Lidocaine, a typical local anesthetic, is used during medical procedures to reduce pain by blocking nerve signals. Researchers often apply lidocaine at biopsy sites to ease discomfort, assuming it does not affect characteristics of the tissue relevant to their study.

Breeding herd retention poses significant challenges to the swine industry, with lameness ranking as a leading cause for breeding pig removal from the herd. Structural conformation is typically evaluated through visual observation; however, these methods are subjective and can vary in accuracy between observers. This study developed and assessed a computer-based algorithm for extracting feet and leg conformation traits from images of pigs.

Pulse ingredients are heavily used in the global pet food industry, but little is known about how diets that contain different amounts of total dietary fiber and starch affect the fecal bile acids (BAs) and metabolites produced. The objective of this study was to understand how the inclusion of pulse ingredients at the sacrifice of grains or pea starch affected the excretion of fecal BAs and metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in healthy adult dogs.

This study investigates the use of defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as an alternative protein source for pet food. Two BSFLM raised on wheat (BSFLM-W) or corn (BSFLM-C) substrates were compared with traditional protein sources, whole egg powder (WEP) and chicken meal (CM). The precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay was employed to determine the protein quality of these ingredients.

Ruminant adipose tissue (AT) stores lipids for use in productive functions during negative energy balance (NEB) which occurs during early lactation or undernutrition. The molecular mechanisms underlying the nutritional regulation of gene expression in AT from lactating goats are not fully understood.

This special issue of Animal Frontiers is the legacy of two major scientific events related to farm animal welfare that took place in Florence, Italy in 2024. The first was the 9th International Conference on the Welfare Assessment of Animals at Farm Level (WAFL) organized in collaboration with the Health and Welfare Commission of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP).

A consensus study that explored Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals was released by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) on April 23, 2025, noting the study committee’s conclusion that overall, food derived from genome-edited animals is generally safe to eat. The committee also addressed the benefits of biotechnology to agricultural productivity and sustainability, while investigating potential risks.

The 2025 International Livestock Congress (ILC) held March 4-5 in Houston, Texas, during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, brought together global industry leaders, scholars, and policymakers to address critical issues shaping the future of animal agriculture. With the theme "Effectively Communicating Sound Science and the Value of Animal Agriculture to Society," this year’s Congress underscored the importance of data-driven decision-making, sustainability, and public engagement in shaping policies that impact the livestock and meat industries.

The Trump Administration has directed agencies to evaluate additional reductions in the federal workforce as well as cuts to programs. Many agencies have offered a second round of deferred resignations and deferred retirements. While final numbers are not yet available, it appears that a larger number of federal workers are electing to leave service as a result of the second round...

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

Richard Coffey's ASAS Journey

Dogs with digestion problems can have an unbalanced digestive flora. This means the proportion of healthy and unhealthy bacteria that live in their gut is not well balanced. We used an experimental model to mimic the gut bacteria of dogs with soft stools. In the model, we looked at how a test product affected the gut bacteria.

Traditional aspirin forms are known to cause stomach and intestinal damage. Enhanced liquid aspirin is a stable aspirin form which is thought to negate the negative effects of aspirin on the gastrointestinal tract. Feeding ELA improved body weight gain and several markers of intestinal function.

The ergot alkaloids produced by endophyte-infected (EI) varieties of tall fescue are beneficial to the plant but detrimental to cattle, as they induce different negative responses that are commonly referred to as fescue toxicosis (FT). The increased ambient temperature and humidity commonly experienced during the summer aggravate the symptoms of FT and this interaction significantly reduces animal performance and productivity.

The Mashona cattle, a Bos taurus and Bos indicus composite, were brought from Zimbabwe to New Mexico in the 1990s. Since then, they have been valued by ranchers in hot and humid areas for their resistance to pests, heat, and maternal characteristics, making them ideal for crossbreeding. This study aimed to explore the genetic background and diversity of Mashona cattle in the United States by analyzing 24 samples from Tennessee State University.

Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is traditionally defined as the increase in the performance of crossbred progeny relative to the average performance of their purebred parents. These heterosis effects may vary depending on the breed of animals in the original cross; however, breed-specific estimates are difficult to obtain because of the resources required to estimate the effects. The Germplasm Evaluation Program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center is designed to evaluate crosses of 18 different prominent U.S. beef cattle breeds.

The Dublin Declaration of Scientists on the Societal Role of Livestock (2023) was initiated during the International Summit on the Societal Role of Meat, held in October 2022 in Dublin. Scientific evidence in support of the declaration was provided through a variety of oral presentations by leading experts and a series of articles published in a previous Themed Issue of Animal Frontiers (Volume 13, Issue 2, April 2023, ISSN 2160-6056, EISSN 2160-6064). Since the declaration was issued for the publishing of this editorial, over 1,200 verified scientists from around the world have signed to document their agreement.

Ruminants present variability in enteric methane (CH4) emissions over time and due to changes in dietary characteristics; however, limited information exists regarding the re-ranking according to CH4 emissions of growing steers during the backgrounding and finishing phases, and the effect of using metabolic modulators such as growth-promoting implants, on gas flux. In this experiment, 46 Angus steers were evaluated during the backgrounding and finishing phases.

Globally there is a requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing food production to meet the nutritional demands of the growing population. In this study, linseed oil, a temperate brown seaweed, or an extract of the brown seaweed were mixed into concentrate feed and offered to growing beef bulls every morning and evening.

High dietary levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) have been used in swine production to prevent/control postweaning diarrhea. However, such strategy has been demonstrated to stimulate bacterial resistance to antibiotics and metals.