Featured Articles

  • Feb
    21
    A Giving Partner's Message - Shawn Archibeque, Ph.D.


    A Giving Partner's Message

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  • Feb
    21
    Honoring Dr. Gretchen Hill


    Honoring Dr. Gretchen Hill

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  • Feb
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of bacterial direct-fed microbial combinations on beef cattle growth performance, feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, ruminal morphology, and carcass characteristics


    Direct-fed microbials (DFM) are naturally occurring microorganisms that alter cattle ruminal fermentation and intestinal function and have been shown to improve growth performance and nutrient digestibility of cattle. The use of DFM in animal feed has continuously increased in feedlots as an alternative to traditional antibiotic additives, which have gained negative public perception and additional regulatory scrutiny.

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  • Feb
    15
    Interpretive Summary: The effects of torula yeast as a protein source on apparent total tract digestibility, inflammatory markers, and fecal microbiota dysbiosis index in Labrador Retrievers with chronically poor stool quality


    Pet and human populations continue to grow and compete for nutritious, sustainable protein sources. The incorporation of alternative proteins like torula yeast can provide a solution to this problem. Torula yeast also may have additional health benefits like reducing gut inflammation.

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  • Feb
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Supplementing vitamins and minerals to beef heifers during gestation: impacts on mineral status in the dam and offspring, and growth and physiological responses of female offspring from birth to puberty


    Great variation exists in management decisions to offer a vitamin and mineral supplement to cow–calf herds in the Northern Great Plains. Decisions to supplement (or not) vitamins/minerals during critical periods of fetal development may have lasting postnatal impacts on the offspring; however, there is a lack of reports focusing on the long-term offspring outcomes.

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  • Feb
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Impact of maternal live yeast supplementation to sows on intestinal inflammatory cytokine expression and tight junction proteins in suckling and weanling piglets


    Increasing evidence supports the benefits of improving sow nutrition during gestation and lactation to promote gastrointestinal development and overall health of piglets. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of maternal live yeast (LY) supplementation to sows during late gestation and lactation periods on the intestinal health of suckling and weaned piglets.

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  • Feb
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Postbiotics and Essential Oil on Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Weanling Pigs During K88 ETEC Infection


    Weanling pigs are vulnerable to a variety of stressors and pathogen infections. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the leading causes of diarrhea and growth retardation in weanling pigs.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of dietary supplementation with 3-nitrooxypropanol on enteric methane production, rumen fermentation, and performance in young growing beef cattle offered a 50:50 forage:concentrate diet


    Enteric methane (CH4) is a by-product from the fermentation of feed in the digestive tract of cattle. The production of CH4 is responsible for the loss of 2% to 12% of the animal’s gross energy intake.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of bacterial direct-fed microbial mixtures offered to beef cattle consuming finishing diets on intake, nutrient digestibility, feeding behavior, and ruminal kinetics/fermentation profile


    During the finishing phase, a high-energy diet offers benefits related to beef cattle growth and development. However, it is essential to acknowledge that finisher diets are energy-dense and can pose digestive challenges, such as subacute ruminal acidosis.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Effect of supplementing a Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic on performance, intestinal integrity, and serum antioxidant capacity and metabolites concentrations of heat-stressed growing pigs


    High ambient temperature provokes heat stress in animals, and pigs are highly affected showing low performance, and intestinal integrity and microbiota compromised. Probiotics could help pigs to maintain a healthy intestinal environment.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Daily dosing of cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrates a positive effect on measures of stress in dogs during repeated exposure to car travel


    Pet dogs often experience stress during routine car travel which can negatively affect both dogs and humans. A range of management and treatment options exist to address this, such as behavior modification, drug therapy, and supplements, yielding mixed results.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Is there a right time for dairy Alpine goat kid weaning: How does the weaning age of dairy Alpine goat kids affect their growth and behavior?


    In dairy goat kids, there is limited literature available on weaning management practices, despite this period being one of the most stressful events for kids and being associated with measures of poor welfare. This study aimed to compare weaning of dairy goat kids at 6-, 8-, and 10-wk of age to maximize outcome measures of welfare related to growth, feed intake, and behavior.

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  • Feb
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Rehydration post-transport: duration of oral fluid therapy on behavior, biochemical measures of hydration, and health of neonatal dairy calves


    Most male calves are sold and transported from the dairy farm soon after birth. Typically, calves are transported without access to milk and/or water, and they often arrive at calf-raising facilities with varying degrees of dehydration.

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  • Feb
    01
    Interpretive Summary: FDA releases antimicrobial report


    The United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) published the 2022 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals. This year, the FDA published the results in an interactive dashboard that allows users to interact with the data and create data visualizations using criteria such as antimicrobial drug class, species, and year.

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  • Feb
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Some states looking to ban cell-cultured meat


    A House bill introduced in Arizona would prohibit cell-cultured animal products. House Bill 2121 would restrict the production and sale of cell-cultured animal products, citing public health concerns and harm to the ranching industry and state economy. If law, those who violate the legislation would face a penalty of up to $25,000.

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  • Feb
    01
    Interpretive Summary: USDA launches the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer


    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that 35 states, along with five United States territories, and four Tribes plan to be the first to launch the new, permanent summer grocery benefits program for children in summer 2024. The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) will serve over 20 million children and provide nearly $2.5 billion in grocery benefits, accounting for 70% of the children in the United States eligible to participate in the program.

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  • Feb
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Judge upholds FSIS new swine inspection system


    In a recent legal battle, a federal judge has ruled in favor of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), upholding the adoption of the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). Several animal rights and environmental organizations challenged the final rule, which addresses the modernization of inspection at market hog slaughter establishments.

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  • Feb
    01
    Interpretive Summary: House passed Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act


    The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was recently passed by the United States House. The bill would allow whole and low-fat percentage milk to be included in the National School Lunch Program. The legislation passed with a 330-99 vote and will now move on to the Senate for consideration.

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  • Jan
    25
    Interpretive Summary: Rumen fermentation of meal-fed sheep in response to diets formulated to vary in fiber and protein degradability


    We estimated apparent appearance, apparent disappearance, appearance, and disappearance rates of rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) of sheep in response to the different degradability of nutrients using time-series fermentation indicators with regular meal feeding.

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  • Jan
    25
    Interpretive Summary: Exploring zinc deficiency using serum Zn levels: consequences and potential solutions in suckling pigs


    At weaning, young pigs may experience a decrease in serum Zn levels which can predispose them to diarrhea, particularly when fed diets with nutritional Zn levels. For several decades, this gap has been covered by using therapeutic levels of Zn. However, due to the negative collateral effects of these supra doses, from June 2022 in the EU the maximum level of Zn allowed in piglet diets is 150 mg/kg.

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