Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Daniel W. Moser / The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritability of calving rate and age at first calving in Hereford heifers, and evaluate whether age at calving would add accuracy to a genetic evaluation of calving rate. Pedigree and performance data on Hereford heifers born between 2001 and 2007 was provided by the American Hereford Association. After editing to exclude animals that did not fit inclusion criteria, the evaluated dataset contained 94,709 heifers with calving status information. Data were analyzed using single and two-trait animal models to obtain heritability estimates, and genetic correlation between calving rate and age at first calving was determined using MTDFREML. Contemporary groups for calving traits were defined as heifers that were in the same yearling weight contemporary group, and remained in the ownership of the same breeder through the age that they would be expected to calve. Estimates of heritability for calving rate and age at first calving from single-trait models were 0.25, and 0.12, respectively. Genetic correlation between calving rate and age at first calving was -0.01. Calving rate is moderately heritable in Hereford heifers, and can be used in genetic evaluation of sires to improve the trait through selection. Age at first calving has minimal genetic relationship to calving rate, and is not useful in increasing accuracy of selection for calving rate.

The objectives of this research were to evaluate breed differences for heat-stress resistance using age at first calving and first calving interval, and to assess breed by region interactions for seven regions of the United States for survival-related traits up to five years of age in Brown Swiss, Holstein, and Jersey cows. Age at first calving and first calving interval were studied in farms with two breeds, with Holstein and Brown Swiss or Holstein and Jersey cows. The survival-related traits were analyzed in farms with one or two breeds. Seven regions within the United States were defined: Northeast, Northwest, Central north, Central, Central south, Southwest and Southeast. The fertility traits were also analyzed in seven individual states: Wisconsin, Ohio, Oregon, California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Brown Swiss were older than Holsteins at first calving (833 ± 2.4 d vs. 806 ± 2.0 d in regions, and 830 ± 3.1 d vs. 803 ± 2.4 d in states), but Holsteins and Brown Swiss did not differ for first calving interval. Jerseys were younger than Holsteins at first calving and had shorter first calving intervals (P < 0.01). In data from individual states, Holsteins housed with Brown Swiss were older at first calving than Holsteins housed with Jerseys (800 ± 2.7 d vs. 780 ± 2.5 d). Holsteins housed with Jerseys had slightly shorter first calving intervals than Holsteins housed with Brown Swiss, and the interaction of "type of Holstein: with season of the first calving was highly significant (P < 0.01). Region and season effects were smaller for Jerseys than for Holsteins, thus, Jerseys showed evidence of heat-stress resistance with respect to Holsteins. Management modified age at first calving in Holsteins, depending on the type of herd they were located in. Longer calving intervals might have been partly due to voluntary waiting period to breed the cows. The survival-related traits were evaluated up to five years of age. They consisted of stayability, number of completed lactations, days lived, herd-life, and total days in milk. For herds with one breed, the order for stayability to five years of age, from longer to shorter-lived breed was: Brown Swiss, Jersey and Holstein, but for the ratio of days in milk to herd-life the order was: Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss, and for the ratio of days in milk to days lived, it was: Jersey, and Holstein and Brown Swiss tied. This last ordering was the same for number of lactations completed by five years of age. The results for two-breed herds were similar since Brown Swiss and Jerseys had larger (Chi-square P < 0.01) probabilities of living past five years of age than Holsteins, and for days in milk and number of lactations completed, Jerseys had higher values than Holsteins (P < 0.01), but Holsteins and Brown Swiss tied in some analyses. Breed by region interaction was always significant. If all other conditions were assumed equal, Jerseys would give fastest returns by five years of age. The overall conclusion is that Jerseys performed better for the traits analyzed, all of them highly influenced by environmental conditions. / Ph. D.

The loss of ice from the Greenland ice sheet is an important contributor to current and future sea level rise occurring due to ongoing changes in the global climate. A significant portion of this ice mass loss comes through the calving of large icebergs at Greenland’s many marine-terminating outlet glaciers. However, the dynamics of calving at these glaciers is currently not well understood, complicating projections of future behaviour of these glaciers and mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet. The use of seismological tools has shown promise as a means of both monitoring and better understanding the dynamics of the calving process at these glaciers. On the global scale, data from the long-standing global seismic network has recorded the occurrence of glacial earthquakes, large long period earthquakes that occur during large calving events at near-grounded outlet glaciers. The occurrence and source parameters of these earthquakes provide insight into the link between glacier calving and climatic and oceanic forcings, as well as information on the large-scale glacier-dynamic conditions under which these major calving events occur. On the more local scale, a deployment of seismometers around an individual glacier has provided insights on the seismic environment of a calving glacier, as well as the more immediate, short-term external drivers of calving events. We consider both local and global seismic data in order to further understanding of the dynamics of the calving process at Greenland outlet glaciers, and find that glacial earthquake production is indicative of a near-grounded terminus at the source glacier. We find that the locations derived from these events are accurate and are sensitive to changes in the calving-front position of the source glacier, and that the active-force azimuths are representative of the orientation of the glacier at the time of calving. We also find that these glaciers are the source of abundant small icequakes, which are strongly tied to the occurrence of major calving events. The small icequakes that occur at Helheim glacier are modulated by semi-diurnal variations in tide height, and potentially control the timing of major calving events by progressively damaging the glacier tongue.

The Owl-Flintstone range in southeastern Manitoba is among the most at risk in the province. Through a series of transects and plots established throughout the study area, this study characterized calving habitat at a fine scale, examined the use of caribou calving areas by large mammals and examined if a calving habitat model correctly identified high quality calving habitat. Parturient females utilized black spruce dominated islands and peninsulas on lakes as well as islands and peninsulas in bogs. Bear utilized both predicted low and high quality sites. Black spruce and lichen cover were significantly greater within known calving sites compared to predicted low quality habitat. Forbs, herbs and downed woody debris values were significantly lower within known calving sites compared to predicted high quality sites. The calving habitat model correctly identified both high quality and low quality calving habitat in the Owl-Flintstone range, however parameters could be refined.

Currently there is no extended study that explicitly focuses on themagnitude, frequency and timing of glacial calving resulting from externalforces. Past studies have identified the size and timing of calving events butthe links between them and the external factors that cause them are stillmissing. Here I present a method to identify the size, time and frequency ofcalving events on the Rink Glacier in Greenland. Using time lapse imagesspaced 30 minutes apart of the calving front, coupled with weather and tidedata, I plan on identifying the main driving force for calving. Results showthat atmospheric pressure and temperature have no positive correlation withcalving magnitude or size. Tidal influences and sea surface temperatureappear to have the strongest influence on the frequency of calving. As seasurface temperatures rapidly decrease though the study period, calvingfrequency also reduces. Strong calving correlations for the entire studyperiod were difficult to identify for tidal influences, as images could only betaken during the sunlit periods of the day. As this study was conductedduring autumn when atmospheric temperatures remained below 0°C, theavailability of melt water for crevasse creation and basal lubrication was notpresent. Therefore it is suggested that future studies on glacial stabilityshould use external forces to measure ice loss over the entire calving season.

No description available.

Calf health data and first lactation records for 2556 cows born in a commercial dairy herd between June 1998 and June 2001 were studied to determine the effects of calfhood disease on survival and performance. Operator-treated respiratory disease occurrences within the first year of life and digestive disease occurrences within the first 45 d of life were analyzed to determine their effects on calfhood morbidity, age at first calving, 305-d first lactation production, and mortality in first lactation. Of the 2556 records used, 2083 calves contracted respiratory or digestive disease at least once, 1254 calves had digestive disease only, 771 had respiratory disease only, and 191 calves had both diseases. Occurrence of calfhood digestive disease increased the chance of calfhood respiratory disease 2-fold. Age at first calving increased 0.53 mo with multiple occurrences of respiratory disease versus none. Calves born in the winter calved at 25.4 mo, whereas calves born in spring calved at 24.5 mo. Respiratory disease had the largest effect on calves born in the spring, resulting in 23.9 mo age at first calving for no occurrence and 25.4 mo for multiple occurrences. No significant effect of disease was detected for 305-d milk yield, fat yield, or SCC, but protein yield decreased by 0.05 kg/d with increased calf respiratory disease. Although calfhood disease had no influence on illness as a cow, disease-free calves had a 5% advantage in probability of remaining in the herd through 305-d, and an 8% advantage at 730-d compared with calves with 2 or more disease occurrences. In conclusion, calfhood occurrences of respiratory and digestive disease had a slight impact on age at first calving, depending on season of birth, and minimal impact on production performance through 305-d of first lactation. The occurrence of respiratory or digestive disease caused a decrease in survival rate from calving through 305-d in first lactation and 730 d after calving. / Master of Science

No description available.

Mass balance processes in glaciers are important for determining the growth or retreat of ice. Calving, the mechanical breakage of ice bergs from a glacier front, is a poorly understood phenomenon. This process has great importance to the mass balance of many glaciers, for example on Antarctica and in the Arctic. A recent paper by Åström et al. (2014) compare calving fronts to Self-Organized Critical (SOC) systems, especially the Abelian sand pile model, meaning that the calving front will stay at a critical state at all times. Fluctuations in external conditions will cause the glacier front to either retreat or advance. The calving frequency and size distribution of Tunabreen, a tidewater glacier in Svalbard, was studied during August and September, 2014, with the use of a time-lapse camera set up in front of the calving front. An 11-day period is studied in detail and compared to certain external factors, i.e. tide, air temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. The results are also compared to the relationships found by Åström et al. (2014). The results vary: tide relationships are found as the amplitude reaches above 1 meter, but seize to correlate as the tide falls off. Temperature trends are found for certain periods, but are of low credibility. Humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and wind direction show low to no correlation with the calving size distribution. Fragment size distribution and calving rates show good correlation with the results from Åström et al. (2014). This helps to confirm the theory of SOC applied to calving fronts. Time-lapse photography is deemed as a good way to observe calving fronts, but have certain problems which are mostly related to the weather. Longer time periods would be needed to find better long term relationships between external conditions and calving frequencies, but data is hard to acquire and time consuming to process. The theory of SOC applied to calving fronts is promising and opens up new discussions for the research community. / Massbalansprocesser för glaciärer är viktiga för att bestämma om isen drar sig tillbaka eller avancerar. Den mekaniska brytningen av isberg från glaciärer kallas kalvning. Kalvning är väldigt viktig för ett flertal glaciärers massbalans, exempelvis för landisen på Antarktis och glaciärer i Arktis. Ny forskning visar att kalvande glaciärfronter alltid försöker befinna sig i ett kritiskt läge, liknande ett så kallat Self-Organized Critical (SOC) system. Detta kan liknas vid hur en sandhög försöker befinna sig vid sin kritiska sluttningsvinkel när ett konstant flöde av sandkorn adderas. Adderandet av sandkorn kan jämföras med hur externa förhållanden, så som temperatur och tidvatten, ändras. När dessa värden ändras med tid så kommer fronten kalva, mycket likt hur sandhögen rasar när sandkorn tillförs. Externa förhållanden kommer alltså styra om glaciären kalvar eller inte, och när.En time-lapse-kamera installerades framför Tunabreen, en tidvatten glaciär på Svalbard, under Augusti-September, 2014. Bilderna över Tunabreens kalvningsfront, som varade över en 11-dagars period, användes för att ta ut varje enskild kalvingshändelse. Denna data jämfördes sedan med tidvatten, temperatur, luftfuktighet, atmosfäriskt tryck, vindhastighet och vindriktning. Resultaten jämfördes även med de förhållanden som visades i den nya studien som beskrevs tidigare.Resultaten är blandade. När tidvattnets amplitud var större än 1 meter så följer kalvningen tidvattnets mönster, men detta avtar när amplituden är mindre. Temperaturen visar viss korrelation, men endast för kortare perioder. Då temperaturens förhållande till kalvningen inte följer under de högsta och lägsta värden som fanns så bedöms temperaturen ha låg trovärdighet som kontrollerande faktor. Luftfuktighet, atmosfäriskt tryck, vindhastighet och vindriktning visar låg, till ingen, korrelation med kalvning. Storleksfördelningen av fragment och kalvningshastigheten har god korrelation med forskningen kring SOC, resultaten hjälper till att bekräfta denna teori. Time-lapse-fotografi bedöms som en bra metod för att observera kalvningsfronter, men har ett flertal problem som relaterar till det lokala vädret.Längre tidsperioder behövs för att bedöma om förhållanden stämmer på lång sikt. Data är svår att förvärva och tidskrävande att behandla. SOC stämmer bra in på kalvningsfronter vilket öppnar upp nya diskussioner inom forskningsvärlden.

In Untersuchungen an 76 hochtragenden Friesian Milchkühen wurden durch sensorgestützte Messverfahren die Parameter des Fress-, Wasseraufnahme-, Bewegungs- und Liegeverhaltens erfasst. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Analyse und Modellierung ausgewählter Verhaltensparameter von Hochleistungskühen im antepartalen Zeitraum mittels automatischer Überwachungssysteme. Ein weiteres Ziel war die Bewertung der Verhaltensparameter in Bezug auf ihre Aussagequalität bei der Erkennung von Abkalbungen und Geburtsverlauf. Die Studie zeigt, dass die Merkmale des Tierverhaltens der Milchkühe kurz vor der Geburt geändert wurden. In Kombination mit geeigneten Auswertungsmethoden können Parameter des sensor-gestützten Tiermonitoring genutzt werden, um den Zeitpunkt und den Verlauf der Abkalbung vorhersagen zu können. Mit Hilfe einer Strukturbruchanalyse wurde 24 Stunden vor der Abkalbung ein deutliches Signal registriert, für alle Tiere zutreffend und unabhängig vom Geburtsverlauf , das geeignet ist, die Vorhersage des Geburtszeitpunktes vorzunehmen. Für die letzten 24 Stunden a.p. konnten für Kühe mit leichtem oder schwerem Geburtsverlauf sehr unterschiedliche Konstanten und Koeffizienten des Gleichungssystems berechnet werden. Es ist festzuhalten, dass ausgewählte Parameter des sensorgestützten Tiermonitoring in Kombination mit den zur Anwendung gelangten Auswertungsmethoden (Strukturbruchanalyse) geeignet sind, sowohl den Zeitpunkt als auch den Grad des Abkalbeverlaufs vorhersagen zu können. / This study was carried out to monitor the behaviour in the prepartum period of 76 Holstein dairy cows in the last week of pregnancy by using a sensor-based technology. The reviewed behaviour indicators were lying behaviour and moving activity, Dry matter intake, Feeding behaviour, Water intake and Drinking Behaviour. Cows showed differences in their behaviour especially in the last 24 hours before calving. The Change-Point Analysis, Chow-Test and CUSUMQ-Test method proofed that there is a significant difference in the behaviour between 72 h. to 24 h. a.p. and 24 h. to the time of calving. It can be assumed that a sensor-based technique combined with different data analyzing methods can be used to predict the time of calving and the calving ease.