Translational Animal Science最新文献

{"title":"Effects of maternal appeasing substance and castration status on growth performance and health in newly received, high-risk beef calves.","authors":"Robin A Cheek, Elle Johnston, Rosie Whittle, Jana Reynolds, Doug Galloway, Elizabeth B Kegley, Jeremy G Powell, Shawna Weimer","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective was to determine the efficacy of a maternal bovine appeasing substance (<b>MBAS</b>) on growth performance, overall health, and behavioral outcomes. Crossbred calves (<i>n</i> = 80; steers at arrival [<b>SAA</b>, <i>n</i> = 33], recently castrated males [<b>RCM</b>, <i>n</i> = 47]) were purchased and used in a 42-d receiving study. Calves were stratified by d -1 body weight and arrival castration status (<b>ACS</b>), then allocated randomly to 1 of 8 groups (10 calves/group [4 to 5 SAA/group, 5 to 6 RCM/group]). Groups were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments (4 groups/treatment), which included cattle receiving no maternal bovine appeasing substance (<b>CON</b>) or cattle that were administered a 2.5 ml dose of FerAppease (FerAppease Bovine, FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals, College Station, TX), a <b>MBAS</b> which was applied topically to the nuchal skin on d 0. Calves were housed on 0.45-ha pens, provided ad libitum access to bermudagrass hay, and offered a grain supplement (1.82 kg/d) to meet or exceed nutrient requirements. Body weights were recorded on d 0, 3, 14, 21, 28, 41, and 42 and used to calculate average daily gain. Calves (5 calves/group; <i>n</i> = 3 RCM and 2 SAA/group) were selected for sampling on d 0, 3, 28, and 42 for serum haptoglobin concentrations. Accelerometers were placed on 16 calves (<i>n</i> = 1 SAA and 1 RCM/group) for 7 days to record activity. Behavior measurements inside the chute included video collections recording each calf in the chute on d 3, 14, 28, and 42, and chute exit velocity (<b>CEV</b>) was measured on d 3, 14, 28, 41, and 42. Data were analyzed using MIXED and GLIMIX procedures in SAS 9.4. Body weights, haptoglobin, and behavior data were analyzed as repeated measures. Kenward-Rogers was specified as the degrees of freedom selection, utilizing a diagonal covariant structure. MBAS administration did not affect overall growth performance (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.3902) during the 42-d period. However, there was a treatment × ACS interaction (<i>P</i> = 0.04) for morbidity, CON RCM had a greater incidence compared to CON SAA, and the MBAS RCM were intermediate and did not differ from the MBAS SAA. There was a tendency for treatment × ACS interaction (<i>P</i> = 0.08) for serum haptoglobin concentrations to be greatest for CON RCM. The interactions found between ACS and treatment suggest MBAS could improve health outcomes for recently castrated beef calves. To conclude, MBAS did not affect growth performance but could potentially be used to improve the health of high-risk calves in the following 2 weeks of receiving.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag038"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071398/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147692469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does split-suckling influence pre- and postweaning pig growth performance and mortality?","authors":"Mikayla S Spinler, Jason C Woodworth, Mike D Tokach, Robert D Goodband, Joel M DeRouchey, Katelyn N Gaffield, Ashley R Hartman, Amanda Cross, Brady McNeil, Jordan T Gebhardt","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag039","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A total of 1,513 sows and litters, approximately 505 litters per treatment, were used to determine the effects of two split-suckling protocols on litter growth performance and mortality pre- and postweaning compared to no split-suckling. Sows were blocked by parity and allotted to one of three treatments: no split-suckling (control), or one of two split-suckle protocols. The first split-suckle protocol was based on birth order, where the first 8 pigs born were marked at birth, and at the completion of farrowing, were removed from the sow for 45 min. After 45 min, the first 8 born pigs were returned to the sow and the unmarked pigs born later in the birth order were removed from the sow for 45 min. Then, all pigs were returned to the sow. The second split-suckling protocol was based on body weight (BW.) After farrowing was completed, the 8 heaviest pigs in the litter were removed from the sow for 90 min and then returned to the sow, completing the split-suckle treatment. Litters on either split-suckle treatment were split-suckled within 18 h of birth, after the completion of farrowing if litters were born during the day or the following morning for litters born overnight. Cross-fostering occurred after split-suckling within treatment by 24 h after the completion of farrowing. No differences were observed in litter size or pig weights at the time of split-suckling (d 1) or at weaning, and preweaning mortality did not differ between treatments. Preweaning mortality from split-suckle to weaning was also analyzed by birth weight category within treatment, light (≤1.2 kg), medium (1.2 < × ≤ 1.5 kg), and heavy (≥1.5 kg) pigs, and was not affected by treatment. When litters were evaluated by sow parity, timing of split-suckling (day of birth vs. the following morning), or functional teat count, no differences in preweaning mortality were observed among treatments. A subset of pigs was monitored through the nursery and finishing phases. No treatment differences were observed in average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain-to-feed ratio, or mortality in either phase. Overall, the split-suckling protocols evaluated in this study did not influence pig growth performance or mortality during the pre- or postweaning periods compared to no split-suckling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag039"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13089491/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of unsupervised learning to cluster swine breeding herds based on key performance indicators in Southern Brazil.","authors":"Rafael R Ulguim, Marcelo Alexandrino Pereira, Julia Tavares, Daniel C L Linhares, Ana Paula G Mellagi, Fernando P Bortolozzo, Cícero Ari Tecchio, Ricardo Yuiti Nagae, Neimar Cristiano Cavazini, Anne Caroline de Lara, Gustavo S Silva","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reproductive performance in sow farms has improved over time in most production systems. However, variability among farms remains substantial. This study employed unsupervised analysis to cluster farms based on reproductive indicators and assess the farm-level characteristics associated with performance differences. A total of 22 breeding herds in the Southern Brazil region were surveyed to gather demographic, labor, infrastructure, environmental, management, and production data. Monthly reproductive performance indicators from 2022 and 2023 were collected, including farrowing rate (FR), total piglets born (TPB), piglets born alive (TBA), stillborn (SB), and pre-weaning mortality (PWM). A K-means clustering analysis grouped farms based on five key reproductive performance indicators (KPIs). Cluster identification was used as an independent variable to identify differences in survey responses. The unsupervised model suggested two clusters based on the consensus of 26 indexes. The high-performance cluster (Cluster 2, <i>n</i> = 12) exhibited a higher FR (+3.6%), lower SB (-1.6%), and PWM (-1.7%) compared to the low-performance cluster (Cluster 1, <i>n</i> = 10) (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.01). No significant differences were found between clusters in labor characteristics (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.24). However, the high-performance cluster had a lower percentage of farms using farrowing induction in gilts, a reduced percentage of re-serviced sows included in the breeding groups, fewer farrowing crates per room, and a higher rate of farms introducing creep-feeding earlier during lactation (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an unsupervised clustering approach in classifying breeding herds based on five KPIs. This method can identify key farm-level factors that distinguish herd performance, offering insights for improving swine reproductive performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag036"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13075986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147692508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crude protein concentration in feedlot cattle growth performance, carcass merit, and nitrogen status of long-fed feedlot steers in response to dietary protein concentrations: a comparison of industry-average and reduced protein diets.","authors":"Alejandro M Pittaluga, Alejandro E Relling","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Angus × SimAngus-crossbred steers (<i>n</i> = 93; body weight [BW] = 342 ± 29 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design to examine the effect of feeding finishing diets with crude protein (CP) contents similar or below industry averages on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN). Steers were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments (3 pens/treatment; 15 steers/pen). Treatments consisted of a dry rolled corn-based diet offered ad libitum during 206 d with either 11.5% or 13.5% CP (Dry matter [DM] basis). The experimental diets were formulated to be isoenergetic. Interim BW were recorded at 28 d-intervals and blood samples were collected from all steers on d 56, 112, and 197 for the analysis of PUN. All statistical analyses were conducted using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 considering the pen as the experimental unit. No treatment × period interaction was detected for BW, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and gain to feed ratio (G: F; <i>P</i> ≥ 0.11). Steers administrated the diet containing 11.5% CP displayed greater DMI (<i>P</i> = 0.04) and tended to be heavier (<i>P</i> = 0.08) than their counterpart fed the diet with 13.5% CP. No treatment effect was evidenced for ADG and G: F (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.15). A treatment × period interaction was detected for relative DMI (% BW), where steers fed the diet with 11.5% CP showed a greater DMI during the early and mid-stages of the feeding period (<i>P</i> = 0.01). Steers fed the 11.5% CP diet had greater carcass-adjusted final BW and ADG than steers fed the 13.5% CP diet (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.01). A tendency for a treatment × d interaction was observed (<i>P</i> = 0.07) for PUN, with steers fed the 11.5% CP diet displaying lower PUN concentration in d 56 compared to those fed the 13.5% CP diet. In addition, the concentrations of PUN in d 197 were lower compared to those observed in d 56 and 112 (<i>P</i> < 0.01). Steers offered the diet with 11.5% CP had a heavier hot carcass weight and increased dressing percentage relative to steers fed the diet with 13.5% CP (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.02). The remaining carcass characteristics were unaffected by treatments (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.15). Taken together, results from this investigation demonstrate that finishing diets with 11.5% CP provides steers with sufficient protein, and although the feed intake relative to BW substantially declines during late-stage finishing, this decline does not impose protein-induced constraints on productivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag037"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13071399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147692430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extrusion and enzyme addition enhanced ileal and total tract digestibility of pulse-based diets fed to growing pigs.","authors":"Whitney P G Van Straten, Li Fang Wang, A Kate Shoveller, Eduardo Beltranena, Thava Vasanthan, Ruurd T Zijlstra","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Field pea and lentil and their protein concentrates are sources of dietary starch and protein that may replace soybean meal in growing pig diets. However, these ingredients also contain fiber and anti-nutritional factors that can reduce nutrient digestibility. To determine if extrusion processing and addition of an enzyme blend before or after extrusion would increase nutrient digestibility of pulse diets, two diets were formulated: a Low Protein diet with 24% crude protein (<b>CP</b>) including 35% field pea flour and 15% lentil flour, and a High Protein diet with 43% CP including 50% field pea protein concentrate and 20% lentil protein concentrate. The two diets were processed as follows: raw (R), extruded (E), extruded with enzyme added prior to (P) extrusion (E + P), or enzyme added after (A) extrusion (E + A). The enzyme blend contained cellulase, xylanase, protease, and phytase. Eight ileal-cannulated growing barrows (22-23 kg) were fed the eight diets in an 8 × 8 Latin square with 8 periods of 9 d each. Feces and ileal digesta were collected for 2 d each during the last 4 d of each period. A N-free diet was fed for one period at the end of the experiment to measure ileal endogenous amino acid losses. All diets included 0.4% titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. Extrusion increased (<i>P</i> < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility (<b>ATTD</b>) of gross energy (<b>GE</b>) and CP, and the standardized ileal digestibility (<b>SID</b>) of essential amino acids (<b>AA</b>) compared with R for both Low and High Protein diets. The E + A diets further increased (<i>P</i> < 0.05) SID of essential AA and ATTD of ash compared with E for both Low and High Protein diets. The ATTD of GE and SID of CP and essential AA for E + P diets was reduced (<i>P</i> < 0.05) compared with E diets likely due to overheating during drying after the enzyme treatment. In conclusion, extrusion and enzyme addition after extrusion increased the nutritional quality of diets based on field pea and lentil and their protein concentrates fed to growing pigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag035"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13070458/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of dried and liquid direct-fed microbial (MYLO) on liveweight gain and carcass performance in feedlot cattle.","authors":"Jane C Quinn, Paul M V Cusack","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Direct-fed microbials (DFMs) are increasingly being used as supplements to support productivity and gut health in ruminants. One supplement available commercially is MYLO^® (Terragen, Coolum Beach, Australia), a liquid DFM supplement ('Liquid') (Terragen, Coolum Beach, Australia), that contains three bioactive microbial strains: <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Lentilactobacillus buchneri</i>, and <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i>. To determine equivalence of the commercially-available Liquid MYLO DFM supplement ('Liquid') to a new dried MYLO formulation, a study was undertaken using purebred Angus steers (<i>n</i> = 264) fed a high-grain diet supplemented with 1 × 10¹⁰ Colony Forming Units (<b>CFU</b>/hd/day, X1 MYLO), 2 × 10¹⁰ CFU/hd/day (X2 MYLO), or liquid MYLO (Liquid) compared to a control diet containing no DFM (Control). Steers were fed a total mixed ration (<b>TMR</b>) with increasing grain inclusion (starter ration, 58% grain; intermediate, 68% grain) with all steers on finisher ration (78% grain) by day 21. Steers were grain fed for 106 days prior to slaughter at a commercial processing plant. Steers were allocated to pens (22 head/pen, 3 pens/treatment) using a randomised block design, and production, health, and carcass data were analysed. Data were analysed using generalised mixed linear models with pen as the experimental unit. Liveweight gain, feed efficiency, health and carcass parameters were compared between MYLO groups and an untreated control cohort. Results showed that steers supplemented with X2 MYLO dried formulation showed a trend towards an increased liveweight with significance at 82 and 106 DOF (<i>P</i> = 0.014 and 0.032, respectively). No difference was observed in overall Average Daily Gain (<b>ADG</b>) (<i>P</i> = 0.997) or Gain to Feed Ratio (<b>G : F</b>) (<i>P</i> = 0.760) between treatments despite X2 MYLO trended towards greatest G : F ratios (Control G : F, 0.160; X2 MYLO, 0.163; liquid MYLO, 0.165). Hot standard carcass weight (<b>HSCW</b>) trended higher in X2 MYLO steers, resulting in an increased carcass value of $41 Australian Dollars (<b>AUD</b>)/head. <i>Longissimus dorsi</i> eye muscle area, as measured between the 12-13^th rib, was increased in X2 and Liquid MYLO DFM groups compared to controls (<i>P</i> = 0.037 and 0.008 respectively). Overall, the <i>Lactobacillaceae</i>-based X2 MYLO dried supplement showed increases in liveweight gain, carcass weight, and muscle area compared to low-dose dried or liquid formulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag033"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13044504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147623690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrolyte supplementation for gestating beef cows under heat stress conditions: cow-calf performance, thermotolerance and physiological responses.","authors":"Isabelle P Siqueira, Marcelo Vedovatto, Juliana Ranches, Giancarlo P Silva, Barbara R Dos Reis, Hiam Marcon, Ashley K Edwards, Nate Haas, Matheus L Ferreira","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electrolyte supplementation has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate heat stress by supporting acid-base balance and hydration; however, its application in pasture-based beef cow-calf systems has not been evaluated. This study assessed the effects of providing an electrolyte-fortified water solution to late-gestation beef cows managed on pasture during prolonged summer heat stress. Fifty-four fall-calving Angus-cross cows [(<b>BW</b>) = 582 ± 8.43 kg] and body condition score [(<b>BCS</b>) = 5.9 ± 0.1] were assigned to 10 bermudagrass pastures and allocated to: (1) Control (water only) or (2) Electrolyte-supplemented water (Bovine GoldLyte; 25 g/cow/day; <i>n</i> = 5 pastures/treatment) for approximately 90 days prepartum. Cow BW, BCS were collected on d 0, 28, 56, 84 and 168, and blood on d 0, 14, 28, 56 and 84. Water and electrolyte intake were collected three time a week from day 0 to 84. Respiration rate was measured every 14-d and intravaginal temperatures were measured from d 28 to 35 and d 56 to 63. Electrolyte intake averaged 26.7 ± 1.21 g/cow/day. Supplementation did not affect cow BW, BCS, calf birth weight, respiration rate, intravaginal temperature, or water intake (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.51). Control cows consumed more mineral-mix from weeks 5 to 10 (treatment × day; <i>P</i> < 0.001). Electrolyte supplementation did not alter blood pH, pCO₂, Na⁺, K⁺, ionized Ca, or hemoglobin (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.16), but cows receiving electrolytes showed decreased hematocrit (<i>P</i> = 0.09) and increased bicarbonate (<i>P</i> = 0.06), base excess (<i>P</i> = 0.04), and tCO₂ (<i>P</i> = 0.04). Cows supplemented with electrolyte had decreased albumin concentrations (treatment × day, <i>P</i> = 0.03) on day 56 (<i>P</i> = 0.09) and 84 (<i>P</i> = 0.01). In conclusion, electrolyte supplementation enhanced hydration and buffering capacity in heat-stressed gestating beef cows, but these physiological changes did not translate into improved performance or thermotolerance. Reduced mineral intake among supplemented cows may have offset potential benefits, suggesting that continuous electrolyte supplementation offers limited practical value for improving productivity or heat resilience in pasture-based beef systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag031"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13049185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147623661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal characterization of mature beef bull seminal fluid and blood serum metabolome during a 65-day breeding season.","authors":"J D Williams, M S Crouse, M R La Frano, L F Campos-Chillòn, H C Cunningham-Hollinger, C E Field, Z D McFarlane","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag005","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The metabolic impact of the breeding season on beef bulls has not been extensively studied. The change in plane of nutrition and intensive activity demands induce body weight loss and metabolic changes that may influence fertility and long-term management. The use of metabolomics to characterize the metabolic changes or adaptations during the breeding season will aid in developing hypotheses for future research in beef bulls. The objective of this study was to identify metabolites in both serum and seminal fluid (circulating vs. excretory) that were affected temporally throughout a 65-d breeding season and by bull workload (bull: cow). Over a two-year period, purebred Angus bulls (year 1: <i>n</i> = 8, year 2: <i>n</i> = 9) owned and housed by the Cal Poly beef unit were surveyed using serum (collected via the coccygeal vein) and seminal fluid (collected via electroejaculation) at the beginning (d0), middle (d30), and end (d65) of a 65-d, post-AI breeding season. Bulls were subjected to one of three workload groups: high (HIGH), moderate (MOD), or low (LOW). Samples underwent HPLC-MS to identify metabolites within the fluids. Data were stratified for sample day and workload and compared using ANOVA for sample day and workload in a 3 × 2 factorial design. Within seminal fluid and blood serum, purine and pyrimidine metabolism pathways were the most affected (<i>P</i> <i>≤</i> 0.02). Three purine metabolism metabolites showed significant (<i>P ≤</i> 0.03) workload × sample day interactions within seminal fluid. Xanthine, hypoxanthine, and inosine showed an increase (<i>P ≤</i> 0.03) in abundance in moderate workload bulls throughout the 65-d breeding season and a decrease in abundance in high workload bulls. However, we speculate that a higher workload, likely with more total ejaculates and higher sperm cell turnover, may lead to an increased purine concentration for DNA synthesis. These foundational metabolomic data indicated that an important supplementation strategy to consider may be folate because of the relationship with purine metabolism. Overall, bull workload, particularly a high workload inducing catabolism, may provide a benefit for metabolic health and reproductive performance during the breeding season.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag005"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13010319/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147515080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of dietary rumen degradable protein level on growth performance, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen utilization in growing Hu sheep.","authors":"Yu Zang, Jun Zhu, Xinhuang Zhong, Asmita Thapa, Airong Zhu, Peihua You, Mengzhi Wang","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is critical to supply adequate rumen degradable protein (<b>RDP</b>) to maintain ruminal fermentation of carbohydrates and microbial protein synthesis in sheep. Our objective was to investigate the effect of dietary RDP content on growth performance, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen utilization in growing Hu sheep. The study was conducted for 11 wk (i.e., 2-wk adaptation period and 9-wk experimental period) with 44 3-month-old intact male Hu sheep averaging body weight (<b>BW</b>) of 22.7 ± 3.32 kg at the beginning of the trial. Following the adaptation period, sheep were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental diets. Dietary RDP concentrations of 11.0%, 10.0%, 9.0%, and 8.0% were achieved by replacing solvent soybean meal and wheat middlings with coarsely cracked corn and extruded soybean meal, and experimental diets were fed as pelleted total mixed rations. Treatment had no effect on BW, average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, or income over feed cost. When decreasing dietary RDP, body height decreased (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.017) linearly, chest depth tended (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.079) to reduce linearly, and chest width responded (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.008) quadratically. There were (<i>P</i> <i>≤</i> 0.018) quadratic effects of decreasing RDP concentration for ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (<b>VFA</b>), acetate, butyrate, and branched-chain VFA (i.e., isobutyrate, valerate, and isovalerate), with maximal values at 10.0% RDP. Apparent total-tract digestibilities of crude protein and acid detergent fiber decreased (<i>P</i> <i>≤</i> 0.001) and that of starch increased (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.003) linearly as dietary RDP concentration decreased from 11.0% to 8.0%. Decreasing RDP tended (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.051) to have a quadratic effect on NDF digestibility. Urinary urea-nitrogen and total-nitrogen excretion showed (<i>P</i> <i><</i> 0.001) linear decreases when dietary RDP concentration declined. There was (<i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.027) a cubic effect of decreasing RDP on fecal nitrogen output. The ratio of retained nitrogen to nitrogen intake was maximized at 10.0% RDP (quadratic effect, <i>P</i> <i>=</i> 0.016). In summary, even though reducing dietary RDP level from 11.0% to 8.0% did not modify growth performance and linearly reduced urinary N output, ruminal fermentation, apparent total-tract digestibility of NDF, and nitrogen utilization were optimal when feeding the 10.0% RDP diet.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag011"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12978302/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147445087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-carbohydrase complex supplementation improves crude protein and energy utilization of corn-soybean-based diets with or without HP-DDGS in growing pigs.","authors":"Stephane Alverina Briguente da Motta, Wagner Azis Garcia de Araújo, Naiara Simarro Fagundes, Adriana Berti Toscan, Afonso Luna Miranda, Alejandra Gutierrez Riaño, Giovana Thais Soares Pereira, Raphaela Ribeiro Neves, Geovana da Silva Ribeiro, Bruno Alexander Nunes Silva","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of high protein corn dried distillers' grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) presents distinct nutritional and economic value compared to corn and soybean meal. This co-product is characterized by a high concentration of non-starch polysaccharides. The hypothesis of this study was that the inclusion of a multi-carbohydrase complex (MCC) in a corn-soybean based diet with or without HP-DDGS would improve nitrogen and energy digestibility and utilization in growing pigs. A total of 8 pigs were used in a digestibility study. Animals were assigned to 4 dietary treatments using a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Experimental diets consisted of two basal diets: a corn-soybean meal diet and a corn-soybean meal diet containing 20% HP-DDGS. Each basal diet was formulated with or without the inclusion of MCC. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA with HP-DDGS inclusion, enzyme inclusion, animal, and period as the main effects. Means were then compared by the Student Newman-keuls test. The inclusion of HP-DDGS reduced (<i>P</i> < 0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, gross energy, energy metabolizability coefficient, and decreased digestible energy and metabolizable energy compared to the corn-soybean diet. Conversely, MCC supplementation improved (<i>P</i> < 0.05) nutrient and energy digestibility, regardless of diet composition. The present study demonstrated that the use of a MCC in growing pig diets has the potential to improve nutrient digestibility and utilization not only when HP-DDGS is used, but also in regular corn-soybean based diets.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag025"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13005691/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147499653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}