Mathematical modeling and data analytics are two critical components for achieving sustainability in livestock production. While scientific knowledge remains the most crucial step in model-building (Tedeschi, 2023), educating and training students and researchers in modeling techniques are essential first steps to developing the necessary discipline and skills for successful mathematical model development (Ellis et al., 2020; Tedeschi, 2019). Due to limited opportunities for students and researchers to understand the underlying principles of mathematical modeling, the Modeling Committee of the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP; https://animalnutrition.org) was tasked with enhancing modeling skills for future generations in animal science programs by providing training venues for quantitative and qualitative modeling approaches to data and predictive analytics.

Rumen fluid from 6 cannulated Angus crossbred steers (experimental unit) was utilized to assess CH4 production and other ruminal fermentation parameters, such as gas production, pH, concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia nitrogen, and in vitro organic matter digestibility under controlled laboratory conditions via the ex vivo model. To determine the effects of SCFP supplementation in vivo, rumen fluid from each steer was collected over a 24 h period to evaluate the dynamics of ruminal fermentation, and feed and fecal samples were collected to estimate the in vivo apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients.

Yeast is well known for its immunomodulating and gut stimulating effects, but its effects on postprandial amino acid (AA) absorption in dogs has not been measured. This study used 20 dogs allocated to 1 of 2 dietary treatment groups. Treatment dogs received the yeast supplement for 10 wk, and control dogs no supplement.

Mealworms serve as an alternative protein source for pet food. Because the amino acid (AA) content and protein quality of yellow mealworm-based ingredients may vary depending on their husbandry, harvest, and processing procedures, testing of each is required. Our objective was to measure the AA composition, AA digestibility, and protein quality of the following ingredients using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay: 1) defatted yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) flour without cuticles (TM); 2) defatted yellow mealworm flour with cuticles (TMc); and 3) whole yellow mealworm pulp (TMp).

The rising popularity of equestrian sports has led to an increased demand for road transport to competitions. Research conducted in temperate climates indicates that this transport can be stressful for horses. A study in tropical climates discovered that horses experienced heightened acute stress during the initial loading and at the onset of unloading during the outbound journey, whereas increased stress was noted only during the initial loading in the inbound journey.

The integration of beef-on-dairy crossbred calves into feedlots remains a challenge due to their heightened susceptibility to disease. Calves raised on commercial dairies are commonly exposed to greater amounts of copper than calves raised in conventional beef production systems, which may contribute to increased inflammation and immune dysfunction.

On July 24th, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released Secretary Memorandum: SM 1078-015 which outlines the Department of Agriculture’s Reorganization Plan. Secretary Rollins had indicated such a plan was being developed earlier in the year. While NIFA and ERS were relocated during the first Trump administration, it is expected that the changes will impact all of USDA’s research agencies.

The hypothesis for the experiment was that feeding intact protein from soybean meal (SBM) to growing pigs instead of a combination of corn, SBM and synthetic amino acids (AA) results in greater nitrogen retention and digestible energy without affecting metabolizable energy in the diet. Feeding diets differing in SBM and synthetic AA to growing pigs placed in metabolism crates, it was possible to collect urine and feces from pigs and based on that, the digestibility of energy and nitrogen was calculated.

Mare milk is the primary source of nutrients for neonatal foals and contains various carbohydrates. The primary carbohydrate is lactose, which is an important source of calories for foals. Milk also contains carbohydrates referred to as oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides are chemically and structurally more complex than lactose and are believed to be important in the gastrointestinal development of neonates.

Cottonseed (CS) is a readily available resource in the southeast of the United States and has been used by farmers for decades to supplement their livestock. Nevertheless, there is conflicting evidence about the negative or positive effects this resource can have on their animals.

Beef cattle breed societies worldwide maintain pedigree information on their registered animals tracing back many generations. This extensive data facilitates the estimation of the expected relationship between individual pairs. Concurrently over recent decades, advancements in genotyping technologies have allowed for precise calculations of the actual relationships among any given pairs and the genetic diversity in the entire population.

Selection for larger litter sizes has heightened sow milk production demands, increasing metabolic heat production and sensitivity to heat stress, particularly during hotter summer months. This can compromise both sow welfare and piglet growth. Genomic selection for enhanced heat tolerance offers a promising solution, but past approaches have often reduced productivity by focusing on lowering heat gain resulting in decreased metabolic activity.

Enhancing the sustainability of pasture-based sheep systems by reducing methane emissions and increasing production is a global priority. In the current study, lambs grazed one of 5 differing sward types, namely, a perennial ryegrass monoculture or one of 4 binary sward mixtures, perennial ryegrass and white clover, perennial ryegrass and red clover, perennial ryegrass and chicory or perennial ryegrass and plantain.

The interest in natural antioxidants has increased because they are considered to be safe, and have greater application potential for consumer’s acceptability of milk products. Polyphenol compounds being a source of natural antioxidants, which have received substantial attention because of their antioxidant activities for consumers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of red yeast rice polyphenol extract on apparent digestibility, antioxidant activity, milk production, and fatty acid in lactating dairy goats.

Plant fibers are an important component of animal feed, and the effective degradation of fiber materials is crucial for the health of ruminant animals. Chestnut tannin (CHT) can effectively enhance the antioxidant capacity of animals and reduce methane emissions; however, there is currently limited research on its effect on fiber degradation rate in ruminant animals. This study investigated the effects of different concentrations of CHT on ruminal cellulose-degrading bacteria and cellulase activity in sheep through both in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Ambient temperature is one of the major environmental factors that affect the voluntary feed intake (VFI) and metabolizable energy intake (MEI) of pigs. When pigs are exposed to above their upper critical temperature, they may reduce VFI, consequently decreasing their growth performance of pigs. To overcome insufficient energy and nutrient intake due to reduced VFI, energy- and nutrient-fortified diets are formulated considering the reduced VFI and fed to pigs.

Economic considerations are crucial for livestock producers when deciding whether to adopt new interventions or management strategies. However, research studies often lack consistent, thorough, and well-described economic analyses, making it difficult for stakeholders to make informed decisions. To improve guidance for future economic assessments, economic analysis strategies were reviewed, an example using controlled trial data was performed, and recommendations for future conduct were provided.

Despite existing methods to determine forage nutritive value, most extensive beef producers in the Southeastern United States do not submit forage samples for laboratory analysis, citing expense and labor challenges. In response to these challenges, we evaluated the ability of a low-cost, easy-to-use spectral sensing system to predict the forage nutritive value of grass pastures.

Replacing conventional proteins with hydrolyzed proteins in diets for companion animals has demonstrated clinical and nutritional benefits, such as improved digestibility and reduced fermentation products in the large intestine. Based on this, the current study evaluated the effects of 2 protein sources (hydrolyzed chicken liver (HCL) and poultry byproduct meal) and 3 crude protein concentrations (24%, 32%, and 40%) on digestibility, fecal and urinary characteristics, fecal fermentative end products, and palatability of healthy adult cats.

On June 23rd, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of FY 2026 agriculture appropriations by at vote of 35-27. The House bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $25.523 billion, which is $1.163 billion (4.2%) below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level. The House bill does not follow the Administration’s request for major cuts to USDA research, education and economics programs.