Sustainable Beef Systems Research Group
Background
Dr. McKinnon obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (1978) from the University of Manitoba and his M.Sc. (1986) and Ph.D. (1992) from the University of Saskatchewan. From 1978 to 1982, he worked as a Cattle Buyer for Canada Packers Inc. in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and as a Beef Specialist for Manitoba Agriculture from 1984 to 1986.
Currently Dr. McKinnon occupies the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. This position is funded by the Saskatchewan Beef Industry and is mandated to work in the areas of extension, research and teaching. In terms of teaching, he offers courses in beef cattle management and animal nutrition to diploma and degree students and advanced ruminant nutrition to graduate students.
Research Focus
Dr. McKinnon works closely with industry, producer associations and government to help promote industry growth and development. These include the Saskatchewan Stock Growerıs Association, the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, the Western Beef Development Centre, the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. Examples of technology transfer activities involving the Beef Chair include:
- Saskatchewan Beef Symposium
- Western Canadian Feedlot Management School
- Saskatchewan Beef Industry Committee
- Western Canadian Forage & Grazing Conference
- Western Nutrition Conference
- Advisory Board Western Beef Development Centre
- Sustainable Beef Systems Group, University of Saskatchewan
In addition to the above activities, the Beef Chair works with cow-calf producers, feedlot operators, veterinarians, and feed industry personnel on their feeding and management programs and speaking at producer meetings on pertinent industry issues, the writing of extension articles and working with industry organizations.
Research Focus
Dr. McKinnon's research focuses on nutritional and environmental factors influencing
the growth and carcass quality of feeder cattle and the nutrition of wintering
beef cows. Areas of emphasis have included use of wet distiller's by-products
for feedlot cattle, nutritional evaluation of grain screenings for growing cattle,
use of real-time ultrasound for predicting carcass quality of breeding and finishing
cattle, the impact of the environment on performance of cattle in western Canada
and the use of high lipid feeds for growing and finishing cattle.
Graduate student training is a central focus of his research program. Current research projects involving M.Sc. or Ph.D. students include:
- Development of Barley-based Protein Pellets for the Japanese Feed Market
- Feeding Value of Dry Distiller's Grains for Feedlot Cattle
- Predicting the Nutritional Needs of Wintering Cows in Western Canada
- Use of "Synchrotron-based FTIR Microspectroscopy" as a Tool for
Feed Evaluation
- Feeding Value of a "Low Lignin, High Fat Oat" for Growing and
Finishing Cattle
- Milk Fever Prevention in Beef Cows A Nutritional Approach
- Limit Feeding Programs for Backgrounding Cattle
- Optimizing the Flow of Microbial Protein to the Small Intestine of Ruminants Fed Canola-based Diets
Recent Research Publications
(Graduate Students & Post-Doc's in bold)
- S.A. Klinger, J. Campbell, B. Wilderman, H. Block and J. J. McKinnon. 2007.
The Effects of Limit Feeding a High Energy Barley-Based Diet to Backgrounding
Cattle in Western Canada. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 87:385-391.
- S. A. Klinger, H. Block and J.J. McKinnon. 2007 Nutrient Digestibility,
Fecal Output and Eating Behaviour for Different Cattle Backgrounding Feeding
Strategies. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 87:393-399.
- N.D. Dyck, T.G. Crowe, J.J. McKinnon and H.R. Ingleby. 2007. Feed Prediction
and Management Software for Beef Feedlots. Canadian Biosystems Engineering.
49:7.11-7.16.
- F.C. Buchanan, A.G. Van Kessel, Y.P. Boiclair, H.C. Block and J.J. McKinnon.
2007. The Leptin agr25cys Affects Performance, Carcass Traits and Serum Leptin
Concentration in Cattle. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 87:153-156.
- D.M. Loveday, H.C. Block and J.J. McKinnon. 2006. Factors Affecting the
Apparent Intestinal (small and large) Disappearances of Dry Matter and Crude
Protein From Rumen Undegradable Residues of Various Feeds Determined Using
the Mobile Nylon Bag Technique. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 86:419-428.
- S.L. Checkley, E.D. Janzen, J.R. Campbell and J.J. McKinnon, 2005.
Efficacy of Fusobacterium Necrophorum vaccination for control of liver abscesses
and footrot in western Canadian feedlot cattle. The Canadian Veterinary
Journal. 46:1002-1007.
- G. Aranda-Osorio, A. Van Kessel, A. A. Olkowski, T. A. McAllister,
and J. J. McKinnon, 2005. Effect of dietary Ca manipulation, anionic salts
and supplemental vitamin D3 on calcium homeostasis of finishing steers. Canadian
Journal of Animal Science, 85, 5231-531.
- D.M. Loveday, P.A. Thacker, D.G. Wilson and J.J. McKinnon, 2005.
Validation of the cannulated pig model for determining intestinal nutrient
disappearance in cattle. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 85, 85-91.
- D.W. Bevans, K.A. Beauchemin, K.S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, J.J. McKinnon
and T.A. McAllister, 2005. Effect
of rapid or gradual grain adaptation on subacute acidosis and feed intake
by feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 88, 1116-1132.
- P. Yu, J.J. McKinnon and D.A. Christensen, 2005. Hydroxycinnamic
acids and ferulic acid esterase in relation to biodegradation of complex plant
cell walls. A review. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 85(3), 255-267.
- G. Aranda-Osorio, A.A. Olkowski, T.A. McAllister, A. Van Kessel and
J.J. McKinnon, 2004. Effect of supplementing high levels of vitamin D3 on
calcium homeostasis of steers fed barley-based finishing diets. Canadian Journal
of Animal Science, 84, 81-89.
- P. Yu, J.J. McKinnon, C.R. Christensen and D.A. Christensen, 2004.
Using
synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy to reveal chemical features of feather
protein secondary structure: Comparison with other feed Protein sources,
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(24), 7353-7361.
- P. Yu, D.A. Christensen, C.R. Christensen, M.D. Drew, B.G. Rossnagel
and J.J. McKinnon, 2004. Use of synchrotron Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy
to identify chemical differences in barley endosperm tissue in relation to
rumen degradation characteristics. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 84,
523-527.
- R. Bergen, D.H. Crews Jr., S.P. Miller and J.J. McKinnon, 2003. Predicting
lean meat yield in beef cattle using ultrasonic muscle depth and width measurements.
Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 83, 429-434.
John McKinnon's Department of Animal and Poultry Science Webpage
This webpage was last updated on March 11, 2010. The linked pages in this
series may have been updated more recently however.
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