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Dynamic changes in peripheral blood CD4+ T cell subsets are associated with litter performance in primiparous gestating sows J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-28 Yi Yang, Lun Hua, Jiaqi He, Siyuan Liu, Yaxue Cao, Yina Jiang, Xuemei Jiang, Hua Li, Ruinan Zhang, Fali Wu, Chao Jin, Lianqiang Che, Zhengfeng Fang, Bin Feng, Yan Lin, Shengyu Xu, Jian Li, Xilun Zhao, Yong Zhuo, De Wu
This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells and their association with litter performance in primiparous gestating sows. Blood samples were collected from 72 Large White × Landrace crossbred primiparous sows on the day of mating (G0), and on days 30 (G30), G60, G90 and G110 of gestation, and were analyzed for levels of CD4+ T cell subsets include T helper 1
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Effects of fiber concentrations and fermentation rates on reproductive performance, nutrient digestibility, immune response and microbiota of lactating sows J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-28 Tao Wang, Pieter Langendijk, Paula Azevedo, Lluís Fabà, Bin Zuo, Jiangchao Zhao, Chengbo Yang
Certain types of fiber inclusion in sow diets can offer benefits such as promoting a healthy microbiome, improving intestinal health, and enhancing welfare through satiety mechanisms. While most research has focused on gestating sows, studies on lactating sows, especially regarding fiber types, levels, and fermentation rates, are limited. This study explored how fiber inclusion and fermentation rate
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Economic costs of liver abscesses in U.S. beef feedlot cattle: A comprehensive economic analysis J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-23 Daniel D Taylor, Huybert Groenendaal, Paul S Morley, Francisco Zagmutt
Liver abscesses (LA) cause significant economic losses in U.S. beef feedlot cattle through a variety of production and performance effects. This research estimated annual economic losses secondary to LA in U.S. beef feedlot cattle using a stochastic simulation model that was based on data from the literature, economic data, and expert opinion. LA prevalence was estimated for four US regions and four
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Effects of clodronate disodium on endocrine regulators of calcium in yearling horses J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-22 Matthew B Conrad, Jessica L Leatherwood, Brittany L Paris, James M George, Rafael E Martinez, Fernando B Vergara-Hernandez, Brian D Nielsen, Aimee C Colbath, Carolyn E Arnold, Kati G Glass, Thomas H Welsh, Jr., Amanda N Bradbery
Extra-label bisphosphonate (BP) use in juvenile horses is anecdotally reported, primarily for analgesic effects, despite limited scientific understanding of biologic impacts on skeletally immature horses undergoing exercise. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of clodronate disodium (CD), a form of BP, on endocrine regulators of calcium. Thus, 32 yearling Quarter Horses were stratified
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Feed restriction as a model for small intestinal permeability in nursery pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-22 Sarah C Pearce, Brian J Kerr
Reduced feed intake is a hallmark of many animal diseases and environmental conditions and has been shown to cause intestinal barrier dysfunction. As there are several markers and assays to evaluate intestinal barrier function, feed restriction may present a potential model to validate and compare multiple in vivo, ex vivo, and tissue markers of intestinal integrity. Forty-eight barrows (9.7 kg initial
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Relationship of tissue dimensions and stun placement on cadaver heads from 2-to-3-year-old male bison (Bison bison) J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-22 Allison L Matzek, Emma M Hamilton, Ashlynn A Kirk, Denise L Perry, Kurt D Vogel, Karly N Anderson
The bison industry in the United States has been growing rapidly. In 2023, over 75,000 bison were commercially slaughtered, but stunning methods for bison did not appear to be scientifically evaluated at the time of our study. Our primary objective was to evaluate tissue thicknesses at the frontal (FRONTAL: 2.5 cm above a line connecting the bottom of the horns) and poll (POLL: below the crest of the
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An improved YOLOv5 method for accurate recognition of grazing sheep activities: active, inactive, ruminating behaviors J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-22 Xiao Dong, Zirui Zhang, Juan Liao, Jiahong Chen, Shunlong Zhang, Yuan Rao
Having comprehensive access to information on sheep behaviors is essential for acquiring relevant insights into the health status of sheep and preventing diseases promptly. In particular, the ruminating behavior of sheep tends to reflect the health of their digestive system. However, due to the challenging nature of detecting ruminating behavior, traditional research has not yielded satisfactory results
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Evaluation of indwelling monitoring technologies for measuring reticulorumen pH in cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-22 Colton D Weir, Zachary M Duncan, Tyler J Spore, Mark E Corrigan, W Cole Ellis, William R Hollenbeck, Evan C Titgemeyer, Dale A Blasi
We compared reticulorumen pH measurements determined using smaXtec boli (SMAX; smaXtec Inc., Graz, Austria), Moonsyst boli (MOON; Moonsyst International, Kinsale, Republic of Ireland), and a handheld pH meter (METER; PH8500 pH/mV Meter, Apera, Columbus, OH) over time and during an ex vivo acidosis challenge. Eight ruminally cannulated heifers were used for 6 consecutive 21-d periods. On d 0, SMAX and
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The relationship of lactating beef cow metabolizable energy intake to energy partitioning, milk composition, and calf performance J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-21 Courtney M Williams, Corbit L Bayliff, Mariana E Garcia-Ascolani, Ryan R Reuter, Gerald W Horn, Carla L Goad, David L Lalman
A two-year experiment was conducted to determine the impact of maternal metabolizable energy intake (MEI) on energy partitioning and performance of beef cows and calves. Forty mature crossbred Angus beef cows (6 ± 2.0 y, 534 ± 60 kg BW) were used each year along with their suckling steer calves (84 ± 8.7 d, 130 ± 15 kg BW). Cows were stratified by early-lactation milk yield and randomly assigned to
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Assessing the impact of climatic conditions and feeding systems on the quality of raw bovine milk in Spain J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-21 Styliani Roufou, Lydia Katsini, Sholeem Griffin, Carolina S Silva, Monika Polańska, Ismael Martínez Lede, Jan F M Van Impe, Vasilis P Valdramidis
The dairy industry faces significant challenges from climate change, requiring a deeper understanding of how climatic factors influence raw milk composition and quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of climatic variables, such as temperature, solar radiation, and carbon dioxide levels, on raw milk parameters, including somatic cell count, protein percentage, fat, and total bacterial
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Estimation of genetic parameters and genetic trends for ewe longevity indicators in U.S. Katahdin sheep J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-18 Luis F B Pinto, Ronald M Lewis, Artur O Rocha, Brad A Freking, Carrie S Wilson, Tom W Murphy, Sara M Nilson, Joan M Burke, Luiz F Brito
Direct genetic selection for increased ewe longevity can improve flock profitability and animal welfare. However, longevity indicator traits are not presently evaluated by the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). The primary objective of this study was, therefore, to estimate genetic parameters for 8 longevity indicator traits using data collected in NSIP Katahdin flocks. Ewes (n = 12,734) were
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Effects of extruded corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut health, and microbiota diversity in weaned piglets J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-17 Zeyu Zhang, Ge Zhang, Xing He, Zhiqiang Sun, Jinbiao Zhao, Ling Liu, Gang Zhang
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of extruded distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut health, and gut microbiota in weaned piglets. A total of 144 piglets (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire, initial body weight 6.60 ± 0.35 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatments based on body weight (BW). The control group was fed a basal diet
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Restricted versus ad libitum Feeding during Sow Gestation Affects Piglet Performance, Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-17 Marinus F W te Pas, Marion Kluivers-Poodt, Johan W van Riel, Dirkjan Schokker, Johanna M J Rebel
This study investigated how the nutrition of gestating sows affects piglet performance, behavior, and fecal microbiota. Twenty-four sows were divided into two feeding groups: those on a restricted diet (once a day) and those fed ad libitum (as much as they wanted), with all receiving the same diet during lactation. The piglets were categorized based on their feeding groups; RG-RL: Piglets born and
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Bio-loggers and miRNAs are innovative tools for measuring physiological changes in lambs during transport J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-17 Isabella Manenti, Irene Viola, Francisco Canto, Paolo Accornero, Paola Toschi, Carmine Versace, Elisabetta Macchi, Eugenio Martignani, José Alfonso Abecia, Silvia Miretti
For livestock, transport can involve several potential stressors including human handling, stocking density, air temperature, noise, vibration, and loading/unloading procedures. The animal’s perception of and its ability to adapt to those stimuli are not fully understood, which makes it difficult to carry out welfare assessments. This study aimed to detect stressful moments in lambs during transport
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In Vitro Fermentation Potential of Undigested Dietary Protein J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-17 Hanlu Zhang, John W Cone, Arie K Kies, Wouter H Hendriks, Nikkie van der Wielen
This study aimed to investigate the in vitro fermentation potential of ileal digesta from pigs fed seven protein sources with different batches—maize germ meal (MGM), cottonseed meal (CSM), rapeseed cake (RSC), rapeseed meal (RSM), peanut meal (PM), soybean meal (SBM), and sunflower meal (SFM)—to assess their potential impact on hindgut protein fermentation, which can be harmful to animals. Ileal digesta
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Effects of corn protein inclusion on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility, palatability, and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites of healthy adult dogs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-17 Christina L Vogel, Elizabeth L Geary, Patrícia M Oba, Julio C Mioto, B C Rudolph, Louis Rens, Kelly S Swanson
Corn protein (CP), a co-product of the corn ethanol industry, is a sustainable protein source used in pet foods. The objectives of this study were to determine the palatability and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of diets containing CP and to test the effects of CP-containing diets on the serum metabolites, hematology, and fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult
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Influence of Biochar supplementation on comparative growth-performance and carcass characteristics of Angus x Holstein vs Charolais x Holstein calf-fed steers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Brooke C Latack, Pedro H V Carvalho, Gustavo A B Moura, Richard A Zinn
The objective of the current study was to was to determine the influence of biochar supplementation on steer growth performance, carcass characteristics, and ruminal temperature of calf-fed Angus × Holstein (AXH) crossbred steers versus calf-fed Charolais × Holstein (CXH) crossbred steers fed for over 300 days. Fifty-six AXH crossbred steers (body weight (BW) = 192 ± 12 kg), and 56 CHX steers (BW =
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Dihydromyricetin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal injury in weaned piglets by regulating oxidative stress and inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Xiaoling Chen, Xiaoling He, Xinyi Du, Zhiqing Huang, Gang Jia, Hua Zhao
This study explored the effects of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury in weaned piglets, and also investigated its possible molecular mechanism. The results showed that dietary supplementation of DHM could improve the jejunum morphological structure of piglets induced by LPS, reduce jejunum mucosa inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress, increase jejunum
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Supplemental effects of acidifier and encapsulated butyrate solely and combined in high canola meal diets for nursery pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Katlyn A McClellan, Emily C Fowler, Jorge Y Perez-Palencia, Benoit St-Pierre, Eric M Weaver, Crystal L Levesque, Kim Koch, Shane Mueller, Jinsu Hong
Incorporating canola meal (CM) into nursery pig diets has been limited due to the adverse effects of glucosinolates—sulfur-containing glycosides presented in Brassica family oilseeds. This study investigated the effects of acidifiers supplementation in high CM diets on the performance, organ weights, blood profiles, and hindgut microbial composition of nursery pigs. A total of 315 nursery pigs, average
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Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Nitrate on Enteric Methane Production, Performance and Rumen Microbiome of Hanwoo Steers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Rajaraman Bharanidharan, Byamungu Mayange Tomple, Jaesung Lee, Athauda Arachige Kavindu Nirmal Athauda, Sujoung Huh, Woohyeong Hong, Na Yeon Kim, Dong Hyun Lim, Jong Geun Kim, Kyoung Hoon Kim, Joonpyo Oh
An in vivo experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN; 5Ca (NO3)2·NH4NO3·10H2O, 75% DM NO₃⁻) supplementation on enteric CH4 emissions, ruminal fermentation and microbial community and productivity in Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) steers. Twenty Hanwoo steers (average body weight 348 ± 18 kg) were randomly allocated to five pens (4 head/pen) balanced for body weight
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Serotonin can stimulate vasorelaxation in ovine lateral saphenous veins pre-contracted with ergovaline J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 J L Klotz, C M Checura, M A Greene, H Ji, S K Duckett
The ergot alkaloid ergovaline is a potent vasoconstrictor. Previous research has shown that ergovaline can bind serotonin (5-HT) receptors and elicit vasoconstrictive activity. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate 5-HT as a vasorelaxant in the ovine saphenous artery and vein. Blood vessels were collected from mixed breed market ram lambs (n=23) at slaughter. Experiment 1: artery and vein cross-sections
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Effects of unconventional diets and unconventional low-protein diets on reproductive performance, placental nutrient transport and fecal microorganisms of multiparous sows during gestation J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-10 Wenyan Wei, Junjie Gao, Feng Qin, Xilun Zhao, Xuemei Jiang, Lianqiang Che, Yan Lin, Yong Zhuo, Bin Feng, Lun Hua, Guangmang Liu, Mengmeng Sun, De Wu, Shengyu Xu
The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of unconventional ingredients (wheat, broken rice, rapeseed meal, rice bran meal, and fermented distiller grains) into sow diets on sow reproductive performance, placental nutrient transport function, and fecal microbiota. Thirty multiparous sows with similar parity and backfat thickness were randomly assigned to three groups: corn-soybean
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Changes in the skeletal muscle transcriptome due to the intramuscular administration of lidocaine in wether lambs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Mackenzie C Batt, Rachel L Gibbs, Rachel R Reith, Anna M Fuller, Dustin T Yates, Jessica L Petersen
Lidocaine is a commonly used local anesthetic that blocks sodium channels in nociceptor neurons, preventing the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Lidocaine can be administered to reduce discomfort during tissue biopsies. Biopsy tissue may then be used to study the transcriptome under the assumption that the genomic activity of lidocaine-treated tissue accurately reflects that of untreated
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The effects of a plant-based and a plant- and marine-based n-3 oil supplement on behavioural reactivity, heart rate variability, and plasma fatty acid profile in young healthy horses J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Samantha Hartwig, Alexandra Rankovic, Persephone McCrae, Kiara Gagliardi, Scarlett Burron, Jennifer Ellis, David W L Ma, Anna K Shoveller
Behavioural reactivity in horses poses a welfare and safety risk to both the horse and the handler, however, beneficial effects have been observed when dietary fat is increased in replacement of sugar. Supplementation with the fatty acids (FA) eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) appear to improve negative behaviours in rodents and humans, but the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA),
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Beef cattle phenotypic plasticity and stability of dry matter intake and respiration rate across varying levels of temperature humidity index J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 William R Shaffer, Jorge Hidalgo, Nora M Bello, Rylie Noland, Jennifer Bormann, Robert L Weaber, Cashley M Ahlberg, Kelsey Bruno, Clint R Krehbiel, Michelle S Calvo-Lorenzo, Chris J Richards, Sara E Place, Udaya DeSilva, Larry A Kuehn, Megan M Rolf
Expected changes in climate warrant research on selection for a phenotypically stable cattle population that can perform consistently across diverse environmental conditions. In this study, we utilize a heteroscedastic random regression model to: 1) characterize the additive genetic and other phenotypic components of dry matter intake (DMI) and respiration rate (RR) with respect to the temperature
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Effect of undigestible neutral detergent fiber concentration in finishing diets containing dry-rolled or steam-rolled barley for feedlot steers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-08 Stephanie A Terry, Wenzhu Yang, Karen A Beauchemin, Karen S Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Gregory B Penner, Katharine M Wood, Tim A McAllister
This study evaluated the impact of grain processing method (dry- vs. steam-rolling) and diet uNDF concentration (low vs. high; 5.7% vs. 6.6% on DM basis by replacing silage with straw) in finishing diets on feed intake, feeding behavior, growth performance, ruminal pH, fermentation parameters, inflammatory stress responses, and carcass traits of 376 intact (initial BW ± SD, 440 ± 33.6 kg), and 24 ruminally
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Dosing and fecal sample collection effects on the estimates of intake using n-alkanes as markers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-04 David M Jaramillo, Lisa M Bauman, Robin O Ogden, Matthew S Akins, Kenneth F Kalscheur
The use of indigestible markers continues to be among the best tools available for estimating dry matter intake (DMI) in situations where individual animal feeding cannot be feasibly measured. The constant animal handling required for dosing markers and subsequent fecal sample collection required are often limiting, especially when grazing or when animal handling facilities are not accessible. Identifying
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Effect of Cottonseed diet on the Performance of Meat Does Artificially Infected with Haemonchus contortus J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-04 Leyla Rios de Alvarez, Zully E Contreras-Correa, Caleb Lemley, Lindsey Dearborn, Peixin Fan, Chuan-Yu Hsu, Brandon Bernard, Michael Pesato, Carlos Sandoval-Castro, Juan Felipe Torres-Acosta
Gossypol is a phenolic compound found in cottonseed. Phenolic compounds are plant secondary metabolites, known to have both, beneficial and negative effects on animals. The present experiment evaluated the beneficial and negative effects of cottonseed on growth, daily weight gain, parasite infection measured by fecal egg counts, liver function, and ruminal microbiome of growing female meat goats. Forty
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Genetic parameters for image-based estimations of swine feet and leg conformation traits J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-04-01 Zack C Peppmeier, Yijian Huang, Jan-Marie B Bartholomew, Jicai Jiang, Mark T Knauer, Suzanne M Leonard
The objectives of this study were to develop and evaluate a novel algorithm for image extraction of structural conformation traits and estimate variance components among skeletal conformation, growth, and herd retention traits. An Intel RealSense D435i camera was used to obtain left side-view RGB images on individual purebred Duroc pigs (n = 846) at 156 d of age. Frames were selected by a trained swine
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Economic analysis of randomized controlled trial data: a framework and feedlot cattle case study J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-31 Lucas M Horton, Dustin L Pendell, David G Renter
Livestock industry stakeholders rely on research, often randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to make evidence-based decisions. Economic implications of interventions are often a major deciding factor for adoption by producers. However, economic analyses in beef feedlot trials are infrequently conducted and often suffer from inconsistent methodologies. Gaps in planning, execution, and reporting of economic
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Combining in vivo and in vitro approaches to investigate the effect of sainfoin on strongyle infection, immunity and large intestine ecosystem of horses J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-31 Noémie Laroche, Pauline Grimm, Samy Julliand, Gabriele Sorci
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a polyphenol-rich plant, has shown promising anti-parasitic properties in ruminants, but results in horses are fewer and inconsistent. The mechanisms of action involved are not fully understood and different factors may influence its anti-parasitic properties. Recently, it has been shown that the effect of sainfoin depends on the horse's diet. Indeed, the inclusion
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Impact of Initial Postweaning Feed Intake on Weanling Piglet Metabolism, Gut Health, and Immunity J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-31 Lluís Fabà, Susana M Martín-Orúe, Tetske G Hulshof, José Francisco Pérez, Michael O Wellington, Hubèrt M J Van Hees
Low feed intake in weanling pigs can be hypothesized as both cause and consequence to intestinal disturbances and metabolic stress. We explored the associations between individual daily feed intake (FI) patterns, metabolic status and intestinal physiology. Female pigs (n = 24) were selected based on high or low cumulative FI between d1 and d3 relative to weaning (d0) from 12 pens equipped with electronic
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Effects of increasing levels of benzoic acid fed to pigs on nitrogen utilization and metabolism affecting growth performance, ammonia emissions, and carcass characteristics J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-31 Sung Woo Kim, Hyunjun Choi, Carol Lin, Ronald D Mateo
The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of increasing levels of benzoic acid (BA) on nitrogen utilization and metabolism affecting growth performance, ammonia emissions, and carcass characteristics, and to determine the optimal levels of BA for the growth performance and carcass characteristics when fed to pigs from weaning to market. A total of 480 pigs (6.0 ± 1.5 kg) were assigned
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Short communication: Ileal digestibility of amino acids in feed ingredients for 22-, 56-, and 87-kilogram pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-30 Jung Yeol Sung, Sun Jong You, Beob Gyun Kim
The objective of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids (AA) in feed ingredients is not constant in pigs with 3 different body weight (BW) after reaching 20 kg. Eight ileal-cannulated pigs with an initial BW of 22.2 kg (standard deviation = 1.2) were used in a 2-period cross-over design. Each period consisted of a 5-d adaptation and a 2-d
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Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation to first-calf beef heifers during late gestation on offspring physiology and performance J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-29 Vinicius Alves Cruz, Rodrigo S Marques, Keenan Kvamme, Arnaldo Cintra Limede, Fernando Alerrandro Andrade Cidrini, Iorrano Andrade Cidrini, Keuven dos Santos Nascimento, Kelsey M Harvey, Juan F Cordero Llarena, Reinaldo F Cooke
Forty-four pregnant Angus first-calf heifers (initial body weight [BW] = 490 ± 8 kg, body condition score [BCS] = 5.4 ± 0.06) were selected and assigned to the experiment at the end of their second trimester of gestation. From d 0 until calving, first-calf heifers were gathered and individually fed three times a week with dry distillers’ grain (DDG; 3.5 kg/heifer per feeding; as-fed basis) + treatments
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The potential probiotic role of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus on growth performance, gut health, and immune responses of weaned pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-29 Ikcheol Shin, Yonggu Kang, Jinmu Ahn, Yonghee Kim, Jinuk Nam, Kimoon Kim, Jun Mo Kim, Hyung Wook Kim, Jungwoo Yang, Youghoon Kim, Sangnam Oh, Minjee Lee, Hyunjin Kyoung, Minho Song
During the weaning period, piglets suffer from various challenges induced by changed trophic conditions, unstable immune systems, and exposure to unfamiliar environments accompanied by direct or indirect production losses. Supplementation of probiotics in a nursery diet has been considered an effective strategy that improves the growth rate and gut health of pigs. In swine production, lactic acid-producing
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Diammonium phosphate supplementation in low-protein diets enhances growth performance in growing pigs without compromising carcass traits and meat quality J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-29 Xianglin Zeng, Guanping Xiao, Wenzhi Liu, Lanmei Yin, Yitong Zhang, Chunchun Geng, Qiye Wang, Huansheng Yang
Optimizing low-protein (LP) diets in swine nutrition is critical for reducing nitrogen excretion and resource waste, while reducing meat quality. However, LP diets may disrupt amino acid (AA) balance, affecting growth and health. Supplementing with non-protein nitrogen sources such as diammonium phosphate (DP) can enhance nitrogen utilization and support protein synthesis efficiently. This study aimed
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Optimal dietary phospholipid requirement for juvenile leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus). J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-28 Xiangqin Lin,Yixiong Cao,Xuehan Wang,Xiaoxue Meng,Junming Deng,Beiping Tan
The highly sought-after carnivorous leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) in seawater is valued for its vivid coloration and nutritional richness. Dietary phospholipid supplementation has been demonstrated to enhance physiological health in fish, but these effects are species-dependent. Despite its popularity, there is scarce study regarding the effects of dietary phospholipids on P. leopardus
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Feeding style alters the growth and behavior of artificially-reared pigs. J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-27 Kaitlyn M Sommer,Loretta Sutkus,Pradeep Senthil,Ryan N Dilger
Early-life pig growth is influenced by protein synthesis facilitated by sow milk intake. However, factors such as teat disorders, timing of milk letdown, and seasonal fluctuations can limit milk intake, leading to slower growth and higher mortality rates. Artificial rearing systems allow precise regulation of milk intake, providing a valuable platform for researchers to investigate various feeding
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Piglet birth weight but not timing of zinc supplementation in gestation diets affects tissue mineral concentrations and gene expression. J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-27 Kelsey L Hammers,Pedro E Urriola,Christian D Ramirez-Camba,Mark Schwartz,Moon-Suhn Ryu,Andres Gomez,Juan E Abrahante Lloréns,Lee J Johnston
Sows were supplemented with high dietary zinc (Zn) at different times in gestation to determine effects on piglet tissue mineral concentrations and gene expression. Ten sSows per treatment were assigned to dietary treatments: 1) Control - sows fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet containing 206 ppm total supplemental zinc supplied by zinc hydroxychloride from mating to farrowing; 2) Breed-to-Farrow -
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Astragalus polysaccharide mitigates Eimeria tenella-induced damage in laying chicks by modulating immunity, inflammation, and intestine barrier J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-27 Y Y Zhao, X Y Wang, K F Jiang, Q Q Zhou, Y B Ma, Y X Li, X B Li, C Zhang
Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), the main active component of the traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus, exhibit immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties. This study analyzed the preventive and therapeutic effects of APS on chicks infected with Eimeria tenella (E.tenella) and its impact on intestinal health. A total of 120 1-day-old Hy-Line Brown chicks were assigned to four groups (2 × 2 factorial):
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The relationship of N-glycosylation and porcine duodenal morphology and function J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-27 Qianqian Wang, Mingming Guo, Yancan Wang, Jiaxin Chen, Yonggang Zhang, Qiye Wang, Huansheng Yang
Intestinal epithelial cells are the primary performers of intestinal functions and have a highly glycosylated surface. Membrane proteins are regulated by N-linked glycosylation, making it likely that glycosylation plays a key role in cell differentiation. To investigate the effect of glycosylation on intestinal morphology, we selected 90 pigs with an average initial body weight of 27.74±0.28 kg to
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Effects of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial on digestibility, ruminal in situ nutrient disappearance, microbiome, and fermentation parameters in forage-fed beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-26 Arnaldo C Limede,Rodrigo S Marques,Fernando A A Cidrini,Vinicius A Cruz,Amanda C M Queiroz,Iorrano A Cidrini,Iasmin M S A Farias,Aline N Rodrigues,Eric J Scholljegerdes,Izadora S Souza,Reinaldo F Cooke,Raphaele Gresse,Gisle Vestergaard,Bruno I Cappellozza
This experiment evaluated dry matter intake, ruminal in situ nutrient disappearance, total-tract apparent nutrient digestibility, microbiome, and ruminal fermentation parameters of crossbred beef cows offered forage-based diets and a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM). Fifteen rumen-cannulated Angus × Hereford cows were used in a crossover design. Treatments consisted of forage-based diets plus
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Effects of Microencapsulated Essential Oils and Seaweed Meal on Growth Performance, Digestive Enzymes, Intestinal Morphology, Liver Functions, and Plasma Biomarkers in Broiler Chickens. J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-24 Ahmed A Elolimy,Mosaad M Hashim,Salah A Elsafty,AbdelRahman Y Abdelhady,Stéphanie Ladirat,Mohamed Shourrap,Mahmoud Madkour
Globally, poultry production has increased to meet the demand for animal protein. Traditionally, antibiotic growth promoters have been used to enhance growth performance and prevent infections in commercial poultry practices. However, concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance have triggered interest in alternative solutions, such as essential oils (EOs) and seaweed additives. The aim of the current
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Effects of dietary metabolizable energy density and inclusion of oxidized soybean oil on the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, redox status, and wooden breast incidence of broilers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-23 Doudou Wang, Baohua Dong, Tong Xing, Xiao’e Xiang, Liang Zhao, Feng Gao, Lin Zhang
Dietary nutrients not only affect the growth and pectoral muscle production of broilers, but also are related to the occurrence of pectoral myopathies, such as wooden breast (WB) and white striping. We investigated whether dietary metabolizable energy (ME) densities and inclusion of oxidized soybean oil could affect growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, redox status, and incidence of WB
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Effects of supplemental 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 on growth performance, physiological responses, and gene expression of skeletal muscle growth of finishing beef cattle. J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-01-04 Tainá E Martins,Vinícius N Gouvêa,Alexandre Perdigão,Maria Betania Niehues,Cyntia L Martins,Danilo D Millen,Tiago S Acedo,Victor V Carvalho,Luis F M Tamassia,Mario D B Arrigoni
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and the expression of genes related to anabolism of skeletal muscle in finishing beef cattle. One hundred and twenty Nellore bulls (initial body weight [BW] = 376 ± 20 kg) were blocked by initial BW, allocated to 24 pens (5 bulls/pen)
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Negative energy balance by food deprivation affects the miRNome in the lactating goat omental adipose tissue J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-22 Yannick Faulconnier, Tao Ye, Christine Leroux
One of the main functions of ruminant adipose tissue (AT) is to store lipids for use in productive functions. Body fat mobilization is required during periods of negative energy balance (NEB) such as early lactation or undernutrition. Ruminant nutrition modifies the expression of adipose genes, the regulation of which is not fully understood. The expression of more than 60% of protein-coding genes
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Technical Note: Anomaly detection for breed purity analysis in pigs using a single breed genotype panel J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-20 Xiaohan Jiang, Austin Putz, Huang Wen, Juan P Steibel
Recent advancements in genotyping technologies have revolutionized our ability to estimate breed composition in pigs. The classical compositional regression used for this purpose requires a multibreed panel to detect crossbreeding and its application is limited to breeds in the panel. Some breed entities may not have access to multibreed panel but may have access to a single breed panel. We present
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Effects of a fiber-degrading enzyme on ileal digestibility of amino acids and fiber and total tract digestibility of energy and fiber in growing pigs fed diets with high level of corn distillers grains with solubles J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-17 Jinsu Hong, Joseph Halbur, Amy L Petry, Tri Doung, Sara Llamas-Moya, Steve Kitt, Mark Bertram, Eric Weaver
Dietary enzyme supplementation may enhance the digestibility and utilization of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in fiber-rich feedstuffs, which are increasingly being used in swine diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a carbohydrase enzyme containing xylanase and cellulase on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of nutrients
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Effects of essential amino acids availability on amino acids uptake, metabolism and casein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-14 Mei Sun, Yuanyuan Xing, Jing Yang, Shaoxiong Lin, Yixuan Luo, Xiaojia Mu, Xiaoyu Niu, Yuanyuan Liu, Dabiao Li
Under current dairy cow feeding conditions, the conversion efficiency of dietary nitrogen into milk protein is less than 30%. A thorough understanding of amino acid (AA) uptake and utilization in mammary in response to AA supply is essential for accurately modeling nutritional requirements. This study utilized bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) as a model to investigate the effects of increasing
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Evaluation of Nutritional Values of Defatted Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal Using the Precision-Fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-13 Julio C Mioto, Pamela L Utterback, Carl M Parsons, Sean D Madison, Jennifer L Adolphe, Maria R C de Godoy
The use of insects, such as black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (BSFLM), as an alternative protein source for pet food has gained attention due to their high nutritional value. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, amino acid digestibility, and protein quality of defatted BSFLM of two distinct substrates (wheat and corn, BSFLM-W and BSFLM-C). Whole egg
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Amino Acid Digestibility of Yellow Mealworm-Based Ingredients using the Precision-Fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-13 Meredith A Smola, Pamela L Utterback, Lorena Sánchez-Sánchez, Carl M Parsons, Kelly S Swanson
Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) serve as an alternative protein source. Because the amino acid (AA) concentrations, AA digestibility, and protein quality of ingredients may vary depending on their husbandry, harvest and processing procedures, and other factors, each should be evaluated separately. The objective of this study was to measure the AA composition, AA digestibility, and protein quality
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Isoenergetic reduction of dietary macronutrients modulates respiratory quotients and heat increment of feeding but not energy expenditure in cats J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-13 H Godfrey, A K Shoveller, J Kelly, D Kostiuk, J Saunders Blades, A Verbrugghe
Indirect calorimetry can provide insights into the metabolic processes occurring in cats through substrate utilization and energy expenditure (EE). Additionally, the influence of dietary macronutrients on the heat increment of feeding (HIF) in cats remains unexplored. As such, this proof of principle study aimed to test the short-term effects of three test diets formulated for adult maintenance according
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Whole pulse ingredient inclusion in macronutrient-balanced diets increased fecal concentrations of propionic acid but not total bile acids in healthy adult large-breed dogs after 20 weeks J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-11 Pawanpreet Singh, Kelly S Swanson, Jennifer Saunders-Blades, Patricia M Oba, E James Squires, Anna K Shoveller
This study investigated the effects of up to 45% inclusion of whole pulse ingredients in grain-free (GF) diets on the excretion of bile acids (BA) and other fecal metabolites in healthy large-breed dogs. Twenty-eight adult Siberian Huskies were fed one of four experimental diets formulated to meet the same macronutrient profiles for 20 weeks: 1) grain-inclusive diet with 45% corn (Ctl), 2) GF diet
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Intake, digestion, and rumen microbial impacts of black soldier fly larvae and frass provided as protein supplements to cattle consuming forage J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-11 Shakara Maggitt, Jodi Cox, Kaelyn Dobson, Joshua McCann, Tryon A Wickersham, Merritt L Drewery
Insects reared in large-scale, commercial settings may be a sustainable alternative to conventional livestock feeds. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) has been researched as a potential protein supplement for cattle, but knowledge gaps remain in how BSFL affects rumen microbial populations. Further, frass and larval sheddings (FRS) are produced in greater quantities than larval biomass and are N rich
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Stochastic modelling of economic risk and net return distributions for feedlot steers marketed at alternative endpoints J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-10 Lucas M Horton, Ted C Schroeder, Marshall N Streeter, John P Hutcheson, David G Renter
Feedlot cattle in the U.S. have been progressively fed to heavier, more extreme endpoints (EPs) in recent decades. The primary objective was to evaluate economic risk associated with extending days-on-feed (DOF) by characterizing net return distributions of feedlot steers fed to later EPs, compared to current industry standards. Stochastic simulation modeling was employed to simulate a variety of conditions
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Short Communication: Exploring Genetic Associations with Cryptorchidism in Wagyu Cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-09 Allison L Herrick, Jennifer N Kiser, Holly Neibergs
Wagyu cattle have seen an upsurge in popularity within the United States in recent years, as consumers seek improved meat quality and intramuscular fat, also known as marbling. The small effective population size of Wagyu cattle, paired with the growing interest in the breed, has led to increased inbreeding. As inbreeding has increased, the emergence of deleterious traits (i.e. progressive bovine myeloenecphaly
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Body reserves dynamic of suckling ewes across successive production cycles under outdoor and indoor contrasting farming system conditions J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-08 Agnes Nyamiel, Dominique Hazard, Didier Marcon, Christian Durand, Sébastien Douls, Gaetan Bonnafe, Flavie Tortereau, Anne Tesnière, Eliel González-García
Body reserves (BR) mobilization (BRM) and accretion (BRA) are crucial biological processes in ruminants that help them manage negative energy balance and adapt to changing environments. The BR dynamics (BRD) is affected by the interplay of key factors such as the farming system (FS) characteristics, physiological stage (PhySt), and parity (Par) or cohort (Coh) of the ewes, as well as litter size (LSi)
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Adjustment of branched-chain amino acid balance fails to prevent feed intake decline in lactating sows fed high soybean meal diets J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-07 Dalton C Humphrey, Laura L Greiner
A total of 352 sows were used to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) level and adjusted branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) balance on lactating sow and piglet performance. On day 112 ± 1.5 of gestation, sows were randomly assigned, within parity, to one of four dietary treatments: low SBM (LSBM), high SBM (HSBM), LSBM with adjusted BCAA (LSBM+BCAA), or HSBM with adjusted BCAA (HSBM+BCAA). The
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Digestibility of energy and nutrients in soybean expellers produced from conventional or high-oil varieties of soybeans and fed to growing pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2025-03-07 Minoy A Cristobal, Su A Lee, Andrea P Mallea, Leidy Torres-Mendoza, C M Parsons, Hans H Stein
The objective was to test the hypothesis that standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA), metabolizable energy (ME), and standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P in soybean expellers produced from a new variety of high-oil soybeans (SBE-HO) are not different when compared with expellers produced from conventional soybeans (SBE-CV). In Exp. 1, nine barrows (30.0 ± 1.5 kg) that