A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science aimed to determine the effect of myostatin on lipid accumulation in porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes and to further explore the potential molecular mechanisms.

Long-haul transport may occur at several points during the lifespan of feedlot cattle and is a source of undesirable stress on the wellbeing of these animals. Performance can subsequently suffer and lead to reduced health and productivity.

It has been well documented that Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) participate in the paracrine regulation of granulosa cell function in multiple species. However, it is unknown if responses to BMPs change with follicular size or interacts with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) or BMP antagonists (e.g., gremlin) to directly affect granulosa cell function in cattle.

Garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) are a popular and important legume food protein crop in human nutrition but is not as well utilized or studied in companion animal nutrition. Because raw garbanzo beans contain anti-nutritional factors, it may potentially have negative impacts on digestibility, fecal characteristics, or the gut health of companion animals.

Transport and feedlot entry are among the most stressful events in the lives of feedlot cattle, and the stress from these events tend to adversely impact welfare and productivity. Therefore, there is a great interest in strategies to relieve these stresses to improve welfare and performance.

Sulfur is an important element for the ruminant animal due to its role in bacterial growth and metabolism, but high concentrations of dietary sulfur can be related to reductions in growth performance and the incidence of polioencephalomalacia.

Global food production has benefitted from the ability of ruminant livestock to convert plant matter into high-quality sources or dairy and meat protein for human consumption, but ruminant derived food products have a much greater carbon intensity. Therefore, mitigation strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle have been a key research priority for livestock scientists in recent decades.

Physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF) is essential for maintaining the rumen epithelial lining and can be estimated based on the diet's particle size and NDF concentration. Roughages have unique physical characteristics that contribute to the density of the ruminal mat and influence ingredient digestibility, retention times, and particle degradation.

Japanese Wagyu cattle are one of Japan's greatest treasures and are famous for their excellent meat quality. In Japan, embryo transfer is widely used, and the value of Japanese Black calves is much higher than that of the other beef breeds.

The use of Dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) in ruminant diets has increased drastically over the last ten years. This alternative feed resource offers a product that is very high in crude protein (CP).

There is currently great potential for including black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM, Hermetia illucens) in companion animal feed. Although high in protein and nutrient rich, the health impacts of including BSFLM in companion animal feed are largely unknown.

It is crucial that beef cow-calf systems in subtropical native grasslands, such as Campos, must improve their cow-calf and economic productivity without external inputs while still reducing the environmental impact. This could potentially be done through the control of herbage allowance, improving herbage production, cow herbage intake, and biological efficiency.

A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science aimed to apply possible animal welfare indicators for unweaned dairy calves on conventional dairy farms with early cow-calf separation. An animal welfare assessment, using 7 resource-based and 14 animal-based indicators, was conducted at 42 typical Western German dairy farms (844 calves) in 2018 and 2019 by two observers.

Water quality can be problematic in the livestock industry due to reduced fresh water and groundwater supplies. Most water consumed by livestock tends to be saline or brackish however the effects water quality might have on overall health, feed intake and digestibility are unknown.

The use of prebiotics and antibiotic alternatives in pigs has been a recent hot-topic study. Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) have been shown to improve growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weanling pigs.

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the supplementation of a mycotoxin deactivator composed by adsorbent clay minerals, inactivated fermentation extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a blend of antioxidants, organic acids, and botanicals in diets containing added mycotoxins for nursery pigs on their performance and antioxidant status.

The National Animal Health Monitoring System estimates that bovine respiratory disease affects 21.2% of all beef cattle placed in feedlots. Bovine respiratory disease often affects cattle during the receiving period, which can involve many stressors; identifying morbid cattle early may lead to improved animal welfare through decreased morbidity and mortality and increased treatment efficacy.

The Agriculture and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University recently published The U.S. Beef Supply Chain: Issues and Challenges. The book is a culmination of items presented and discussed during an AFPC workshop on cattle markets held in June 2021.

The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, part of the National Science Foundation (NSF), published the FY 2020 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) Research and Development Survey Report. Conducted annually for university administered FFRDCs since FY 1953 and all FFRDCs since FY 2001, the survey collects information on research and development (R&D) expenditures by the source of funds and types of research and expenses.

The goal of the meeting is to find collaborative and sustainable ways to eliminate hunger and build a durable food supply. The Summit was attended by United Nations (UN) member states, private sector representatives, farmers, producers, and civil society participants and focused on concrete actions to transform food systems to accelerate progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, created by the UN in 2015.