The present study examined the effect of replacing cereal grain with a fibrous by-product concentrate on nutrient intake, milk production traits and fatty acid composition, diet digestibility, feed conversion efficiency (FCE), CH4 and CO2 emissions, and plasma blood parameters of dairy cows in early lactation. Twenty-two Nordic Red cows were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments immediately

The present study aimed to investigate metabolic and physiological changes induced by pregnancy, as well as the expression of key genes linked to the absorptive and proliferative activity of the ruminal epithelium towards the end of the gestational period in zebu beef heifers. Twelve ruminally cannulated Zebu beef heifers were randomly assigned into two experimental treatments: a pregnant group (n = 7)

We investigated how feed restriction at 50% of maintenance requirements during different stages of gestation affects the transcriptome of newborn goats’ skeletal muscle. Fourteen pregnant dams were randomly assigned into one of the following dietary treatments: animals fed at 50% of maintenance requirement from 8–84 d of gestation and then fed at 100% of maintenance requirement from day 85 of gestation

The objective of the current experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin C on productive performance, egg quality, tibia characteristics and antioxidant status in laying hens raised under normal temperature conditions. A total of 504 46-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 7 replicates in a completely randomized design

A 3-year study (2016, 2017, and 2018) was conducted to compare the effects of alfalfa (ALF; cv. Yellowhead) (Medicago falcata L.) or sainfoin (SF; cv. AAC Mountainview) (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) in mixtures with either Russian wildrye (RWR; cv. Tom) (Psathyrostachys junceus [Fisch.]) or hybrid bromegrass (HBG; cv. Success) (Bromus riparius Rehm × B. inermis Leyss) on herbage dry matter yield (DMY)

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of oral calcium boluses at parturition on plasma total calcium (tCa), phosphorus (P), total magnesium (tMg), beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and milk yield during the postpartum (pp) of grazing Holstein cows. The study was conducted on a seasonal grazing dairy in Chile. Prepartum cows were fed an anionic diet (-86 mEq/kg DM). In 2019, 10 cows of parity

Rarámuri Criollo cattle producers often crossbreed their cows with improved beef-breed bulls or retain and/or develop their yearlings on rangeland because of limited weaned calf markets, however it is unknown if Rarámuri Criollo steers exhibit marketable weight gains and carcass qualities, or desirable grazing behaviors documented in cows of this biotype. We evaluated two cohorts (cohort: 1 = 31, 2 = 26)

A case study was conducted with the objective to determine the effects of the tanniferous legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on protein utilisation of dairy cows, which were exposed to excessive dietary crude protein during autumn pasture grazing in a zero-concentrate feeding system. The study was conducted under practical conditions, deliberately accepting a certain lack of controllable variables

Hair coat traits are used as indicators of animal adaptation because of their importance for thermoregulation and parasites resistance. These traits are evaluated visually based on a score in some beef cattle breeding programs. Data from 38,800 Angus animals were used to compare linear and threshold animal models in order to validate genetic parameters for visual scores of hair coat at weaning (WHC)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of physically effective fiber (peNDF) from sugarcane in feedlot diets containing whole corn grain on ingestive, digestive, and ruminal parameters. Five rumen-cannulated Nellore bulls (BW = 393 ± 9 kg) distributed in an incomplete 5 × 5 Latin square received diets containing 5% (D5), 15% (D15), 25% (D25), or 35% (D35) sugarcane. All diets included

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 on the lactation performance, blood metabolites, and antioxidant and immune function in dairy cows. Thirty-six mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were blocked according to day in milk, milk yield and somatic cell counts (SCC) and were randomly assigned to 3 treatments. Treatments were a basal diet plus 0 mg, 1 mg or 3 mg

An experiment with a 2 × 2-factorial arrangement of treatments was carried out to assess the effect of reduced feed pH and addition of phytase and their interactions on performance, mineral retention (Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Fe and Cu) and bone mineralization. A wheat-based diet with a high phytate-P content and no inorganic P added, or the same diet with either 1.4 % formic acid, 500 FTU C. braakii-derived

Opportunities exist to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment and animal welfare standards through use of remote sensor technologies for early detection of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). A post-hoc analysis using statistical process control (SPC) procedures was performed on continuously-recorded physical activity data collected from BRD-diagnosed and healthy calves from Pillen et al. (2016)

Urea-related traits can be used as an indicator of nitrogen (N) utilization and excretion and have a key role in the protein metabolism of ruminants. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out for plasma urea concentration (PUC) in Santa Inês sheep. PUC was recorded in 229 lambs, which were also genotyped with OvineSNP50K BeadChip. After data quality control, 43,996 variants and 229 PUC

Forty 12-day-old lambs with an average BW of 6.37 kg were allocated in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to evaluate the effects of wheat straw feeding level (WS; 10% vs. 25%, DM basis) and rumen undegradable to degradable protein ratio [RUP:RDP; low ratio (LR) = 27:73; high ratio (HR) = 38:62] on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, microbial

The objective of this study was to model daily standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys requirements in gestating sows. Data from 877 females (459 gilts, 418 sows; Camborough®, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) was collected and modeled using Dourmad et al. (2008) equations. Individual feed intake and body weight (BW) were recorded daily throughout gestation. Dietary treatments included 11, 13.5, 16, and 18

We aimed to evaluate the effects of magnesium-based supplements and NaHCO3 on ruminal fermentation parameters, milk fatty acid (FA) profile, and milk fat synthesis in dairy cows fed high-starch diets. Eight second-lactation Holstein dairy cows (4 ruminally-cannulated) averaging 97 ± 12 days in milk and 33 ± 2.5 kg/d of milk were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 21-d periods.

Visual evaluation of body condition score (BCS) is an important method for the subjective quantification of body energy reserves in cattle. The objective of this study was to develop an index to estimate the relationship between BCS and fertility, using 2321 lactating Nelore cows from 29 cohorts in Mato Grosso do Sul and Rondonia states, Brazil enrolled in timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs

The benefits of polled beef animals in the value chain have become well known and provides an impetus to beef cattle breeders to select for the POLLED gene. Animal welfare is a major concern and polled animals do not need to be subjected to painful dehorning; additional advantages include lower injury risks during transport and improved safety during handling of the animals. The polled condition has

Recent research has shown that salt levels of minimal 3.5 g/kg diet result in best performance in piglets between 7 and 11 kg. In the US, pig diets tend to have higher salt levels and higher crude protein (CP) levels than in Europe. Higher CP levels may lead to higher protein breakdown, while higher salt levels may lead to increased water consumption, which might facilitate nitrogen clearance through

Health and performance are important aspects in the broiler industry. Underlying complex traits like total mean weight and feed efficiency are polygenic and related to genetic background and an association of the microbiota with these traits has been identified. Whether this association is also reflected in the fecal samples of broilers is not extensively investigated. The objective of this study was

One hundred and twenty bulls were used in a randomized complete block design in 2 × 2 factorial arrangement; two supplements during the growing phase: mineral (ad libitum; MIN) or protein + energy [0.3% of body weight (BW)/animal/day; PRE] and two finishing systems: pasture plus concentrate supplementation (2% BW/animal/day; PASCO) and feedlot (25:75% corn silage:concentrate; FLOT). The supplementation

Considering the importance of dairy farming and negative effects of heat stress, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of heat stress via temperature-humidity index (THI) and diurnal temperature variation (DTV) for somatic cell score (SCS) of Holstein dairy cattle, using random regression models. Data were a total of 52,012 test-day records for SCS of 9,765 first parity Holstein

Nutritional stimuli during the gestational period in dams have long-term effects on the offspring in terms of health and production rates. This study assessed the effect of fetal programming in 126 pregnant Nellore cows on reproductive and nutrigenetic traits of the progeny during the rearing phase. For that purpose, three nutritional treatments were used in these cows during pregnancy: PP – protein-energy

Very diversified studies estimated genetic parameters in sheep, and reliable estimates that account for the variation between articles can be achieved through a meta-analysis. This study proposed to carry out a meta-analysis to obtain estimates of heritability and genetic correlations for 35 traits, including growth, reproductive, resistance to parasites, wool, and carcass related traits. A total of

This study addressed the dose-response effect of an encapsulated nitrate product (ENP) replacing soybean meal (SBM) in the finishing period (87-d) of feedlot bulls. One hundred twenty Nellore bulls (340 ± 28 kg of body weight, BW; mean ± SD) were allotted to 20 outdoor pens (6 animals/pen) and assigned to a randomized complete block design with 5 blocks based on initial BW and 4 dietary treatments:

Coat colour and various patterns are the hallmarked qualitative traits studied in cattle as well as other livestock; however, variation in this trait is resultant of interactions and epistasis of a set of genes rather than being a product of a single gene. In this study, GWAS has been conducted from 50K SNP genotype data, with a stratified approach on Vrindavani cattle (n=48). The study was conducted

Animal welfare programs support lower production intensity and environmental enrichment to create additional value for animals and consumers, by facilitating farms to resolve the conflict between animal welfare and efficient farming. Yet, the success of such enrichments in improving animal welfare and thus the productive performance depends on farmers’ production process management. Complexity of animal

The aims of this study were to evaluate the genetic diversity of the racing line Quarter Horse breed in Brazil and to provide data on the most influential ancestors by pedigree analysis. All horses that had participated in sprint races in Brazil between 1978 and 2016 were evaluated. There were 5,861 athletes horses (2,474 males and 3,387 females) born between 1971 and 2014. These animals were referred

The demand for food is expected to grow substantially in the next few years; however, to feed the human population adequately it is necessary to ensure global food production. Undoubtedly this will lead to a higher protein requirement, consequently more meat. Therefore, producers, animal researchers and feed manufacturers will need to enhance animal nutrition and productivity, for instance. Growth

The application of feeding strategies (FS) to meet nutrient requirements of beef cattle grazing on native pastures during the dry season, are required to improve the productivity of production systems in tropical regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioeconomic effects of different FSs applied to yearling bulls in Mozambique, using modeling and simulations as tools to support decision

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) with different particle sizes included in mash diets on digestible energy, nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of broiler chickens. A total of 720 one-d-old male broiler chickens were assigned to 4 treatments with 9 replicates of 20 broiler chickens each in a completely randomized design and reared from d 0 to 42

The aims of this study were to: 1) determine if the insertion of a second MAP sponge in ewes 12 days after the first FTAI affects the pregnancy rate; 2) compare the responses to resynchronization protocol in multiparous and nulliparous ewes; and 3) compare the responses to resynchronization protocol in multiparous and postpartum lactating ewes. Three trials were performed with 186 Corriedale ewes:

The effects of acute stress on sow reproductive performance are well established, but we know less about the implications of chronic stress for sow performance. This study investigated associations between total skin lesion counts 24hr and 3 weeks post-mixing, hair cortisol concentrations at the end of pregnancy, and reproductive performance of sows. Sows (n = 264; parity 1-5) were artificially inseminated

Neonate calves are usually handled a day after birth for navel care and identification. During this procedure the newly calved cows usually become agitated and, in some cases, exhibit aggressive behavior toward humans, increasing the risk of accidents for both, humans and animals. In order to understand the dynamic relationships between cow, calf, and cowhand's behavior expressed in this particular

The influence of various slaughter age options and short-term freezing storage on Iberian loin (longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL)) quality traits was assessed. Three batches of 15 animals each one were established (IBxD8, IBxD10 and IBxD12) to be slaughtered at 8, 10 and 12 months old, respectively, but similar live weight. After slaughtering, LTL muscles were dissected and assigned to three sets:

This study was conducted to examine the effects of including palm kernel cake (0, 120, 240, and 360 g kg−1) in high-concentrate diets for feedlot goats on carcass traits and meat quality. Thirty-two non-pregnant, mixed-breed goats (average age: 1 year; initial body weight: 24.70 ± 3.72 kg) were evaluated in a completely randomized experimental design. Hot (P = 0.007) and cold (P = 0.008) carcass weights

Organic acids (OA), especially benzoic acid, have long been used for their wide antimicrobial activity and have shown to promote intestinal health and increase average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of pigs. On the other side, the European Commission decided to ban the use of pharmacological levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) in diets for this animal species from 2022. The

The agouti signaling protein (ASIP) gene has a crucial role in pigmentation by encoding a protein that binds the melanocortin 1 receptor and stimulates the synthesis of pheomelanin rather than eumelanin. Several studies have suggested that an increased copy number of the ASIP gene might explain the white pigmentation of certain goat breeds, as previously demonstrated in sheep. In the current work,

This study evaluated the effects of walking exercise and nutritional plan on metabolic variables and the growth of stabled goats. Thirty-six goats [body weight (BW) = 21 ± 0.3 kg] were allocated in individual pens, and the treatments were randomly assigned to the animals in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The treatments consisted of walking exercise (7,5 km/day) or not and two nutritional plans [90 % (0

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of difructose anhydride (DFA) III on dry matter intake in multiparous cows immediately after calving. Seventy-four transition multiparous Holstein cows were allocated into control (CONT) and DFA groups. The average parity number in the CONT and DFA groups was 3.70 ± 0.25 and 3.67 ± 0.26, respectively. Individual cow measurements were collected from

The present study evaluated the physicochemical and sensory traits of marketed table eggs, deriving from different farming methods (cage, barn, and organic) and sampled in different marketing periods (June, July, September, October). A total of n=540 eggs (n=45 eggs/farming method/sampling period) of “medium” weight-grading were purchased and subjected to physical measurements (shell, yolk, and albumen

This study focuses on extensive grassland-based dairy systems, where cows may be exposed to various hazards (climatic, health…) and limiting environments (feeding conditions) over their life. In such livestock systems, the ability of cows to remain in the herd (i.e. lifespan) reveals their ability to cope with such perturbations and to continue meeting the farmer's expectations. Productive lifespan

In this study we compared the bio-thermal responses of a crossbred (F1, Nellore x Angus) and purebred Bos indicus (Nellore) cattle kept under moderate thermal conditions. Specifically, we assessed if they were different in their daily pattern of metabolic heat production, regulation of body temperature and use of evaporative heat transfer pathways. Six Nellore bulls with 669 ± 65 kg of body weight

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of estrus signs in housed dairy cows and to compare their reliability in relation to visual estrus detection, including all signs of estrus, which can be observed like cows’ behavior (especially standing to be mounted) and physiological processes like the appearance of vaginal mucus. For the study, the estrous behavior of 139 cows was observed

Two experiments compared body parameters and serum concentrations of GH, IGF-I, and leptin in Bos indicus females based on their pregnancy status to fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). In Exp. 1, 226 nulliparous heifers were assigned to a puberty induction protocol (d -35 to d -23), followed by an estrus synchronization and FTAI protocol (d -11 to 0). Heifers received a controlled internal progesterone

The objective of this study was to compare hydroxy to sulfate sources of Cu and Zn, on growth and reproduction in Angus-based beef heifers. Over a 2 year period, 200 Angus-based, spring-born heifers were stratified by previous winter development treatment and BW to pens and fed either hydroxy (HD, Micronutrients, Indianapolis, IN) or sulfate (SULF; Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ) to provide 7.2

The potential of an RGB-D sensor as a tool to estimate Nellore heifers’ body mass and morphometric measurements through image analysis was evaluated. An Intel RealSense D435i depth sensor was used to acquire dorsal images of 260 animals aged between 8 and 18 months. Images were acquired from March to December 2019 in six-time points. The best quality images were selected using a multi-layer perceptron

In the first 2 weeks after weaning, the piglets' digestive system cannot efficiently digest the new diet with vegetal ingredients. This study evaluated the effects of multicarbohydrase – MC (700 U α-galactosidase, 2200 U galactomannanase, 3000 U xylanase and 22 000 U β-glucanase per kilogram of diet), and phytase – Phy (500 phytase units – FTU/kg of diet) supplementation on the nutritive value of rice

The study aimed at determining the effects of Zn sources, used with potato fiber (PF) or lignocellulose (LC), on microbiota ecology in the large intestine of pigs. The hypothesis was that organic Zn source, i.e. Zn glycinate (ZnGly), and PF improve polysaccharide digestibility via effects on microbiota involved in degradation of dietary fiber. Twenty four piglets of initial body weight 10.8 ± 0.82

Calves are born immunologically immature and are highly susceptible to infectious diseases. For these reasons, suitable handling practices that favor health conditions and improve performance are necessary at this phase of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the inclusion of Schizochytrium sp. microalgae for Holstein calves at different ages would improve dry matter intake (DMI), performance

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the foundation of spermatogenesis and fertility in male animals. In agricultural perspectives, SSC transplantation holds potential in expanding the availability of gametes from elite livestock rapidly, thus offering a highly efficient reproductive technique for livestock production. A limiting factor in application of this technique is acquisition of non-endogenous-SSC

Whole sesame seeds (WSS), although rich in linoleic acid, have not been studied for their impact on the milk fatty acid (FA) profile. Twenty-four goats were divided into three homogeneous subgroups. A control (CON) group and treated groups, in which WSS were incorporated in the concentrates of the CON at 5% (WSS5) and 10% (WSS10), respectively, by partial substitution of both soybean meal and corn

Seasonal patterns in the farrowing distribution of two Iberian pig varieties (Retinto and Entrepelado) and its environmental and genetic sources of variation were analyzed within the context of a von Mises circular mixed model solved through Bayesian inference. Estimates about the dispersion parameter supported a low seasonal pattern for both Entrepelado and Retinto varieties with the farrowing peak

The aim of this study was to evaluate the heterosis effects for 305-day milk yield (305MY) in different lactation orders of Girolando cows, by fitting test-day milk yield records to Wood's, Mixed Log, and Wilmink's non-linear models. A total of 400,328 test-day milk yield records of 39,077 Holstein (H), Gyr (G), and Girolando (1/2 H, 1/4 H, 3/4 H, 3/8 H, 5/8 H, and 7/8 H genetic groups) cows from 822