This study investigated the effects of feeding timothy forage to pair-housed Holstein calves on their growth performance. Thirty-two pairs of Holstein heifer calves were randomly assigned to a control group or a treatment group at pairing. The timothy hay group had a trough at the back of the pen with pellets until day 59, then they were transitioned to long-stem timothy hay until study completion on day 70 (7 d post-weaning).

The global beef industry continues to receive increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, particularly regarding greenhouse gas emissions. Ruminant animals, such as beef cattle, naturally produce methane gas as a by-product of enteric fermentation. In addition to its environmental impacts, ruminal methane production also represents an inherent source of energetic inefficiency for the animal.

Lubabegron fumarate (LUB; tradename Experior, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN, USA) is a novel beta-adrenergic agonist that possesses a unique mechanism of action compared to other beta-agonists used in the beef industry. Previous research has noted that high liver copper (Cu) concentrations resulted in an impaired growth response in steers fed ractopamine hydrochloride.

Soy-based ingredients can harbor high levels of trypsin inhibitor protein (analytically expressed by activity: TIU) due to inherent variability and inconsistent processing. Feeding pigs diets high in TIU has been shown to reduce pig growth performance by way of decreasing ileal nitrogen digestibility. Additionally, previous research has demonstrated a potential link between hindgut protein fermentation and pig morbidity.

Camelina sativa seeds have gained attention as a promising protein-energy alternative to soybean meal feed ingredient for ruminants. They also supply beneficial unsaturated fats, although their glucosinolate content may pose challenges for ruminant feeding.

Fatigue, as a product of exhaustive exercise, is a complex process that impacts multiple physiological systems in the horse. Refinement of blood biomarker changes over the course of post-exercise recovery are required to direct management decisions regarding the return to work. Adult Thoroughbred horses performed three incremental exercise tests to exhaustion on a high-speed treadmill at 48 h intervals with blood and muscle samples collected after each test.

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

Pregnant females develop hormonal adaptations throughout pregnancy to change how their body uses nutrients and allow those nutrients to redirect to their growing offspring. One of these hormonal adaptations is that the mother becomes less responsive to insulin to redirect sugars from her own tissues to that of her offspring.

Diets for nursery pigs use highly digestible feedstuffs, such as animal protein supplements and enzyme-treated soybean meal (SBM) to help pigs adapt to solid diets, but their use can be limited by their high cost. SBM is widely used as a cost-effective protein supplement with a balanced amino acid profile. However, SBM contains anti-nutritional compounds...

The addition of feed-grade amino acids replacing a portion of intact protein sources, such as soybean meals, reduces feed costs, nitrogen excretion, and environmental impact of swine production. However, replacing too much of the intact protein source may compromise growth performance, possibly due to limited nitrogen available to synthesize non-essential amino acids.

Diarrhea in calves is one of the key factors affecting the lactation performance of dairy cows. This study offers brand new insights into the short-term and long-term effects of diarrhea in calves on subsequent lactation performance in Holstein cows.

Betaine is a natural compound found in plants and animals with bioactive properties that help cells tolerate environmental stress. Studies in rats and humans have shown it has anti-inflammatory properties and can support gut health including barrier integrity. While its benefits for humans and livestock are well-known, its effects on pets are less studied.

Food labels often include statements about how animals were raised or the environmental impact of production. For example, shoppers may see labels on meat and poultry packages that claim to be “cage free,” “raised without antibiotics,” or “sustainably farmed.” These voluntary claims are intended to differentiate food products and enhance marketability, but some question whether they are accurate.

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.