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Apr
14
Interpretive Summary: Palatability and apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility of retorted black soldier fly larvae-containing diets and their effects on the fecal characteristics of cats consuming them
The pet food industry is interested in black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) because of its supposed sustainability and nutritional qualities.
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Apr
14
Interpretive Summary: Technical Note: Validation of the effectiveness of electric stunning for euthanasia of mature swine
The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile electric stunner (E-STUN) as a method of humane euthanasia in heavy-weight mature boars and sows and to assess the outcomes when compared with a penetrating captive bolt gun (PCBG) method.
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Apr
13
Interpretive Summary: Keel bone damage affects behavioral and physiological responses related to stress and fear in two strains of laying hens
Keel bone damage (KBD) impairs production performance, welfare, and health in laying hens. This study aimed to compare the incidence of KBD and investigate the effects of KBD on stress and fear in two strains of laying hens.
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Apr
13
Interpretive Summary: Effects of dietary vitamin E and fat supplementation in growing-finishing swine fed to a heavy slaughter weight of 150 kg: I. Growth performance, lean growth, organ size, carcass characteristics, primal cuts, and pork quality
The study aimed to assess the effect of vitamin E (VE) supplementation and fat source on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and pork quality of pigs slaughtered at 150 kg.
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Apr
13
Interpretive Summary: Increased feed supply and dietary fiber from sugar beet pulp improved energy retention in gestating sows
Feeding sows sugar beet pulp (SBP) has many known benefits, for example, increased satiety, and it is a highly fermentable fiber source for sows. This study investigates how efficient sows utilize energy for fat and protein retention in response to increased SBP inclusion in the diet.
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Apr
13
Interpretive Summary: Dam parity structure and body condition during lactation influence piglet growth and gilt sexual maturation through pre-finishing
Young female swine have a greater challenge successfully producing and raising a litter of piglets as they are still maturing themselves and nursing is an extremely energy demanding event.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Cattle acclimate more substantially to repeated handling when confined individually in a pen than when assessed as a group
Chute and exit scores are common subjective methods used to evaluate temperament in cattle production systems. A pen test, which allows behavior to be observed in a non-restrained setting, may also be an effective method to evaluate temperament by allowing more variation among animals to be expressed.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Heritability and genetic correlation estimates of semen production traits with litter traits and pork production traits in purebred Duroc pigs
Genetic parameters of 5 semen production traits, 10 litter traits, and 3 pork production traits in purebred Duroc pigs was estimated.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Inclusion of sire by herd interaction effect in the genomic evaluation for weaning weight of American Angus
The objective of this study was to estimate the variance components (VC) for WW in American Angus with and without sire by herd (S×H) interaction effect when genomic information is used or not.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Dietary inclusion of ruminally protected linseed oil as a means to mitigate heat and slaughter-induced stress in feedlot cattle
This study evaluated the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation to feedlot-finished steers during summer on animal performance, physiological and biochemical response, and meat quality.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Long-duration transit and food and water deprivation alter behavioral activities and aggressive interactions at the feed bunk in beef feedlot steers
Because of the segmentation of the cattle industry, cattle are transported at least once during their lives. The objective of these two studies was to determine if transportation, feed and water deprivation, and/or transit duration changed the behavior of feedlot steers.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Effects of whole corn high-grain diet feeding on ruminal bacterial community and epithelial gene expression related to VFA absorption and metabolism in fattening lambs
Long-term feeding of high-grain diets with too fine crushed grains to sheep will cause a series of health issues. Therefore, our study was to investigate the effects of whole corn (unprocessed corn) high-grain diet feeding on growth performance and rumen development in fattening lambs.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Characterization of body composition and liver epigenetic markers during periods of negative energy balance and subsequent compensatory growth in postpubertal beef bulls
Epigenetic markers change in response to stressors such as environmental factors, nutritional challenges, among other overlooked players that altogether could drastically impair animal performance.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Technical Note: A method for determination of titanium dioxide concentration in fecal samples
Titanium dioxide is a marker fed to animals to help determine diet digestibility indirectly by measuring the concentration of TiO2 in fecal samples.
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Apr
07
Interpretive Summary: Effect of maternal dietary starch-to-fat ratio and daily energy intake during late pregnancy on the performance and lipid metabolism of primiparous sows and newborn piglets
Given the growing concern regarding nutrition during gestation, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of energy on the reproductive performance and lipid metabolism of primiparous sows.
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Mar
30
USDA to focus on equity
In opening up the several-hour meeting, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said he hopes to receive a set of recommendations for USDA from the commission to ensure farm programs address equity and inclusion concerns.
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Mar
30
USDA offers $80 million in funding for dairy
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $80 million in additional funding into the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives. The DBI Initiatives support dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products.
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Mar
30
Senators send letter to OSTP about federally funded research
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to the Deputy Director of Science and Society, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) suggesting the creation of a national government-wide public-access policy for federally funded research with a focus on equity, sustainability, and strategic technological development, guaranteeing rapid access for all federally funded research articles with broad re-use rights.
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Mar
30
Local Agriculture Market Program receive USDA funding
“Through these grant programs, we are able to maximize opportunities for economic growth and ingenuity in the local and regional food system. These grants have generated new income sources for small, beginning, and historically underserved farmers; increased local food access across rural and urban communities; and provided platforms for value-added and niche products to shine,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
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Mar
30
Legislators concerned about potential poultry merger
With food prices at an all-time high, the letter expresses extreme concern that further consolidation will raise poultry prices even higher for Americans. Currently, chicken prices have increased by 15% compared to pre-pandemic prices, with cut pay for farmers and limits protections for workers.
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