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Zinc proteinate with moderate chelation strength enhances zinc absorption by up-regulating the expression of zinc and amino acid transporters in primary cultured duodenal epithelial cells of broiler embryos J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-20 Yun Hu, Wei Wu, Liang Huang, Liyang Zhang, Chunyu Cao, Weiyun Zhang, Yangyang Hu, Xiaoyan Cui, Tingting Li, Shengchen Wang, Xugang Luo
Recent study showed that zinc (Zn) and amino acid transporters may be involved in enhancing Zn absorption from Zn proteinate with moderate chelation strength (Zn-Prot M) in the duodenum of broilers. However, the specific mechanisms by which Zn-Prot M promotes the above Zn absorption are unknown. Therefore, in this study, three experiments were conducted to investigate specific and direct effects of
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Initial timing of alfalfa hay supplementation manipulates blood parameters, rumen gene expression, and epithelial microbiota in pre-weaning lambs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-19 Kenan Li, Haidong Du, Wenliang Guo, Meila Na, Renhua Na
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of initiating alfalfa supplementation at either 14 or 42 days of age on growth performance, blood parameters, rumen tissue gene expression, and epithelial microbiota in pre-weaning lambs. A total of 42 seven-day-old male Hu lambs (3.88 ± 0.92 kg) were selected for this study. After 7 d of adjustment period, six lambs were slaughtered at 14 d of age
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Genotype-by-gestational thermal environment interaction and its impact on the future performance of tropical composite beef cattle offspring J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-19 Matheus Gomes Rodrigues Cardoso, Annaiza Braga Bignardi, Rodrigo Junqueira Pereira, Joanir Pereira Eler, José Bento Sterman Ferraz, Luiz Fernando Brito, Mário Luiz Santana
With global warming, there are growing challenges for raising taurine and composite beef cattle populations in tropical regions, including elevated temperatures, limited forage availability, parasite infestation, and infectious diseases. These environmental factors can trigger specific physiological responses in the developing fetus, which may have long-term implications on its performance. Therefore
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Eco-friendly diet: nutrient digestibility, nitrogen and energy balances and growth performance of growing pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-18 Francine de Quelen, Florence Garcia-Launay, Aurélie Wilfart, Jean-Yves Dourmad, Etienne Labussière
The traditional approach to formulating pig diets is based only on minimizing cost while meeting nutritional requirements and thus does not consider the environmental impacts associated with producing feed ingredients. To reduce the overall environmental impact of pork production, that of feed ingredients can be considered to formulate environmentally friendly diets. However, their potential effects
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Effects of rate of body weight gain during the first trimester of gestation on beef heifer and offspring performance, concentrations of hormones and metabolites, and response to vaccination J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-18 Friederike Baumgaertner, Ana Clara B Menezes, Wellison J S Diniz, Jennifer L Hurlbert, Kerri A Bochantin, Sarah R Underdahl, James D Kirsch, Sheri T Dorsam, Kacie L McCarthy, German D Ramirez-Zamudio, Kevin K Sedivec, Joel S Caton, Carl R Dahlen
Our study objectives were to evaluate the effects of divergent rates of body weight (BW) gain during early gestation in beef heifers on F0 performance, metabolic and endocrine status, colostrum immunoglobulins, and subsequent F1 calf characteristics, growth performance, concentrations of hormones and metabolites, and response to vaccination. Angus-based heifers (n = 100; BW = 369 ± 2.5 kg) were adapted
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Phenotypic Relationships Between Meat Quality Parameters And Residual Feed Intake In Japanese Black Wagyu Cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-18 P Guarnido-Lopez, D Pinna, Y Maeda, Y Ogawa, M BenAouda, N Kohama, M Fukushima, S Nagaoka, N Kondo
Japanese black Wagyu cattle are renowned for producing some of the world's most highly valued and recognized beef with exceptional marbling. Therefore, the primary focus of genetic selection for Wagyu cattle has historically been on meat quality, particularly achieving high marbling levels. However, even when the price of the final product is high, production costs also remain high, especially considering
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Differing planes of nutrition alter serum and histotroph amino acid composition in nonpregnant, multiparous beef cows on day three of the estrous cycle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Rebecca M Swanson, Tammi L Neville, Kacie L McCarthy, Cierrah J Kassetas, Pawel P Borowicz, Matthew S Crouse, Lawrence P Reynolds, Carl R Dahlen, Joel S Caton
Endometrial-derived uterine histotroph is a critical component of nutrient supply to a growing conceptus throughout gestation; however, the effect of nutritional plane on histotroph nutrient composition remains unknown in multiparous cows. We hypothesized that differing planes of nutrition would alter histotroph and serum nutrient composition in beef cattle. Thus, we evaluated serum and histotroph
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One-carbon metabolite supplementation increases vitamin B12, folate, and methionine cycle metabolites in beef heifers and fetuses in an energy dependent manner at day 63 of gestation J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Jessica G Syring, Matthew S Crouse, Yssi L Entzie, Layla E King, Mara R Hirchert, Alison K Ward, Lawrence P Reynolds, Pawel P Borowicz, Carl R Dahlen, Joel S Caton
One-carbon metabolites (OCM) are metabolites and cofactors which include folate, vitamin B12, methionine, and choline that support methylation reactions. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of moderate changes in maternal body weight gain in combination with OCM supplementation during the first 63 days of gestation in beef cattle on (1) B12 and folate concentrations in maternal
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Dietary probiotic based on a dual-strain B. subtilis improves immunity, intestinal health and growth performance of broiler chickens J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Yuanli Cai, Chuanpi Xiao, Bo Tian, S Dorthe, A Meuter, Bochen Song, Zhigang Song
The study investigated the effects of dietary probiotic of dual-strain Bacillus subtilis (BS) on production performance, intestinal barrier parameters, and microbiota in broiler chickens. In a randomized trial, male broiler chickens were allocated into three groups, a control group (basal diet), BS300 group (basal diet with 300 mg/kg BS), and BS500 group (basal diet with 500 mg/kg BS). The inclusion
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Reviewing the definition of mortality in broiler chickens and its implications in genomic evaluations J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Jennifer Richter, Fernando Bussiman, Jorge Hidalgo, Vivian Breen, Ignacy Misztal, Daniela Lourenco
Mortality is an economically important trait usually handled as a discrete outcome from hatch time until selection in most broiler breeder programs. However, in other species, it has been shown that not only does the genetic component change over time, but there are maternal genetic effects to be considered when mortality is recorded early in life. This study aimed to investigate alternative trait
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Characterization of the Ruminal Microbiota in Sheep and Goats Fed Different Levels of Tannin-Rich Sericea Lespedeza Hay J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-16 Byeng R Min, Wei Wang, Dipti W Pitta, Nagaraju Indugu, Amlan K Patra, Hong H Wang, Frank Abrahamsen, Mariline Hilaire, Ryszard Puchala
Understanding ruminal microbiota and diet-host breed interactions under forage feeding conditions is essential for optimizing rumen fermentation and improving feed efficiency in small ruminants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different ratios of condensed tannin (CT)-rich Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneate) in the diets on changes and interactions of ruminal microbiota and host species
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Comparing algorithms to approximate accuracies for single-step genomic best linear unbiased predictor J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-16 Pedro Vital Brasil Ramos, Andre Garcia, Kelli Retallik, Matias Bermann, Shogo Tsuruta, Ignacy Misztal, Renata Veroneze, Daniela Lourenco
The exact accuracy of estimated breeding values can be calculated based on the prediction error variances obtained from the diagonal of the inverse of the left-hand side (LHS) of the mixed model equations (MME). However, inverting the LHS is not computationally feasible for large datasets, especially if genomic information is available. Thus, different algorithms have been proposed to approximate accuracies
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Carboxyfullerene C60 preserves porcine sperm by enhancing antioxidant capacity and inhibiting apoptosis and harmful bacteria J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-13 Yuqing Li, Haoqi Xiao, Xue Qin, Haize Zhang, Yi Zheng, Rui Cai, Weijun Pang
This study used a porcine model to systematically investigate whether carboxyfullerene C60 (CF-C60) can be used for the sperm preservation. The results indicated that CF-C60 supplementation can preserve porcine sperm quality during storage at 17 °C. This effect was attributable to improvement in the antioxidant capacity of sperm through a decrease in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Additionally
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Effect of cordyceps militaris on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal epithelium functions in weaned pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-13 Yan Ping Li, Yang Lu, Bing Yu, Zhiqing Huang, Yuheng Luo, Ping Zheng, Xiangbing Mao, Jie Yu, Junqiu Luo, Hui Yan, Jun He
To explore the effects of cordyceps militaris (CM) on growth performance and intestinal epithelium functions, 180 weaned pigs were randomly assigned into 5 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment (6 pigs per pen). Pigs were fed with basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg CM. The trial lasted for 42 d, and pigs from the control and optimal-dose groups
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Effects of reduced levels of organic trace minerals in proteinate forms and selenium-yeast in the mineral mix on lactation performance, milk fatty acid composition, nutrient digestibility and antioxidant status in dairy goats J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Yongxi Song, Yunan Weng, Shimin Liu, Muhammad Usman, Juan J Loor, Gang Lin, Qingyong Hu, Jun Luo, Ping Wang
The objective was to evaluate the effects of replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with reduced levels of organic trace minerals (OTM) in proteinate forms and selenium yeast in the mineral premix of prepartal and lactating dairy goats on lactation performance, milk fatty acid (FA) composition, nutrient digestibility and antioxidant status. Xinong Saanen dairy goats (n = 40) were blocked by parity
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In Vitro Fermentation Potential of Gut Endogenous Protein Losses of Growing Pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Hanlu Zhang, John W Cone, Arie K Kies, Jan Dijkstra, Wouter H Hendriks, Nikkie van der Wielen
Fermentation of dietary and endogenous protein in the hindgut is generally considered detrimental to the health of pigs. We investigated the in vitro fermentation potential of porcine endogenous protein in ileal digesta and colonic mucus, using a N-free buffer with an excess of fermentable carbohydrates. Urea, whey protein isolate (WPI, positive control), WPI hydrolysate (WPIH), and combinations of
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Estimation of Genotype by Environmental Interaction for Litter Traits by Reaction Norm Model in Taiwan Landrace Sows J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Kai-Hsiang Lin, Billy Flowers, Mark Knauer, En-Chung Lin
The negative effects of heat stress on swine reproduction have been well documented and the recent global warming trend caused by climate change is leading to more days with high temperatures every year. This has caused a reduction in litter trait performance of Landrace sows in Taiwan, a country extending across tropical and subtropical oceanic zones. Therefore, this study developed a modified model
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Evaluation of the capacity and effective angle of thalamic damage for two commercially available captive bolt tool types on cadaver heads from sows > 200 kg body weight J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Karly N Anderson, Ruth Woiwode, Ashlynn A Kirk, Jennifer Berger, Arquimides A Reyes, Perle E Zhitnitskiy, Kurt D Vogel
This study evaluated the ability of two penetrating captive bolt (PCB) types (PISTOL, INLINE) to reach and disrupt the thalamus when applied in two placements (FRONTAL, BEHIND EAR) to chilled cadaver heads (N=60) from sows > 200 kg. Heads were randomly distributed across six treatments (n=10): FRONTAL-INLINE, FRONTAL-PISTOL, FRONTAL-NO SHOT, BEHIND EAR-INLINE, BEHIND EAR-PISTOL, and BEHIND EAR-NO SHOT
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Dietary Spirulina effects in Eimeria-challenged broiler chickens: growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, serum biomarkers, and gene expression J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-12 Emmanuel Oluwabukunmi Alagbe, Hagen Schulze, Olayiwola Adeola
This study investigated the growth performance, nutrient utilization, and intestinal health responses of Eimeria-challenged broiler chickens to dietary Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). On d 1, birds were assigned to 2 diets supplemented with Spirulina (0 or 5 g/kg) in a randomized complete block design. The birds within each diet were divided into 2 Eimeria challenge groups (challenge or no-challenge)
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Per2 mediated steroid hormone synthesis by regulating transcription of StAR in porcine granulosa cells J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-10 Zelin Zhang, Jianyong Cheng, Li Yang, Xiaoya Li, Qingwang Li
Steroidogenesis is associated with circadian clock genes. However, the regulation of steroid hormone production in sow granulosal cells by Per2, a crucial circadian regulator, remains unexplored. In this study, we have identified the presence of Per2 in ovarian granulosa cells and have observed its circadian expression pattern. Employing siRNA to interfere with Per2 expression, our investigation revealed
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Protein quality of a small mammal prey and its body organs for felids J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-09 Mengmeng Sun, Annelies De Cuyper, Guido Bosch, Ellen S Dierenfeld, Wouter H Hendriks, Geert P J Janssens
This study evaluated the protein quality of small mammalian prey and its body organs by analyzing amino acid (AA) composition and digestibility of wild adult rats and their body organs (skin/fur, bone, muscle, intestine, liver, kidney, spleen, brain, heart, and lung) utilizing an in vitro digestion method. The average dry matter (DM) digestibility of whole rats was 89.9%. The digestibility of total
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The effects of β-mannanase supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, cecal microbial communities, and short-chain fatty acid production in broiler chickens fed diets with different metabolizable energy levels J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-08 Lin Zhang, Hailin Huan, Kai Zhang, Yuanlu Tu, Junshu Yan, Hao Zhang, Yumeng Xi
This study assessed the effects of β-mannanase (BM) supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, cecal microbial communities, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in broiler chickens fed diets with different metabolizable energy (ME) levels. A total of 1,296 male one-d-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly distributed in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement (three ME levels × 0
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Dose-response of inactivated yeast in diets of late gestating and lactating gilts on immunoglobulin transfer and offspring pre-weaning growth performance J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-06 Brenda Christensen, Hagen Schulze, Elijah G Kiarie, Lee-Anne Huber
Fifty gilts [initial BW 190.7 ± 4.2 kg] were recruited on d 85 of gestation and were used until d 19 of lactation to assess the dose-response of inactivated yeast via hydrolyzation (HY) inclusion on offspring growth and immunoglobulin (Ig) transfer prior to weaning. Gilts were assigned to one of five experimental diets: a control with no HY (HY0) or inclusion of 0.25% (HY0.25), 0.5% (HY0.5), 1.0% (HY1
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Heritability estimates and genome-wide association study of methane emission traits in Nellore cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-03 Luana Lelis Souza, Pablo Dominguez-Castaño, Sarah Bernardes Gianvecchio, Leandro Sannomiya Sakamoto, Gustavo Roberto Dias Rodrigues, Tainara Luana da Silva Soares, Sarah Figueiredo Martins Bonilha, Juliana de Oliveira Santos Marcatto, Lucia Galvão Albuquerque, Josineudson Augusto I I Vasconcelos Silva, Maria Eugênia Zerlotti Mercadante
The objectives of the present study were to estimate the heritability for daily methane emission (CH4) and residual daily methane emission (CH4res) in Nellore cattle, as well as to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the genetic variation of CH4 and CH4res. Methane emission phenotypes of 743 Nellore animals belonging to three breeding
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Use of a commercial feed supplement based on diatom earth and yeast products on oxidative status and in vitro immune response in buffaloes during peripartum J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-07-01 Aristide Maggiolino, Maria Federica Sgarro, Elisabetta Casalino, Tiziana Latronico, Grazia Maria Liuzzi, Pasquale De Palo
The transition period is a critical metabolic phase for dairy ruminants, especially those with high production levels. In spite of this, little is still known about dairy water buffalo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a commercial feed additive based on diatomaceous earth and hydrolyzed yeasts on health status, milk quality and immune response of buffalo cows during the transition
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Incorporating body measurement traits to increase genetic gain of feed efficiency and carcass traits in Japanese Black steers J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-29 Nodoka Kemmotsu, Masayuki Takeda, Atsushi Ogino, Toshio Watanabe, Kazuhito Kurogi, Masahiro Satoh, Yoshinobu Uemoto
The objective of the present study was to comprehensively evaluate whether body measurement traits, including BW and body size, could be used as indicators of genetic selection for feed efficiency and carcass traits in Japanese Black steers. First, we estimated the genetic parameters for body measurements, feed efficiency, and carcass traits. Second, we estimated the correlated responses in feed efficiency
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Effects of feeding different dietary rates of mixed fodder beet tops-wheat straw silage on the performance of Holstein lactating cows J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-28 H Roshanzamir, Y Rouzbehan, A Aghashahi, J Rezaei
Rations containing different rates of the mixed fodder beet tops-wheat straw silage (BS), instead of corn silage (CS), were given to 30 mid-lactation Holstein cows (all in parity 2) to measure the effects on feed consumption, milk production efficiency, milk chemistry, urinary purine-derivatives (PD), blood chemistry, antioxidant levels, and in vitro methane (CH4) emission. The BS was prepared by mixing
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Pregnancy risk in beef and dairy cows after supplementing semen with transforming growth factor beta-1 at the time of artificial insemination J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-27 Katelyn L M Fritsche, Jason K Ahola, Pablo J Pinedo, George E Seidel, Ryan D Rhoades, Jeffrey S Stevenson, K C Olson, John R Jaeger, David M Grieger, John J Bromfield
Our objective was to determine if the addition of a concentrated human recombinant transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF) to bovine semen at the time of AI would result in increased risk of pregnancy in beef and dairy cows. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,132) in 11 herds across 2 states and lactating dairy cows (n = 2,208) in one organic-certified herd were enrolled. Beef cows received fixed-time AI (FTAI)
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Mulberry leaves supplementation alters lipid metabolism and promotes fatty acid β oxidation in growing mutton sheep J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-22 Xiaopeng Cui, Yuxin Yang, Minjuan Zhang, Lijun Bao, Feng Jiao, Shuang Liu, Hexin Wang, Xinlan Wei, Wei Qian, Xiang Shi, Chao Su, Yonghua Qian
Mulberry leaves (MLs) are an unconventional feed with fiber and various active ingredients, and are acknowledged as likely to regulate lipid metabolism, while the molecular mechanism remains undefined. Therefore, our objective was to define the role of MLs on the overall lipid metabolism. We conducted a feeding experiment of three groups on growing mutton sheep fed with dried mulberry leaves (DMLs)
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Ensiled diet improved the growth performance of Tibetan sheep by regulating the rumen microbial community and rumen epithelial morphology J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-21 Jian Zhao, Xinsheng Zhao, Jian Gao, Binqiang Bai, Jianzhang Niu, Yingkui Yang, Guojun Zhao, Zuojiang Wang, Zhenhua Xu, Jilong Wang, Yanfen Cheng, Lizhuang Hao
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ensiled agricultural byproducts from Qinghai-Tibet plateau on growth performance, rumen microbiota, ruminal epithelium morphology and nutrient transport-related gene expression in Tibetan sheep. Fourteen male Tibetan sheep were randomly assigned to one of two diets: an untreated diet (without silage inoculum, CON, n=7) or an ensiled diet (with
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Effect of repeated HPA axis stimulation on hair cortisol concentration, growth, and behavior in preweaned dairy cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-20 J Kern, M W Jorgensen, J P Boerman, M Erasmus, J S Johnson, J A Pempek
The study objective was to investigate the effect of repeated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stimulation using synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) intramuscular injections on hair cortisol concentration, growth, and behavior in preweaned dairy calves. Twenty-seven Holstein calves were assigned to nine triads (based on sex and birth order) and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments:
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Dietary isoacids effects on growth, nitrogen, and energy digestibility, and fecal VFA and microbial ecology in finishing pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-20 Brian J Kerr, Christopher L Anderson, Sarah C Pearce, Wesley P Schweer
Isoacids are branched ketoacids which when fed to ruminants have been shown to enhance the growth of fiber-digesting organisms. Ninety finishing gilts were individually fed dietary treatments consisting of diet type: corn-soybean meal (CSBM), a diet containing 40% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), or a diet containing 40% sugar beet pulp (SBP); in combination with either no feed additive
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Integrating computer vision algorithms and RFID system for identification and tracking of group-housed animals: an example with pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-20 Mónica Mora, Miriam Piles, Ingrid David, Guilherme J M Rosa
Precision livestock farming aims to individually and automatically monitor animal activity to ensure their health, well-being, and productivity. Computer vision has emerged as a promising tool for this purpose. However, accurately tracking individuals using imaging remains challenging, especially in group housing where animals may have similar appearances. Close interaction or crowding among animals
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Acceptance and forage utilization responses of steers consuming low-quality forage and supplemented black soldier fly larvae as a novel feed J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-15 Kayra D Tasci, Tryon A Wickersham, , Merritt L Drewery
As the insect rearing industry scales in the United States and other developed nations, it has potential to create multiple product streams (e.g., oil, protein-rich biomass) for existing markets. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) has been identified as a potential livestock feed because it is not expected to compete in the human food sector and its production has a lesser environmental
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Analysis of ddRAD-seq data provides new insights into the genomic structure and patterns of diversity in Italian donkey populations J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-14 Andrea Criscione, Giorgio Chessari, Alberto Cesarani, Michela Ablondi, Vittoria Asti, Daniele Bigi, Salvatore Bordonaro, Roberta Ciampolini, Claudio Cipolat-Gotet, Michele Congiu, Pasquale De Palo, Vincenzo Landi, Nicolò Pietro Paolo Macciotta, Donato Matassino, Baldassare Portolano, Silvia Riggio, Alberto Sabbioni, Maria Teresa Sardina, Gabriele Senczuk, Serena Tumino, Matteo Vasini, Elena Ciani,
With more than 150 recognized breeds, donkeys assume relevant economic importance, especially in developing countries. Even if the estimated number of heads worldwide is 53M, this species received less attention than other livestock species. Italy has traditionally been considered one of the cradles of European donkey breeding, and despite a considerable loss of biodiversity, today still counts nine
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Effect of feeding calf starter with calcium salts of medium-chain fatty acids on the growth and metabolic hormones in calves J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-14 Y Masuda, R Fukumori, M Tomoshige, B Sarentonglaga, T Sugino, Y Nagao
We investigated the effects of a calf starter supplemented with calcium salts of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA-Ca) on growth and plasma hormone concentration in calves. Twelve Holstein calves were randomly assigned to two dietary groups [without supplementation (CON) and supplemented with MCFA-Ca (MCFA)] from 4 d of age. Calves were fed 1.0 kg/d of milk replacer until 5 wk of age and were completely
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Utilizing gas flux from automated head chamber systems to estimate dietary energy values for beef cattle fed a finishing diet J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-12 Jarret A Proctor, Jason K Smith, Nathan S Long, Stacey A Gunter, Vinícius N Gouvêa, Matthew R Beck
Dietary net energy for maintenance (NEm) and gain (NEg) can be estimated using calculations based on live performance or adjusted-final body weight, which is calculated based on carcass characteristics. These values are commonly referred to as performance adjusted (pa) NEm (paNEm) and NEg (paNEg). The NEm and NEg of a diet can also be estimated by adding recovered energy (RE) with heat production (HP)
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Integration of transcriptome and machine learning to identify the potential key genes and regulatory networks affecting drip loss in pork J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-12 Wen Yang, Liming Hou, Binbin Wang, Jian Wu, Chengwan Zha, Wangjun Wu
Low level of drip loss is an important quality characteristic of meat with high economic value. However, the key genes and regulatory networks contributing to drip loss in pork remain largely unknown. To accurately identify the key genes affecting drip loss in muscles postmortem, 12 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) pigs with extremely high (n = 6, H group) and low (n = 6, L group) drip loss at both 24
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Milk microbiome in the first month of lactation and at weaning from ewes supplemented with zinc pre- and postpartum J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-12 Ryan M Knuth, Chad M Page, Whitney C Stewart, Gwendolynn L Hummel, Kelly L Woodruff, Jaelyn R Whaley, Alexis L Springer, Kathleen J Austin, Thomas W Murphy, Bledar Bisha, Hannah C Cunningham-Hollinger
Mastitis is an important disease with economic and welfare implications in both clinical and subclinical states. The aim of this research was to sequence the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to describe the microbial diversity and taxonomy of milk from clinically healthy ewes (Rambouillet, WF = 9; Hampshire, BF = 5). Experimental ewes represented a subset of a larger study assessing the
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Effect of an organic acid blend as an antibiotic alternative on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier function, and fecal microbiota in weaned piglets J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-12 Long Cai, Ying Zhao, Wenning Chen, Yanpin Li, Yanming Han, Bo Zhang, Lane Pineda, Xilong Li, Xianren Jiang
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary organic acid blend on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier function, and fecal microbiota in weaned piglets compared to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). A total of 90 weaned crossbred barrows (24 ± 1 days of age) with an initial body weight of 7.40 kg were allocated into 3 experimental treatments. Each treatment consisted
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Therapeutic effects of mitoquinol during an acute heat stress challenge in growing barrows J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-10 Edith J Mayorga, Erin A Horst, Brady M Goetz, Sonia Rodriguez-Jimenez, Megan A Abeyta, Mohmmad Al-Qaisi, Robert P Rhoads, Joshua T Selsby, Lance H Baumgard
Study objectives were to determine the effects of mitoquinol (MitoQ, a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant) on biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation during acute heat stress (HS). Crossbred barrows [n=32; 59.0±5.6 kg body weight (BW)] were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 environmental-therapeutic treatments: 1) thermoneutral (TN) control (n=8; TNCon), 2) TN and MitoQ (n=8; TNMitoQ)
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Effect of bone and analytical method on assessment of bone mineralization in response to dietary phosphorus, phytase, and vitamin D in finishing pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-10 Hadley R Williams, Mike D Tokach, Jason C Woodworth, Robert D Goodband, Joel M DeRouchey, Jon R Bergstrom, Chad W Hastad, Zach B Post, Michael C Rahe, Christopher L Siepker, Panchan Sitthiccharoenchai, Steve M Ensley, Scott L Radke, Jordan T Gebhardt
A total of 882 pigs [PIC TR4 × (Fast LW × PIC L02); initially 33.2 ± 0.31 kg] were used in a 112-d study to evaluate the effects of different bones and analytical methods on the assessment of bone mineralization response to changes in dietary P, phytase, and vitamin D in growing pigs. Pens of pigs (20 pigs per pen) were randomized to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 9 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments
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The art of establishing mineral tolerances of dogs and cats J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-08 George C Fahey, Marcie Campion, George F Collings, Renan Donadelli, Leah Lambrakis, Matthew R Panasevich, J C Peters, James R Templeman, Leslie Hancock
For over six decades, nutritional science has provided well-developed, peer-reviewed nutrient recommendations to support the health of dogs and cats. These guidelines are updated based on new scientifically valid research and appropriate peer-review. Recent regulatory and scientific positions around health issues have resulted in strong opinions and desires for rapid regulatory action surrounding mineral
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Unlocking insights: text mining analysis on the health, welfare, and behavior of cows in automated milking systems J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-06-08 Giulia Gislon, Luciana Bava, Maddalena Zucali, Alberto Tamburini, Anna Sandrucci
Automated Milking Systems (AMS) have undergone significant evolution over the past 30 years, and their adoption continues to increase, as evidenced by the growing scientific literature. These systems offer advantages such as a reduced milking workload and increased milk yield per cow. However, given concerns about the welfare of farmed animals, studying the effects of AMS on the health and welfare
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Effects of moderate exercise regimen on development and puberty attainment of beef heifers reared in drylots at a high stocking density J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-31 Kelsey M Harvey, Reinaldo F Cooke, Autumn T Pickett, Juan Cordero, Mason E Drewery, Logan W Rahmel, Courtney L Daigle, Thiago Martins, Shea J Mackey
This experiment evaluated growth, physiological responses, and puberty attainment in beef heifers reared in drylots with a high stocking density, and provided or not with a moderate exercise regimen. A total of 180 heifers (75% Angus × 25% Brahman) were used in this experiment replicated over 2 yr. Each year, 90 heifers were ranked by age (264 ± 1 d) and body weight (BW on d -3; 200 ± 2 kg) on d 0
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Multiple administrations of bovine appeasing substance during a 42-day preconditioning program followed by feedlot receiving and its effects on physiologic, health, and performance responses of feeder cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-31 Keenan Kvamme, Rodrigo S Marques, Vinicius Alves Cruz, Arnaldo Limede Cintra, Makayla Anne Ogg, Sarah R McCoski, Christian J Posbergh, Amanda N Bradbery, Vitor R G Mercadante, Shea J Mackey, Autumn T Pickett, Reinaldo F Cooke
This experiment evaluated the effects of multiple bovine appeasing substance administration during a 42-day preconditioning program followed by a feedlot receiving period on productivity, health, and physiological variables of feeder cattle. Ninety calves were weaned, weighed, loaded into a livestock trailer, transported for 70 km, and unloaded at the Bozeman Agricultural Research and Teaching Farm
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Effects of supplemental citrulline on thermal and intestinal morphology parameters during heat stress and feed restriction in growing pigs J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-30 Sara K Kvidera, Edith J Mayorga, Carrie S McCarthy, Erin A Horst, Megan A Abeyta, Lance H Baumgard
Study objectives were to characterize the effects of citrulline (CIT) on physiological and intestinal morphology metrics during heat stress (HS) and feed restriction. Forty crossbred gilts (30 ± 2 kg body weight [BW]) were assigned to one of five treatments: (1) thermoneutral (TN) fed ad libitum (AL) with control (CON) supplement (TNAL; n = 8), (2) TN pair-fed (PF) with CON (PF-CON; n = 8), (3) TN
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Dietary supplementation with dihydroartemisinin improves intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets with intrauterine growth retardation by modulating the gut microbiota J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-29 Yu Niu, Ruiqiang Zhang, Caimei Yang, Jintian He, Tian Wang
The aim of this study was to investigate whether dietary dihydroartemisinin (DHA) supplementation could improve the intestinal barrier function and microbiota composition in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) weaned piglets. Twelve normal birth weight (NBW) piglets and 24 IUGR piglets at 21 days of age were divided into 3 groups, which were fed a basal diet (NBW-CON and IUCR-CON groups) and an
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Short communication: Assessing seromuscular layer and serosa removal on intestinal permeability measurements in weaned piglet everted sac segments J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-27 Lonneke Noorman, Bart van der Hee, Myrthe S Gilbert, Sonja de Vries, Sylvia van der Hoek, Walter J J Gerrits
The integrity of the intestinal barrier is crucial for regulating the passage of pathogens and toxins, while facilitating nutrient absorption. The everted gut sac technique, an ex-vivo technique, can be used to study interventions on barrier function. This cost-effective approach utilizes relatively large gut segments to study specific intestinal regions. Typically, intact (non-stripped) intestinal
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Effect of genotyping density on the detection of runs of homozygosity and heterozygosity in cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-27 Laura Falchi, Alberto Cesarani, Andrea Criscione, Jorge Hidalgo, Andre Garcia, Salvatore Mastrangelo, Nicolò Pietro Paolo Macciotta
Runs of homozygosity (ROHom) are contiguous stretches of homozygous regions of the genome. In contrast, runs of heterozygosity (ROHet) are heterozygosity-rich regions. The detection of these two types of genomic regions (ROHom and ROHet) is influenced by the parameters involved in their identification and the number of available single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The present study aimed to test
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Effects of a manganese complex with lysine and glutamic acid on growth performance, manganese deposition and emission, antioxidant capacity and metacarpal strength in weaned piglets J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-24 Keke Qi, Bo Deng, Qian Ma, Fei Ji, Jie Wu, Cheng Zhang, Ziwei Xu
The present study sought to assess the effects of manganese complexes with lysine and glutamic acid (Mn-LG) as manganese (Mn) sources on growth performance, trace element deposition, antioxidant capacity, and metacarpal strength in weaned piglets. The study involved 288 healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire piglets that were weaned at 25–28 days of age and weighed 8.66±0.96 kg. These piglets were randomly
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Effects of late gestational nutrient restriction on uterine artery blood flow, placental size, and cotyledonary mRNA expression in primiparous beef females J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-24 Colby A Redifer, Lindsey G Wichman, Abigail R Rathert-Williams, Allison M Meyer
Fall-calving primiparous beef females [body weight (BW): 451 ± 28 (SD) kg; body condition score (BCS): 5.4 ± 0.7] were individually-fed either 100% (control; CON; n = 13) or 70% (nutrient restricted; NR; n = 13) of metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance, pregnancy, and growth from day 160 of gestation to parturition. Doppler ultrasonography of both uterine arteries
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The balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in canine, feline and equine nutrition: exploring sources and the significance of alpha-linolenic acid J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-22 Scarlett Burron, Taylor Richards, Giovane Krebs, Luciano Trevizan, Alexandra Rankovic, Samantha Hartwig, Wendy Pearson, David W L Ma, Anna K Shoveller
Both n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (FA) have numerous significant physiological roles for mammals. The interplay between these families of FA is of interest in companion animal nutrition due to the influence of the n-6:n-3 FA ratio on the modulation of the inflammatory response in disease management and treatment. As both human and animal diets have shifted to greater consumption of vegetable oils rich in
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Bta-miR-181d and Bta-miR-196a mediated proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in Bovine Myogenic Cells J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-20 Chengcheng Liang, Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza, Zhimei Yang, Sihu Wang, Shengchen Yu, Bandar Hamad Aloufi, Bingzhi Li, Linsen Zan
Skeletal muscle is an important component of livestock and poultry organisms. The proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts are highly coordinated processes, which rely on the regulation of miRNA. MiRNAs are widely present in organisms and play roles in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. MiR-181d and miR-196a, identified as tumor suppressors
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Disrupted one-carbon metabolism in heifers negatively affects their health and physiology J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-20 Matthew S Crouse, Ronald J Trotta, Harvey C Freetly, Amanda K Lindholm-Perry, Bryan W Neville, William T Oliver, Carrie J Hammer, Jessica G Syring, Layla E King, Tammi L Neville, Lawrence P Reynolds, Carl R Dahlen, Joel S Caton, Alison K Ward, Robert A Cushman
The objective of this study was to determine the dose-dependent response of one-carbon metabolite (OCM: methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B12) supplementation on heifer dry matter intake on fixed gain, organ mass, hematology, cytokine concentration, pancreatic and jejunal enzyme activity, and muscle hydrogen peroxide production. Angus heifers (n = 30; BW = 392.6 ± 12.6 kg) were individually
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Dietary glycine supplementation activates mTOR signaling pathway in tissues of pigs with intrauterine growth restriction J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-18 Wenliang He, Erin A Posey, Chandler C Steele, Jeffrey W Savell, Fuller W Bazer, Guoyao Wu
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) cell signaling pathway serves as the central mechanism for the regulation of tissue protein synthesis and growth. We recently reported that supplementing 1% glycine to corn- and soybean meal-based diets enhanced growth performance between weaning and market weights in pigs with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Results of recent studies have revealed
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Effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, growth performance, temperament and markers of immune function for newly received feedlot cattle J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-17 Mustaq Ahmad, Yolande M Seddon, Marta Blanch, Gregory B Penner, Diego Moya
Ninety Angus × Hereford steers (259.9 ± 36.18 kg body weight (BW)), were used in a 56-d experiment to assess the effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, and stress and immune response of newly received feedlot cattle. Steers were homogenously distributed by BW into six pens equipped with an individual feed intake monitoring system, and pen was randomly assigned to one of three treatments (15
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A matter of age? How age affects the adaptation of lactating dairy cows to virtual fencing J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-14 Andrea Confessore, Manuel K Schneider, Caren M Pauler, Chiara Aquilani, Patricia Fuchs, Carolina Pugliese, Camilla Dibari, Giovanni Argenti, Pier Attilio Accorsi, Massimiliano Probo
Virtual Fencing (VF) can be a helpful technology in managing herds in pasture-based systems. In VF systems, animals wear a VF-collar using global positioning, and physical boundaries are replaced by virtual ones. The Nofence (Nofence AS, Batnfjordsøra, Norway) collars used in this study emit an acoustic warning when an animal approaches the virtual boundaries, followed by an aversive electrical pulse
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Transcriptome analysis reveals the role of Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in specific deposition of inosine monphosphate in Jingyuan chickens J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-13 Wei Zhao, Zhengyun Cai, Qiufei Jiang, Juan Zhang, Baojun Yu, Xiaofang Feng, Xi Fu, Tong Zhang, Jiahuan Hu, Yaling Gu
Inosine monphosphate (IMP) is one of the important indicators for evaluating meat flavor, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in its transcription and post-transcriptional regulation. Currently, there is little information about how lncRNA regulates the specific deposition of IMP in chicken muscle. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing to analyze the lncRNAs of the breast
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Formation of the Calpain-1/Calpastatin Complex Promotes Activation of Calpain-1 under Oxidizing Conditions J. Anim. Sci. (IF 2.7) Pub Date : 2024-05-12 Kasey R Maddock Carlin, Edward Steadham, Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan, Steven M Lonergan
Calpains are cysteine proteinases responsible for many biological roles in muscle, including protein degradation, muscle growth, and myoblast fusion. Calpains are inhibited by calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor. Other factors, such as variations in pH, ionic strength, and oxidation influence calpain activity. This study aimed to determine the extent to which oxidation influences calpastatin inhibition