Volume 9, 2025

Food and Drug Administration-Center of Veterinary Medicine requires data on the effect of hempseed meal on each animal species and in each of their life stages before approval of hempseed meal (a potential alternative protein source) as an animal feed ingredient. Outcomes of this study will be helpful for the review during the approval process of hempseed meal as a feed ingredient for goats.

Small ruminants raised in tropical conditions may have lower energy requirements for maintenance than recommend by current feeding systems, especially those developed primarily using data obtained in temperate climates. The global and tropical models developed in this study are recommended for use in ration formulation software, being the later targeted towards small ruminants in tropical regions.

The beneficial effects of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) isolated from calf rumen fluid were evaluated and found to enhance the intestinal barrier by reducing the absorption of the marker fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran. Additionally, physicochemical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, as well as size distribution and zeta-potential analysis were employed as low-cost and rapid alternatives to standard methods, providing preliminary support for effectively characterizing the DFM.

•Early inclusion of solid feed helps to improve rumen development in goats.

•Plant extracts, probiotics, and microbial inoculants can improve rumen development in goats.

Acid-binding capacity of the diet can be lowered with specialty soy protein sources which offers an alternative to pharmacological levels of Zn in weanling pig diets.

Feeding increasing levels of a blend of capsicum oleoresin, clove and garlic essential oils increased average daily gain and tended to increase average daily feed intake in diets containing pharmacological levels of Zn and Cu in one experiment but not in another.

This study highlights the minimal practical differences in performance, carcass traits, and pork quality between barrows and gilts slaughtered at over 130 kg, supporting the adaptability of both sexes to heavier slaughter weights in Brazilian production systems. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing swine production efficiency while meeting market demands for leaner, high-yield carcasses.

1. Pigs can discern between diets containing different levels of mycotoxins and favor the diet with lower concentrations of mycotoxins.

2. Increasing fumonisins and deoxynivalenol concentrations to the FDA guidance and advisory levels did not decrease pig performance.

The addition of mycotoxin fines up to 60% of the diet resulted in a detriment to pig performance. The feed additive Biofix Plus with FUMzyme ameliorated a portion of the lost pig performance that had resulted from the addition of mycotoxins in the diet.

Cooling and Moringa have the potential to reduce heat stress-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory cytokine responses in lactating sows. Implementing mitigation strategies, especially around parturition, may be the most effective approach to mitigate the impact of heat stress on sow colostrum quality and piglet performance.

This study evaluated genetic resistance in nursery pigs against F18 Escherichia coli -associated postweaning diarrhea after an experimental inoculation. Pigs with the homozygous resistant genotype had no mortalities during the trial, grew faster, were more feed efficient, and had fewer bacteria in the ileum compared to the homozygous susceptible genotype.

Two different approaches, cosine similarity and deviation, have the potential to identify changes the behavior pattern of cattle when they become ill from Bovine Ephemeral Fever using accelerometer data. Remote monitoring of livestock health with accelerometers and algorithms such as those described in this study could reduce labor costs and reduce time to treatment in extensive pastures.

Nematode fecal egg counts are variable in young cattle grazing both irrigated pasture and dryland in northern California. Cooperia and Ostertagia , both common nematode genera shed in young grazing cattle, may show signs of macrocyclic lactone resistance.

Administration of local anesthesia immediately before castration reduced behaviors indicative of pain and improved the mobility of beef calves after the procedure.

Custom iOS apps were the better edge devices for real-time digital dermatitis (DD) detection as compared to custom Android and the Ultralytics apps. iOS apps performed well in recognizing DD lesions in real-time in dairy farms and therefore can be used for early detection of DD.

What do cattle transporters feel about their job? They generally enjoy their role working closely with both animals and people. On-the-job training is highly valued by cattle transporters, as is their ability to both stay safe while working and to cultivate a positive working environment.

The HR and HRV data presented in this pilot study provide further evidence that horses appear to be unstressed by their participation in equine-assisted services (EAS), in this case, specifically adaptive horsemanship for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Feedlot cattle placed on feed as yearlings, despite not being considered high-risk for disease development, are exposed to stressors during the finishing period. Two experiments evaluated the maternal bovine appeasing substance, an analogue of the bovine appeasing pheromone, as a strategy to alleviate such stressors and improve their feedlot performance, health, and carcass quality.

This research demonstrates that interacting with youth with a history of trauma and emotional dysregulation did not increase stress in horses during an equine-assisted learning program, compared to a control condition of equine-assisted learning for individuals without a history of trauma.

Abscesses are the most common liver abnormality in feedlot cattle at harvest and are responsible for many production losses and health concerns. In order to better understand the pathogenesis of liver abscesses, the current study evaluated the association of liver abscess with various demographic factors, and gross and histopathologic lesions in the gastrointestinal tract in feedlot mortalities.

The study underscores potential cross-breed specific variations in urinary protein levels and UPC ratio and highlights the diagnostic potential of USG, UPC ratio, and uGGT index in rabbits with kidney disease.

This manuscript describes a metabolic shift in healthy, adult, large breed dogs fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet towards greater post-meal glucagon and amino acid concentrations and lower blood glucose concentrations. This could have implications for obese or diabetic dogs with poor glucose uptake.

This study suggests that dogs fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet have increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation after a meal in comparison to dogs fed a moderate protein, moderate carbohydrate diet. This suggests the potential for high protein, low carbohydrate diets to aid in weight management if the diet were to be appropriately calorie-restricted.

This aspect of the National Beef Quality Audit-2022 focused on hide characteristics, defects visible on the carcass surface, and offal condemnations related to animal welfare and the value of beef and dairy market cows and bulls. This comprehensive survey provides detailed findings related to the types of defects observed on hides, the quantity and severity of bruises, visible injection-site presence, offal condemnations, and pregnancy status of cows at harvest.

This project provides evidence that proteolysis is the primary mechanism regulating tenderization of bison and demonstrates that sensory characteristics of bison are influenced by finishing systems.

This project demonstrates that vegetative diversity during the stocker phase can influence the profitability of an operation without negatively impacting steer performance and carcass traits.

Neither an essential oil blend nor monensin, alone or in combination, decreased enteric methane (CH₄ ) emissions in backgrounding and finishing feedlot steers. The GreenFeed system is a popular tool for assessing enteric CH₄ production from individual ruminants; however, standardized operation and data analysis criteria would improve the reliability of the results from this system.

A recent survey of U.S. swine farm managers reveals significant variability in how heat stress thresholds are perceived and managed on farms. The responses underscore the need for clearer guidelines to ensure effective heat stress mitigation strategies in swine production.

The research demonstrates that Rumin8 oil, a synthetic bromoform-based feed additive, can reduce methane emissions in cattle by up to 95.0% without negatively impacting animal growth or digestive health, highlighting its potential as an effective tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector. However, further research is needed to examine the potential for a powder formulation to achieve similar results.

Feeding a milk replacer with a protein and fat content similar to beef cow milk improved beef × dairy crossbred calf growth and muscle growth.

Altogether, our results highlight the individual effects of backgrounding and finishing systems on water intake and the efficiency of finishing animals, as well as the importance of an adequate plane of nutrition during earlier stages of life to decrease water intake and ensure the final carcass quality of these animals. Additionally, grass/forage-finished beef generally had a higher water requirement than grain-finished beef.

This research highlights the potential to improve dairy-beef progeny performance through a combination of superior genetic merit coupled with strategic feed supplementation.

A two-year Extension program was conducted in South Dakota with the purpose of providing producers with a holistic view of the beef cattle industry, including emphasis on adaptive management and skill-building to assess and manage factors of viability. Participants expanded their beef enterprises, implemented management plans, and improved profitability, underscoring the positive impact of Extension programming on the viability of beef cattle operations.

The use of an online educational tool focused on recognizing equine affective states has the ability to positively impact behavior change as reported by users and offers a high degree of satisfaction.

At the same days on feed, Experior supplementation compared to positive control (ractopamine hydrochloride; OPT) or negative control (no beta agonist; CON), increased carcass growth performance, hot carcass weight and lowered quality grade distribution. Experior did not show significant advantages in live growth performance, such as live body weight, average daily gain, or gain:feed.

This study validated two proximity loggers (Lotek LiteTrack LR collars and Lotek V7E 154D ear tags) to detect proximity events between beef bulls. The loggers presented high precision and low sensitivity when compared to visual observations.

Technical details of a mobile CO₂ depopulation system for pigs are described. The system consists of easily accessible components and can be produced quickly in multiple numbers in emergency situations.

The need for calf handling and restraint is integral for calf health and production in extensive beef systems. Perspectives of participants in animal handling provide insights into evaluating the cost/benefit of common handling methods and evidence for informing policies, standards, and communication.

This study revealed how farmers and advisors in the U.S. Upper Midwest interpreted the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship Program.

Feeding first parity beef females at a moderate rate of gain during early pregnancy enhanced milk protein concentration. No differences were observed in milk yield and composition as a result of supplementation with vitamins and minerals throughout pregnancy.

Increased adiposity is negatively associated with semen quality in yearling beef bulls.