Effect of pulmonary arterial pressure and precipitation on reproductive performance in Angus heifers in south central Wyoming
type: CreativeWork
description: Reproductive success is important for profitability of the commercial beef operation. However, fertility is affected by many physiological and environmental factors. Age and weight directly influence puberty in cattle, which is also influenced by nutrition. Many areas in the western United States where beef cattle are produced are arid rangelands that rely on natural precipitation. In addition, irrigation systems are often contingent on snowmelt. This variable water availability effects forage production and nutrient availability for developing heifers relying on forage resources. Due to this, precipitation amount is of concern to beef producers. Furthermore, in areas of the mountain west above 1,500 meters, producers have to contend with high altitude disease (HAD) as a result of reduced atmospheric oxygen. This can be a fatal disease in cattle that is a consequence of right sided heart failure. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) scores are indicator traits of HAD, and can be used to diagnose cattle at risk for the disease, or animals in the early stages of pulmonary hypertension and (or) heart failure. There is concern that the physiological stress of elevated PAP score could compound environmental stressors, such as variable precipitation. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of precipitation and PAP score on beef heifer fertility. Data used for this study were sourced from the Colorado State University Beef Improvement Center (CSU-BIC; 1993-2019; n = 3,834; 2,150 to 2,411 m elevation) near Saratoga, Wyoming where an Angus cow herd of 420 mother cows are managed for research purposes. Records included identification, birth year, yearling year, yearling weight (YW), PAP, first service conception (FSC), overall heifer pregnancy (HPG) and sire. Precipitation data were sourced from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/county/time-series, March 3, 2021). From these data, three classifications wer…
abstract: Reproductive success is important for profitability of the commercial beef operation. However, fertility is affected by many physiological and environmental factors. Age and weight directly influence puberty in cattle, which is also influenced by nutrition. Many areas in the western United States where beef cattle are produced are arid rangelands that rely on natural precipitation. In addition, irrigation systems are often contingent on snowmelt. This variable water availability effects forage production and nutrient availability for developing heifers relying on forage resources. Due to this, precipitation amount is of concern to beef producers. Furthermore, in areas of the mountain west above 1,500 meters, producers have to contend with high altitude disease (HAD) as a result of reduced atmospheric oxygen. This can be a fatal disease in cattle that is a consequence of right sided heart failure. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) scores are indicator traits of HAD, and can be used to diagnose cattle at risk for the disease, or animals in the early stages of pulmonary hypertension and (or) heart failure. There is concern that the physiological stress of elevated PAP score could compound environmental stressors, such as variable precipitation. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of precipitation and PAP score on beef heifer fertility. Data used for this study were sourced from the Colorado State University Beef Improvement Center (CSU-BIC; 1993-2019; n = 3,834; 2,150 to 2,411 m elevation) near Saratoga, Wyoming where an Angus cow herd of 420 mother cows are managed for research purposes. Records included identification, birth year, yearling year, yearling weight (YW), PAP, first service conception (FSC), overall heifer pregnancy (HPG) and sire. Precipitation data were sourced from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/county/time-series, March 3, 2021). From these data, three classifications wer…
author: Duggan, Kelley, author
author: Thomas, Milton G., advisor
author: Enns, R. Mark, committee member
author: Speidel, Scott E., committee member
author: Enns, Kellie J., committee member
language: eng
language: English
keywords: genetics, pulmonary hypertension, beef heifers, reproduction, precipitation
date published: 2023
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:12:57Z
provider: Colorado State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Colorado State University. Libraries

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10217/236556

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.25675/3.02338