Added histidine (His) in lactating dairy cattle diets has been observed to increase milk production. This suggests that histidine might be a limiting amino acid in lactating dairy cows fed grain and grass silage-based diets. However, there is limited data available on the effects of increasing dietary histidine on performance of lactating sows.

Low birthweight piglets suffer from impaired postnatal development that negatively affects organ function, bodyweight, and health at vulnerable life stages. This leads to increased disease susceptibility and mortality, especially in male piglets.

This study investigated the effects of vitamin D₃ on the growth and differentiation of adipose cells derived from muscle tissue in Korean native cattle. Vitamin D₃ reduced cell proliferation during the growth phase, limiting the number of adipose cells.

This study evaluated the quality of different chicken-based protein sources for animal feed. Using a special method involving roosters with removed ceca (part of their digestive system), we measured how well the proteins from 4 types of chicken products were digested.

Consumption of fish oil, which contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has health benefits. There is concern about the limited availability of fish stocks/oil, so alternative sources of EPA and DHA are sought.

Tail docking, the removal of the lamb’s tail, is a common practice on sheep operations to improve hygiene and reduce the risk of flystrike, a painful maggot infestation. Unfortunately, the rubber rings used to dock tails can cause pain and discomfort.

Endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue is an important forage for livestock operations, but cattle consuming this forage can develop fescue toxicosis with symptoms including depressed prolactin, vasoconstriction, and decreased growth rates that can persist as long as 5 wk after grazing. Isoflavones found in forage legumes, such as red clover, can alleviate fescue toxicosis symptoms.

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

The use of grape pomace (GP), a byproduct arising from the winemaking, in the diet of dairy sheep is a great strategy to improve the sustainability of the livestock sector and to enhance the quality of dairy products. The recycle of byproducts from the agro-industrial chain allows to reduce the cost of the ration and to decrease the carbon footprint of the animal feed stuffs.

The ongoing global demand to discover alternative strategies to mitigate methane emissions from farm animal production continues to rise. No studies have investigated the potential effects of breaking down the cell walls of methane-producing archaeal species that are responsible for ruminal methanogenesis using endo-1,3-β-D-glucanase.

Due to health concerns associated with the sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock production, the use of antibiotics as a feed additive has been prohibited in many countries. For this reason, a demand for non-antibiotic alternatives able to increase feed efficiency has been created.

When pigs and beef cattle are processed in a slaughterhouse, the inedible parts are often used to produce meat and bone meal, which is a valuable byproduct for pigs and chickens. However, the production of meat and bone meal requires heating, which can reduce the amino acid (AA) digestibility of this byproduct in pigs and chickens.

Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086, is a commercially available, lactic-acid-producing, spore-forming bacteria that exhibits probiotic characteristics. Twelve healthy adult English Pointer dogs were fed the same diet, but supplemented with B. coagulans or a placebo via gelatin capsules with the following treatments tested: (1) basal diet + placebo (control; 250 mg maltodextrin); (2) basal diet + B. coagulans [low dose; 5 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU)/d]; and (3) basal diet + B. coagulans (high dose; 2.5 × 109 CFU/d).

Meat plays an important role in alleviating micronutrient deficiencies, particularly due to its richness in various highly bioavailable mineral elements. However, how minerals accumulate in meat and whether genetics plays a role is still poorly understood.

In modern pig farming, new technologies are helping farmers better understand how pigs grow and use their feed. One key area of interest is feed efficiency, which considers the animal’s ability to convert feed into body weight. Another important factor is feeding behavior, which has been linked to feed efficiency. In addition, current research is focusing on the gut microbiota to assess how it influences animal health and growth.

This study explored how different levels of physically effective neutral detergent fiber from forage (peNDF-F) and the feed additive narasin affect the performance, carcass traits, meat quality, gastrointestinal fermentation, and ruminal papillae development of feedlot lambs consuming high-concentrate diets. Lambs fed higher levels of fiber in the diet (104 g/kg of peNDF-F) consumed more feed, but this did not lead to better weight gain and reduced feed efficiency.

Large pen feedlot studies (n = 7) with heifers and steers (n = 17,571) were conducted in North America with the objective to determine the effects of orally administered Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125 (Lactipro; LP) at terminal processing on subsequent mortality and growth performance. The death rate during the feeding period following terminal processing was 1.57 times greater in cattle not administered LP.

Ruminants can use non-protein nitrogen (NPN) due to the symbiotic relationship with rumen microbes; however, there is limited information on supplementing different NPN mixtures on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis. Twelve American Aberdeen steers were used in a replicated and balanced 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 periods of 35 d each. Urea (U), urea-biuret (UB), and urea-biuret-nitrate (UBN) mixtures were supplemented in an isonitrogenous corn silage-based diet.

In late gestation, the amino acid requirements of primiparous sows increase substantially due to growth of the fetal pool and mammary gland development. Dietary Lys (protein) supply in late gestation can influence mammary development by the end of gestation, with an unknown impact on subsequent milk production.

Trypsin inhibitor proteins are intrinsic to soybeans and soy products, presenting an omnipresent antinutritional factor challenging soy-based product use in swine diets. Increasing dietary trypsin inhibitor (TIU/mg) protein linearly compromises growth performance, feed efficiency, and nitrogen retention as soybean TIU increased in the diet of nursery pigs. These performance outcomes were caused by reductions in nitrogen digestibility and retention.