Identifying factors that influence a sow’s lifetime productivity is difficult and time-consuming as you must wait for the female to transition completely through the swine breeding herd to gain accurate and complete production information. You must also keep females that produce fewer piglets than commercial standards so physiological and biological differences can be determined between high and low lifetime producers.

Virtual fencing consists of wearable neck collars for precision animal tracking and delivery of auditory warnings, reinforced by mild electric pulses, to contain cattle. This study evaluated how Angus-Hereford (AH) and Rarámuri Criollo (RC) cows during the training to virtual fencing collars responded to a feeding challenge, where access to feed was dynamically included or excluded by the fencing collar.

Pigs at risk of growth retardation or poor survival pose a significant management challenge and can cause economic losses for pig producers. Early identification of risk factors associated with survival and growth performance during the initial stages of the production cycle is essential for the timely implementation of effective preventive strategies.

Growth performance and gas flux in winter conditions were determined for Bos taurus indicus (BI; Brahman) and Bos taurus taurus (BT; Angus) steers managed with (GPT+) and without (GPT−) the use of growth-promoting technology (GPT). During the first 84 d, despite BI having heavier initial body weight (IBW), BT had greater dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency (G:F), and average daily gain (ADG), corresponding to greater final body weight (FBW).

This study highlights the value of genome-wide analyses, particularly runs of homozygosity and heterozygosity-rich regions, in understanding the genetic architecture and adaptive diversity of livestock populations. The results observed across the sheep breeds reflect differences in their demographic histories, management practices, and selection pressures.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of energy production that have the potential to detrimentally interact with cellular components, creating damage or dysfunction within the body. In small quantities, ROS are important signaling molecules, essential for stimulating adaptation to stimuli such as inflammation and exercise.

On Friday, February 13th, the House Agriculture Committee released its version of Farm Bill Legislation, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The legislation, also known as Farm Bill 2.0, builds on the Farm Bill provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in 2025.

In response to sustainability and ethical pressures, the poultry industry continually explores strategies to enhance animal performance, health, and welfare while reducing feed costs and environmental impact from nutrient excretion. One promising approach is the adoption of low crude protein (CP) diets.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the digestibility of energy and amino acids (AA) in pistachio blanks and wheat middling fed to growing pigs. In Experiment 1, the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) were determined and results indicated that pistachio blanks had greater apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and gross energy, as well as greater DE and ME compared with wheat middlings.

Strategies to reduce the incidence of disease and subsequent usage of antibiotics in dairy cattle are highly desirable. One strategy that warrants additional research is the prolonged feeding of colostrum during the early pre-weaning phase of life.

Understanding the role of the microbiota—the collection of microorganisms living in and on animals—is becoming increasingly important in livestock breeding. However, because these microbial communities are highly complex and influenced by many factors, studying their effects can be difficult. To help address this challenge, researchers developed a new software tool called HoloSimR...

Mortality and early removal of breeding female rabbits reduce farm productivity and animal welfare. We tracked the fecal microbiota in does, comparing healthy females with those that later died or were culled for infertility. We also followed how a mother’s mortality/culling and microbiota might affect the survival of her kits.

Pigs can be fed diets in meal or pelleted form using different delivery methods (dry, wet/dry, or liquid). Pellets are fed (typically via dry or wet/dry feeding) to improve feed efficiency, while liquid feed, which maximizes growth rate and is associated with poorer feed efficiency, is generally prepared with meal. Research is required on how these feed forms and delivery methods influence the bacterial communities (bacteriome) of feed...

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

This study explored the effects of zinc (Zn) supplementation for 42 days prior to transit and transit duration on performance, energetic demand, and feeding behavior of Angus-crossbred steers. Researchers provided a diet with and without supplemental Zn with half of each diet group assigned to either a short (8 h) or long (18 h) trucking duration.

Antibiotics have traditionally been used in poultry farming to prevent gut infections and promote growth, but growing concerns about antibiotic resistance and food safety have created a need for natural alternatives. This study investigated catechu powder, a plant-based extract rich in natural compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as a feed supplement for broiler chickens.

Early weaning is a common practice in pig production, but it can reduce growth, damage intestinal structure and function, and weaken immune function, often leading to diarrhea. In the past, antibiotics were widely used to prevent these problems, but growing restrictions on antibiotic use have created the need for new strategies.

Boar taint describes an undesirable odor or taste present in pork from some entire male pigs (boars). To prevent it, male pigs are typically castrated, which is a painful and stressful procedure. We recently demonstrated that dietary supplementation with biochar (BC), a charcoal-based binding agent, successfully prevented boar taint in up to 89% of affected animals.

Many cat owners are concerned about how much water their cats drink, given the link between water intake, dehydration, and disease development. For this review, 32 papers were evaluated to determine the impact of water intake on hydration-related outcomes in cats.

Any deviation from the bright cherry-red color of beef, such as dark-cutting condition during grading, leads to discounted carcasses and subsequent economic losses. Dark-cutting beef is characterized by lower glucose and glycogen levels. Although it is known that enzymes and metabolites involved in carbohydrate metabolism are downregulated in dark-cutting beef, limited information is currently available on lipid profiles.