Feeding time can directly impact sow performance and stress levels. Depending on the time of day and length of time animals are fed, physiological and behavior changes may occur. How such changes impact animal welfare and performance, however, are poorly understood.

The rumen is essential for digestion and absorption in ruminant animals. Thus, feed ingredients, whether roughage or concentrate, must first be digested by enzymes from microbes in the rumen to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs).

Over two-thirds of the total Phosphorus in plant-based ingredients used in swine diets are present as inositol hexakisphosphate, more commonly known as phytate, and is poorly available to the pig. Deficient Phosphorus levels can have adverse effects on growth performance and the eutrophication of water.

The selection of swine for production typically occurs in a purebred, high health, biosecure nucleus herd. However, this selection and management system limits industry capabilities to genetically select for traits the confer disease resistance and antibody response to pathogen challenges.

Cashmere fiber is a main product of cashmere goats that is produced by secondary hair follicles, and, like wool, the cashmere fiber is composed of hair-keratins and keratin-associated proteins.

Methionine is a limiting amino acid in swine diets, but because of its high requirement by pigs and its low concentration in many feed ingredients, supplementation with synthetic sources of methionine is common in diets fed to pigs.

A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science evaluated the behavioral and physiological response in goats during isolation with and without visual contact with their herd- or pen-mates.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a desired heritable trait in beef cattle. Animals with lower RFI are more feed efficient although epigenetic variations can impact this trait. The environmental circumstances and molecular mechanisms behind how epigenetics leads to variations in RFI however are not well understood.

Finding efficient ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing performance is crucial for optimizing the production of feedlot steers. In this recent Journal of Animal Science article, researchers studied how feeding ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) impacted the performance and greenhouse gas emissions of feedlot steers.

A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science investigated the links between metabolic rate and feed efficiency in the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, a major species in European mariculture.

Visceral organs are essential for life in all animals due to their role in various aspects of digestive physiology, including the digestion of feedstuffs, absorption of nutrients, and metabolism of absorbed and circulating nutrients.

A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science evaluated the effects of increasing levels of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extract as a feed additive for lambs and its effect on metabolic profile of the muscle and instrumental meat quality traits. The major components of meat, proteins and lipids, are susceptible to oxidation leading to off-flavors and color changes, which can cause consumer rejection of the product and may lead to loss in nutritional quality and generate compounds.

A study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science investigated the effects of iron, vitamin A, and their interaction on intestinal development and differentiation of cells in suckling piglets. The intestinal epithelium of piglets often changes significantly in the first month after birth; its development and function directly affects the absorption of nutrients.

“The greatest threat to global public health is the continued failure of world leaders to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C and to restore nature. Urgent, society-wide changes must be made and will lead to a fairer and healthier world. We, as editors of health journals, call for governments and other leaders to act, marking 2021 as the year that the world finally changes course,” the authors stated.

“There’s a long history of these giant meat processors making more and more, while families pay more at the grocery store and farmers and ranchers earn less for their products. Absent this corporate consolidation, prices would be lower for consumers and fairer for farmers and ranchers,” Deese stated.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced it will require official meat and poultry establishments, egg product plants, and all other facilities where FSIS provides official inspection services to follow current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for mask use. If failure to comply, USDA will withdraw all Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) from the organization.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) regarding the labeling of meat or poultry products derived from cultured animal cells.

This grant program is intended to contribute towards necessary personal, family, or living expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as costs for personal protective equipment, dependent care, and expenses associated with quarantines and testing related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the US Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases Report, methane emissions are $1,756 per short ton, while carbon dioxide is $68. The law, Public Utilities Commission Modernize Gas Utility Demand-side Management Standards, requires that state regulators must take a longer-term view of the cost savings of reducing energy use. The hope is with that longer view, more programs that reduce demand through improved insulation and other devices will be justified as cost-effective.

The Act will reinstate Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef, something that has mixed reviews among those in the industry. It is worth noting, Booker recently introduced the Farm System Reform Act, which includes reinstating MCOOL, placing a moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations, among other actions.