At least nine of the 27 EU member states have national food labeling schemes with animal welfare claims, and there is a growing plethora of private animal welfare labels (AWL), e.g., as part of the marketing strategy of retail companies (Lundmark et al., 2018; EC, 2022; Stygar et al., 2022). The impact of these labels on the welfare of farmed animals is generally considered disappointing (but see Mullan et al., 2016, 2022). The multitude of labels often confuse the consumer, and there seems to be a clear need for simplifying the existing state of play of these labeling schemes (BEUC, 2021; Forbes, 2021; Promarket, 2021; EC, 2022).

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.