The effect of post-weaning supplementation of April-born Polypay and White Dorper lambs grazing alfalfa/orchardgrass pasture during two grazing seasons from June to September was studied. One hundred seventy Polypay and 133 White Dorper lambs were randomly allotted to supplemented (2% BW daily) and unsupplemented groups. It was discovered that Polypay lambs weighed more than White Dorpers at wearning, when the grazing season began, and at the end of the 80 (Year 1) and 85 (Year 2) grazing season (P < 0.01). Polypay lambs gained faster (P < 0.01) than White Dorpers. Supplemented lambs gained faster (P < 0.01) than unsupplemented and Polypays had a greater response to supplementation (P < 0.01) than White Dorpers. Polypays had higher (P < 0.01) fecal egg counts, an indicator of Haemonchus contortus infestation. Supplementation did not have any consistent effect on reducing Haemonchus contortus infestation. Differences in forage characteristics of Polypay and White Dorper lambs did appear. Differences in alfalfa and orchardgrass dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and crude protein availability were measured by subtracting enter from exit availabilities. The largest decrease of alfalfa components from exit to enter was found with unsupplemented Polypays. No consistent effect was found for orchardgrass components.

Workshop cluster 1 (WC1) molecules are exclusively expressed on the surface of gamma delta T cells and act as co-receptors and bind pathogens thus also functioning as pattern recognition receptors. The aim was to obtain cDNA evidence to support the recent caprine genome annotation of the WC1 multigene family conducted by a colleague. To get cDNA sequences three strategies were used. Strategy 'I' was used to obtain three clones that corresponded to WC1 SRCR domain d9 through the intracytoplasmic tail sequence. Strategy 'II' was used to obtain 6 clones. A PCR was conducted using SRCR domain b7 through the intracytoplasmic tail sequence. A third strategy obtained full-length WC1 transcripts. The three sequences that extended from SRCR domain d9 to the intracytoplasmic tail matched closely with predicted goat Gene 1 or 14. Another 3 sequences that extended from the SRCR b7 domain through SRCR domain d11 or through the intracytoplasmic tail matched with the predicted Genes 1, 2 and 14, respectively. Two additional full-length cDNA clones CH-MA-03 and 41 were completely sequenced in stages which involved a PCR amplication of the internal domains to complete the sequencing. The a1 domain of CH-MA41 was 100% similar to the annotated and predicted Gene 4 while CH-MA03 also was closest to Gene 4 with a 99% similarity. However, the intracytoplasmic tail sequence of these two cDNA clones was a Type II tail while Gene 4 had a Type I tail. Because of this difference in tails these two cDNA clones had a greater overall similarity with Genes 7 and 15 which had Type II tails. These results suggest that the genome assembly may have errors.

The purpose of this study was to provide data on responses of Angora goats and blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) to a biological manipulation program. Blackbrush utilization levels averaged 30, 16, and 6 percent (545, 367, and 147 kg p er hectare) for the heavily, moderately, and lightly browsed pastures, respectively; removal rates of 77, 38, and 19 percent (1164, 582, and 291 kg per hectare) were projected. Statistically significant differences in body weight loss (P=0.052) were noted for goats browsing in different replications. Goats lost an average of 14 and 19 percent of body weight in replications one and two, respectively. Differential weight loss app eared to be related to variable crude protein levels in blackbrush twigs. Small, but statistically significant differences were noted between replications for crude protein (P:0.002) and phosphorus (P=0.019) content in blackbrush twigs. Crude protein content averaged 4.9 and 4.4 percent for replications one and two, respectively; phosphorus content averaged 0.18 and 0.15 percent for replications one and two, respectively. No statistically significant differences in plant production were noted among stocking rates; this was primarily a result of the low utilization levels. Site (replications) affected plant response (P:0.135), and terminal branches produced more current season's growth than did basal branches (P:0.162).

Sheep with esophageal fistulas were used to determine the daily intake, nutritive content and digestibility of forage at three periods and two stocking intensities during the spring of 1972 on a typical foothill range in northern Utah. Heavy grazing under a season-long regime did not influence the concentrations of dietary chemical components when compared to moderate grazing; however, it did depress the digestibility of cellulose and organic matter. There was a significant decline in the dietary chemical components due to forage maturation. Digestibility of organic matter and cellulose were significantly higher in the early spring as compared to late spring. Daily intake was depressed as a result of the heavy grazing only in early spring. Heavy grazing intensities on short-term pastures influenced the content of lignin, cellulose and protein in the diet. Digestibility of cellulose and organic matter was depressed during early and late spring as a result of the heavy grazing intensities while protein digestibility was depressed throughout the season. Intake was significantly lower under heavy grazing in the intermediate period than it was under moderate grazing.

Raw milk sales are legal in 30 states, including Mississippi, where regulations are largely management-based and not food-safety related. The research objectives were to analyze the microbial profile of raw goat milk from Mississippi farms and assess food safety practices and perceptions of dairy goat farmers. Deficiencies and opportunities for improvement in raw goat milk safety were identified. Staphylococcus spp. was present in most (70%) milk samples but aligned with drying-off. E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, and coliforms were observed in 4, 10, and 12 samples, respectively; no Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes were detected. The survey highlighted farmers' need for educational opportunities on safe milk handling with emphasis on handwashing. Most producers (80.8%) are willing to invest more in their farms, creating strategic opportunities for extension outreach to help with market expansion and sustainability. Overall, training accessibility could help producers nationwide by encouraging safe milk handling and best management practices.

Nomadic pastoralism has been the traditional method of utilizing grazing resources in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa. However, increased sedentarization accompanied by growing human and animal populations during the past two decades is thought to be accelerating the desertification process, or desert expansion. The specific interactions of the grazing animal with this process has been speculated upon but not studied in detail. A comparative study was initiated during the spring grazing season of 1974 to determine sheep and goat nutritional and production responses, as well as patterns of vegetative selection and utilization under the pastoral system currently employed in the Pre-Saharan region of southern Tunisia. The study site was located on a sandy soil dominated by the perennial shrub, Rhanterium suaveolens. Annual herbs were co-dominants of this community in early spring. Four grazing treatments were employed during a month-long grazing season. These included; sheep grazing alone, goats grazing alone, sheep grazing with goats, and goats grazing with sheep. Stocking rates (1.9 sheep or goats per hectare per month) were comparable to those locally employed. Dietary composition was determined for randomly selected animals by a modified bite-count method, Forage intake was determined by the equation, I = F/1-D where I represented intake rate, F represented fecal output as determined from collections using standard fecal bags, and D represented digestibility of composite diets as determined by in vitro techniques. Animals were weighed weekly. Diets of all treatment groups, except goats in the mixed herd, consisted primarily of annuals during the first week. During Week Two there was a gradual shift to perennials and by the third week, all treatment groups selected primarily perennial species for their diets, Perennials comprised over 90% of the diets, except for sheep in the mixed herd, by the end of the fourth week. Also, by Week Four, Rhanterium comprised 71-92% of the diets. Estimates of forage quality indicated a declining trend in nutritional value of the forage over the grazing period. Dry matter consumption, digestibility of the diets, consumption of apparent digestible energy, dietary crude protein and apparent digestible protein all decreased from Week One to Week Four. These changes were probably attributable to a combination of factors including a decrease in plant species availability due to grazing, maturation of the remaining vegetation and a dietary shift from annuals to perennials. Young animals gained weight at generally increasing rates throughout the grazing trial. Adult animals gained weight after the initial week but their rate of gain indicated a leveling off or even a decrease by the fourth week, probably in response to declining forage quality. Animals in the mixed herd traveled farther during daily grazing periods than either of the single species herds. Goats grazing alone traveled farther than sheep grazing alone. Goats in the mixed herd may have influenced the sheep in that herd to travel more than sheep grazing alone.

Domestic goats were used to modify the growth form of blackbrush, a spinescent shrub occurring in nearly monospecific stands on several million hectares of rangeland in the southwestern United States. The objective of this research was to evaluate goat browsing as a means of improving these rangelands for cattle. Winter goat browsing stimulated spring twig growth from basal and axillary buds which resulted in increased production. Twig production by heavily browsed plants (>95 percent removal of current season's twigs) was a function of precipitation, soil depth, branch location on the plant, and period of rest after browsing. As precipitation doubled, production increased by a factor of 1.9. Twig production by plants growing on deep soils (71 cm) was 1.9 times that by plants growing on shallow soils (39 cm). Older branches growing on the outer edges of blackbrush plants (terminal branches) produced 4.6 times more current season's twigs than sprouts and young branches (basal branches) growing within the shrub canopy. Heavily browsed plants increased twig production by a factor of 3.6 relative to control plants, and production remained at this level, even after four consecutive years of browsing. Stocking intensities of 2.4 animal-unit-months·hectare-1 were required to achieve utilization levels of 80 percent in blackbrush pastures. Annual twig production declined with rest from browsing. However, plants which were browsed and subsequently rested for two years yielded an aggregate 1.6 times more available forage than plants which were browsed on a yearly basis. This was due to an accumulation of twigs ranging in age from one to three years. Browsing also improved the apparent nutritional quality of blackbrush twigs. Current season's twigs contained more crude protein (6.5 versus 4.6 percent), phosphorus (0.10 versus 0.08 percent), and in vitro digestible dry matter (48 versus 38 percent) than older twigs. Current season's twigs from basal branches contained more crude protein (6.1 versus 5.7 percent) and in vitro digestible dry matter (44 versus 41 percent) than those from terminal branches. The palatability of current season's twigs to goats and cattle was lower, however, than that of older twigs, presumably due to their higher tannin levels. Within individual blackbrush plants, current season's twigs from terminal branches were higher in tannins than those from basal branches. Rest from browsing resulted in decreased tannin levels due to a decrease in the proportion of current season's to older twigs. Goats and cattle tended to prefer older twigs to current season's twigs, and current season's twigs from basal branches to those from terminal branches. The occurrence and allocation of tannins within blackbrush support hypotheses dealing with the elaboration and allocation of phyto-chemicals as defense mechanisms countering herbivory. Esophageally fistulated goats (does and kids) browsing in pastures where forage consisted primarily of current season's twigs consumed diets with more crude protein, in vitro digestible dry matter, and tannins than goats browsing in pastures where forage consisted primarily of older twigs. They also lost less weight. Does initially consumed diets higher, but later consumed diets lower in crude protein than those consumed by kids. Kids consumed diets with more in vitro digestible dry matter, but lost more weight than does. No statistically significant differences in weight response were recorded for cattle browsing in pastures which were, and were not, previously browsed by goats. However, the average heifer in previously unbrowsed pastures consumed 1.9 times more protein supplement than her counterpart in previously browsed pastures.