Agronomic production of industrial hemp was relegalized in the United States in 2018, and the residual biomass of hemp may be useful as an alternative roughage source to cattle. Previous studies have used mostly in vitro methods to estimate the nutritional value of hemp to cattle, and data are still limited on how hemp variety and botanical parts influence estimates of the nutritional value of hemp.

Ruminant animals naturally produce methane during fermentative processes; however, this process represents a loss of dietary energy and has been scrutinized for its potential environmental impacts. Nutritional management strategies, such as the use of feed additives, have been investigated as a possible option for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle.

The amount of dietary protein (DP), specifically reduced DP, in weaned diets has inconsistent effects on performance and gut health of nursery pigs. The conflicting results may be due to the variability in the digestibility of protein ingredients and may differentially contribute to protein flow into the hindgut. Therefore, it is possible to formulate diets with similar DP but varying indigestible dietary protein (IDP) fraction.

The current study investigated how the addition of either finely or coarsely ground oat hulls (as an insoluble fiber source) at 15% affected gastrointestinal development and function during the immediate post-weaning period. We observed improvements in parameters related to gastrointestinal development and function.

This study developed a computer-controlled closed-circuit respiratory calorimetry system to accurately measure oxygen (O2) consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) production in broilers, which are essential for determining total heat production. The system includes components for controlling the chamber environment, quantifying O2 use, filtering air, and absorbing CO2.

Extra-label bisphosphonate use has occurred in the juvenile horse despite a lack of scientific evidence, due to perceived anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective benefits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of clodronate disodium (CD) on biomarkers of cartilage metabolism and intra-articular inflammation within the articulating joint of the juvenile horse using an intra-articular inflammatory model.

Microorganisms that live in the digestive system of cattle help break down food, improve nutrient absorption, and can even affect how much methane the animals produce. These microbes may also influence traits important to beef production, such as meat quality and animal growth.

On November 12th, President Trump signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown on record. Democrats and Republicans had been at an impasse since the shutdown began, but negotiators were ultimately successful in getting a package to pass the Senate by a filibuster proof margin. The House quickly moved to approve the Senate legislation sending the bill to the White House for signature.

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

George Fahey's Animal Science Journey

Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) is a common dairy herd health issue. Variation among cows in the severity of SARA is a chance to understand the etiology of SARA and prevent the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the severities of SARA in the first lactation with that in the second lactation in terms of reticular pH metrics, microbiota and systemic health.

Fumaric acid can be supplemented in the ruminants’ diets without compromising DMI. However, reductions in methane production and yield were observed only in small ruminant (sheep and goats), whoever FA supplementation appears to be less effective in mitigating methane emissions in cattle.

The gut microbiome, which is made up of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, plays a crucial role in the development of a newborn’s digestive and immune systems. The composition of this microbiome is influenced by several factors, including the diet of the mother. This study focused on how supplementing the diet of lactating sows with a specific amino acid, i.e. arginine (Arg), can affect the growth and health of piglets, as well as their gut microbiome.

Feed-grade medications have been widely used in swine production due to their ability to treat a diagnosed pathogen challenge, regulate gut microbiota, promote growth, enhance feed efficiency, and reduce inflammation. Due to concerns of bacterial resistance, some feed-grade medications have been restricted as a growth promotor in some countries.

Weanling pigs are highly susceptible to intestinal health challenges caused by harmful bacterial agents, which can trigger inflammation and weaken intestinal epithelial integrity. However, research on the potential benefits of dietary spirulina as a bioactive feed additive for improving gut health in weanling pigs remains limited.

Numerical abilities play a fundamental role in survival by enabling animals to assess resources and make adaptive decisions. Among these, numerical discrimination, the capability to distinguish between larger and smaller numerosities, is highly studied. Numerical discrimination can be solved using two strategies: the absolute, selecting a specific numerosity, or the relative, identifying the larger or smaller one.

Pregnancy loss (PL) is a major contributor to reproductive inefficiency in beef cattle operations and carries significant economic implications for producers. Although management and environmental factors are known to influence pregnancy maintenance, the genetic factors contributing to PL remain poorly understood, particularly in Bos indicus-influenced breeds.

This study examined the effects of supplementing rumen-protected methionine (RP-Met) during the periconceptional period on post-weaning traits of female offspring. A total of 114 beef cows were randomly assigned to a control (CON; no RP-Met) and RP-Met treatment.

Recent advances in animal breeding and genetics have made it possible to combine records, genotypes, and pedigree into a single input for predicting breeding values, making genomic evaluations easier and more efficient. However, large genomic models remain computationally expensive.

This study investigated the impact of Methylococcus capsulatus, mixed with or without purified bacterial strains or mixed rumen fluid, on feeding grass-based and/or grain-based diet rations, as well as changes in bacterial cells, rumen fermentation rates, gas production, and rumen microbiota in in vitro and continuous culture. Three experiments were carried out using in vitro ANKUM gas production systems (Exp. 1 and 2) and continuous recirculating flux chamber systems (Exp. 3).