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Feb
16
Interpretive Summary: Influence of a sodium-saccharin sweetener on the rumen content and rumen epithelium microbiota in dairy cattle during heat stress
Mitigating the effects of heat stress is becoming more and more important with global increases in temperatures. Heat stress negatively affects livestock health and performance. One way to mitigate the effects of heat stress on livestock is to increase feed intake during stress conditions by enhancing palatability of the feed by adding artificial sweeteners.
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Feb
16
Interpretive Summary: H-ferritin in sows’ colostrum- and milk-derived extracellular vesicles: a novel iron delivery concept
Colostrum and milk are the primary sources of nutrition for lactating mammals. Iron is an essential nutrient for nursing mammals. Piglets are routinely iron deficient and do not obtain adequate iron from sows’ milk further contributing to anemia observed in young pigs.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: A review of the application of active learning pedagogies in undergraduate animal science curricula
Animal science undergraduate curricula face the issue of motivating and interesting students from diversified backgrounds to meet the growing job market (Benson et al., 2020; Lugar & Stewart, 2019). Students are entering animal science majors with different expectations and values as explained by the expectancy-value theory, so higher education systems face the struggle of meeting diverse student interests while fulfilling required course content.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: The effect of harvest time of forage on carbohydrate digestion in horses quantified by in vitro and mobile bag techniques
Feedstuffs contain different carbohydrate fractions that are digested in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of horses. Grass for grazing or harvesting contains variable amounts of structural carbohydrates such as cellulose and hemi-cellulose (named fibres) and nonstructural carbohydrates which in temperate grass species include sugars and fructans (named water soluble carbohydrates (WSC)).
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: Effects of thermal conditions on gestating sows’ behaviors and energy requirements
Ambient temperature may influence the energy requirement of gestating sows, but this factor is not yet integrated daily in the calculation of this requirement. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of temperatures on sow’s behavior, physical activity, and energy requirements on gestating sows.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: 3-Nitrooxypropanol supplementation of a forage diet decreased enteric methane emissions from beef cattle without affecting feed intake and apparent total-tract digestibility
This study evaluated the effects of supplementing forage fed cattle with 3-nitrooxypropanol (150 mg/kg dry matter) on feed intake, rumen fermentation and microbial community composition, methane emissions, and nutrient digestibility. Eight ruminally cannulated beef heifers were used for the experiment.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: Understanding the relationship between weather variables and intake in beef steers
Dry matter intake (DMI) models for beef cattle in the Northern Great Plains may not be a good fit because of extreme weather conditions experienced in this region. The objective of this study is to include additional weather variables (temperature, dewpoint, wind speed, range of temperature, and solar radiation as well as 2-wk lag and monthly lag for each weather variable) that may influence DMI models to improve accuracy.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: The effects of a Nutritional Packet (live yeast, vitamins C and B1, and electrolytes) offered during the final phase of feedlot steers on growth performance, nutrient digestion, and feeding behavior
Excessive intake of rapidly fermentable nutrients by feedlot cattle can result in clinical or subclinical disorders that impair nutrient digestion, while negatively affecting animal development and health. Incidences of subclinical digestive disturbances may increase during the last days on feed in cattle fed in confinement.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: Pooled analysis on the effects of inclusion, moisture, and oil removal from distillers grains on cattle performance and economic returns in diets with different corn processing
A pooled analysis of research was conducted to evaluate the effect of corn processing method, distillers grains type, oil removal from distillers, and distillers inclusion on cattle performance within studies conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln between 1992-2020. Two corn processing methods were included in the dataset, steam-flaked corn (SFC) or any combination of high-moisture (HMC) and dry-rolled corn (DRC), fed with and without distillers gains, a by-product of the dry milling ethanol industry.
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Feb
09
Interpretive Summary: Post-weaning management of modern dairy cattle genetics for beef production: a review
The number of dairy steers contributing to the U.S. fed beef supply has increased from 6.9% to 16.3% over the last two decades. Raising dairy cattle breeds for beef production offers unique opportunities and challenges when compared with feeding beef cattle breeds.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: Effects of replacing corn silage with alfalfa haylage in growing beef cattle diets on performance during the growing and finishing period
The potential for growing systems in beef cattle operations depends on the development of cost-effective alternatives for adding value to cattle after weaning. Alfalfa provides several ecosystem services to beef operations through greater opportunities for manure spreading, longer soil cover, pollinator habitat, and greater carbon sequestration compared to corn silage.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: Roughage level and supplemental fat for newly received finishing calves: effects on growth performance, health, and physiological responses
The low intake of feed that beef calves exhibit during the first weeks after feedlot arrival results in inadequate nutrient intake, especially energy, which leads to low rates of gain and decreased immune function and likely increases the risks for respiratory diseases. Increasing the energy density of receiving diets (Mcal/kg of dry matter) could result in increased energy intake of newly received finishing cattle.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: One-carbon metabolite supplementation to heifers for the first 14 d of the estrous cycle alters the plasma and hepatic one-carbon metabolite pool and methionine-folate cycle enzyme transcript abundance in a dose-dependent manner
The strategic inclusion of one-carbon metabolites, which include vitamins and minerals that are found in human prenatal vitamins, to beef cattle feeding and management protocols during the periconceptual period (the time around breeding) is a novel concept. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the feeding and injection doses of one-carbon metabolites in beef heifers to maintain increased circulating concentrations of one-carbon metabolites for use as a model from which other studies could base their treatments on.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: Effect of DL-methionine supplementation above requirement on performance; intestinal morphology, antioxidant activity, and gene expression; and serum concentration of amino acids in heat stressed pigs
The exposure of pigs to ambient temperature above their comfort zone affects several functions of the small intestine, especially those related with digestion of feed and absorption of nutrients, which in turn reduces the availability of nutrients for growth.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: Effects of bamboo leaf extract on energy metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and biogenesis of small intestine mitochondria in broilers
The intensive breeding model of broilers exposes broilers directly to oxidative stress, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Some researches have shown that bamboo leaf extract (BLE) exhibited antioxidant capacity both in vitro and vivo. However, few researches have been conducted to explore the effects of BLE supplementation on small intestine mitochondrial functions in broilers.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: Evaluation of supplemental fat sources and pre-farrow essential fatty acid intake on lactating sow performance and essential fatty acid composition of colostrum, milk, and adipose tissue
The lactating sow secretes essential fatty acids (EFA) in colostrum and milk to support litter growth and if dietary linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) intake during lactation are limited, subsequent reproductive function of sows may be impaired. However, the inclusion of dietary fat sources with varying EFA composition in lactation diets provided shortly prior to farrowing can increase the energy density of the diet and modify colostrum and milk fatty acid profiles that may influence litter growth performance and survivability.
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Feb
02
Interpretive Summary: C/EBPα promotes triacylglycerol synthesis via regulating PPARG promoter activity in goat mammary epithelial cells
Goat milk is beneficial for human health because of its nutritional value, especially milk fat, which is plentiful in goat milk. The molecular mechanism of milk fat synthesis is of great importance for developing processing technology and using genetic approaches to improve goat milk quality.
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Jan
29
ASAS Foundation - Celebrating 25 Years - January 30th
Over the past 115 years, the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) has evolved into a multi-faceted organization, including establishing the ASAS Foundation 25 years ago as the philanthropic branch of ASAS. The Foundation enhances, advances, and supports ASAS’ mission and initiatives.
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Jan
26
ERS releases report on state farm animal policies
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS) has published the State Policies for Farm Animal Welfare in Production Practices of U.S. Livestock and Poultry Industries: An Overview report. The ERS report describes the current state of farm animal policies, the extent of their implementation and geographic coverage, and the legal environment and challenges these policies have faced.
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Jan
26
Household food expenditures increased 15% from last year
A recent survey-based report out of Purdue University's Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability found that in December 2022, household food expenditures have increased by 15% from January 2022. The report assessed food spending, consumer satisfaction, values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources.
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