Pork grading is a producer-feedback system that provides carcass trait information (i.e., carcass weight, fat/lean deposition) to determine the economic value of carcasses. Packing plants generally emphasize the optimization of carcass weight and leanness by providing premium or discounted prices using a grid system. Packing plants routinely collect carcass weights while carcass leanness can be more challenging to capture.

The Sixth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals has issued a stay on enforcing the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in Kentucky. This decision means WOTUS is only law in 23 states. President Joe Biden recently vetoed a bill that would overturn WOTUS.

United States Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Peter Welch (D-VT) recently introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023. The bill would expand and strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for over 40 million Americans by amending the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that SNAP benefits be calculated using the value of the low-cost food plan.

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) sent a comprehensive proposal to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will modernize the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) System. NMPF has worked over the last two years to develop this plan, including more than 150 meetings with various stakeholders.

United States Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have recently introduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemptions for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act, which would allow meat and poultry products inspected by State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold by retail stores, restaurants, or similar retail-type establishments over the internet and shipped by a carrier in commerce.

Towards the end of last year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a call for applications for Dual-Purpose research projects. The Dual Purpose with Dual Benefit: Research in Biomedicine and Agriculture Using Agriculturally Important Domestic Animal Species research grant program is an interagency partnership between NIH and USDA, to improve human health through the advancement of basic and translational research deemed highly relevant to both agricultural and biomedical research.

The United States Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that challenges California’s Proposition 12 (Prop 12). Prop 12 passed in 201 and requires pork meat sold in the state to come from pigs born to a sow housed in at least a 24-square-foot-pen. The Supreme Court’s ruling is a major blow to pork producers across the country.

United States House of Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroduced the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The bipartisan act would give individual states the freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an investment of $46 million in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. The SARE program has supported farmer-driven grants and grassroots education programs resulting in climate-smart solutions for farms and ranches in every state and island protectorate since 1988.

The United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture is requesting input on the next version of the Farm Bill. The committee has published an online portal to collect feedback and opinions. Committee leaders believe this tool will allow members to better share the experiences and priorities of agriculture producers and consumers.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a variety of funding for underserved and veteran farmers. The two new grant programs, the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program are part of the broader $1 billion American Rescue Plan investment to expand processing capacity for small and midsized meat and poultry processors.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023-2026: Cultivating Scientific Innovation. The publication details the vision for transforming United States agriculture through science and innovation and outlines USDA’s highest scientific priorities.

Today is our inaugural giving day, One Day for ASAS! This is the time for us to come together to give back and support our members through all stages of their careers. Give today to support the next generation of animal scientists and to express gratitude for ASAS being that gathering place where many have become lifelong friends.

Today, we continue to share and celebrate your generosity's impact on our members throughout their careers. In addition to our daily posts, visit ASAS Foundation Impact to see how philanthropy has made a difference for our members this year.

Do you have a passion for supporting current and future animal scientists? Did you know that, thanks to charitable contributions, the ASAS Foundation supports travel scholarships, prestigious awards, distinguished lectures, and so much more?

Today we launch our annual ASAS Foundation Week and our inaugural giving day, One Day for ASAS!

The transition from gestation to lactation requires adjustments in nutrient consumption that are challenging for the postpartum dairy cow. As milk energy output increases more rapidly than energy intake, most cows mobilize fat and labile protein from body energy reserves, which results in reductions in body condition score during early lactation.

The deficiency of nutrients such as methionine in the diet of birds is affecting fertility rate, egg production, egg weight, and progeny weight. In addition, the maternal environment influences gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, where the conditions experienced by the parental generation during embryonic development can produce effects on the progeny. This study investigates how methionine supplementation in the diet of quail hens can reduce the effects of oxidative stress and improve the performance of progeny subjected to heat stress during growth.

Fiber diameter (FD), clean fleece weight (CFW), live weight (LW), and reproductive performance are important traits in Merino flocks. This study estimated the genetic parameters for a range of production traits and ewe reproductive performance.

Individual differences in the behavior of dairy cows can affect their productive performance. In an attempt to summarize the scientific information available, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the effects of dairy cows’ temperament on milk yield.