A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science evaluated whether different reproductive stages of sows altered thermal preference and if current recommendations required updating. It was hypothesized that the reproductive stage would alter thermal preference in sows. This study is the first to look at temperature preference differences based on the reproductive stage of sows.

A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science aimed to find the start date of genomic selection for a set of economically important traits in pigs, Angus cattle, and broiler chickens by comparing trends obtained using best linear unbiased prediction and single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction.

The research team from Kansas State University hypothesized that guanidinoacetic acid supplementation to Metdeficient cattle would induce a methyl group deficiency and that methionine supplementation would reduce the methyl group deficiency. Additionally, it was thought that guanidinoacetic acid might improve nitrogen retention when methionine was supplemented.

Maternally influenced traits include genetic factors that impact birth and weaning. Cultivating a better understanding of the heritability of maternally influenced traits may improve estimated breeding values (EBV), genetic selection and ultimately productivity.

High backfat is not a desired trait in finisher pigs. Backfat thickness can vary depending on the season when piglets are born. Sows with high weight loss after summer lactation, for instance, yield smaller pigs with higher backfat thickness at harvest.

Crossbreeding enables breeders to capitalize on heterosis, which is the phenomenon of superior average performance of crossbreds compared with the average performance of their parental lines. Breeding programs aiming to improve the performance of crossbreds may benefit from genomic prediction of crossbred performance for purebred selection candidates.

The results of the present study, outlined in the full paper, support the idea that the WNT signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of theca cell proliferation and steroidogenesis, but further research is required to explain the specific mechanisms of action and dose responses of WNT, Dickkopf, and secreted frizzled-related protein 4 and their relationship with other molecules during follicular growth. A better understanding of the role of WNT and their molecular mechanisms will allow for a greater perspective on how these signals impact follicular maturation and subsequent conditions that could lead to ovarian cysts.

Grain-free diets have been popular in the pet industry for over a decade; however, recently, they have been associated with canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Research has linked DCM with a deficient of taurine in cats, which may be a possible cause for DCM in large breed dogs. Methionine and cysteine, amino acid precursors to taurine synthesis in dogs, is very low in ingredients used to replace grains. To date, there has been no research evaluating the plasma and whole blood taurine concentration of dogs when feeding grain-free diets supplemented with nutrients involved in the biosynthesis of taurine.

Adding coproducts to swine feed is an economical choice that can also adversely impact the digestibility of feed. Coproducts contain a higher amount of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), which cannot be digested by pigs. Poorly digested feed leads to reduced performance, an undesired effect. Adding carbohydrase enzymes to feed may make NPS more digestible without negatively impacting performance.

Hindgut acidosis was induced by continuously infusing glucose (GLC) or casein (CAS) into the terminal ileum of growing pigs. Pigs were separated into three groups and given either an infusion of water (control), dextrose 50% (GLC) or casein sodium salt (CAS). Average daily feed intake was reduced in GLC and CAS pigs compared to the control.

Results of the present study demonstrated that, when compared with mid-gestation and nonpregnant sows, late-gestation sows had increased respiration rate and altered blood characteristics in response to increasing dry bulb temperature, which can be indicative of greater heat stress sensitivity.

The Future of Agricultural Resiliency and Modernization Act (FARM Act), designed to help farmers more effectively fight climate change, has been reintroduced by Representative Josh Harder (D-CA), The FARM Act was first introduced by Harder in 2020 and referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

In 2020, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued its final rule to modernize agricultural biotechnology regulations. The rule was revised to enable USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to regulate organisms developed using genetic engineering for plant pest risk with greater precision and reduces regulatory burden for developers of organisms that are unlikely to pose plant pest risks.

“It is abundantly clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities,” CEO Donnie King said in a memo to employees. Tyson Foods is incentivizing workers with a $200 bonus to do so, on top of the already established policy of providing up to four hours of pay for getting vaccinated outside of work.

This survey, which sampled over 1,380 adults living in all US states and the District of Columbia during the current survey set, began in 1973 during the Watergate scandal. Since 1993, Gallup has tracked 14 core institutions and the public’s confidence. During the last 15 years, confidence has remained below 36%. Before 2006, confidence was typically above 40%.

The NASEM are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to resolve complications and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

The report addresses our physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, using the latest scientific advances and evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, global and regional climate simulations. This report also details how human influence has affected the climate over time.

"Life expectancy has been increasing gradually every year for the past several decades," Elizabeth Arias, a CDC researcher who worked on the report, told Reuters. "The decline between 2019 and 2020 was so large that it took us back to the levels we were in 2003. Sort of like we lost a decade."

After the disappointing rejection from the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had denied the petition from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) to rescind California’s Proposition 12 (Prop 12) as unconstitutional under the dormant Commerce Clause.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) are advising Massachusetts to defer implementation of the Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals (the Act). With just five months until enforcement, NPPC and NAMI state that the Attorney General for the state is 19 months late in providing rules and regulations for the Act to farmers and producers.