Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation-derived postbiotic (SCFP) has been shown to increase ruminal pH of cattle fed a high-concentrate diet. Increased ruminal pH has been linked to increased methane emissions. Some studies have suggested that SCFP can reduce methane emissions by improving feed efficiency.

Phytase is added to pig diets to improve P digestibility but may also improve amino acid (AA) digestibility. Data from experiments evaluating the dose–response effect of a phytase are used to determine AA “matrix” values, i.e., the amount by which the diet may be reduced in AA due to the expected contribution of the phytase.

Obesity in cats is a widespread issue that increases the risk of serious health conditions, including feline fatty liver disease. There has been interest in two micronutrients, choline and L-carnitine, for their potential to support liver health in cats, particularly in those that are obese. In the present study, 18 cats (nine lean and nine obese) were fed a commercial dry food supplemented with either choline, L-carnitine, or no supplement for 6 wk.

Metabolic availability (MA) of an amino acid (AA) is the fraction of a dietary AA that is digestible and available for protein synthesis. Chicken meal (ChM) and peas are commonly used protein sources in extruded dog foods, with peas containing more fiber. Moreover, the essential AA methionine (Met) is first limiting in peas.

High environmental temperatures detrimentally affect the productive performance and welfare of lactating sows. Reduced litter growth is linked to decreased sow milk production, but there may be other factors related to maternal heat stress that impact neonate development. For example, heat stress can increase the risk for lipid damage.

The amount of fat within beef muscle, known as intramuscular fat (IMF) or marbling, is a key factor that influences meat tenderness and juiciness—two key attributes that directly impact consumer satisfaction. The development of IMF occurs mainly during late pregnancy and in the first months after birth, a period called the “marbling window”. Research suggests that specific nutrients such as vitamin A may enhance this process at early stages of life.

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

When piglets are weaned, they often experience stress, diarrhea, and slower growth. To manage these challenges, antibiotics or zinc oxide are commonly used, but concerns about resistance and environmental impact have prompted interest in safer and natural alternatives. This study tested a plant-based supplement made from green tea extract, butyric acid, and vitamin K (called GBK) on young pigs.

This study presents a computer vision–based method to measure the total feed intake of dairy cows to help farmers manage feeding practices more efficiently. The system uses an overhead camera to capture color images of the feed pile and analyze changes over time.

This new study explores how to improve OPU-IVF efficiency in high-quality Wagyu cattle exposed to high temperatures. Systematic folic acid supplementation in 20 clinically healthy Wagyu heifers under controlled heat stress for 20 d significantly reduced inflammatory signaling molecules linked to heat stress, while enhancing their antioxidant capacity and increasing estrogen levels.

Inflammation is an important response of the innate immune system, but feed intake is reduced in cattle experiencing inflammatory reactions. Acute and chronic inflammation leads to appetite depression via neural and hormonal mechanisms, and may impair the ability of the rumen in digesting feed via interactions between animal hormones and ruminal microbes.

After giving birth to a calf, cows, like other mammals, experience a period of very high energy expenditure, which is often associated with negative energy balance (NEB) or metabolic stress. NEB, among others, decreases the reproductive ability of the cow. In dairy cattle, it is required that both a high milk yield is achieved, and the cow is able to conceive again as soon as possible.

Genetic evaluation is the process of combining individual animal performance and ancestry data along with information on contributing non-genetic effects, to estimate the genetic merit of individuals. This is a routine process in all developed countries, with the outcome being estimates of genetic merit for individual animals.

The introduction of genomics into genetic prediction tools has led to a significant increase in selection accuracies across livestock populations. This innovation was enabled by the development of high-density genotyping arrays in the late 2000s. These tools have been used to generate millions of genotypes since.

The global dairy sector produced 930 million tons of milk in 2022, which was processed into a wide range of dairy products for human consumption. In 2023, 160.8 million tons have been produced by EU 27, the largest global producer, followed by United States.

The increasing global population and the rising demand for sustainable food systems have highlighted the potential of agricultural co-products as viable alternatives for enhancing livestock production efficiency (FAO, 2017). Among agricultural commodities, by-products derived from agro-industrial processing present an economically and environmentally sustainable solution, aligning with the principles of a circular economy (Nath et al., 2023).

There is increasing interest in circular bioeconomy practices, technologies and products at the intersection of the circular economy and bioeconomy practices that promote more sustainable economic models, functioning within planetary boundaries (Muscat et al., 2021; Rockström et al., 2024). Circular bioeconomy approaches can recover a suite of products from some of the largest organic residue streams in livestock systems and supply chains (Ramirez et al., 2021) including: manures, processing and post-consumer streams (e.g., wastewaters and municipal sewage).

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably CO2 from fossil fuel combustion, are increasingly altering the radiative balance of Earth’s atmosphere, leading to dangerous shifts in global climate (Ripple et al., 2024). In response to this human-inflicted threat, Canada, like other countries, has committed to drastically curtailing its agricultural emissions, having set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 (Government of Canada, 2024).

The evolution of the current linear production system into a circular approach, with the use of increased quantities of biomass, requires the development of appropriate policies to encourage and potentially incentivize the circular use of biomass. This development will lead to both the potential use of new materials and allow for the safe use of currently wasted resources from sectors such as livestock production systems, including processing wastes (e.g., whey, wool, wool grease, wastewaters) or manures to produce products, such as feed and fertilizers.

With lawmakers away from Washington the week of September 22nd, they will return on September 29th with little time to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month. On September 17th, House Republicans successfully passed a “clean” continuing resolution by a vote of 217-212. The measure would keep the government funded through November 21st.