AnSci Connection
The newsletter of the Department of Animal Science

December 2005

Notes from the Department Head
News & Announcements

Graduate Student Profile
Congratulations
Recent Grants

Animal Science Seminars
Calendar of Events

By F. Abel Ponce de León

2005 will pass into history as the year when the University of Minnesota, under the leadership of President Bruininks, initiated its transformation to become the model University of the 21st century. One important component of this transformation is the creation of a New Expanded College resulting from the merger of the College of Natural Resources, the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences and the Human Nutrition component of the College of Human Ecology.

Few days ago, more precisely on December 9, the co-chairs of the Task Force on College Design: CNR, COAFES, CHE presented their report outlining recommendations for the New Expanded College structure. In essence, the Task Force recommended the organization of three clusters of related disciplines and three free-standing departments. The Environmental Science, Policy and Management cluster includes the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation, the Department of Entomology, the Department of Forest Resources and the Department of Soil, Water and Climate. The Food, Nutrition and Animal Sciences cluster includes the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and the Department of Animal Science. The Plant Sciences cluster includes the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, the department of Horticultural Sciences, the Department of Plant Biology (joint with CBS) and the Department of Plant pathology. The free-standing departments are: Applied Economics, Rhetoric, and the combined Bio-Based Products/Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. The Task Force further recommends the creation of a system-wide Institute of the Environment to be housed in the New Expanded College. The Task Force report can be found at http://www1.umn.edu/systemwide/strategic_positioning/tf_prelim_reports/cnr_coafes_che_prelim.pdf. Public comments and suggestions are welcomed until January 27. Your input is necessary; these recommendations will define our future.

All in all, 2005 has been an excellent year. Dr. Samuel Baidoo was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. Two faculty members were honored with recognitions of outstanding teaching performance. Dr. Michael White received the prestigious Horace T. Morse Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. Dr. Marshall Stern was the recipient of the 2004-2005 COAFES Student Board Outstanding Teacher Award and the 2005 COAFES Alumni Society Distinguished Faculty Award.

Thanks to the support of the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences Deans and the collaborative work of faculty, staff and students, our department achieved record numbers in undergraduate student enrollment and in student credit hours taught. Our extension Beef, Dairy, Poultry and Swine teams have delivered outstanding educational services through workshops with some of them achieving record attendance. A productive research year was translated into 32 refereed journal articles, 55 abstracts and 48 invited papers. Faculty generated $ 1,167,382 in competitive grants and research gifts.

In collaboration with our College and University Facilities Management leadership we were able to refurbish the St. Paul Poultry and Swine research/teaching animal facilities. Conversion of the old sheep barn to a dairy compost barn is under consideration. The latter will allow undertaking of controlled studies to understand the dynamics of compost barns as it relates to animal health and comfort, food safety and environmental effects. Likewise, refurbishing of poultry facilities and beef facilities at UMore Park-Rosemount were possible through the leadership of Dr. Phil Larsen.

2006 promises to be as exciting as 2005. It will be the year of implementation of the New Expanded College and the recommended structural changes. Stay tuned! I wish you and your families happy holidays and a wonderful new year.
  

Grad Students Receive Awards

Dr. Doug Foster presented awards at the Department of Animal Science Graduate Awards Reception held on the afternoon of November 21st in the Haecker Hall library. Congratulations to Abby Barberg, who received the Donker Dairy Science award ($2,100); to KyungWhi Kong, who received the Pomeroy Avian Health award ($1,800); to Aree Thayananphat, who received the Shoffner Avian Genetics award ($1,700); and to Guowu Xu, the recipient of the Babcock Swine award ($1,700).

After awards were presented, each of the recipients spoke briefly and gave a description their area of research. Later everyone took part in a game of Mingle Bingo, with Marianna Carriquiry and Marshall Stern being the first to get bingo and receive a prize.  Doug Foster, Marshall Stern and Mike White all donated homemade bottles of wine to share with everyone and there was a great deal of comparison and discussion on types of wine and processes.
  

Christians Named Cattleman of the Year

Dr. Charles Christians, professor emeritus, was named Minnesota State Cattleman of the Year at the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association (MSCA) Annual Convention and Banquet held December 4th in Bloomington, MN.

Chuck took an interest in livestock at an early age, which eventually led him to Iowa State University where he studied genetics, nutrition, health and economics of livestock. After earning his PhD, Chuck came to the University of Minnesota as a livestock extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science where he was involved in teaching, research, and extension and outreach activities.

Over the course of his 34-year career at the U of M, Chuck provided counsel and direction to many Minnesota cattlemen on the various aspects of raising and managing beef cattle. He conducted beef clinics and livestock judging seminars for youth, and judged cattle at local, national and international livestock shows.

Chuck retired from the Department of Animal Science in 1998 but has continued to work with and manage his herd of Simmental and Angus cattle employing the techniques he developed and shared with beef producers over the years.

Additional Highlights of the MSCA convention...

Several awards were presented at the MSCA conventions. Jon and Carol Gorder of Canby, MN, received the MSCA Outstanding Service Award for their years of leadership roles and their many contributions to the Resolution Committee, ensuring resolutions were presented correctly.

Elizabeth Hauth, daughter of Roger and Diane of Springfield, MN, was crowned the 2006 Minnesota Beef Queen. Elizabeth, currently a senior in high school, is planning to attend the College of St. Benedict in St.
Joseph to study music, Spanish, theology and nutrition. She was selected as this year's Minnesota Beef Queen, in part, for her increasing public knowledge of the beef industry.

Terra Goplen was selected as the 2006 Minnesota Beef Princess. Terra is the daughter of Gary and Kari of Canby, MN. She is a senior at Canby High School and is active in band, choir, FFA, and the National Honor Society. After high school, she plans to major in Music Education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD.

Two $500 educational scholarships were awarded at the MSCA convention; the Dennis Bottem Memorial Scholarship for a deserving student majoring in animal science or agronomy was presented to Jill Pesek, and Katie Mack received the Reid Mason Memorial Scholarship for a deserving student majoring in animal science with an emphasis on beef cattle.

And last, but not least, Amy Alberts Sauder of KSTP Radio served as Master of Ceremonies at the convention.
  

Dr. Johnston Presents at APSA Conference

Dr. Lee Johnston presented two papers at the Australasian Pig Science Association's 10th biennial conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, held November 27-30. Those papers were entitled "Neither housing system nor age change circulating progesterone concentrations in pregnant sows" and "Exogenous progesterone fails to increase circulating levels in pregnant sows".

In addition, Lee co-authored a paper entitled "Gilt management practices - a commercial case study", which was presented as part of a symposium on Gilt Management for Lifetime Performance. These papers were a result of Lee's sabbatical experiences in Australia.

Save on Computer Purchases

There's still time to take advantage of the University's aggregated purchasing window that allows faculty, staff and students to receive fairly significant savings on Dell computers... but only until December 31st. Based on configurations created by CLA and ADCS, ADCS/OIT negotiated with Dell to give the U of M community a deeper discount on Dell desktop and laptop systems. Discounts apply to BOTH department purchases and personal purchases. In the past, savings have amounted to approximately $400-$500.

For U of M department purchases:
On-campus faculty and staff, please contact Faraz Shaukat 612-624-3435 or mian0005@umn.edu for processing internal Department of Animal Science orders. This is necessary for inventory and accounting purposes as well as making sure the equipment is up to the University "Standard—Securing Private Data" policy requirements that went into effect last October.

For personal purchases:
1) Go to http://www.techmart.umn.edu and click on the Dell link
2) Log in with your X500 ID and password
3) Click on "DELL specials for personal purchases click here"
4) Click on the "Start Shopping" button under "Recommended Bundles"

News from Dr. Touchberry

On May 5, 2005 I had heart surgery. The valve from my left ventricle was replaced with a bovine valve; both bovine and porcine valves are now used. In addition, veins were taken from my right leg to insert 3 bypass veins in my heart. Things have gone well since the surgery and my physical condition seems to have improved very much. I don't get tired as easily as I did prior to the surgery.

When I entered the [Cedar Rapids, IA] hospital on May 4 for the surgery, it dawned on me that the last time I spent the night in a hospital was January 31, 1945. I was retired from the Army on January 31 because of the loss of my right arm. I left Lawson General Hospital (Atlanta, GA) on February 1 and enrolled at Clemson University on February 5, 1945 to complete my senior year. I was called into the Army after my junior year at Clemson. Learning to take notes with my left hand when I did all writing with my right hand prior to losing my right arm was a real challenge. Things went well. Both the Army general hospital and the hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa took extremely good care of me.

On the negative side of life, my wife has Alzheimer's. Her memory and logic seem to fail a bit more each week. It is a terrible disorder for the person affected and the care giver. In short, it is a horrible disorder.

With best regards to all,

Bob Touchberry  

Editor's note: Dr. Robert Touchberry is a professor emeritus and former head of the Department of Animal Science (1970-1981).
  

Reminder: Upcoming University Closings

The U of M will be closed on the following days:

• Friday, December 23rd (floating holiday)
• Monday, December 26th (Christmas Day observed)
• Monday, January 2nd (New Year's Day observed)

First Annual I-29 Dairy Conference

The First Annual I-29 Dairy Conference will take place January 31, 2006 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Sioux Falls, SD. I-29 is the interstate highway that runs along the borders of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The area, referred to as the I-29 Corridor, is an optimal area to establish and run an efficient and cost-effective dairy operation. The first presentation of the conference will address the development of the dairy industry along the I-29 Corridor.

Forages, milk production, and the environment will be the main focus of the conference, which will offer morning breakout sessions on alfalfa and corn silage. Two afternoon presentations will address pricing forages based on 1) quality, and 2) production and harvesting. A panel of producers and custom harvesters will discuss custom harvesting of forages during the last hour of the conference.

The program will feature speakers Mitch Davis, general manager of Davis Family Dairies (DAVISCO); Martin Draper, associate professor and extension plant pathologist at South Dakota State University; Arnold Hippen, associate professor of dairy science at South Dakota State University; Ron Horst of the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa; Paul Kononoff, assistant professor of dairy nutrition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Bill Lazarus, professor and extension economist at the University of Minnesota; Jim Linn, professor and extension dairy nutritionist at the University of Minnesota; and Michael Russelle, soil scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, who is also an adjunct professor with the University of Minnesota.

The cost of the program is $20 per person and includes lunch. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to ensure a reservation. To register, please call Valerie Denison at 605-688-4116. The registration deadline is January 24, 2006.

See the I-29 Dairy Conference brochure for additional details.
  

Successful Dairy Systems in February and March

A 3-session workshop for dairy advisors and industry professionals who work with dairy producers will be held during February and March 2006. Successful Dairy Systems is being offered for the first time by the University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Team. The program's main objectives are to help dairy advisors have success with their customers and provide them with the tools to assist their clientele in achieving high levels of success.

The program will cover concepts of operational excellence, goal setting, positive working attitudes, communication skills, strategic planning concepts, dairy farm labor issues, and decision-making factors. A session on FINBIN, the system that provides benchmark financial information, will address how to use FINBIN data to better understand farm costs and profitability. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) concepts will also be discussed.

On day 3 of the workshop, participants will visit a local farm for observation and evaluation followed by a classroom session for analysis and feedback among the group.

The program is sponsored by Minnesota Dairy Initiative. Following are the program dates and locations:

Feb 8, 15 & 22 - Traveler's Inn, Alexandria, MN
Feb 9, 16 & 23 - Shooting Star Casino, Mahnomen, MN
Feb 22, Mar 1 & 8 - Joseph's Restaurant, St. Cloud, MN
Feb 23, Mar 2 & 9 - Eagle Ridge at Valley View Golf Course, Belle Plaine, MN
Mar 8, 15 & 29 - Ramada Hotel, Rochester, MN
Mar 9, 16 & 30 - Travelodge, Worthington, MN

The registration fee is $150 per person. There is limited space; therefore, pre-registration with payment is required 14 days prior to the first session date. Enroll early to be assured of getting into the workshop. See the Successful Dairy Systems brochure for additional registration information and a detailed agenda, or visit the program website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/efforts/successfulsystems.html.
  

Register for Turkey School I by January 27

Turkey School I: Health of Turkeys is scheduled for February 6-8, 2006 in the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the U of M St. Paul Campus. This course, designed for turkey producers, veterinarians, flock managers and farm supervisors, will emphasize health care practices for commercial turkey production.

Necropsy, sampling and disease diagnostics, important turkey diseases, cleaning and disinfection programs, and biosecurity will all be covered in Turkey School I. There will also be in-depth presentations as well as hands-on demonstrations. New this time is a special session dedicated to gut health. More emphasis will also be placed on avian influenza.

The program fee is $275.00. Pre-registration is required by January 27th as space is limited. See the Turkey School brochure for a detailed agenda and registration form, or contact the Veterinary Outreach Office at 612-624-3434 or visit http://www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/.
  

U.S. Postage Rates Increase January 8

On November 14th, the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service voted to accept the Postal Rate Commission's recommendation to increase most postal rates by approximately 5.4% across-the-board. The new rates will take effect January 8, 2006.

Domestic postage rates have not been increased since 2002, and international rates have not been adjusted since January 2001. The increase in rates will fulfill the requirement of a federal law passed in 2003 that requires the Postal Service to establish an escrow account of $3.1 billion (the use of those funds to be determined by Congress). Without this federal mandate, rates would not need to be increased in 2006.

The First-Class Mail single-piece postage rate will increase from 37 cents to 39 cents. The postcard rate will increase from 23 cents to 24 cents. International rates will be adjusted to coincide with the domestic rate changes.

For additional information, visit the USPS web site at http://www.usps.com/.
  

Legislative Briefing

The U's Legislative Network is holding a legislative briefing and reception to kick off efforts to build support for the 2006 capital request. The event will be held at the McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis campus on January 25, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. President Bruininks, faculty and students will talk about the request and how it will benefit the U and the state of Minnesota.

If you plan to attend the legislative briefing, please RSVP by 5:30 on January 24th — you may do so on-line at http://ga4.org/u_of_m_leg_net/events/legbriefing06/details.tcl.

To learn about the Legislative Network and how you can get involved, visit http://www1.umn.edu/groots/index.php.
      

What They Don't Tell You In School

"What they don't tell you in school about careers in the animal health industry" is the topic of a seminar by Dr. Scott Brown, Director of Metabolism and Safety at Pfizer Animal Health. The seminar will be held on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in Room 125/135 of the AnSci/VetMed Building and is open to all faculty, upper level undergraduates, and all graduate students.

Pfizer Animal Health will be hiring about 40 people in the next 12 to 24 months to fill open positions in Research and Development. They will be looking for people that possess a variety of qualities and expertise. These positions will not necessarily be for veterinarians.
  

Beautiful U Day Grant Proposal Deadline Extended

The deadline for grant proposals to fund projects for Beautiful U Day has been extended to January 27, 2006. Grants are available to U of M student groups and departments to fund activities and projects that celebrate the U of M's beauty and commitment to sustainability. Beautiful U Day is April 20, 2006. Funded projects must take place on or near the week of Beautiful U Day.

More information about Beautiful U Day may be found online at http://www.uservices.umn.edu/BeautifulU/.
  

President's Award for Outstanding Service: Nominations Due March 6

Do you know someone who has provided exceptional service to the University? Get them recognized by nominating them for the President's Award for Outstanding Service. The award was established in 1997 to recognize active or retired faculty or staff members who have gone well beyond their regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community.

Nominations for the President's Award for Outstanding Service are due by March 6, 2006. A nomination for a President's Award for Outstanding Service should be submitted to the President's Award Committee. The following format is to be used:

Nominee
Must be an active or retired member of the U of M faculty or staff and has not already received this award.

Nominator
Must be an alumnus or alumna of the University or a current member of the faculty or staff.

Letter from nominator
Should focus on personal knowledge of the nominee's exceptional service; i.e, innovative service to students, the University community (broadly interpreted), individual units of the University, or outreach beyond the University.

Biographical information
Include nominee's address, telephone/fax number, and University background such as current job title and classification or last job title before retirement.

Vitae and/or job description
Appropriate for the position (no folders or binders).

Supporting letters
Three support letters (in addition to the letter from the nominator) from the nominee's peers in and outside the University; again, these should focus on personal knowledge as stated above.

Number of copies
Eight

Deadline for submission
March 6, 2006

Submit to
The President's Award Committee
c/o Vickie Courtney
University Senate
427 Morrill Hall
100 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The President's Award Committee, appointed by the President, recommends candidates for this award to the President. The President will have final authority to grant the award, which does not require action by the Senate All-University Honors Committee or approval by the Board of Regents.

For further information about this award or the nominating process, please call the University Senate Office at 612-625-9369.
  

Cattle Feeder Days Held at 5 Locations in MN

The annual Cattle Feeder Days was held December 5-8 at 5 locations across the state. The programs featured several speakers focusing on preconditioning/backgrounding and meat quality. Jim Lunde of Merial, LTD spoke about SureHealth, which is a Merial-guaranteed preconditioning program. Dr. Court Campbell from Fort Dodge Animal Health spoke about implant strategies and how they fit into a grid-based marketing plan. Dr. Alfredo DiCostanzo gave a presentation on pre/post-weaning factors that affect beef quality. Mr. Lunde, Dr. Campbell and Dr. DiCostanzo all attested to the value that beef producers can add to their products by ensuring good health and maximizing growth. These speakers all touched on the issues of how beef producers can affect meat quality in different ways and how this needs to be addressed to meet consumer demands.

Jamie Larson gave an update on the National Animal Identification System and how the system is progressing. Personnel from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency also spoke about new and upcoming rule changes that affect cattle producers across the state.

Over 100 people attended this year’s Cattle Feeder Days. A thank you goes to Mindy Spiehs and Howard Person who helped Jamie Larson and Alfredo DiCostanzo coordinate the program.
  

Turkey Media Day at UMore Park Another Success

The 5th Annual Turkey Media Day was held November 16th at the Turkey Research Unit, UMore Park, Rosemount. A combined effort from the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, U of M Department of Animal Science and Minnesota Extension Service staff, and UMore Park staff produced an informational session on turkey production in advance of Thanksgiving.

Media representatives from KARE-11 TV, KSTP-5 TV, Pioneer Press newspaper, Agri-News newspaper and the CBS Evening News-Weekend Edition attended. Plus, Fox-9 Morning News taped a segment that aired later that week on their early morning news program. In addition, the flock served as a backdrop for many different interviews focusing on avian influenza in the weeks prior to "Media Day". The reporters turned out to view the flock of tom turkeys (800) that were reared by the turkey research unit staff at UMore Park. TV reporters, newspapers and news service representatives were able to listen to the program composed of representatives of the Minnesota Turkey Grower Association (Steve Olson and Rick Klaphake ) and the U of M (UMore Park Director Phil Larsen) and capped with a presentation by the MTGA of a donation of turkey product to the Hunger Solutions food shelf organization. Later, visits were made in the barn to see how baby turkeys are brooded and finally to see and hear the flock of tom turkeys.

Above: Turkey Media Day at UMore Park in Rosemount, MN.

Minnesota 4-Hers do Well in National Poultry Competitions

Nine 4-Hers represented Minnesota in poultry-related contests at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, KY, in November. All did very well. Dr. Jacquie Jacob was the coach for the poultry judging team, and the chicken and turkey barbecuers. The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association generously helped financially with the travel costs — and it was very much appreciated!

Barbecue Contests:
Megan Campbell from Chisago County participated in the turkey barbecue contest where she was required to barbecue two turkey fillets and give an illustrated talk on the turkey industry. Her theme for the talk was Casino Night at the BBQ.

Cole Van Beusekom from Wright County participated in the chicken barbecue contest. He was required to barbecue four chicken halves and present an illustrated talk related to the chicken meat industry. His theme was as a sports announcer for a baseball game between chicken and beef, with chicken winning, of course. Both were very creative presentations.

The barbecuing portion of the contests was more difficult for the contestants this year because of freezing temperatures (22°F at the start of the contest) – but this gave the Minnesota BBQers the upper hand since they had practiced in cold weather prior to departure for Louisville. Megan placed 2nd out of ten contestants and Cole placed 5th out of fourteen. Overall a very good performance for both 4-Hers!

Above: Megan Campbell receiving 2nd place award (on the left); Cole Van Beusekom receiving 5th place award (on the right).

Poultry Judging Contest:
A four-member poultry judging team represented Minnesota in the National Poultry Judging contest: Katie Bjorkman of Sherburne County, John Donahoe of Dakota County, Joshua Hoppe of Itasca County, and Katie Zenk of Renville County.

In the live production section of the contest, they were required to evaluate three classes of past production hens and rank them in order of best to worst layer. They then had to give oral reasons on two of the classes — always a character building exercise!

In the market poultry portion of the contest, they had to grade four classes of ready-to-cook carcasses — two classes of 2-6 lb carcasses, one class of heavy broilers, and one class of turkeys. The market poultry section was completed with identification of ready-to-cook chicken parts.

For the market egg section of the contest, participants had to grade two classes of exterior egg quality, two classes of interior egg quality by candling, and one class of broken out eggs. Because the team was spread out throughout the state, it was difficult to get everyone together for team practices, but we practiced when we could and the team did very well. There were 19 teams in the contest, with 77 total participants. The Minnesota team placed 9th in production hen section, 6th in the market poultry section, and 8th overall. One team member, Katie Bjorkman, was 18th highest individual.

Above, L-R: Katie Bjorkman, Katie Zenk, John Donahoe and Joshua Hoppe.

Avian Bowl Contest:
The Sibley County team placed first at the State Poultry Knowledge Bowl event and won the right to represent Minnesota at the National Avian Bowl Contest. There were 14 teams in the contest this year - the largest number to date. The competition was tough this year, but Minnesota placed 3rd. Missy Weber was their coach.

Above, L-R: Christian Lilienthal, Lizabeth Wemeier, and Alex Weber.
  

Dan Carlson

Dan Carlson grew up on a farm near Lake Wilson, a small town in southwestern Minnesota. The family farm raised both cattle and hogs, but the primary income came from corn and soybean production. Dan's immediate family includes his parents, Darwin and Sandy, older brother Eric, and younger sister Lisa. He met his wife Heather in his final year of undergraduate studies at the U of M.

Dan began work on his undergraduate degree at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. After a year of general requirement classes, he transferred to the U of M to pursue a degree in Animal Science with an emphasis in biotechnology. Dan conducted undergraduate research under Dr. Scott Fahrenkrug where he completed his senior thesis entitled "Biochemical assessment of secreted protein identification system (SPIS)". Following graduation, Dan worked as a junior scientist for Dr. Steve Ekker of the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development in the College of Biological Sciences before deciding to return to school as a graduate student.

Currently, Dan is working toward his PhD under the direction of Dr. Scott Fahrenkrug. His primary research focus is development of pigs as large animal models of human disease.

Other than being a self-proclaimed "science nerd", Dan enjoys spending his free time with his wife Heather, friends and family. Hunting and fishing are other passions in Dan's life that have a tendency to distract him from his studies.
  

Claudia Ariza-Nieto successfully completed her PhD thesis defense on December 9th. Her thesis seminar was titled "Evaluation of oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oils in swine production systems". Dr. Sam Baidoo is her advisor.

Luis Espejo successfully completed his MS thesis defense on December 2nd. His thesis seminar was titled "Prevalence and risk factors for lameness in dairy cows housed in free stall barns". Dr. Marcia Endres is his advisor.

Brad Heins successfully completed his MS thesis defense on December 9th. His thesis seminar was titled "Pure Holsteins compared to crossbreds of Normande, Montebeliarde, and Scandinavian Red with Holstein for production, calving difficulty, stillbirths, fertility, and survival. Dr. Les Hansen is his advisor.

Ken Rost successfully defended his MS thesis "Canola meal in turkey diets" on December 1st. Ken will graduate at the end of December 2005 and will continue on with his employment as a Technical Sales Manager at Hypro in New Brighton, MN. Ken is a returning graduate student who started his program with Dr. Paul Waibel and then returned in 2004 to finish. Dr. Sally Noll is his advisor.
  

Dr. William Dayton, PI, was awarded $304,000 from USDA/CSREES. Title: Mechanism by which IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 mediate the proliferation-suppressing actions of myostatin and TGF-B on porcine myogenic cells. Period: 11/10/05-02/10/06.

Dr. Michael White, PI, was awarded $360,000 from USDA/CSREES. Title: Defining the mechanisms of steroid-enhanced muscle growth in steers: Individual roles of trenbolone acetate, estradiol, and IGF-I. Period: 11/10/05-02/10/06.
  

Department of Animal Science seminars are held September through May on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in Room 365 Haecker Hall. Everyone is welcome. Please join us.

Jan 23: Asia Lukas - Use of SPC to improve dairy management

Jan 30: Jessica Wakker - Topic TBA / Melissa Thrune - Feline obesity and protein diets fed ad lib

Feb 6: Dan Carlson / Guowu Xu - Topics TBA

Feb 13: Guest Speaker form Cargill - Dairy Topic  

Feb 20: Abby Barberg - Topic TBA / Lalita Shrestha - Role of inhibin in reproductive endocrinology

Feb 27: Mathur Kannan, Professor, Veterinary Biosciences, U of M - CD38 and airway function
  

- January 2006 -

2 - The U is closed (New Year's Day observed)

6 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, VFW, Hutchinson, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

10 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, McIntosh Community Center, McIntosh, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

11 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, Ottertail Community Center, Ottertail, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

12 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, Jerard's, Sauk Centre, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

13 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, American Legion, Royalton, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

17 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, Pizza Ranch, Edgerton, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

18 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, Holiday Inn, New Ulm, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

19 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, American Legion, Eyota, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

20 - U of M Dairy Days-2006, Grandpa's Garage, Cannon Falls, MN. For additional details, please visit the Dairy Extension website at http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairydays06/index.htm.

20-21 - 2006 Minnesota Organic and Grazing Conference and Trade Show, St. Cloud Civic Center, St. Cloud, MN. For more information, contact Mary Hanks at 651-201-6277 or mary.hanks@state.mn.us.

26-27 - Midwest Dairy Challenge, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.

31 - 1st Annual I-29 Dairy Conference, Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center, Sioux Falls, SD. For more information, call SDSU at 605-688-4116.

- February 2006 -

6-8 - Turkey School I: Health of Turkeys, U of M St. Paul Campus. For more information, see http://www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach.

8, 15 & 22 - Successful Dairy Systems, Traveler's Inn, Alexandria, MN.

9, 16 & 23 - Successful Dairy Systems, Shooting Star Casino, Mahnomen, MN.

22, March 1 & March 8 - Successful Dairy Systems, Joseph's Restaurant, St. Cloud, MN.

23, March 2 & March 9 - Successful Dairy Systems, Eagle Ridge at Valley View Golf Course, Belle Plaine, MN.

- March 2006 -

7-10 - 24th Western Canadian Dairy Seminar, Capri Centre, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Telephone: 780-492-3236; email wcds@afhe.ualberta.ca.

8, 15 & 29 - Successful Dairy Systems, Ramada Hotel, Rochester, MN.

9, 16 & 30 - Successful Dairy Systems, Travelodge, Worthington, MN.

21-23 - 2006 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN. For more information, visit http://www.midwestpoultry.com.