and movement facilitation for bats. The human interference model (number of buildings plus number of roads) best explained the incidence of attacks on cattle. According to our results, the cattle with the highest vulnerability to attacks by vampire bats are those resting at night in less confined sites, far away from human activity. Results of this study suggest that rabies vaccination campaigns on cattle should focus on fragmented areas with few livestock management practices.

PARTICIPATORY EVALUATION OF IMPROVED GRASSES AND FORAGE LEGUMES FOR SMALLHOLDER LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA

SUMMARYSmallholder livestock systems in Central America are typically based on pastures with traditional grasses and associated management practices, such as pasture burning and extensive grazing. With the rise of the global population and a corresponding increase in demand for meat and milk production, research efforts have focused on the development of improved grasses and the incorporation of legume species that can increase productivity and sustainability of Central American livestock systems. However, farmer adoption remains very limited, in part due to the lack of site-specific evaluation and recommendations by local institutions. Using a multi-site participatory approach, this study examined the potential of five improved grasses and five species of forage legumes as alternatives to the broadly disseminated grass Hyparrhenia rufa (cv. Jaragua) in pasture-based cattle systems in western Honduras and northern El Salvador. Improved grasses (four Brachiaria sp. and Megathyrsus maximus) produced significantly more biomass than H. rufa; also four of the five legume varieties evaluated (Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia brasiliensis, Vigna unguiculata, and Vigna radiata) demonstrated high adaptability to diverse environmental conditions across sites. Farmer participatory evaluation offers a valuable means to assess performance of forages and will likely contribute to their improved utilization. Future research is needed on more refined management recommendations, pasture system design, costs and environmental benefits associated with the adoption of these forages in local livestock production systems.

Comparison of Rift Valley fever virus replication in North American livestock and wildlife cell lines.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes disease outbreaks across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in high morbidity and mortality among young domestic livestock, frequent abortions in pregnant animals, and potentially severe or fatal disease in humans. The possibility of RVFV spreading to the United States or other countries worldwide is of significant concern to animal and public health, livestock production, and trade. The mechanism for persistence of RVFV during inter-epidemic periods may be through mosquito transovarial transmission and/or by means of a wildlife reservoir. Field investigations in endemic areas and previous in vivo studies have demonstrated that RVFV can infect a wide range of animals, including indigenous wild ruminants of Africa. Yet no predominant wildlife reservoir has been identified, and gaps in our knowledge of RVFV permissive hosts still remain. In North America, domestic goats, sheep, and cattle are susceptible hosts for RVFV and several competent vectors exist. Wild ruminants such as deer might serve as a virus reservoir and given their abundance, wide distribution, and overlap with livestock farms and human populated areas could represent an important risk factor. The objective of this study was to assess a variety of cell lines derived from North American livestock and wildlife for susceptibility and permissiveness to RVFV. Results of this study suggest that RVFV could potentially replicate in native deer species such as white-tailed deer, and possibly a wide range of non-ruminant animals. This work serves to guide and support future animal model studies and risk model assessment regarding this high-consequence zoonotic pathogen.

Temporal variables of the Shackleford Banker horse intermediate gaits

s / Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 33 (2013) 321-399 322 cell proliferationwas reduced in response to the inhibitor of cellular proliferation, porcine Transforming Growth Factorbeta. The ability to fuse and formmultinucleated myotubes is one of the critical capabilities of differentiated myogenic cells. Fusion percentage was calculated as the ratio of the number of myotube nuclei (a myotube is identified by the presence of three or more nuclei within a continuous cell membrane) to total nuclei. After 144 – 168 hours in culture, the ESC fused into large, stable, multinucleated myotubes with resultant cultures exhibiting 75-80% fusion. Further characterization included establishing that the doubling time of the equine satellite cells is 17.7 hours, consistent with other muscle cells grown in culture. We have sucessfully isolated equine satellite cells that maintain their myogenic phenotype in culture. We have optimized cell culture conditions and demonstrated that equine satellite cells respond in the expected manner to both positive and negative components present in the culture media. In other species satellite cells play a key role in postnatal muscle growth and repair of injuredmuscle.We are now inposition to utilize the ESC to investigate the role of satellite cells in these important processes in equine muscle. Temporal variables of the Shackleford Banker horse intermediate gaits M.C. Nicodemus , J. Beranger , and L. Ward 1 Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, 2 American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Pittsboro, NC, 27312 Shackleford Banker horse (SBH) is a Spanish Colonial horse (SCH) breed listed on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) critically endangered list. In accordance to the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act, SBH are currently managed by the National Park Service and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, a nonprofit organization, with Shackleford Island numbers maintained under 150 horses. Selection of horses maintained on the Shackleford Island is based on the health of the animal and the characteristics that will preserve the heritage of the breed. Since other SCH are classified as gaited, SBH are assumed to perform similar gaits despite the lack of research done to confirm this assumption. To better manage the soundness of the herd and to improve horse selection, the objective of this study was to measure the temporal variables of the SBH intermediate gaits. Subject selection was a cooperative effort consisting of experts from the ALBC and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses with their selection based on soundness and best representation of the breed type. Eight SBH were filmed at a slow (SV: 2.43 0.22 m/s) and fast (FV: 3.25 0.14 m/s) intermediate gait. Gait velocity ranges were based on the ranges found in previous gaited horse studies. Frame-byframe analysis was performed on 10 symmetrical strides for each horse for each velocity. Stride variables were given as a % of stride duration with Student paired t-tests applied to determine differences between velocities (P<0.05). At the slower velocity, the footfall sequence was lateral alternating between lateral (12 3%) and diagonal bipedal support (DBS) (88 3%), while the faster velocity had a diagonal footfall sequence alternating between suspension (23 4%) and DBS (77 5%). While stride length (SV: 1.75 +0.20 m, FV: 1.95 0.13 m) remained consistent between the two velocities, stride duration (SV: 0.73 0.03 s, FV: 0.60 0.03 s), fore (SV: 50 5%, FV: 39 3%) and hind (SV: 50 6%, FV: 39 4%) stance durations, diagonal advanced placements (SV: 6 2%, FV: 0 1%), and DBS decreased at the faster velocity as stride rate (SV: 1.38 0.06 strides/s, FV: 1.67 0.09 strides/s) increased (P<0.05). Similar to other SCH, the SBH has the ability to perform a 4-beat stepping intermediate gait, but this ability is limited to the slower velocity and may be an example of a transitional gait as the horse transitions from the walk to the trot. Nevertheless, the velocity and the limb support sequencing of this transitional gait is unique from other gaited and non-gaited horse breeds. In addition, the mechanism used for increasing velocity, limb pairing and increased stride rate instead of increased stride length, is distinctive from other horse breeds studied that exhibited a 4-beat stepping intermediate gait, and thus, can be applied in the understanding of this

American slaves and African masters: Algiers and the Western Sahara, 1776-1820

Remembering the 'Horror of Mahometan Vassalage:' 'This World if full of Vicissitudes' PART I: ALGIERS 'Far Distant From our Country, Families Friends and Connections': American Slaves in Ottoman Algiers 'Once a Citizen of the United States of America, but at Present the Most Miserable Slave': Americans and Slave Community 'American Livestock, Now Slaves in Algiers': Elite Slaves in Ottoman Algiers 'We Set No Great Value Upon Money': A Slave Economy PART II: WESTERN SAHARA 'Sons of Sorrow': American Slaves in the Western Sahara 'Clear the Country of All You Christian Dogs': The Business of Redemption A Different Kind of Slavery

Population history and genetic variability of the American Shire horse

The American Shire horse breed is currently listed in “critical condition”, the most serious threat category assigned by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Despite concern for the breed's future, however, a thorough genetic analysis of the breed has not been conducted to date. Pedigree data from 85 671 Shire horses born between 1806 and 2011 were used to determine current and historical genetic variability in the Shire horse since the first imported animals arrived from the United Kingdom to the United States. From this larger dataset, a reference population of 1 152 animals representing the most current generation was defined. Effective population size was 330.5, with 832 total founders and high pedigree completeness (98.2 percent) to five generations. Effective number of founders, ancestors and genomes were 104.5, 28.6 and 13.9, respectively. Average inbreeding coefficient was 2.4 percent from complete pedigree data and 1.3 percent when the most recent five generations were considered. Demographic analysis also revealed a population bottleneck in the 1950s. The ten most influential male and female ancestors contributed 48.5 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, to the reference population, and only three foundation sires are responsible for 95.6 percent of all sire lines in the current generation. Although current assessment of genetic variability indicates a relatively healthy population, the small number of breeding animals, low birth rates and steady rise in inbreeding coefficients mark the American Shire as an at-risk breed for which conservation strategies should be considered.

Pregnancy in the Caspian Miniature Horse Using Frozen Semen Cryopreserved with the EquiPRO CryoGuard Freeze Medium and Customized Freezing Protocols

The primary goal of this project was to establish a protocol to freeze the sperm of the Caspian miniature horse in an attempt to start an intensive artificial insemination program to effectively increase the population of this breed, which has been listed as “Critical Rare Breed” by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy and is in danger of extinction. Commercially available equine freezing medium (EquiPRO CyoGuard Complete egg-yolk extender) was used for the initial setup of two different freeze protocols: slow and fast. The fast-freeze protocol had slightly better postthaw results and was used for a fertility demonstration. Five mares of proven fertility, aged 3 to 12 years, were used in the fertility trials, two of which resulted in pregnancy. This is the first report of pregnancy in the Caspian miniature horse using frozen semen, and the results seem to be a promising start to an extensive program to help this endangered breed, although further research on freezing protocols and conditions for this process are necessary to further improve the survival of semen and pregnancy rate.

A Scoping Study of Livestock Antimicrobials in Agricultural Streams of Alberta

Pharmaceuticals are commonly used in the livestock industry, and studies have demonstrated that some pharmaceuticals can reach receiving water bodies. The main objective of this study was to measure the occurrence and concentration of selected veterinary pharmaceutical compounds commonly used by the livestock industry in Alberta across streams varying in agricultural intensity. A total of 247 water samples were collected from 23 watersheds during the open water season between, May 2005 and May 2006. Samples were analyzed for 27 commonly used veterinary pharmaceuticals from the following compound classes: avermectins, beta lactams, fluoroquinolones, ionophores, lincosamides, macrolides, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. Subsequently, 10 antimicrobials were detected: narasin, salinomycin, monensin, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, sulfadoxine, erythromycin, lincomycin, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline. Trace (ng·L–1) concentrations of antimicrobials were detected in 51% of the samples (127 out of 247 samples). Monensin and sulfamethazine were detected most frequently (34% and 8% of samples, respectively). Monensin concentrations ranged from below the detection limit of 2 ng·L–1 to 843 ng·L–1. Monensin detection frequencies in study watersheds were correlated to manure production percentiles and regional cattle densities. Monensin concentrations were found to be significantly correlated to several water quality parameters (e.g., NH3–N). Monensin detection frequencies were found to be significantly higher in the spring than in the fall. Maximum concentrations for the other nine antimicrobials detected ranged between 3 and 250 ng·L–1. The antimicrobials detected and their concentrations were found to be similar to those in some recent European and North American livestock pharmaceutical stream surveys. Findings from this study can inform future monitoring programs and provides ambient concentrations for environmental (fate and transport) and toxicity studies to better evaluate potential risks to humans and the receiving aquatic ecosystems.

The nosocomial transmission rate of animal-associated ST398 meticillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus

The global epidemiology of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is characterized by different clonal lineages with different epidemiological behaviour. There are pandemic hospital clones (hospital-associated (HA-)MRSA), clones mainly causing community-acquired infections (community-associated (CA-)MRSA, mainly USA300) and an animal-associated clone (ST398) emerging in European and American livestock with subsequent spread to humans. Nosocomial transmission capacities (R(A)) of these different MRSA types have never been quantified. Using two large datasets from MRSA outbreaks in Dutch hospitals (dataset 1, the UMC Utrecht for 144 months; dataset 2, 51 hospitals for six months) and a recently developed mathematical model, we determined the genotype-specific R(A) for ST398 and non-ST398 isolates (categorized as HA-MRSA), using observational data, the detection rate of MRSA carriage and the discharge rate from hospital as the input. After detection of 42 MRSA index cases in dataset 1 (all non-ST398 MRSA) 5076 people were screened, yielding 30 secondary cases. In dataset 2, 75 index cases (51 non-ST398 MRSA and 24 ST398) resulted in 7892 screened individuals and 56 and three secondary cases for non-ST398 MRSA and ST398, respectively. The ratio between discharge and the detection rate was 2.7. R(A) values (95% confidence interval (CI)) were 0.68 (0.47-0.95) for non-ST398 MRSA in dataset 1, 0.93 (0.71-1.21) for non-ST398 MRSA in dataset 2 and 0.16 (0.04-0.40) for ST398. The R(A) ratio between non-ST398 MRSA and ST398 was 5.90 (95% CI 2.24-23.81). ST398 is 5.9 times less transmissible than non-ST398 MRSA in Dutch hospitals, which may allow less stringent transmission-control measures for ST398 MRSA.

Historia de los bovinos en Panamá y su relación con las poblaciones bovinas de iberoamérica

Se hace una revisión histórica sobre el origen de la ganadería en América; se describen las migraciones de bovinos que se realizan desde España hacia las islas y los primeros envíos de animales desde La Española y Santiago hacia tierra firme, como Santa Marta, Colombia; Tamaulipas, México y Santa María La Antigua, Panamá. Se relata el movimiento de animales por todo el territorio panameño, influenciado por la presencia de Pedrarias Dávila como Gobernador de Castilla del Oro y posteriormente como Gobernador de Nicaragua; se plantea la importancia del paso de bovinos por Panamá y su importancia en la conquista del Perú y Ecuador. Y se concluye con la hipótesis histórica de la influencia genética de los bovinos llegados al Nuevo Mundo sobre el territorio Iberoamericano particularmente los bovinos que llegaron a Panamá.

American Livestock Improvers and Urban Markets during the Nineteenth Century

American Livestock Improvers and Urban Markets during the Nineteenth Century

Randall cattle in the USA: rescuing a genetic resource from extinction

SummaryRandall Cattle are a landrace from the northeast USA. The cattle are triple-purpose and well adapted to the cold northeast geographic region. The current population descends from 14 cattle that remained after the death of the original owner, though only 12 of these represented unique founders due to interrelationships among the 14. He had kept the cattle as an isolated strain for nearly 80 years. Blood-typing results point to a north Atlantic origin for the breed, which is consistent with the history. The policy and practice of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has been to carefully document landraces and to assure their conservation. Focused breeding strategies have succeeded in rescuing the original 13 animals and expanding the population to nearly 300 in 2006. The breed is gaining popularity as a hardy, adapted and useful genetic resource. Breeding management has decreased overall inbreeding while at the same time managing the contributions of the various founder animals.

Agroterrorism: Electron Microscopy and Protecting American Livestock

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, July 30 – August 3, 2006

Vicious: Wolves and Men in America

Over a continent and three centuries, American livestock owners destroyed wolves to protect the beasts that supplied them with food, clothing, mobility, and wealth. The brutality of the campaign soon exceeded wolves' misdeeds. Wolves menaced property, not people, but storytellers often depicted the animals as ravenous threats to human safety. Subjects of nightmares and legends, wolves fell prey not only to Americans' thirst for land and resources but also to their deeper anxieties about the untamed frontier. Now Americans study and protect wolves and jail hunters who shoot them without authorization. Wolves have become the poster beasts of the great American wilderness, and the federal government has paid millions of dollars to reintroduce them to scenic habitats like Yellowstone National Park. Why did Americans hate wolves for centuries? And, given the ferocity of this loathing, why are Americans now so protective of the animals? In this ambitious history of wolves in America - and of the humans who have hated and then loved them - Jon Coleman investigates a fraught relationship between two species and uncovers striking similarities, deadly differences, and, all too frequently, tragic misunderstanding.

Characterization and conservation of the American Milking Devon

SummaryThe American Milking Devon Association was established in 1978 to record and preserve a unique type of cattle originally developed in the United States in the 17th century from imported English and contemporary American stocks. Phenotypically, it exhibits a spectrum of red colour, with light-coloured curved horns and medium body size. The breed is one of the few remaining triple-purpose breeds in the United States, and has been selected by breeders since colonial times for excellent temperament and powerful draught ability, along with desirable dairy and beef characteristics. It is well adapted to low-input management schemes and harsh environments. The American Milking Devon is currently found on the ‘critical’ list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, indicating that there are fewer than 200 new registrations annually. Since the inception of the American Milking Devon Association, a small group of dedicated breeders has done much to preserve these cattle. However, new management tools are now being introduced to assist breeders and allow conservation of genetic diversity while retaining the original breed traits in terms of size, colour, beef and dairy production, and character and working ability.

American Livestock Insurance/AAEP scholarships awarded

American Livestock Insurance/AAEP scholarships awarded

Turkey conservation in the United States

SummaryThe American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities (SPPA) completed censuses of domesticated turkeys in 1997. The ALBC census targeted hatcheries and reported census figures for hens, while counting both hens and toms. Toms were about 10% of hen numbers. The ALBC census revealed that only eight seasonal hatcheries out of a total of 25 maintain breeding flocks, including 7 038 Bronze, 4 600 Large Whites, 664 Bourbon Reds, 381 Royal Palms, 62 Black, 60 Slate, 4 White Holland, and 3 Narragansett hens. The SPPA research included hatcheries and also private breeders, included both males and females, and also included anything the breeder deemed a variety. The census figures for the various varieties were: Bourbon Red 931, Royal Palm 717, Bronze 365, Black 211, White Midget 151, Slate 143, Narragansett 87, Buff 62, White Holland 38, Auburn 27, Lilac 24, Silver Auburn 19, Chocolate 12, Royal Nebraskan 8, Wisconsin 6, Spotted Nebraskan 3, 2 each of Dark Brown, Nebraska Royal, Nutmeg, and red, and 1 each of Chestnut, Fawn, and Lavendar. The results of these two approaches generated similar population rankings for these varieties. Both have concluded that the nonindustrial strains of turkeys have perilously low populations.