Translational Animal Science最新文献

{"title":"Association of origin, performance, and health metrics of beef-on-dairy feedyard cattle with liver abscess at harvest.","authors":"Rebecca A Bigelow, Phillip A Lancaster, Brad J White, Raghavendra G Amachawadi, Miles E Theurer, Tera R Barnhardt","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag132","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Beef-on-dairy cattle (B × D) exhibit a higher prevalence of liver abscesses (LA) at harvest compared to native beef breeds and Holsteins. The objective was to evaluate associations of origin, performance, and health metrics with LA prevalence and severity at harvest in B × D feedyard cattle. Operational data and liver scores were collected from two sources (Dataset 1, <i>n</i> = 330 cohorts; Dataset 2, <i>n</i> = 386 cohorts). For Dataset 1, livers were scored using Elanco's liver scoring system with 4 outcomes of interest: Total LA (All scores; D1TA), Severe LA (Scores A+, A + Adhered, A + Open; D1SA), Severe + LA (A + Adhered and A + Open; D1S + A), and Severe as proportion of Total LA (D1ST). For Dataset 2, livers were scored in 3 non-mutually exclusive categories: Abscessed (D2TA), Condemned (D2CL), and Adhered (D2AdL). Generalized linear mixed models estimated probability of LA outcomes with a beta-binomial distribution to account for overdispersion. Fixed effects included sex, days on feed (DOF), shipping weight, head received, average daily gain (ADG), mortality, railers, average daily feed delivery per head, quarter of arrival/harvest, and region of origin. Feedyard was included as a random effect. Multiple risk factors such as sex, DOF, shipping weight, railers, and origin were associated with D1TA, D1SA, D1S + A, and D1ST. Quarter harvested and ADG were associated with D2TA and D2CL. Shipping weight and origin were also associated with D2TA. Sex was the only risk factor associated with D2AdL. Steer cohorts had higher probability (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05) of D1TA, D1SA, D1S + A, D1ST, and D2AdL than heifer cohorts. Cohorts on feed > 300 days had higher probability (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05) of D1TA, D1SA, and D1S + A than cohorts with fewer DOF. Cohorts with shipping weights of 680 to 725 kgs had higher risk (<i>P</i> = 0.03) of D1SA than those > 726 kgs. Average daily gain was associated with (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.02) D2TA and D2CL. Cohorts with < 0.5% railed had a lower probability (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.04) of LA outcomes than those with > 0.5% railed. Cattle harvested in quarter 3 had lower risk (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.03) of D2TA and D2CL. Cohorts originating from region 3 had lower risk (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05) of D1TA, D1SA, D1S + A, and D1ST than those from regions 1 and 4. These results identify associations among B × D cattle demographics, origin, performance, and health metrics with LA prevalence at harvest. Further research is needed to evaluate management strategies to mitigate LA occurrence.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13555621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921153","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":"High shear dry extruded corn in feedlot receiving diets.","authors":"Emma L Rients, Dathan T Smerchek, Stephanie L Hansen","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag127","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two hundred twenty-six Angus crossbred steers (initial BW = 230 ± 19 kg) from a single ranch in South Dakota were enrolled in a 38-d study to evaluate the effects of a high shear dry extruded corn product on growth performance, total tract starch digestibility, and serum glucose and insulin of receiving feedlot steers. Steers were randomly allocated to pens of 6 or 7 steers per pen, with 3.66 m of linear bunk space. Dietary treatments (<i>n</i> = 12 pens/treatment) were initiated on d 0, including a diet with dry rolled corn (ROLL), steam flaked corn (FLAKE; <i>0.29</i> to <i>0.31</i> kg/L) or high shear dry extruded corn (EXT; Hi-Gel; Insta-Pro International; Grimes, IA). Bodyweights were measured prior to feeding at study initiation (d -1 and 0), d 17, and on d 37 and 38. On d 37, blood and fecal grab samples were collected from one steer per pen. Estimated total tract starch digestibility was calculated using the equation proposed by Zinn et al. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with pen as experimental unit. Body weights were assessed using a 4% shrink to account for gut fill. Initial weights were used as a covariate in the analysis of growth performance data. Corn processing method did not influence BW, ADG, or DMI throughout the study (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.15). There was however, an increase in feed efficiency (G:F) in EXT compared to ROLL with FLAKE being intermediate (<i>P</i> = 0.007). Corn processing method influenced estimated total tract starch digestibility where EXT and FLAKE were greater than ROLL (<i>P</i> = 0.0002). Serum glucose and insulin were not influenced by dietary treatment (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.19). Weekly TMR samples were evaluated using a Penn State shaker box. There were greater particle size and more variability in the EXT TMR between week compared to ROLL and FLAKE (TRT x week <i>P</i> ≤ 0.04). Our results indicate the improvements in feed efficiency and estimated total tract starch digestibility offered by high shear dry extrusion are comparable to that of steam flaked corn (SFC) in diets containing 25 to 30% corn. Overall, results from this study indicate high shear dry extruded corn is a potential alternative for feedlot operators to increase starch digestion and feeding value of corn grain in feedlot receiving diets.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13524438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148851169","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":"Effects of increasing trypsin inhibitor on nursery pig growth performance, fecal dry matter, and nutrient digestibility.","authors":"Sierra M Collier, Paige T Soper, Katelyn N Gaffield, Robert D Goodband, Mike D Tokach, Jason C Woodworth, Joel M DeRouchey, Hari B Krishnan, Jordan T Gebhardt","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A total of 360 barrows (DNA 200 × 400; initially 6.1 ± 0.03 kg) were used in a 42-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of increasing trypsin inhibitor units (TIU) in complete feed on nursery pig growth performance, fecal dry matter (DM), and nutrient digestibility. At weaning, pigs were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to pens with five pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. There were six dietary treatments formulated to provide 1.4, 2.1, 2.8, 3.5, 4.2, and 4.9 TIU/mg of complete feed. Soy flour (76 TIU/mg) was added at the expense of soybean meal (5.4 TIU/mg) to create the experimental diets. Diet formulation was based on analyzed nutrient values of the soy flour and soybean meal, assuming digestibility coefficients for soy flour were equivalent to those of soybean meal. Experimental diets were fed in three phases: phase 1 from d 0 to 10, phase 2 from d 10 to 24, and phase 3 from d 24 to 42 after weaning. Feces were collected from three pigs per pen on d 10 and 42 to determine fecal DM, and d 42 fecal samples were used to determine apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM and crude protein (CP). Across all three individual phases and overall (d 0 to 42), increasing TIU decreased (linear, <i>P</i> < 0.001) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain:feed ratio (G:F). Fecal DM on d 10 increased (linear, <i>P</i> < 0.015; quadratic, <i>P</i> = 0.088) as TIU increased, with the majority of increase in fecal DM observed as trypsin inhibitor increased from 3.5 to 4.9 TIU/mg of complete feed. However, there were no differences in fecal DM on d 42. The ATTD of DM decreased then increased (quadratic, <i>P</i> = 0.003) as TIU increased with the lowest ATTD of DM observed at 4.2 TIU/mg of complete feed. The ATTD of CP decreased (linear, <i>P</i> < 0.001) as TIU/mg of complete feed increased. In conclusion, these data suggest that increasing dietary TIU above 1.4 TIU/mg of complete feed linearly decreased nursery pig growth performance and reduced the ATTD of DM and CP. Based on these results, each 1 TIU/mg increase in dietary TIU was associated with a 38 g/d, or a 7.4%, reduction in overall ADG. Overall ADFI decreased by approximately 40 g/d, or 5%, per 1 TIU/mg increase. Overall G:F decreased approximately 3% per 1 TIU/mg increase. Based on the amounts of SBM used in the diets for this study, and its TIU concentrations, soybean meal with greater than 5.4 TIU/mg has the potential to decrease nursery pig performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13579157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991557","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":"Continuous NU<i>track</i> monitoring revealed acute suppression and later changes in behavior after lipopolysaccharide challenge in nursery pigs.","authors":"Aaron J Holliday, Lindsey E Hulbert, Benny E Mote, Majid Jaberi-Douraki, Brooke L Parrish, Storey L Forster, Larissa E Meier, Benjamin S Riggan, Lance C Pérez, Ty B Schmidt","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag122","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated changes in the active and resting behaviors of group-housed, newly weaned pigs challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At weaning (∼21 days of age), pigs (<i>n</i> = 192; 5.73 ± 1.8 kg) were stratified by sex, litter, and body weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (16 pigs/pen; 4 pens/treatment): (i) saline-injected control (SAL); (ii) 50%-LPS, pens in which 8 of 16 pigs received LPS and 8 of 16 pigs received saline; or (iii) 100%-LPS, pens in which all pigs received LPS. Following a 9-d acclimation period, assigned injections were administered on study day 10. Pigs in the SAL treatment group and 32 pigs in the 50%-LPS treatment group received a 3.0-mL subcutaneous saline injection. The remaining pigs in the 50%-LPS treatment group and all pigs in the 100%-LPS treatment group received a 3.0-mL subcutaneous LPS injection (<i>Escherichia</i> coli O111: B4; 300 µg/kg BW). Behavior was continuously monitored for 42 d using the NUtrack system to quantify meters walked, body revolutions, time spent standing, time at the feeder, time lying laterally and sternal, total time lying, and time sitting. During the LPS response period (days 10 to 13), pigs in the 100%-LPS and 50%-LPS treatment groups displayed a clear sickness-behavior response characterized by reduced activity and increased resting behavior (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). Compared with SAL, pigs in the LPS treatment groups walked fewer meters, completed fewer revolutions, spent less time standing and at the feeder, and spent more time lying and resting (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). At the end of the recovery period (day 19) and during the early post-recovery period, pigs in both LPS treatment groups walked more, completed more revolutions, and spent more time standing and at the feeder than pigs in the SAL treatment group (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). These later differences occurred primarily on study days 19 to 25, corresponding to 9 to 15 d after challenge. Despite these later increases in activity, pigs in the 100%-LPS treatment group had reduced nursery exit BW, reduced ADG, and less total weight gain than pigs in the SAL treatment group (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05). These findings indicate that the behavioral response to LPS challenge extended beyond the LPS response period and included later changes in activity that were detected through continuous behavioral monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag122"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13597119/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149025602","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":"Inoculant effects on limpograss silage nutritive value, fermentation characteristics, microbiology, and in vitro gas production.","authors":"João V Lazarin, João M B Vendramini, Bruno I Cappellozza, Philipe Moriel, Hiran M S da Silva, André V de Miranda, Debora Siniscalchi","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag125","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a microbial inoculant on nutritive value, fermentation parameters, microbiology, and gas production of 'Gibtuck' limpograss (<i>Hemarthria altissima</i> [Poir.] Stapf & C.E. Hubbard) silage. Treatments were silage treated or not with an inoculant containing a mixture of <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> and <i>Lentilactobacillus buchneri</i> (SiloSolve FC; Novonesis, Lyngby, Denmark) at 0.5 g/Mg of as-fed forage. Treatments were distributed in a randomized complete block design with 10 replicates (blocks), where each block consisted of one control and one inoculated mini silo. The experiment was conducted in Ona, FL, from March to July 2023. Twenty 9 m² plots of established Gibtuck limpograss were harvested at 15-cm stubble height with 58 days of regrowth interval. Samples were chopped, treated, placed into mini-silos (capacity of 1.2 kg of fresh forage), and silos were sealed immediately. The silos were opened after 60 days for analysis. There was no difference (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.42) between the inoculant and control treatments on dry matter concentration, dry matter recovery, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), non-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients concentrations. However, silage treated with inoculant had greater (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.04) crude protein, in vitro true dry matter digestibility, and NDF digestibility, and lesser acid detergent fiber concentrations than the control. The inoculant did not affect (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.28) silage pH and lactic acid concentrations but resulted in greater (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.02) acetic and propionic acids, and decreased butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and ammonia-N concentrations. Aerobic stability, and mold and yeast counts were not affected (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.28) by the inoculant treatment. At the genus level, there was no difference (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.54) in relative abundance of <i>Lentilactobacillus</i>, <i>Enterobacter</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i>, and <i>Weissella</i> among treatments, but silage inoculation tended to reduce <i>Clostridium</i> and <i>Pediococcus</i> (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.09), while increasing the relative abundance of <i>Lactococcus</i> and <i>Bacillus</i> (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.01). Limpograss silage treated with inoculant tended to reduce in vitro gas (<i>P</i> = 0.07) and methane production (<i>P</i> = 0.06) compared with the control. These results indicate that SiloSolve FC is an effective microbial inoculant for limpograss silage and suggest that it may potentially improve the quality of other warm-season perennial grass silages under subtropical and tropical conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921156","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":"Material consequences: an initial assessment of the influence of flooring type on lactating sow thermoregulation in summer heat.","authors":"Jay S Johnson, Ashley Rodman, Caitlyn R Sullivan, Carley Hopkins","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag123","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress (HS) impairs lactating sows' ability to provide adequate nutrition for their litters, prompting the development of management practices and new housing systems to alleviate its effects. However, few have investigated materials used in farrowing crate construction and their influence on sows' ability to remain euthermic. Therefore, the study objective was to assess the association of metal (MTL) versus plastic (PLS) crate flooring with sow euthermia and litter performance under natural summer HS conditions. Landrace x Large White lactating sows and their litters (<i>N</i> = 23) were housed in individual crates in a single barn containing one room with MTL (<i>n</i> = 12) and one room with PLS (<i>n</i> = 11). Temperature and relative humidity were measured in 5 min intervals and were similar between the MTL (25.7 ± 1.8°C and 88.0 ± 5.9%, respectively) and PLS (25.4 ± 1.9°C and 86.2 ± 6.2%, respectively) rooms. All sows were provided ad libitum feed and water and piglets were cross fostered to standardize litter sizes (12.0 ± 1.4 piglets/litter). Sow vaginal temperature (T_V) was assessed in 10 min intervals daily, and respiration rate (RR; breaths per minute [bpm]) and ear, shoulder, rump, and tail skin temperatures were measured at 0800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 h daily during the last 7 d of lactation. Sow average daily feed intake (ADFI) was measured weekly and litter weights were determined on d 1, 7, 14, and at weaning (d 19.7 ± 1.8) to assess average daily gain. Piglet mortality was monitored starting at d 2 of lactation immediately post-crossfostering and continued throughout the trial. The sow was considered the experimental unit for sow-based measures, and litter was considered the experimental unit for litter-based measures. Parity was similar (<i>P</i> = 0.60) between MTL (2.25 ± 0.86) and PLS (2.88 ± 0.90) sows. Sow ADFI was increased (<i>P</i> < 0.01; 0.98 kg/d) for MTL versus PLS sows. Greater T_V (<i>P</i> < 0.01; 0.08°C) was detected for MTL versus PLS sows. Respiration rate was increased (<i>P</i> < 0.01; 10 bpm) at 2000 h for MTL versus PLS sows. Ear and shoulder skin temperatures were greater (<i>P</i> < 0.01; 0.34 and 0.65°C, respectively) in MTL versus PLS sows. Average daily gain was similar (<i>P</i> = 0.55; 249.3 ± 11.6 g/d) for MTL and PLS litters. Mortality was greater overall (<i>P</i> < 0.01) for PLS (20.25 ± 5.14%) versus MTL (10.77 ± 5.44%) litters. In summary, MTL increased sow ADFI which may have influenced T_V, RR, and skin temperatures, and was associated with lower pre-weaning mortality in litters.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13548787/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148907038","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":"Effects of feeding a <i>Bacillus</i>-based probiotic on feed intake, performance, carcass traits, and health of crossbred beef cattle fed sodium monensin and high-moisture corn-based diets during finishing.","authors":"Juan Bollatti, Federico Bernardi, Ramiro Andreola, Fernando M Clemente, Oscar C M Queiroz, Reinaldo F Cooke, Bruno I Cappellozza","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag124","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This experiment evaluated feed intake, performance, fecal nutrient concentrations, health, and carcass traits of crossbred beef cattle offered a high-moisture corn-based diet containing sodium monensin. On day 0 of the study, 402 crossbred steers [initial body weight (<i>BW</i>) 329 ± 69.5 kg] were blocked by BW and source into 1 of 28 feedlot pens (14 to 15 steers/pen). Within blocks, pens were assigned to high-moisture corn-based diets containing (<i>BAC</i>) or not (<i>CON</i>; <i>n</i> = 14) <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i> 809 and <i>B. subtilis</i> 810 (2 g/steer per day; <i>n</i> = 14). The experimental period lasted 118 days and BAC was added to a mineral-vitamin premix, which also contained sodium monensin. Throughout the experimental period, dry matter intake was determined daily, while individual BW was obtained on days 0, 35, and 118 of the study. Based on these measurements, average daily gain (<i>ADG</i>) and gain to feed (<i>GF</i>) were also calculated. Fecal samples were collected on days 20 and 70 of the study for determination of fecal starch and nitrogen (<i>N</i>). On day 122, animals were transported to a commercial slaughterhouse and carcass traits were determined. All data were analyzed with SAS (version 9.4) using pen as the experimental unit. Body weight on days 35 and 118 was greater (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.03) for BAC vs. CON, while no changes were observed on feed intake (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.40). Average daily gain was also greater for BAC from days 0 to 35 (<i>P</i> = 0.01) and 0 to 118 (<i>P</i> = 0.03). Hence, GF was improved by 8.4 and 2.9% when assessed from days 0 to 35 (<i>P</i> = 0.03) and 0 to 118 (<i>P</i> = 0.04), respectively. Hot carcass weight was also greater for BAC (+ 3.5 kg; <i>P</i> = 0.05), while <i>Biceps femoris</i> fat thickness tended to be greater (<i>P</i> = 0.07) for BAC. Carcass-adjusted final BW, ADG, and GF were also greater (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.05) for BAC. No differences were observed on fecal starch and N (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.42), but fecal score tended to be greater for BAC from days 35 to 118 and from days 0 to 118 (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.09). No treatment effects were detected for the incidence of bovine respiratory cases (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.12), while overall morbidity tended to be lower (<i>P</i> = 0.06) and fever occurrence in steers showing bovine respiratory disease was lower in steers fed BAC (<i>P</i> = 0.04). In summary, <i>Bacillus</i> spp. supplementation optimized performance, health, and carcass traits of feedlot cattle fed a high-moisture corn-based diet containing sodium monensin.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13509957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148832528","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":"The role of critical thinking in explaining students' academic achievement in undergraduate animal sciences programs.","authors":"Hannah M Twenter, John D Tummons, Jim Spain","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag119","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag119","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Critical thinking skills are an in-demand trait of many STEM professionals, including animal scientists. Many instructors note the importance of critical thinking, but few have a clear understanding of what critical thinking means, how to teach to enhance the development of critical thinking skills, and how to assess the critical thinking as a student learning outcome. Many higher education institutions utilize student success prediction models with the hope that early prediction can be used to provide additional assistance to students when needed to improve the student success rate. These predictive models use high school GPA and standardized test scores, like the ACT and SAT, to predict academic success in college, but models have mixed success in their predictive capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent differences in critical thinking skills explain a difference between predicted and earned GPAs for first-time animal sciences students. Previous animal sciences students, on average, failed to achieve predicted overall GPAs (<i>P</i> < 0.05) and GPAs in STEM courses (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Mean student critical thinking scores of first-time animal sciences students were significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.05) below normative data. Current animal sciences students significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.05) underperformed their predicted GPA after one semester, but differences between predicted and earned GPA after four semesters were not significant (<i>P</i> > 0.05). The current university-provided predicted GPA model using standardized tests and high school GPA was significant <i>F = </i>68.13(1,103, <i>P</i> < 0.001) and accounted for 39% of the variance (<i>adjusted R²</i>  = 0.392) for rising junior students. The second model included students' critical thinking, graduating class size, and involvement in youth agriculture clubs. Model 2 was also significant <i>F = </i>17.82(3,100, <i>P</i> < 0.001, adjusted <i>R²</i>  = 0.393). No added covariates in Model 2 were significant (<i>P</i> > 0.05) and the additional factors did not improve the predictive ability of the model (Δ<i>F = </i>1.028(3,100), <i>P</i> > 0.05<i>)</i>. Researchers recommend future research exploring the developmental factors of youth critical thinking, why predictive models overestimate GPA, grading policies, and interpersonal variables which can account for the unexplained variance in the prediction model.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag119"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506052/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819631","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":"Effects of forage NDF strategies on growth performance, starch digestion, ingestive behavior, and inflammatory responses in feedlot Angus × Nellore bulls.","authors":"Mailza Gonçalves de Souza, Jonas Gabriel Dantas, Bianca Lombardi Soares, Matheus Prestes Barros, Matheus Copeli Garcia, Paulo César Bortoleto Júnior, Dante Pazzanese Duarte Lanna","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag121","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txag121","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) level and feeding strategy on growth performance, carcass traits, ingestive behavior, starch utilization, and inflammatory biomarkers in Angus × Nellore bulls fed energy-dense diets. Sixty Angus × Nellore bulls (initial BW = 398 ± 10 kg) were housed in four pens (15 bulls/pen) and individually monitored using GrowSafe and Intergado systems. During d 0 to 50, bulls received diets containing either 12% or 7% fNDF. During d 51 to 100, 30 bulls remained on their original diets, whereas the remaining 30 bulls were switched to the opposite fNDF level (12→7% or 7→12%). Dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed efficiency did not differ during the first period or across the overall feedlot period (<i>P</i> > 0.05). However, during the second period, bulls fed 7% fNDF exhibited greater ADG, improved feed efficiency, greater calculated energy requirements for gain (Eg; Mcal/d), greater performance-predicted dietary net energy for maintenance (NEm; Mcal/kg DM), greater performance-predicted dietary net energy for gain (NEg; Mcal/kg DM), and lower DMI required for maintenance than bulls fed 12% fNDF (<i>P</i> = 0.01). In contrast, bulls fed 12% fNDF allocated a greater proportion of DMI to maintenance requirements (<i>P</i> = 0.01). Feeding 7% fNDF increased fecal starch concentration and reduced estimated starch digestibility (<i>P</i> < 0.05), whereas increasing fNDF from 7% to 12% during the second period improved starch utilization compared with both the continuous 7% fNDF treatment and the 12→7% strategy (<i>P</i> = 0.01). Carcass traits, water intake, and the frequency of visits to the water trough were not affected by treatment (<i>P</i> > 0.05). Diets containing 12% fNDF increased chewing and rumination time during the first period (<i>P</i> < 0.05), whereas reducing fNDF, particularly following the 12→7% transition, decreased rumination time and increased idle time without affecting eating time (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and haptoglobin were not affected by treatment <i>(P</i> > 0.05), whereas serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations increased in bulls fed 7% fNDF during the second period (<i>P</i> = 0.01). The 7% fNDF strategy improved late-feedlot growth performance but at the expense of starch utilization, as evidenced by greater fecal starch concentration and lower estimated starch digestibility. In contrast, increasing fNDF during the finishing phase improved starch utilization without compromising animal performance. Although these responses were evident during the second period, they did not result in detectable differences in overall feedlot growth performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag121"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13534744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881687","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":"Recent feeding history drives prediction of daily feed intake in lactating sows.","authors":"Maria Victoria Souza, Alex Batista Trentin, Qianqian Huang, Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira, Brian Richert, Luiz Fernando Brito, Hyatt Frobose, Allan Schinckel","doi":"10.1093/tas/txag118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txag118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate prediction of feed intake (FI) in lactating sows is essential for precision nutrition, welfare monitoring, and sustainable production. Feed intake during lactation is influenced by both physiological and environmental factors, but the complexity of individual FI makes traditional modeling approaches challenging. Machine learning (ML) provides flexible tools for capturing nonlinear dynamics in sow-feeding datasets. This study evaluated multiple ML algorithms to predict and forecast FI using 17,171 daily observations from 898 lactating sows. Five ML algorithms were tested: Generalized Additive Model (GAM), Elastic Net Regression (ENET), Random Forest (RDF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGB). Predictors included environmental variables (daily maximum air temperature and daily maximum dew point), biological variables (parity and lactation day), and historical data derived from recent FI events (moving averages, lag variables, and intake variability), along with their interactions. An 8:2 sow-level train/test split was employed, along with grouped 5-fold cross-validation (CV) to prevent data leakage. Model performance, feature importance, and forecasting ability were assessed. All models performed similarly, with <i>R</i> ² values between 0.818 (ENET) and 0.828 (LGB) on the test sets and root mean squared errors (RMSE) between 0.993 kg (RDF) and 1.014 kg (ENET). However, GAM, ENET, and LGB showed less overfitting than XGB and RDF, evidenced by a train-test performance gap of over 5 percentage points. Forecasting accuracy remained strong for 1- to 3-day-ahead predictions (<i>R</i> ² = 0.61 to 0.71) but declined progressively thereafter, suggesting that ML models captured short-term individual dynamics but gradually reverted toward lactation-specific averages over longer periods. Historical variables contributed to 71.6% of the total predictive power, with the three-day moving average being the most influential feature, according to its mean absolute Shapley additive explanatory value (SHAP) of 0.728, followed by the one-day lag (SHAP = 0.715). Models without historical variables showed decreased performance, with errors increasing from + 0.294 to + 0.316 kg/d. Overall, this study demonstrates that ML models can accurately predict daily FI when incorporating historical data, highlighting the potential of ML-driven forecasting to facilitate personalized, data-driven feeding strategies in precision swine production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"10 ","pages":"txag118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13489702/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148798172","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}