Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Stella Maris Huertas, Pablo Ernesto Bobadilla, Ignacio Alcantara, Emilie Akkermans, Frank J. C. M. van Eerdenburg
Summary: Silvopastoral systems, which combine forage grasses with shrubs and trees for animal nutrition, have been shown to provide a sustainable and enriched environment for animals while also offering additional income through wood production. A study comparing European beef cattle in Silvopastoral Systems (SPS) and Open Pastures Systems (OPS) found no difference in weight gain between the two systems and no signs of impaired welfare in either system, highlighting the potential benefits of SPS for livestock production in temperate climate zones.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Logan R. Thompson, Isabella C. F. Maciel, Patricia D. R. Rodrigues, Kim A. Cassida, Jason E. Rowntree
Summary: This study found that there were no significant differences in forage productivity and animal performance under different forage mixtures, but the mixture with higher plant diversity had a slight advantage in digestibility and methane emissions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
G. Manafiazar, C. Fitzsimmons, M. Zhou, J. A. Basarab, V. S. Baron, L. McKeown, L. L. Guan
Summary: This study investigated the diversity of fecal methanogen profiles among efficient and inefficient beef heifers and found that fecal methanogen profiles may be used to predict methane emissions in cattle.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Amanda L. Holder, Megan A. Gross, Alexandra N. Moehlenpah, Carla L. Goad, Megan Rolf, Ryon S. Walker, James K. Rogers, David L. Lalman
Summary: The voluntary intake of forage and a mixed forage/concentrate diet in beef cows is moderately correlated, while there is no correlation between weight gain from these two diets. Greenhouse gas quantification data shows potential as a proxy for direct feed intake measurement in beef cows, but more research is needed to confirm its reliability.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Emily J. Dickson, Dana L. M. Campbell, Caroline Lee, Jim M. Lea, Paul G. McDonald, Jessica E. Monk
Summary: The study focused on how environmental enrichment, such as a cattle brush, hanging rope, tree stump, and woodchip pile, can enhance the welfare of beef cattle kept in barren pasture environments. While cattle showed a preference for the brush, stump, and woodchip, their overall use of enrichments decreased over time. The enrichments allowed for natural behaviors and potentially contributed to improved welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yuli A. Pena-Bermudez, Rafaela Vincenzi, Paulo Meo-Filho, Leandro S. Sakamoto, Richard Lobo, Gabriela Benetel, Annelise Lobo, Carol Matos, Vanderlei Benetel, Cesar G. Lima, Alexandre Berndt, Laura M. Cardenas, Ives C. S. Bueno
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of yerba mate extract on ruminal parameters. The results showed that up to 2% yerba mate extract does not affect digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, or the concentration of short-chain fatty acids in the rumen.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Osvaldo A. de Sousa, Bruno Cappellozza, Vitor G. L. Fonseca, Reinaldo F. Cooke
Summary: This experiment evaluated the effects of increasing feeding days on insulin resistance in Bos indicus bulls. The results showed that as the feeding days increased, insulin resistance worsened and performance decreased in the bulls. Inflammatory markers associated with insulin resistance also increased.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Katie J. Heiderscheit, Alyssa D. Freestone, Aubree M. Beenken, Erin L. Deters, Joshua M. Peschel, Stephanie L. Hansen
Summary: The objective of these experiments was to assess the effects of food and water deprivation and transit duration on the behavior of beef feedlot steers. The results showed that transportation and food deprivation can affect the behavior of beef feedlot steers, with deprived steers showing more aggression.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Abigail Hodder, Ed Pajor, Frank van der Meer, Julia Louden, Sean Thompson, Karin Orsel
Summary: Commingling of preconditioned and auction-derived calves has an impact on feeding behavior and activity. Preconditioned calves have longer eating time and shorter active time compared to ranch-sourced and auction-derived calves. When commingled with auction-derived calves, preconditioned calves exhibit improved feeding behavior and activity.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Paula Andrea Espitia Buitrago, Luis Miguel Hernandez, Stefan Burkart, Neil Palmer, Juan Andres Cardoso Arango
Summary: Insects farmed for food offer a sustainable protein source with potential benefits for nutrition, environment, and economy. Tropical forages, an underutilized feed source for insects, have been identified as a valuable resource to support the production of farmed insects. The main challenges lie in the limited diversity of farmed insect species and the need for supportive policies and market frameworks to encourage the development of insect-based value chains.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Scott R. Mitchel, Sandra J. DeBano, Mary M. Rowland, Skyler Burrows
Summary: This study conducted over two years in a riparian restoration project in the Pacific Northwest revealed the importance of shrubs, particularly willow, wax currant, and black hawthorn, for the diversity of bees in spring. Planting bee-friendly shrubs can not only provide forage for a diverse community of pollinators but also improve stream health by shading and stabilizing banks, achieving multiple restoration goals with limited funding.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bryce Bitsie, Andrea M. Osorio, Darren D. Henry, Breno C. Silva, Leticia A. Godoi, Chanadol Supapong, Tassilo Brand, Jon P. Schoonmaker
Summary: This study found that increasing forage concentration led to higher methane emissions, while Mootral supplementation reduced methane production in diets with 15% corn silage, and improved carcass leanness.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valentina Mansky de la Fuente, Daniel Enriquez-Hidalgo, Dayane Lemos Teixeira, Rafael Larrain, Maria Jose Hotzel
Summary: This study aimed to explore Chilean citizens' attitudes towards beef production systems and found that people have more favorable attitudes towards pasture-based systems than indoor housing due to concerns with animal welfare and environmental impacts.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ekaterina Stampa, Katrin Zander
Summary: Intensive livestock farming leads to biodiversity loss, while grazing-based beef production supports ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. Consumer understanding of labels certifying biodiversity benefits is low, and trust in certification and control procedures is hindered by the abundance of labeling schemes. However, consumers appreciate biodiversity conservation at the local level and have higher levels of trust in short supply chains, indicating opportunities for selling pasture-raised beef.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Aklilu W. Alemu, Robert J. Gruninger, Xiu Min Zhang, Eoin O'Hara, Maik Kindermann, Karen A. Beauchemin
Summary: Providing effective enteric methane mitigation options is crucial for reducing the environmental impact of beef production. This study showed that supplementing high-forage diets with 3-nitrooxypropanol has significant potential for reducing enteric methane emissions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)