-
Dec
27
APHIS Issues Final Rule Regarding Handling of Animals
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule modifying the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to include a requirement for a contingency plan for the handling of animals during an emergency.
Read more
-
Dec
27
APHIS Announces Funds for Animal Health
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently announced over $16.3 million to 64 different projects with states, universities, and other partners for animal health protection.
Read more
-
Dec
20
Interpretive Summary: Efficient approximation of reliabilities for single-step genomic best linear unbiased predictor models with the Algorithm for Proven and Young
The estimated breeding value (EBV) of an animal measures its genetic merit. For calculating EBVs, pedigree and genomic information are jointly used in a procedure called single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP). Genetic evaluations report each EBV with its reliability, which measures how accurate the breeding value estimation was.
Read more
-
Dec
20
Interpretive Summary: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory responses through PPARγ/MAPK/NF-κB pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells
Current research examined Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) for combating LPS-induced inflammatory responses in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells. We uncovered a preventive role of LBP in reducing detrimental effects induced by LPS including inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK along with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) activation.
Read more
-
Dec
20
Interpretive Summary: Selenium decreased cholesterol levels
A major goal in animal agriculture is to improve the nutritional value of animal products. One area of focus in the beef cattle industry is to use supplemental selenium to improve the antioxidant abilities of muscle and liver tissue, which may reduce the cholesterol levels of muscle tissue, resulting in a healthier product.
Read more
-
Dec
16
Interpretive Summary: Tissue Dimensions Captive Bolt Swine
Penetrating captive bolt is a commonly used and humane method for euthanizing swine that weigh less than 200kg.
Read more
-
Dec
16
Interpretive Summary: Altered fecal microbiota, IgA, and fermentative end-products in adult dogs fed prebiotics and a nonviable Lactobacillus acidophilus
Higher demand for nutrition beyond the basic requirements of the animal has increased in the pet food industry; specifically, using pre-and probiotic ingredients to influence digestive health.
Read more
-
Dec
16
Interpretive Summary: Relationship between energy intake and growth performance and body composition in pigs selected for low backfat thickness
The progression of genetic selection for reduced carcass backfat has increased over the past 20 years, causing an altered phenotypic relationship between energy intake and carcass backfat thickness.
Read more
-
Dec
13
Interpretive Summary: Increased microbial phytase increased phytate destruction, plasma inositol, and feed efficiency of weanling pigs...
Due to stress during the post-weaning period, morbidity and mortality can be significantly increased. These stressors can be environmental, nutritional, physiological, and immunological changes.
Read more
-
Dec
13
Interpretive Summary: Live yeast and yeast extracts with and without pharmacological levels of zinc on nursery pig growth performance and antimicrobial susceptibilities of fecal Escherichia coli
Feeding pharmacological levels of Zn in the early nursery phase has become a common practice in the swine industry to alleviate post-weaning diarrhea. However, antimicrobial resistance is a concern when feeding these levels.
Read more
-
Dec
13
Interpretive Summary: High inclusion rates of hybrid rye instead of corn in diets for growing-finishing pigs do not influence the overall growth performance and most carcass traits are not influenced by hybrid rye
Hybrid rye has shown minimal impact on growth performance and carcass characteristics when used to replace barley and wheat. The current study's objective is to evaluate the use of hybrid rye as a replacement for corn in diets for growing and finishing pigs without impacting growth performance, carcass characteristics, or meat quality.
Read more
-
Dec
09
Interpretive Summary: Impacts of high amylopectin starch cassava on plasma glucose and the growth performance of pigs
In this recent Journal of Animal Science study, researchers evaluated how cassava, a high amylopectin starch, impacted the performance and other metabolic parameters of growing pigs. Pigs were fed either a corn-soybean meal LP diet, a corn-cassava-soybean meal LP diet, or a cassava-soybean meal LP diet.
Read more
-
Dec
09
Interpretive Summary: Hydroxy-selenomethionine as an organic source of selenium in the diet improves boar reproductive performance in artificial insemination programs
This was the first study of record to evaluate the effects of hydroxy-selenomethionine as a dietary supplement for boards on raw semen characteristics and quality of seminal doses, as well as the reproductive performance achieved when used for artificial insemination.
Read more
-
Dec
09
Interpretive Summary: Effect of aspirin to intentionally induce leaky gut on performance, inflammation, and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle
The negative impacts of stress on gastrointestinal tract barrier function can result in compromised animal growth and health; aspirin is known to cause mucosal injury, leading to increased gut permeability and tight junction damage and, in turn, can be used as a model to study leaky gut in cattle.
Read more
-
Dec
06
Interpretive Summary: Impacts of fiber and crude protein on performance and gut microbiota in piglets
The prophylactic use of antibiotics and pharmacological zinc were traditionally used to ward off postweaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets. However, due to antibiotic resistance and strict regulations on the use of zinc and antibiotics in animal feed, other strategies for combatting PWD are needed.
Read more
-
Dec
06
Interpretive Summary: Effects of increasing calcium propionate in a finishing diet on dry matter intake and glucose metabolism in steers
A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science aimed to determine whether or not increasing propionate alters dry matter intake, glucose clearance rate, blood metabolites, insulin concentrations, and hepatic gene expression in steers fed a finishing diet.
Read more
-
Dec
06
Interpretive Summary: Impacts of lysed Corynebacterium glutamicum cell mass on the health and growth of nursery piglets
Single cell proteins (SCP) are nutrient dense and derived from various economical sources including bacteria and yeast. However, the safety profile of SCP and its and impact on production in farm animals are still under investigation.
Read more
-
Dec
02
Interpretive Summary: Genetic inbreeding depression load for fertility traits in Pura Raza Española mares
Over the last few decades, fertility has been studied as a breeding goal in domestic species, but horses have historically been selected for conformation or performance in equestrian sports without much regard to fertility. For this reason, there is little information available on fertility traits and their inclusion as selection criteria in equine breeding programs.
Read more
-
Dec
02
Interpretive Summary: Integrating diverse data sources to predict disease risk in dairy cattle—a machine learning approach
Livestock farming is currently undergoing a digital revolution. Animals and their surroundings are closely monitored and observed, but such data often reside in disconnected silos, making it impossible to leverage their full potential to improve animal well-being.
Read more
-
Dec
02
Interpretive Summary: Assessment of digestible lysine requirements in lipopolysaccharide-challenged pigs
Changes in metabolism due to immune system activation and the incidence of infectious disease can lead to differing dietary amino acid requirements for an animal. In addition, it is imperative to determine the nutritional requirements of animals under challenging conditions, so feed formulations are optimal to maximize growth rate and efficient use of nutrients.
Read more