Novembers edition of Washington Roundup includes three overviews: Congress Returns for Lame Duck Session, Registration Open for USDA’s 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum, and NIFA Publishes Climate Science Report.

Members of the ASAS Public Policy Committee attended the Societal Role of Meat and Livestock - Denver Summit 2024. The following brief highlights the purpose, activities, significance, and proposed outcomes of the summit.

The ASAS Public Policy Committee continually looks to share information which increases awareness of strategies and solutions for a more sustainable animal agricultural future. A recently released report “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative", assembled by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) in partnership with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA), examines strategies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within U.S. agriculture, particularly focusing on animal production systems. The report outlines how combining reduced GHG emissions from some agricultural activities with increased carbon sequestration in others could achieve GHG-negative agriculture. It also describes the research needed to help accomplish it.

The November Edition of The Giving Herd, an ASAS Foundation Newsletter.

Copper, Mn, and Zn are essential trace minerals (TM) supplemented in cattle to prevent TM deficiencies. Supplemental TM sources can differ in solubility within the digestive tract of cattle, which can impact rumen fermentation and availability for absorption from the small intestine.

The use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) has been restricted or even prohibited around the world, which brings serious challenges to the health development of the poultry industry. Some plant essential oils and their constituent bioactive compounds have received increasing attention in antibiotic-free diets thanks to their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and lack of environmental residue.

Postweaning diarrhea is a major challenge on commercial pig farms. The current study aimed to determine the efficacy of dietary valerate glycerides supplemented to weaned piglets under enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) F18 infection conditions.

Calving ease is recorded as a binary trait, easy or difficult calving. Predicting breeding values as the probability of expressing easy calving requires using threshold models, a nonlinear statistical methodology with intensive computing requirements emphasized nowadays with big datasets.

The fat composition and mineral content of beef influences both its taste and nutritional value. This study seeks to understand the relationship between meat quality and the nutritional value of beef from Brangus cattle. Animals varied greatly in their levels of essential omega-6 and monounsaturated fat.

Premium pet foods often include chicken slurry, which is thought to be superior to chicken meal but is not well-tested. This study aimed to determine how chicken slurry inclusion level affected the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and palatability of extruded dog foods, and gastrointestinal health indices of dogs.

Heat stress and its effects on milk production are commonly related to the effects of climate change. In the temperate regions, cold winters and mild summers have historically provided some buffering effect and maintained milk production. However, a measurable effect of heat stress on milk production was found, with its severity and period dependent on microclimates and the rate of increase dependent on climate change.

This study explored how diet, specifically dietary fiber, and the timing of weaning affect the wellbeing of pigs. The sows and their offspring were fed two types of fiber: low-fermentable hay and high-fermentable sugar beet pulp, in either fine or coarse form. Conventional weaning with late weaning of piglets was also compared.

Poultry encounter challenges in synthesizing endogenous enzymes to completely degrade antinutritional factors, including phytic acid (PA) and nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP). These exogenous enzymes are present in plant-based feed ingredients, which encapsulate nutrients and adversely affect their digestion in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Dairy cows face significant metabolic challenges during the different phases of the production cycle. One of their primary issues revolves around meeting the elevated energy demands, encompassing essential maintenance requirements and the energy required for milk production.

This study investigates the relationship between genes and metabolites in sheep ovaries and blood. The analysis revealed that glutathione pathways are active in both the ovary and blood, which indicates a possible exchange of metabolites between these 2 tissues.

Probiotics, live microorganisms, postbiotics, metabolites of probiotics, or the components that result from probiotic activity, help to maintain a healthy gut environment and are beneficial for general health and well-being. Minimal research has been conducted on the effects of probiotics and postbiotics on canine health.

Specific components of yeast may affect gut microbiota and health. Corn fermented protein (CFP) is a co-product from ethanol production which contains approximately 20% to 25% yeast. In this work, 11 cats were fed diets containing no yeast (T1) and either 3.5% brewer’s dried yeast (T2), 2.5% brewer’s dried yeast plus 17.5% distillers dried grains with solubles (T3), or 17.5% CFP (T4).

Octobers edition of Washington Roundup includes three summaries: Pressure Mounting on Agriculture Committee Leaders to Complete Farm Bill, Draft Dietary Guidelines Raise Meat Industry Concerns, and FDA Publishes 2023 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals.

A recent Nature career feature article (DePaul, 2024) focused on the roles of science policy advisors, noting “Many researchers think that science policy is a total snoozefest.” Four science policy specialists, from Spain, Canada, United States, and India, shared their insights for the article.