Transportation is a stressful event for cattle during their lifetime, and there are many different factors associated with transportation that can impact cattle welfare. This study systematically mapped road transportation research in cattle from 2015 to 2025. One hundred twenty-five studies were evaluated.

The rumen contains microorganisms that break down plant matter and supply nutrients to the host animal. Each microorganism has its own set of genes with specific functions. All the genetic information of these rumen microorganisms is collectively known as the rumen metagenome.

The Matou goat is a valuable local breed in China, known for its good meat and high reproductive rate. However, its population and quality have been declining, and we lack a deep understanding of its genetic characteristics. To help protect and improve this breed, we studied the genetic makeup of 128 Matou goats by analyzing their entire genome.

Mature cow weight (MWT) is an important trait in cattle production because it influences feed requirements and overall efficiency. However, MWT is closely related to body condition score (BCS), which reflects a cow’s nutritional status and energy reserves. Because of this relationship, how BCS is accounted for can affect which animals are selected for breeding.

The past fifty years have seen many changes leading to improved productivity and efficiency of beef cattle production in the United States. Integrating and quantifying the impact of all these changes is challenging. By modeling the life cycles of cattle production in 2022 and the early 1970s, improvements were determined for beef production, resources used and other environmental impacts.

Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, and dairy cows are a significant source of methane in the agricultural sector. This study evaluated how the use of farm-specific dietary information, compared with standard assumptions, influences estimate of enteric methane emissions across different dairy and double-purpose cow breeds in Italian farms. Data from 138 farms rearing two Italian dairy breeds (Holstein, Brown Swiss) and a double-purpose breed (Italian Red Pied) were analyzed.

Weaning stress disrupts intestinal development and microbial homeostasis in piglets, resulting in diarrhea and impaired growth performance. This study evaluated the effects of a dietary triple-strain Bacillus-based probiotic (BP) on growth performance and intestinal health in weaned pigs.

Zika virus (ZIKV) can spread from one person to another through a mosquito bite. This exposure does not cause any major issues for a healthy person. However, pregnant mothers infected with ZIKV are highly associated with delivering infants with a smaller head size due to fetal brain injury.

Sheep in extensive grazing systems often face periods of poor-quality forage, particularly during winter, which can impede ewe nutrition during pregnancy. Nutrient restriction during mid-to-late gestation is known to negatively impact ewe health and lamb development.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate many body functions, including mood and appetite, metabolism, and blood flow. Serotonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan, but this pathway is limited, only a small portion of tryptophan normally enters. One way to increase serotonin production is by providing 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the direct precursor to serotonin.

This eighty-four–day study explored the interaction of vitamin A and zinc on growth performance, carcass merit, and trace mineral metabolism in Angus-crossbred steers. Previous research has indicated removal of vitamin A from finishing diets improves carcass merit.

Dietary fiber is partitioned into soluble and insoluble fractions. Corn cobs consist mostly of insoluble dietary fiber whereas sugar beet pulp contains a substantial amount of soluble dietary fiber in addition to insoluble fiber. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feed intake and fiber type on nutrient digestibility in pigs.

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) are known to improve postweaning growth performance in pigs by supporting energy balance and reducing postweaning diarrhea. This study evaluated the effect of increasing dietary MCFA levels up to 1.0%, replacing soybean oil, on growth performance, fecal score, energy status, gut health, and immune responses in nursery pigs fed high-protein diets (24% crude protein) for 35 d.

The first hours after hatching are considered important for the health and development of broiler chickens. In commercial production systems, chicks may experience a delay before gaining access to feed. This study investigated how different delays in feed access after hatching affect slower-growing broiler chickens throughout the production cycle.

The August Edition of The Giving Herd, an ASAS Foundation Newsletter

Ruminant livestock systems are an integral part of agricultural and rural communities globally which provide high quality nutritious food and a plethora of other socio-economic services. However, the impact that ruminant livestock systems can have on climate volatility, land use and biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and water scarcity and quality, calls into focus their future sustainability, especially considering rising global demand for nutritious food.

The hub-and-spoke network model, originating from transportation (e.g., airline systems), features a central hub for coordination and peripheral spokes for localized execution. It promotes efficiency in resource allocation, knowledge sharing, and scaling by reducing redundancies and enabling adaptability, as seen in supply chains.

Sustainable intensification strategies that provide productivity, resilience, and economic benefits while lowering dependency on external resources are becoming more important in global attempts to alter livestock systems under climate change (Eisler et al., 2014). In this regard, the hub-and-spoke Global Farm Platform (GFP) model offers a special global setting for combining agricultural practices, science, and policy across distinct agroecological zones (Figure 1) (Rivero et al., 2021, 2026; Lee et al., 2025).

Globally, rangeland grazing systems account for the majority of grazing lands (Reid et al., 2008) and more than half of the total land, with over 200 million people raising livestock in pastoral and agro-pastoral grazing systems. In Europe, a large proportion (59%) of these lands are classed as less favored areas (LFA—Article 2 of EU Council Directive No. 75/268/EEC) or areas of natural constraints [Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013].

Agroecological research operates at the intersection of biophysical processes, management decisions, and institutional constraints, requiring approaches that move beyond traditional experimental paradigms to address real-world agricultural complexity. In many regions, these agroecosystems are structured around crop–livestock systems, where animals play a central role in mediating the flow of energy and nutrients across landscapes (Lemaire et al., 2014; Martin et al., 2016).