- Coastal Research & Extension Center
Bio
Dr. Daniel Rivera is a Ruminant Nutritionist based at the South MS Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, MS. He conducts applied research in production, management, and nutrition interactions in growing beef cattle. Dr. Rivera has a 75% research 25% Extension appointment and his academic home is the Department of Animal and Dairy Sci. Dr. Rivera is familiar with both grazing cattle and confined feedlot cattle business models. Prior to joining Mississippi State University, Dr. Rivera worked in private industry. First, with a pharmaceutical company in Mexico providing technical assistance to the sales force and conducting field experiments with ionophores, beta agonists, growth promoting implants and antibiotics, in stocker cattle and feedlot cattle settings. Following that, Dr. Rivera worked two years as a nutritionist for a feed company, where he worked with beef feedlots, cow- calf and stocker cattle ranches.
RELATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (LAST 4 YEARS)
J.B. Rushing, J.G. Maples, J.D. Rivera, and J.C. Lyles. 2020. Early-season grazing of native grasses generates greater net returns in east-central Mississippi. Agronomy Journal. 2020: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20130
Rivera, J.D., A. R. Woolums, S. Giguere, J. T. Johnson, A. G. Lutz, P. N. Tipton, W. B. Crosby, I. Hice, and M. Thoresen. 2019. Pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin following administration to stocker cattle with remote delivery devices. J. Anim. Sci. 97:4482-4487.
Rivera, J. D., J. T. Johnson, and M. D. Cravey. 2019. Effects of yeast and yeast cell wall on performance of newly received beef steers and heifers grazing bahiagrass pastures. Applied Anim. Sci. 35: 339-346.
Rivera, J. D., R. W. Lemus, and J. A. White. 2018. Effects of urea-based hay injection treatment on beef cow hay intake and forage quality. J. of NACAA. Vol 11:1. Accessed at: https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=828.
Rivera, J. D., J. T. Johnson, and G. K. Blue. 2018. Effects of oral tilmicosion on health and performance of newly received beef heifers. Prof. Anim. Sci. 34:42-50.
Lemus, R., J. D. Rivera, and J. A. White. 2017. Using microbial inoculants to improve fermentation and nutritive value of annual ryegrass baleage. J. of NACAA. Vol. 10:2. Accessed at: https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=778.
Buntyn, J. O., J. A. Carroll, T. Smith, J. D. Rivera, N. C. Burdick-Sanchez, P. R. Broadway, S. M. Falkenberg, and T. B. Schmidt. 2016. Evaluation of the innate immune response of Angus heifers with genetic marker variation for intramuscular fat deposition challenged with lipopolysaccharide. Livestock Sci. 188:103-110.
Rivera, J. D., M. L. Gipson, R. G. Gipson, and R. W. Lemus. 2016. Effects of supplement or fertilizer on forage quality, and performance of stocker cattle grazing warm-season pastures. Anim. Prod. Sci. Online early publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AN15197
Jones, H. B., J. D. Rivera, R. C. Vann, and S. R. Ward. 2015. Effects of growth-promoting implant strategies on performance of pre and post weaned calves. Prof. Anim. Sci. 32:74-81.
Rivera, J. D., R. W. Lemus, M. L. Gipson, and R. G. Gipson. 2015. Effects of polymicrobial inoculant on yield, quality and in situ digestibility of sorghum sudangrass. Agrotechnology. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2168-9881.1000136
Hill, G. M., J. D. Rivera, A. N. Franklin, G. W. Stone, D. R. Tillman, and B. G. Mullinix. 2013. Evaluation of cotton-gin trash blocks fed to beef cattle. Prof. Anim. Sci. 29:260-270.
Lemus, R., D. Rivera and B. Johnson. 2013. Evaluation of Ryegrass Management on Growth and Performance of Growing Beef Heifers. J. NACAA. Vol. 6 (1). Accessed online: http://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=232.
ONGOING RELATED RESEARCH
Since the onset of the Covid 19 Pandemic, Dr. Rivera along with his Extension colleagues has fielded many questions regarding alternative cattle marketing options, specifically feeding out cattle at home for sale of “freezer beef”. Moreover, with the disruptions in the supply chain due to Covid 19, this topic has become more popular. In order to determine if this is a feasble option, a team of researchers and Extension personnel have begun a study examining the use of three diet types that could be fed in Mississippi to fatten cattle. This will allow us to determine the time, feed and monetary investment required to fatten cattle in our environment (weather and feed availability).
