Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Smith, Trent

Committee Member

Rude, Brian J.

Committee Member

Burnett, Derris D.

Date of Degree

5-12-2023

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Agriculture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hair coat shedding ability, apparent forage digestibility, and mineral status in Angus cattle. Fecal samples were collected on fall calving Angus cows for one week in March, May, and July from 2019-2022. Liver and plasma samples were collected in March and July each year. Fecal samples were analyzed for DM, ash, NDF, and ADF while liver and plasma were analyzed for mineral concentration. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS with significance declared at P0.05. Interactions were detected for DM, NDF, ADF, and liver Fe concentration. The model included MFS, month, and MFS by month interaction for each response variable. Interpretation of results showed no clear trends or associations between hair coat shedding ability, apparent forage digestibility, and mineral status, but further investigation is needed to understand cow performance due to relationships between genes and environment.

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