Background – Feeding horses round bale hay (RBH) has been associated with airway inflammation. The purpose of this study was to determine if horses fed RBH for a 6-week period demonstrated more evidence of airway inflammation than horses fed square bale hay (SBH) of comparable quality. Hypothesis - The respiratory health of horses fed RBH will not differ from horses fed SBH of comparable quality. Animals – Two feeding groups of 15 healthy horses (mixed ages, breeds) from the University riding program. Methods – This was a prospective study performed during fall of 2009. At the beginning and end of a 6- week feeding trial, horses were examined (physical, upper airway endoscopic) and samples (tracheal aspirate (TA), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)) collected for cytology and/or bacterial/fungal culture. Hay was analyzed for nutritional value and bacterial/fungal content. Results – Horses fed RBH demonstrated an increase in pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (p=0.0143) and percentage neutrophils (p=0.0078) in the TA samples post-feeding as compared to pre-feeding values. Nutritional analysis of hay and measurements of bacterial/fungal load did not differ over time and/or between hay types. Conclusions and clinical importance – The identification of airway inflammation in the horses fed RBH indicates that factors associated with the manner in which the hay is fed and consumed contribute to the development of subclinical airway inflammation. RBH affords horses continuous daily exposure to hay and as horses bury their muzzles in the bale, exposure to particulate matter is likely increased. These factors may partially explain the response in horses fed RBH. Further studies are required to confirm these predictions. / Master of Science

<p>ATR, advanced tongue root, is a phonological feature among vowels. As vowels assimilate to share the same value of that feature, they display ATR harmony. This is a common phenomenon among many African languages. ATR harmony is examined in this paper as manifested across morpheme boundaries wihin nouns in a Surmic language of Ethiopia called Bale. The data presented was collected at a workshop on ATR harmony held by SIL International in Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia, 2009. The vowel system in Bale displays a nine vowel inventory with a feature dominance of [+ATR] vowels which spread their feature both leftward and rightward to recessive [–ATR] vowels. The [+ATR] dominance is also present as a floating feature without any phonological material. The vowel /a/ is analysed as a neutral vowel, co-occuring with both [+ATR] and [–ATR] vowels within roots.</p>

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009. / Mode of access: Internet. Title from PDF title page; viewed on Jan. 11, 2010. Major professor: Daniel C. Jansen. "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering." "December 2009." Includes bibliographical references (p. 176-180).

Tire bales are a suitable construction material for conditions which require a lightweight material with high permeability and strength. Although several tire bale case histories have been reported in the literature, only limited material properties of the bales are available. Determining the mechanical and physical properties of the tire bales is necessary for the proper design and construction of future tire bale structures. The development and results from a series of large scale laboratory and field test procedures, used to determine the mechanical and physical characteristics of a tire bale structure, are provided in this dissertation. A tire bale structure, as compared to the individual tire bale, is defined as two or more tire bales stacked upon each other resulting in an interface contact between layers of the tire bales. Results from the test programs indicate that the interface between the tire bales controls the strength and compressibility of the bale structure. The strength of the interface was characterized utilizing a large scale direct shear test, which was modified to include the effects of moisture, soil infill and stress orientation on the interface strength. Interface shear stresses were used to define shear strength parameters for the different tire bale interfaces. The compressibility of the tire bale structure was characterized utilizing a large scale vertical compression test. The influence of the individual tire bale geometry on strength and compressibility was determined by conducting the large scale tests on two bale types, the standard block bale and the standard cylinder bale. A tire ridge interface model was developed to represent the physical characteristics of the tire bales that control the strength and deformations along the interface. Tensions within the baling wires were measured during the direct shear and compression tests using strain gauges attached to the baling wires. A tension meter was also developed so that the baling wire tensions could be determined without damaging the tire bale and baling wires. A destructive expansion pressure test was used at the conclusion of the research program to determine the pressures the tire bale exerts on the surrounding structure after wire breakage. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

The objective of this diploma thesis is to assess the factors affecting the concentration of dust particles during forage pressing. For this purpose, five presses for square bales and five presses for round bales were selected. They were harvesting different kinds of straw. Thanks to measurement using an aerosol monitor, the concentration of dust particles during the harvest was detected. The measured values were evaluated and the amount of concentration of the dust particles between the square and round bale presses was compared. There were also set the methodological steps of the measurement procedure.

The purpose of this thesis is to calculate strenght of materials used in bale trailer and it's construction modifications. This work presents the design of new frame construction. After that the frame is checked via the finite elements method.

The purpose of this thesis is to calculate strenght of materials used in bale trailer and it's construction modifications. This work presents the design of new frame construction. After that the frame is checked via the finite elements method.

No description available.

Traditional methods of winter hay feeding for beef cattle often entail numerous challenges, including high labor demands, high fuel consumption, soil compaction, limited nutrient dispersion, heightened nutrient runoff risks, low forage yields, and nitrogen loss from manure. Rotational bale grazing (RBG) offers an innovative approach to winter hay feeding by strategically positioning hay bales on pasture prior to the onset of winter feeding, then allowing controlled access to the bales. However, its feasibility in the temperate climate of the Southeastern U.S. remains uncertain. Therefore, this dissertation, conducted over two years at the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Raphine, VA, aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing RBG in Virginia. Three pre-established sacrifice paddocks (SP) and three five- paddock rotations for RBG treatments were utilized, with cattle being winter hay-fed for approximately 60 days. The study commenced with soil grid sampling across Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue (Schendonorous arundinaceous) pastures, strategically placing hay bales in areas with the lowest Mehlich 1- phosphorus (P). Changes in Mehlich 1-P, Mehlich 1-potassium (K), water-soluble P (WSP), nitrate (NO3-N), and pH were monitored over a two-year RBG implementation period. The results indicated that bale placement did not significantly alter the spatial distribution of Mehlich 1-P concentrations, but consistently influenced Mehlich 1-K distribution. The WSP concentrations remained consistent with bale placement but decreased without. Bale placement had no significant effect on NO3-N or pH. Furthermore, this study investigated the effects of RBG on nutrient and sediment runoff in comparison to traditional SP. Artificial rainfall simulations were conducted on a SP, RBG first paddock grazed in the rotation (RBG first), and RBG last paddock grazed in the rotation (RBG last). The most significant differences were observed between the RBG first and last treatments, with forage presence in the RBG first paddock contributing to diminished runoff volume and nutrient load. Notably, the SP treatment showed no significant difference from the RBG treatment, likely due to many years of manure deposition increasing soil organic matter and water infiltration. The findings suggested that an RBG paddock grazed last in the rotation may lead to increased runoff volumes, sedimentation, and nutrient concentrations compared to an RBG paddock grazed first in the rotation. To understand the impact of RBG on forage biomass recovery, spring forage biomass was measured using ground manual samples and drone imagery. Manual samples and drone flights were conducted three times post-winter hay feeding. While the SP system exhibited the highest biomass recovery in high animal impact areas, RBG showed numerically higher biomass by the third sampling date in low animal impact areas. Drone imagery showcased potential for biomass estimation, but processing of drone images took excessive time and rendered it less feasible compared to manual samples. / Doctor of Philosophy / During the winter months, when forage production becomes limited, beef cattle are typically fed hay. Conventional systems, known as sacrifice paddocks (SP), confine cattle to a single paddock where they are regularly provided hay bales by the producer. However, this method presents several drawbacks, including high labor demands, high fuel costs, soil compaction, limited nutrient dispersion in the soil, heightened runoff risks, low forage yields, and nitrogen losses from manure. Recognizing these challenges, producers in regions like the Northern Great Plains and Canada have turned to rotational bale grazing (RBG) as an alternative approach. Rotational bale grazing involves pre-placing hay bales directly onto pastureland before winter feeding begins, then allowing controlled access to the bales. Yet, the applicability of RBG in regions with different climatic conditions, such as Virginia, remains uncertain. This dissertation explores the comparison between traditional SP systems and RBG systems, with three replications of each. The initial chapter offers a comprehensive review of previous RBG studies. Subsequently, the study investigated RBG's potential to enhance the spatial distribution of manure nutrients, focusing on Mehlich 1- phosphorus (P) and Mehlich 1- potassium (K). Additionally, environmental aspects of both SP and RBG systems are evaluated, analyzing soil water-soluble phosphorus (WSP), pH, and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations. The dissertation's third chapter examined RBG's impact on runoff and nutrient loads through artificial rainfall simulations. Results indicate that RBG paddocks grazed last, with less time for forage recovery, exhibited significantly higher runoff and nutrient loads compared to those grazed first, which had more time for recovery, thus increasing forage biomass. Notably, the SP treatment showed no significant difference from the RBG treatment, likely due to long term manure deposition increasing soil organic matter and water infiltration over time. Lastly, the study explores RBG's effect on spring forage recovery compared to traditional SP systems. Manual ground samples and drone imagery are utilized across three sampling dates to estimate biomass recovery. While SP treatments showed greater manual biomass in high animal impact areas across all sampling dates, no significant differences were observed in low animal impact areas. However, RBG displayed numerically higher biomass. Drone imagery showcased potential for biomass estimation, but processing of drone images took excessive time and rendered it less feasible compared to manual samples.