A group of Editors-in-Chief from leading animal science journals has published a collective perspective on today’s rapidly shifting world of scholarly publishing. Titled “Values Shared by Journals of Learned Societies, Associations, and Scientific Institutions in Animal Science” this jointly authored editorial underscores how society-owned journals preserve scientific integrity, maintain rigorous peer review, and ensure responsible access to research findings—even in an increasingly author-driven environment.

This study examined how breed and trace mineral sources affect growth and diarrhea incidence during periods of nutrient restriction and grazing. Breeds consisted of ½ Angus × ½ Nelore (ANE) and Nelore (NE) heifers, whereas mineral sources included sulfate (SUL) or hydroxychloride (HYD) sources of copper, manganese, and zinc offered to heifers from days 0 to 49.

Feeding pigs diets with lipids that contain peroxides and aldehydes has been reported to reduce pig performance. Four experiments conducted in growing pigs fed diets containing variable levels of peroxides and aldehydes confirmed that lipid oxidation products have a detrimental effect on pig performance and show that the reduction in daily gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency can be accurately predicted by analyzing dietary concentrations of peroxides and aldehydes.

Swine are exposed to a variety of nutritional stressors that can affect their well-being and productivity. One stressor of concern is the consumption of lipids that have been damaged by excessive heating. The current study obtained blood from pigs consuming peroxidized soybean oil and subsequently evaluated for markers of oxidative stress, including plasma vitamin E.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) causes significant health problems in postweaned pigs causing economic loss. In the past, antimicrobials were key for controlling ETEC until the threat of antimicrobial resistance was globally realized.

Bacterial contamination is unavoidable during the storage of boar semen. Antibiotics or chemicals in the semen extender do not clear lipopolysaccharide (LPS) released from the Gram-negative bacteria. LPS undermines sperm functionality and efficacy of semen preservation in vitro.

Whole stillage, a byproduct of ethanol production, is frequently available to beef producers as a potential low-cost feed supplement. The acidic pH of whole stillage is a concern for supplementing high-forage diets and its effects on ruminal fiber digestibility and fermentation are not well characterized.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is responsible for a disease characterized by reproductive and respiratory complications in pigs. PRRSV exhibits substantial genetic diversity throughout the genome, so it is important to utilize whole-genome sequencing to accurately depict the full variation present.

The cashmere goat is a type of livestock primarily known for its cashmere. Cashmere is a vital raw material in the textile industry, possessing significant economic value. The embryonic stage is the main stage of the formation of hair follicle structures, which directly influence both the yield and quality of cashmere.

Pig farming is an activity of great relevance for the Brazilian economy and worldwide food security. Feed efficiency, which is defined as the ability of animals to convert feed into performance outputs (e.g., body weight in pigs), is directly related to the long-term sustainability of the pig industry due to its impact on production costs and the environmental footprints of the industry. Therefore, selective breeding for improved feed efficiency has been a primary goal in the pig industry.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth performance and carcass traits of feedlot heifers sourced and finished in different geographical regions in the United States. Overall, heifers transported to higher ambient temperatures had decreased dry matter intake, final body weight (BW), and carcass quality, but had improved carcass cutability compared to non-transported heifers.

The delay in fertilization after ovulation or retention of ovulated oocytes in the fish body causes postovulatory aging. Postovulatory aging leads to time-dependent deterioration of oocyte quality and loss of fertilization capacity. The mechanisms behind losing oocyte quality and developmental capacity due to postovulatory oocyte aging remain elusive.

The February Edition of The Giving Herd, an ASAS Foundation Newsletter

Kristin Hales ASAS Journey

This study explores carnosic acid (CA) from rosemary as a natural feed additive in poultry farming to counter heart inflammation caused by environmental stressors and infections, which often harm growth or lead to sudden death. Researchers tested CA’s protective effects in broilers by treating them with various doses before inducing heart inflammation through lipopolysaccharide.

Frequent respiratory problems during broiler breeding not only affect the growth performance of broilers, but also jeopardize the health and safety production of broilers in serious cases. Luo Han Guo is a traditional medicinal and food plant, and its extract mogroside V (MGV) has biological functions such as blood glucose lowering, bacteriostatic, antioxidant, and antiinflammator.

Field beans and soybean meal promote better growth and nutrient utilization compared with brewers’ spent grains when fed as the main protein source for growing beef cattle. Growing beef cattle that were fed a diet consisting solely of Italian ryegrass reduced enteric methane emissions per kg of feed consumed without affecting methane intensity but also reduced their growth rate and efficiency in using dietary energy and nitrogen, compared with beef under diets including more concentrate feeds.

Specific changes in the mother’s uterine environment during pregnancy can have a long-term impact on the progeny. This study examined the effect of supplementing rumen-protected methionine (RP-Met) during the periconceptional period on pre- and postnatal traits of female progeny.

Ewe productive life has a key economic role in sheep production, as longer-lived ewes generally contribute more to lamb outputs over time. In this context, the impact of various factors on the length of Katahdin ewe productive life defined as the time between their first and last lambing was evaluated.

Research on nutritional and metabolic factors that influence the production performance and health of cattle is highly important. This study investigated how different severity of ruminal pH drop influences lactation performance, energy balance, and blood metabolites in primiparous cows when these are fed a similar high-grain diet.