Featured Articles

  • May
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Examination of the role of the rumen in zinc metabolism


    Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace mineral that plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal barrier function and structure. This research aimed to expand our understanding of the role of the rumen epithelium in Zn metabolism in ruminants. Using 4 ruminally fistulated steers, 2 experiments were conducted to evaluate Zn’s disappearance from the rumen.

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  • May
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Predicting dry matter intake in cattle at scale using gradient boosting regression techniques and Gaussian process boosting regression with Shapley additive explanation explainable artificial intelligence...


    Reducing the ecological footprint of animal agriculture is crucial for sustainable precision agriculture. Accurately predicting dry matter intake (DMI) in cattle is a key strategy to achieve this goal. In this study, we utilized animal intake data with climatic data to predict the dry matter intake using advanced machine learning (ML) models including Gaussian Process Boosting (GPBoost).

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  • May
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of a fiber-degrading enzyme on ileal digestibility of amino acids and fiber and total tract digestibility of energy and fiber in growing pigs fed diets with high level of corn distillers grains with solubles


    As bioethanol production grows, corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) have become a popular, cost-effective feed ingredient for pigs, replacing corn and soybean meal. However, cDDGS are high in fiber, which can reduce nutrient digestibility in pigs. Supplementation of exogenous enzymes like xylanase and cellulase to cDDGS diets can improve nutrient absorption and feed efficiency by breaking down these fibers and altering the gut environment.

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  • May
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Effects of dietary metabolizable energy density and inclusion of oxidized soybean oil on the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, redox status, and wooden breast incidence of broilers


    Dietary nutrients not only play a crucial role in growth and pectoralis muscle production of broilers but also are associated with the occurrence of pectoralis myopathies. Soybean oil is commonly added to animal diets to increase energy density.

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  • May
    08
    Interpretive Summary: The effects of a plant-based and a plant- and marine-based n-3 oil supplement on behavioral reactivity, heart rate variability, and plasma fatty acid profile in young healthy horses


    Reactive behaviors in horses can impact the welfare and safety of both the horse and the handler. Reductions in reactivity have been observed in horses-fed diets with increased fat and low starch and sugar, but the effects of specific fatty acids on reactive behaviors in horses is unknown. Therefore, the objective of the study is to investigate the impacts of camelina oil (providing the plant-based α-linolenic acid, ALA) and a mix of camelina and algae oil (providing the marine-based eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) on plasma fatty acids, heart rate variability, and reactive behaviors.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome due to the intramuscular administration of lidocaine in wether lambs


    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.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Genetic parameters for image-based estimations of swine feet and leg conformation traits


    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.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Whole pulse ingredient inclusion in macronutrient-balanced diets increased fecal concentrations of propionic acid but not total bile acids in healthy adult large-breed dogs after 20 weeks


    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.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Evaluation of nutritional values of defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay


    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.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Negative energy balance by feed deprivation affects the adipose miRNome in the lactating goat


    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.

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  • May
    01
    Interpretive Summary: Rethinking sustainability: recognizing animal welfare’s critical role


    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).

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  • Apr
    24
    Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals


    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.

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  • Apr
    24
    Key Scientific Takeaways from the 2025 International Livestock Congress: The A,B,C’s of Communicating About the Value of Animal Agriculture to Society


    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.

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  • Apr
    24
    Washington Roundup – April 2025


    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...

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  • Apr
    22
    The Giving Herd - ASAS Foundation Newsletter - April 2025


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

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  • Apr
    22
    Richard Coffey's Animal Science Journey


    Richard Coffey's ASAS Journey

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  • Apr
    17
    Interpretive Summary: A specific blend of prebiotics and postbiotics improved the gut microbiome of dogs with soft stools in the in vitro Simulator of the Canine Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem


    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.

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  • Apr
    17
    Interpretive Summary: Acute enhanced liquid aspirin administration improves performance and intestinal function in nursery pigs


    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.

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  • Apr
    17
    Interpretive Summary: Influence of heat stress and fescue toxicosis on the pulmonary arterial pressure of beef heifers


    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.

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  • Apr
    17
    Interpretive Summary: Out of Africa: genetic characterization and diversity of Mashona cattle in the United States


    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.

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