Translational Animal Science最新文献

{"title":"Filling the sustainability gap: what beef industry stakeholders can learn from ranchers on new practice adoption, grazing management plans, and sustainability.","authors":"S C Klopatek, A M Cantwell, L Roche, J W Oltjen","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf045","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Livestock's environmental footprint has become a pivotal concern for consumers and food corporations alike. To stay competitive in the sustainable foods movement and reduce Scope 3 emissions, the beef industry has sought to improve sustainability within their own value chains. However, before system sustainability can be achieved, sustainability practices must be adopted and implemented by the foundation of the beef system, cow-calf operations. Therefore, to gain insight into ranchers' motivations for adopting new sustainable practices we administered an online multi-state survey to cattle ranchers in collaboration with state cattlemen's associations. The survey objectives were to: 1) identify where ranchers obtain educational information, 2) identify ranching priorities and reasons for new practice adoption, 3) determine factors influencing grazing management plan adoption, and 4) assess what sustainability means to the ranching community. Of the survey participants who fully completed the survey (n=706), when asked what made them trust in a ranching educational program, 64% of ranchers selected science, 55% selected programs partnered with cattlemen associations, and 32% trusted the program if other ranchers they knew were enrolled in the program. Increased profitability (79%), animal health (78%), and expected benefits would outweigh costs (51%) were key drivers for ranchers adopting a new practice. A top priority/principal concern for ranchers was improving ranch public image (n= 551), likely influenced by public rhetoric and concerns around beef's environmental impact. In terms of grazing management plans, 77% of producers stated they had a grazing management plan and 38% of ranchers indicated their plan was written. The likelihood of having a grazing management plan increased with rancher age, presence of a succession plan, and participation in a land assistantship program (<i>P</i> < 0.01). In total, 114 survey participants answered the open-ended question, \"What does sustainable ranching mean to you.\" Based on responses, ranchers' definition of sustainability was a multifaceted concept balancing environmental health, profitability, family, and animal welfare, with many viewing these elements as interconnected and critical for the future of their operations. In conclusion, the information accrued in this survey provided guidance to beef industry stakeholders on how to effectively engage ranchers and encourage the broader adoption of sustainable management practices and programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf045"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12199235/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144508396","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":"Short communication: thermotolerance and residual feed intake in <i>Bos-indicus</i> crossbred beef heifers.","authors":"Gleise M Silva, Federico Podversich, Aghata Elins M Silva, Arturo Macias Franco, Angela Gonella-Diaza, Raluca G Mateescu, Nicolas DiLorenzo","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf051","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the relationship between thermotolerance and residual feed intake (RFI) in <i>Bos indicus</i> crossbred replacement beef heifers. In the summer of 2019, vaginal body temperatures were recorded from 654 heifers to identify the most and the least heat-tolerant animals based on changes in body temperature throughout the day. From this group of heifers, 27 were ranked in the summer as either heat-tolerant (n = 14; thermotolerant) or least heat-tolerant (n = 13; non-thermotolerant) to enroll in a 42-d feed efficiency test conducted in the fall. The maximum body temperature minus the 0700 h body temperature difference between the groups was 0.19 °C for thermotolerant and 1.2 for non-thermotolerant heifers (<i>P</i> < 0.01). In the fall, selected heifers (398 ± 11.3 kg of body weight [BW]; approximately 720 d of age) were randomly allocated into four concrete-floored pens, each with two GrowSafe feed bunks, and fed a common ad libitum total mixed ration (16.9% crude protein, 52% total digestible nutrients on a DM basis) for a 56-d period (14 d of adaptation followed by 42 d of evaluation). Body weight was collected on d -1, 0, 14, 28, 41, and 42, while fall body temperature was recorded (10 min intervals for 4 consecutive d) from d 29 to 32 of the study, using temperature probes placed intravaginally with a hormone-free controlled internal drug release device. Final BW, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), DMI as a percentage of BW, RFI, and body temperature were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Final BW, ADG, DMI, and body temperature collected during the feeding period were not affected by thermotolerance phenotype (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.42); however, heifers previously classified as thermotolerant had decreased RFI (<i>P</i> = 0.01; -1.32 vs. 1.27 ± 3.31 kg, respectively) and DMI as a percentage of BW (<i>P</i> = 0.01) when compared with non-thermotolerant heifers. In conclusion, <i>Bos indicus</i> crossbred replacement beef heifers previously classified as thermotolerant based on multiple body temperature measurements collected throughout the summer had decreased RFI when measured in the fall, indicating the potential of feed efficiency in heat-tolerant beef heifers.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf051"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12132792/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144217025","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":"Effect of replacing peanut vine with extruded rape straw on growth, nutrient digestibility, energy metabolism, microbial crude protein synthesis, meat amino acid and fatty acid profiles of finishing lambs.","authors":"Daiyi Yang, Tongyu Sun, Yongjie Zheng, Morteza H Ghaffari, Yanling Huang, Yuanfeng Sun, Xiaoyang Li, Tao Ma","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf044","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf044","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Peanut crop residues such as peanut vine are widely used to feed small ruminants as roughage in Asia, where the population of sheep and goat takes a large proportion in the world. Compared to peanut vine, straw is considered as a less nutritious but promising roughage source due to high availability and low price. Extrusion is a process to improve the palatability and digestibility of the feed. Here, we investigated the effects of replacing peanut vine with extruded rape straw on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, energy metabolism, microbial crude protein (MCP) synthesis, and amino acid and fatty acid profiles in the <i>longissimus thoracic</i> (LT) of finishing lambs. Twenty-four 2-mo-old male Hu lambs of similar body weight (19.5 ± 1.0 kg) were fed two diets containing either peanut vine (CON, n = 12) or extruded rape straw (TRT, n = 12) as the only roughage source. The dietary concentrate to forage ratio was 70:30. Lambs were fed twice daily and had ad libitum access to feed and clean water. The experiment lasted 120 d, including a 30-d adaptation period. Lambs were weighed every 30 d. Digestibility trial was conducted during the 81 to 90 d of the experiment. At the end of the experiments, lambs were slaughtered for ruminal fluid and meat sample collection. Data were analyzed using mixed model with repeated measures, Student's t-test, or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. No difference in growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients, or energy utilization efficiency was observed, except for the apparent digestibility of ether extract, which was greater (<i>P </i>= 0.008) for lambs in the TRT group. In addition, the MCP estimated using urinary purine derivatives (<i>P</i> = 0.072) tended to be greater in the lambs of the TRT group. The concentration of most amino acids and fatty acids was not different in the LT sample of two groups of lambs, while the concentration of Met (<i>P</i> = 0.044) was greater, and that of myristoleic acid (C14:1) (<i>P</i> = 0.010), heptadecenoic acid (C17:1) (<i>P</i> < 0.001), trans-linoleic acid (C18:2n6t) (<i>P</i> = 0.003) and gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3n6) (<i>P</i> < 0.001) were lower in the LT sample of lambs from TRT group. In conclusion, extruded rape straw can effectively replace peanut vine in the diet of lambs without compromising health or nutrient utilization.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf044"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095025","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 10-G direct-fed microbial on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> in subiliac lymph nodes of feedlot steers.","authors":"Aubrey C Thompson, Tony C Bryant, Jenny S Jennings, Kevin Martens, Loni W Lucherk, Travis C Tennant, Ty E Lawrence","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf050","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Yearling crossbred beef steers [n = 6,400; initial body weight (BW) 358 kg] were used to investigate the efficacy of a direct-fed microbial upon animal growTh performance, carcass characteristics, and prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> in subiliac lymph nodes after a feeding duration of 182 d. Steers were allocated to 1 of 32 pens [n = 200/pen] within 16 total blocks, and assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments; no probiotic (<b>CON</b>) or 2 g*steer^-1*d^-1 of <i>Lactobacillus acidophilus</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus</i>, <i>Lactobacillus brevis</i> and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> providing a total of 1 billion CFU (<b>10-G</b>). At harvest, subiliac lymph nodes were randomly obtained from 40 animals from each pen for blocks 1 through 10. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design, and pen served as the experimental unit. No differences (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.26) were observed between treatments for DMI, final BW, average daily gain, or feed efficiency. When evaluating carcass characteristics, there were no differences (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.15) for hot carcass weight or liver abscess prevalence. However, dressed carcass yield differed (<i>P</i> = 0.02) between treatments (CON = 64.74%, 10-G = 64.52%). No differences (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.12) were observed for marbling score, longissimus muscle area, 12^th rib s.c. fat depth, or USDA quality grade outcomes. Lower frequency (<i>P</i> < 0.01; CON = 36.95%, 10-G = 23.60%) of <i>Salmonella</i> positive subiliac lymph nodes was observed for cattle supplemented dietary 10-G, whereas concentration of <i>Salmonella</i> quantifiable samples did not differ (<i>P</i> = 0.23) between treatments (CON = 0.84 Log₁₀CFU/g, 10-G = 0.63 Log₁₀CFU/g). In conclusion, the supplementation of 10-G direct fed microbial did not influence live or carcass performance within this trial; however, prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> positive subiliac lymph nodes was reduced.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf050"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12311916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761445","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":"Yield of hybrid rye silage and its use as a replacement for barley silage on feed intake, growth performance, and carcass quality of growing and finishing steers.","authors":"Fuquan Zhang, Rebecca S Brattain, Herman Wehrle, Vern Baron, Gabriel O Ribeiro, Gregory B Penner","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study compared the yield of barley and hybrid rye when harvested for silage, and evaluated the effects of replacing barley silage (BARS) with hybrid rye silage (HRS) on dry matter intake (DMI), growth, and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers. The whole-plant hybrid rye (late milk) and barley (soft dough) were each harvested from 3 replicate 7.85-ha plots in 2022 and 2023 and ensiled (n = 3/treatment/yr). In each year, 192 steers were allocated to 1 of 16 pens in a completely randomized block design for growing (4 pens/treatment/yr) and finishing (5 or 6 pens/treatment/yr) phases. Treatments during the growing phase (84 d) included a control diet (GCON) that contained 60% BARS, and in the remaining treatments HRS replaced 33 (GLOW), 67 (GMED), or 100% (GHIGH) of the BARS (DM basis). Steers were then re-randomized and allocated to 1 of 16 pens for the finishing phase with diets that contained (DM basis) 10% BARS (FCON) or diets where HRS replaced 50% (FMED) or 100% (FHIGH) of the BARS. Steers were fed for 112 d. Forage DM yield did not differ between whole plant hybrid rye and barley (3.96 vs. 3.70 mT/ha). During the growing phase, increasing the HRS inclusion at the expense of BARS decreased DMI (quadratic, <i>P </i>= 0.02), average daily gain (ADG; quadratic, <i>P</i> < 0.01), and final BW (quadratic, <i>P</i> = 0.02) with the magnitude of the response increasing with increasing HRS inclusion. In addition, the gain:feed (G:F) ratio linearly decreased (<i>P </i>< 0.01) with increasing HRS inclusion. During finishing, DMI tended to linearly decrease (<i>P </i>= 0.06), ADG decreased and then increased (quadratic, <i>P </i>= 0.04) with the lowest ADG observed for FMED, while G:F was unaffected. Carcass weight for steers fed FMED and FHIGH did not differ but were lighter (quadratic, <i>P</i> = 0.02) than FCON, and dressing percentage decreased linearly from 58.81 to 58.34% (<i>P</i> = 0.03) as HRS inclusion increased. Carcass yield grade and marbling were unaffected. Increasing HRS inclusion at the expense of BARS linearly decreased the proportion of steers with minor (<i>P </i>= 0.02) and severe (<i>P </i>= 0.04) liver abscesses. In conclusion, while forage yield may not differ between hybrid rye and barley, increasing the inclusion rate of HRS in diets for growing steers reduced DMI and ADG. During finishing, increasing the inclusion of HRS may decrease DMI and resulted in lighter hot carcass weight without affecting carcass yield grade or marbling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf048"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057561/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144015994","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":"Growth performance, enteric methane emissions, and economic impact of alternative feeding strategies for Simmental fattening bulls.","authors":"Christian Koch, Manfred Schönleben, Jason J Hayer, Joachim Mentschel, Norbert Göres, Paolo Fissore, Katrin Gnjidic, Max Görtz, Hermann Bischoff, Josef Bauerdick, Helga Sauerwein, Morteza H Ghaffari","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf043","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the effects of conventional silage-based (CONVL) and byproduct-based (ByProd) TMR, along with a tannin-seaweed supplement (ClimaSAN; a 50:50 proprietary blend of hydrolyzable tannins from chestnut (<i>Castanea sativa</i>) and brown seaweed (<i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>), Sano GmbH, Loiching, Germany), on performance, enteric methane emissions, and economic outcomes. A 306-d trial was conducted with 32 Simmental bulls assigned to 2 treatments (<i>n = </i>16/group) formulated using the NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). 2016. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. 8th revised ed. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.17226/19014) guidelines, in conjunction with the CNCPS (v6.5.5). The primary differences between ByProd and CONVL diets were neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom: 31.6% vs. 33.3% of dry matter [DM]), physically effective NDF (peNDF: 16.6% vs. 21.9% DM), acid detergent fiber (ADF: 16.5% vs. 19.1% DM), sugar content (8.24% vs. 4.26%), and ether extract (EE: 2.85 vs. 4.03% DM). From days 155 to 241, both groups were supplemented with ClimaSAN at 6 g/kg of TMR DM. Enteric methane emissions were measured using a portable laser methane detector (Mini-Green® Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures model in SAS 9.4, with treatment, time, and their interaction as fixed effects, and pen and animal as random effects. Bulls fed the ByProd TMR consumed less metabolizable energy, fibrous carbohydrates (including aNDFom, peNDF, and ADF) and ether extract (<i>P</i> < 0.05) but significantly more sugar and non-fiber carbohydrates (<i>P </i>< 0.01). However, the treatments did not significantly affect average daily gain (ADG), the ADG/metabolizable energy intake ratio and methane emissions. Methane data were categorized into three phases: pre-supplementation (Days 29 to 135), during ClimaSAN (Days 155 to 241), and post-supplementation (Days 263 to 306). ClimaSAN reduced methane by 9.82% in Period 2, and despite a 1.42% increase in Period 3, emissions remained below baseline. Carcass revenue (€4.61 vs. €4.60/kg, <i>P</i> = 0.80) and dressing percentage (57.0% vs. 56.8%, <i>P</i> = 0.71) were unaffected by dietary treatment. Economic performance was favorable for both diets, with the ByProd TMR group achieving a higher income over feed cost (€1,221 vs. €1,187/head, <i>P</i> = 0.11) and a higher profit margin (€371 vs. €337/head, <i>P</i> = 0.11). ClimaSAN-supplemented diets reduced methane by 9.82% with lasting post-supplementation effects. In summary, rations based on byproducts and co-products can reduce feed costs in cattle farming without affecting production efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf043"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12161075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144286583","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":"Relationship between phenotypic subcutaneous backfat thickness and spermiogram outcomes in young beef bulls.","authors":"Molly S Smith, Jorge Octavio Solano Aguilar, Grace Nyhuis, Francine Messias Ciriaco, Saulo M Zoca, Lew Strickland, R Lawton Stewart, Jason D Duggin, Pedro Levy Piza Fontes","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the relationship between subcutaneous backfat thickness (SCBF) and semen quality in young beef bulls. We hypothesized that bulls with increased SCBF would have decreased semen quality compared with bulls of adequate SCBF, despite being fed the same diet. Data collected from yearling beef bulls (<i>n</i> = 710) enrolled in two bull development programs were utilized in an observational retrospective cohort study. Bulls were developed according to industry standard practices and growth performance was evaluated over 84 or 112 d following a 14- or 21-d adaptation period. At the end of the growth performance evaluation period, carcass ultrasonography was performed to evaluate ribeye area (REA), SCBF, and intramuscular fat. Furthermore, breeding soundness examinations (BSE) were performed within 40 d after carcass ultrasonography. Bulls that failed the BSE for reasons unrelated to semen quality were excluded from this study. To evaluate the relationship between SCBF and fertility variables, bulls were categorized into three cohorts based on SCBF estimates using two distinct thresholds. Within each location and year, bulls were retrospectively ranked according to their SCBF and classified into the top 10% (TOP10; n = 71), middle 80% (MID80; n = 569), and bottom 10% (BTM10; n = 70). To further investigate the relationship between SCBF and fertility, bulls were also categorized into the top 20% (TOP20; n = 153), middle 60% (MID60; n = 419), and bottom 20% (BTM20; n = 138) based on SCBF. TOP10 and TOP20 bulls had greater initial and final body weight, SCBF, REA, and IMF (<i>P</i> ≤ 0.01) compared with their respective cohorts. In contrast, SCBF classifications did not impact average daily gain, scrotal circumference, and sperm motility (<i>P</i> ≥ 0.29). The percentage of morphologically normal sperm was decreased in TOP10 and TOP20 bulls compared with their respective cohorts (<i>P </i>< 0.01), which are similar among them (<i>P </i>≥ 0.31). These differences resulted in a greater proportion of TOP10 (<i>P</i> < 0.01) and TOP20 (<i>P</i> < 0.01) bulls classified as deferred compared with their respective cohorts. In summary, elevated SCBF in bulls exposed to the same diet was associated with an increase in sperm morphological abnormalities and resulted in a larger proportion of bulls classified as deferred during their first BSE.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf039"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12035814/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143983012","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 including sprouted barley in the diets of Western white face feeder wether lambs.","authors":"Zachary Cal Crump, Anthony Fernando Alberto, Bailee Lynn Brown, Bryce Wayne Roholt, Lillian Lelehua Okamoto, Ryan Arthur Spurling, Fallon Lee Johnson, Ryan Feuz, Robert Lynn Harding, Sanjeewa Dilshan Ranathunga, Brady Morris Blackett, Jordan Ray Atkinson, Chad Mc Bride Page, Kara Jean Thornton","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf040","DOIUrl":"10.1093/tas/txaf040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing population is driving demand for animal protein which increases pressure on the agricultural industry. Vertical farming could potentially help by reducing land and water requirements while operating independently of weather. However, it is unknown how sprouted barley (SB), grown in a controlled environment system, impacts typical measures of production (body weight (BW) gain, dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency (G:F), feeding behavior, carcass traits, economics etc.), of western white face wether lambs. Wether lambs (N = 76) were stratified by initial BW (40.9 kg, ± 0.84) into one of four different dietary groups: a typical ration as the control (CON; n = 18) and diet groups with 10% (n = 20), 20% (n = 18), or 30% (n = 20) dry matter (DM) inclusion of SB, replacing some rolled barley, alfalfa, and soybean meal. On days 0, 30, and 58 BW and rumen pH were measured. Additionally, BW was also assessed on days 15 and 65. Feed intake and feeding behavior were quantified using Vytelle technology and averaged every 15 d at timepoints of days 15, 30, 45, and 69. All animals were harvested at a commercial lamb abattoir and carcasses were camera graded on day 69. The PROC MIXED procedure of SAS was used to analyze all data, with day as a repeated measure to assess effects of diet, day and the interaction. No diet × day <i>(P = 0.21)</i> for DMI was observed. However, diet <i>(P = 0.0006)</i> and day <i>(P = 0.004)</i> both impacted DMI, such that DMI increased <i>(P = 0.02)</i> over time and DMI of all SB diets was less <i>(P = 0.0001)</i> than CON. Lambs receiving CON had increased <i>(P ≤ 0.05)</i> nutrient intake of net energy maintenance, net energy gain, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent compared to SB. No differences <i>(P > 0.17)</i> were found in any carcass measurements. Net return (NR) for 30% SB was decreased <i>(P = 0.04)</i> relative to 10% SB, but was not different <i>(P > 0.10)</i> from the NR for 20% SB and CON. The CON diet had increased <i>(P < 0.01)</i> total feed costs (TFC) compared to 10% SB diets, but was not different <i>(P > 0.10)</i> from the TFC for 20% SB and 30% SB. The 10% SB diet had decreased <i>(P < 0.05)</i> cost of gain (COG) relative to 30% SB, but was not different <i>(P > 0.10)</i> from COG for CON and 20% SB. These results suggest incorporating SB into the diet of feeder wethers at levels of 10, 20, or 30% (DM) may enhance feed efficiency by lowering DMI, while maintaining production standards and improving COG.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf040"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12070474/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144011342","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":"Digestible and metabolizable energy in soybean meal and soybean hulls when fed to growing pigs or sows.","authors":"Yeonwoo Kim, Su A Lee, Hans H Stein","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the apparent total tract digestibility (<b>ATTD</b>) of gross energy (<b>GE</b>) and concentrations of digestible energy (<b>DE</b>) in soybean meal (<b>SBM</b>) and soybean hulls are greater when fed to gestating sows or lactating sows than to growing pigs, and that there is no difference in ATTD of GE between gestating and lactating sows. Three experimental diets were prepared. The basal diet consisted of corn as the sole source of energy, and two additional diets contained corn and 30% SBM or corn and 20% soybean hulls. All diets were fed to growing pigs and gestating and lactating sows. Twenty-four growing pigs and twenty-four gestating sows were housed in metabolism crates, and fecal and urine samples were quantitatively collected. Twenty-four lactating sows were housed in farrowing crates and feces were grab-sampled. The ATTD of GE, DE, and metabolizable energy (<b>ME</b>) were calculated in diets fed to growing pigs and gestating sows, and DE and ME in SBM and soybean hulls were calculated as well. The ATTD of GE and DE were also determined in diets fed to lactating sows, and DE was determined for SBM and soybean hulls. Results from growing pigs indicated that DE and ME were greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) in corn and SBM compared with soybean hulls. For gestating sows, DE in corn and SBM was also greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) than in soybean hulls, and ME in corn was greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) than in SBM, whereas soybean hulls had the least (<i>P</i> < 0.05) ME. Results for lactating sows indicated that DE in corn and SBM was greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) than in soybean hulls, but lactating sows had greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) DE for soybean hulls than gestating sows and growign pigs, whereas gestating sows had greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) DE for corn than lactating sows. Gestating sows also had greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) ME for corn than growing pigs whereas growing pigs had greater (<i>P</i> < 0.05) ME for SBM than gestating sows. In conclusion, soybean hulls contain less DE and ME than corn and SBM, but there are no consistent differences in DE and ME among growing pigs, gestating, and lactating sows.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf041"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057562/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144020197","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":"Building value for dairy farmers and advisors in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Environmental Stewardship Program.","authors":"MaryGrace Erickson, Maristela Rovai, Patricia Villamediana, Amy M Schmidt, Richard R Stowell, Erin L Cortus","doi":"10.1093/tas/txaf038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Major industry-led efforts aim at reducing the cradle-to-farmgate environmental impacts of milk production (e.g., U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative). Our qualitative, exploratory work sought to characterize farmer and advisor perceptions of an environmental sustainability assessment program [FARM ES Version 2] in the Upper Midwest. We aimed to 1) explore the ways participants valued environmental stewardship (ES) assessments, 2) describe feasible on-farm improvement strategies identified regionally, and 3) characterize how participants assigned responsibility for enacting selected improvement strategies. In Fall 2023, we held a series of 2 to 3 focus groups for each of 5 regions (n = 14 meetings total) including farmers (n = 24), advisors (n = 20), and processor representatives (n = 1). Facilitators guided participants through semi-structured prompts to generate qualitative data including meeting transcriptions, consensus lists, and consensus diagrams. First, we used a deductive-inductive process to analyze meeting transcriptions and identify themes related to the value of environmental stewardship assessments. Results suggested that participants valued simplicity, ease of data entry, availability of regional comparisons, and the ability to enumerate a baseline for environmental performance. Conversely, participants reported skepticism about accuracy and fairness and the usefulness of assessments as decision-support tools. Second, we examined consensus documents to generate a list of feasible strategies for on-farm improvement. Participants identified immediately feasible management strategies including cover cropping, genetic improvement, no-/minimum-tillage, precision nutrient management, herd/facility management technologies, monensin supplementation, and the conversion of fossil fuel to electric motors. Finally, we inspected collaborative actor-network diagrams generated with participants, which illustrated that participants envisioned implementation as complex and (in some instances) contingent on cooperation across supply chains and allied industries. Overall, our findings suggested that dairy farms need both accessible entry points into ES management and advanced technical and social support for implementing changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23272,"journal":{"name":"Translational Animal Science","volume":"9 ","pages":"txaf038"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12035815/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039947","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}