Featured Articles

  • Jun
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Plasma protein levels of young healthy pigs as indicators of disease resilience


    A challenge of selection for disease resilience is that it is difficult to directly select pigs that have greater resilience to multiple diseases in the healthy nucleus herd environment which is essential for breeding programs. A possible alternative is to select an indicator trait or marker that can be measured in a healthy setting, is heritable, and is associated with the genetics of disease resilience.

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  • Jun
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Genetic parameters for fleece uniformity in alpacas


    The quality of alpaca fiber is mainly assessed by a low fiber diameter. However, the fiber diameter can greatly vary along the different body locations of the animal, the industry demands not only the fineness of the fiber but also the fleece uniformity.

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  • Jun
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Genetic parameters for mouth size and their influence on growth traits in pasture-raised Nelore cattle


    Evaluating traits that allow breeders to increase production efficiency in beef production systems is important. The mouth size (MS) score is a trait easily measured and implemented by breeders. Our results showed that MS in Nelore cattle is a heritable trait, and it is favorably associated with growth traits, indicating that animals with larger mouth are heavier at weaning and gain more weight after weaning on pasture.

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  • Jun
    15
    Interpretive Summary: Reproductive performance and transcriptome analysis of ovaries at different parities in female rabbits


    The pregnancy data of 658 female rabbits from the first to sixth parities (P1 to P6) under the same mating pattern were used to assess the rate of conception at different parities. The reproductive performance and follicular development of P1, P2, and P6 female rabbits were analyzed. The results showed that conception rate was dramatically reduced in P6.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Impact of shade in beef feedyards on performance, ear temperature, and heat stress measures


    This study was performed over two separate summers to evaluate natural exposure to heat and quantify the impact that providing shade has on stress measures, estimates of body temperature, and feedlot performance.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Inclusion of Berberis vulgaris leaf in the diet of fattening lambs: effects on performance, nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and carcass traits


    Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) leaf (BVL) is an agricultural by-product rich in plant secondary compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannin. The present study was aimed to first, evaluate in vitro nutritional value of BVL and second, explore the effects of BVL inclusion in finishing lambs diet (at levels of 0%, 7.5%, and 15% dry matter [DM] of diet), in partial replacement of alfalfa hay, on performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal fermentation.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Efficacy of a bacterial 6-phytase supplemented beyond traditional dose levels on jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, ileal nutrient digestibility, bone parameters, and intestinal health, and growth performance of nursery pigs


    After weaning, pigs start to receive solid diets throughout nursery phase with high amounts of plant-based feedstuffs containing various antinutritional and allergenic compounds. Feed enzymes have been used in nursery diets to reduce or remove the negative impacts associated with these compounds.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Metabolizable energy and apparent total tract digestibility of energy and nutrients differ among samples of sunflower meal and sunflower expellers fed to growing pigs


    Global oilseed production has been increasing due to the increased demand for oil as well as the increased demand for amino acids for livestock feeding. In addition to providing amino acids, sunflower meal (SFM) and sunflower expellers (SFE) also provide energy and other nutrients to the diets.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Evaluation of high-protein diets differing in protein source in healthy adult dogs


    Pet food trends are constantly changing. Because consumers are often focused on dietary proteins, with ingredient sources, dietary inclusion levels, and processing methods being important, they are a popular research topic. Protein sources contain different amino acid (AA) profiles and vary in digestibility, affecting protein quality.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Comprehensive RNA-seq profiling to evaluate the rabbit mammary gland transcriptome after mastitis


    Mastitis is a common disease in women and farm animals, which is an infection of mammary gland tissue resulting in pain, swelling, warmth, and redness. A survey of Spain and Portugal rabbit farms shows that the prevalence of mastitis was 4% in lactating does.

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  • Jun
    08
    Interpretive Summary: Comparison of an advanced automated ultrasonic scanner (AutoFom III) and a handheld optical probe (Destron PG-100) to determine lean yield in pork carcasses


    Pork grading is a producer-feedback system that provides carcass trait information (i.e., carcass weight, fat/lean deposition) to determine the economic value of carcasses. Packing plants generally emphasize the optimization of carcass weight and leanness by providing premium or discounted prices using a grid system. Packing plants routinely collect carcass weights while carcass leanness can be more challenging to capture.

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  • Jun
    01
    Another court rules against WOTUS


    The Sixth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals has issued a stay on enforcing the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in Kentucky. This decision means WOTUS is only law in 23 states. President Joe Biden recently vetoed a bill that would overturn WOTUS.

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  • Jun
    01
    Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023 is introduced


    United States Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Peter Welch (D-VT) recently introduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023. The bill would expand and strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for over 40 million Americans by amending the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that SNAP benefits be calculated using the value of the low-cost food plan.

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  • Jun
    01
    Dairy industry releases plan to modernize FMMO system


    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) sent a comprehensive proposal to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will modernize the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) System. NMPF has worked over the last two years to develop this plan, including more than 150 meetings with various stakeholders.

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  • Jun
    01
    New bill will expand opportunities for small meat processors


    United States Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have recently introduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemptions for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act, which would allow meat and poultry products inspected by State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold by retail stores, restaurants, or similar retail-type establishments over the internet and shipped by a carrier in commerce.

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  • Jun
    01
    NIH and USDA partner to promote use of animals in science


    Towards the end of last year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a call for applications for Dual-Purpose research projects. The Dual Purpose with Dual Benefit: Research in Biomedicine and Agriculture Using Agriculturally Important Domestic Animal Species research grant program is an interagency partnership between NIH and USDA, to improve human health through the advancement of basic and translational research deemed highly relevant to both agricultural and biomedical research.

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  • Jun
    01
    Supreme Court upholds Prop 12


    The United States Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that challenges California’s Proposition 12 (Prop 12). Prop 12 passed in 201 and requires pork meat sold in the state to come from pigs born to a sow housed in at least a 24-square-foot-pen. The Supreme Court’s ruling is a major blow to pork producers across the country.

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  • Jun
    01
    The PRIME Act is introduced, but draws criticism from meat groups


    United States House of Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroduced the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act to make it easier for small farms and ranches to serve consumers. The bipartisan act would give individual states the freedom to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.

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  • Jun
    01
    The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program receives funding


    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an investment of $46 million in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. The SARE program has supported farmer-driven grants and grassroots education programs resulting in climate-smart solutions for farms and ranches in every state and island protectorate since 1988.

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  • Jun
    01
    US House request Farm Bill feedback


    The United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture is requesting input on the next version of the Farm Bill. The committee has published an online portal to collect feedback and opinions. Committee leaders believe this tool will allow members to better share the experiences and priorities of agriculture producers and consumers.

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