Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Megan E. Myerscough, Lucas T. Neira, Keifer H. Sexton, Lucas S. Hofer, Keela M. Trennepohl, William T. Meteer, Wesley P. Chapple, Josh C. McCann, Daniel W. Shike
Summary: This study aimed to analyze the effects of housing cow-calf pairs in drylots or pasture on the performance and behavior of cows and calves. The results showed that drylot housing improved the body weight, body condition score, and milk production of cows, but had no significant effect on reproductive performance. Calves in the drylot group had better growth performance before weaning. The behavior of calves at weaning and during the receiving phase was influenced by preweaning housing. Calves in the pasture group had improved growth performance and feed efficiency during the receiving phase, but were still lighter than drylot calves after the 42-day receiving phase.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Jacob R. Sestak, Jon T. Biermacher, B. Wade Brorsen, James K. Rogers
Summary: No-till establishment and cover crops are two agricultural practices that can reduce externalities and improve soil health and profitability. This study investigated the economics of these practices in small grain pasture grazing systems in the Southern Great Plains.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
A. Plastina, J. Acharya, F. M. Marcos, M. R. Parvej, M. A. Licht, A. E. Robertson
Summary: This study evaluated the short-term private net returns to cereal rye cover crop in a corn-soybean rotation in the Midwest United States. The findings suggest that without grazing, cereal rye cover crop resulted in negative net returns for the majority of scenarios. Early-broadcast cereal rye had higher biomass and cost savings in the livestock enterprise, but also caused a decrease in corn yield.
RENEWABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Barbara Wilhelm, Jayce Fossen, Sheryl Gow, Cheryl Waldner
Summary: This study provides a summary and analysis of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the North American cow-calf production sector. The results show that there is a lack of studies on AMR, with a focus on E. coli resistance, while there are more studies on AMU, with factors such as herd size, vaccine use, and start date of calving season influencing AMU. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for AMU in calves, the impact of management procedures on AMU, potential environmental sources of AMR, and AMR in respiratory and enteric pathogens other than E. coli.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jeferson M. Lourenco, Taylor R. Krause, Christina B. Welch, Todd R. Callaway, T. Dean Pringle
Summary: This study investigated the longitudinal changes in the rumen microbiota of Angus beef steers from weaning to slaughter. The results showed that the ruminal microbial composition of the steers at a younger age was similar to that of the adult cows, but differentiated after weaning.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Rhaiza A. Oliveira, Joao M. B. Vendramini, Marcelo Vedovatto, Elizabeth Palmer, Hiran M. da Silva, Jose N. M. Neiva, Fabricia R. C. Miotto, Philipe Moriel
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of supplemental monensin on growth, physiology, and coccidiosis infestation in suckling beef calves grazing on different pastures. The results showed that supplementing monensin did not affect calf average daily gain, but improved growth performance and reduced coccidiosis infestation.
TROPICAL ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Margit Bak Jensen, Laura E. Webb, Mette Vaarst, Eddie A. M. Bokkers
Summary: This study investigated the behavior of dairy cows during calving under spacious outdoor conditions and the effects of artificial hides on their selection of calving location. The results showed that primiparous cows tended to distance themselves further from the herd during calving and preferred to isolate themselves through distance rather than seeking artificial cover.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andres F. Cibils, Rick E. Estell, Sheri Spiegal, Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e, Matthew M. McIntosh, Danielle M. Duni, Oscar A. Herrera Conegliano, Felipe A. Rodriguez Almeida, Octavio Roacho Estrada, Lisandro J. Blanco, Michael C. Duniway, Santiago A. Utsumi, Alfredo L. Gonzalez
Summary: Climate change amplifies the diversity of desert forages through its impact on precipitation. Beef cattle's ability to adjust their behavior is vital for climate adaptation in arid environments. Analyses of GPS-derived data from studies in North and South America determine that Criollo cattle display greater seasonal adjustment in distance traveled and grazing effort compared to commercial beef breeds during dormant/brown vs. growing/green season.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Heather W. Neave, Christine L. Sumner, Roxanne J. T. Henwood, Gosia Zobel, Katie Saunders, Helen Thoday, Trevor Watson, James R. Webster
Summary: The study examined the views of New Zealand dairy farmers toward providing cow-calf contact, with concerns including animal welfare, labor and stress on staff, and system-level changes required. Small-scale farmers providing longer cow-calf contact emphasized the importance of animal welfare and health in their systems, while some conventional farmers expressed cognitive dissonance towards adopting such practices.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Colby A. Redifer, Natalie B. Duncan, Allison M. Meyer
Summary: The study found that maternal age and body condition score affected placental size, while calf size at birth was positively correlated with placental weight. However, it is still unknown which factors control and signal the growth of each other.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. E. Beltman, J. Lewis, M. McCabe, K. Keogh, D. A. Kenny
Summary: The peri-partum processes can exert various stresses on cows, but there is limited evidence on the effects of calving events on cows' immune status and reproductive health. In this study, crossbred recipient beef heifers carrying purebred Simmental embryos were observed, and it was found that induction of calving had no negative effects on dystocia or calf weight gain, but it could have a positive effect on colostral IgG concentration. Blood calcium concentrations were associated with subsequent uterine health, and immune function-related cytokines showed temporal changes during the peri- and post-partum period.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Anibal J. Pordomingo, Adriana B. Pordomingo, Gabriela Grigioni, Fernando Carduza
Summary: This study compared the performance and carcass traits of beef steers finished on small-grain winter annual pastures or alfalfa. The results showed that alfalfa animals had lower average daily gain and took longer to reach the slaughter point compared to animals from small-grain winter annual pastures, but there were no significant differences in most carcass traits.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sandra Liliana Ospina Rios, Caroline Lee, Sarah J. Andrewartha, Megan Verdon
Summary: There is an increasing global effort to develop extended dairy cow-calf suckling systems in response to societal concerns about early separation. This study investigated a pasture-based system with part-time cow-calf contact and once-a-day milking, demonstrating positive impacts on milk yield and calf growth. The system offers potential for future large-scale research on the benefits and scalability of pastoral cow-calf dairy systems, aligning with public expectations of enhanced animal welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cory T. Parsons, Julia M. Dafoe, Samuel A. Wyffels, Timothy DelCurto, Darrin L. Boss
Summary: The study found that post-weaning RFI had minimal effects on beef cattle performance, grazing behavior, or resource utilization; however, cow age impacted both grazing behavior and resource use.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Tiago S. Valente, Lucas R. B. Ruiz, Fernanda Macitelli, Mateus J. R. Paranhos da Costa
Summary: The use of commercial nose-flap devices in the two-stage weaning method can have negative impacts on the nostrils of beef calves, leading to compromised health and welfare. This risk is often overlooked despite the clear evidence of physical injuries and weight loss in the calves during the use of these devices.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. K. Almeida, E. Kebreab, K. T. Resende, A. N. Medeiros, I. A. M. A. Teixeira
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
X. Y. Feng, J. Dijkstra, A. Bannink, S. van Gastelen, J. France, E. Kebreab
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Henk J. van Lingen, Arjan Jonker, Ermias Kebreab, David Pacheco
Summary: This study found a relationship between dietary variables and animal characteristics with enteric CH4 emissions and N excretion in sheep, but did not conclusively prove a direct trade-off between the two.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sinyong Jeong, Namchul Jo, Jung-Jin Lee, Jae-Hwan Lee, Dong-Keun Kam, Jakyeom Seo, Ermias Kebreab, Seongwon Seo
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with bacteriophage and beta-mannanase on health and growth performance in calves. The results indicated that bacteriophage supplementation had a positive effect on calf survival rate, while beta-mannanase supplementation improved growth performance in calves.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Yating Li, Jiongjie Jing, Wenqing Dang, Qi Han, Xiangyu Guo, Kaiqi Jia, Ying Cheng, Kai Wang, Ermias Kebreab, Lihua Lyu
Summary: The Notch2 gene plays a critical role in regulating the development of bovine LGCs by affecting cell proliferation, apoptosis-related gene expression, and hormone secretion. Silencing of Notch2 gene led to significant changes in gene expression and hormone secretion, demonstrating its important role in the development of bovine LGCs.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
J. Li, E. Kebreab, Fengqi You, J. G. Fadel, T. L. Hansen, C. VanKerkhove, K. F. Reed
Summary: This study compares the application of iterative linear programming, sequential quadratic programming, and mixed integer nonlinear programming-based deterministic global optimization in ration formulation for dairy cattle. The results show that iterative linear programming has limited capability when nonlinearity exists in the constraints. Both sequential quadratic programming and mixed integer nonlinear programming-based deterministic global optimization handle the nonlinear constraints well, with sequential quadratic programming being faster, while mixed integer nonlinear programming-based deterministic global optimization is able to return a feasible solution under some situations where sequential quadratic programming cannot.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. E. Uddin, J. M. Tricarico, E. Kebreab
Summary: This study aimed to assess the impact of feed additives on the carbon footprint of milk production in the United States. The results showed that the use of 3-NOP and nitrate could reduce methane emissions and the carbon footprint by 12% and 31% respectively. The study also highlighted the regional variations in carbon footprint. These findings are significant for mitigating the negative effects of livestock on climate change.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
J. M. Tricarico, Y. de Haas, A. N. Hristov, E. Kebreab, T. Kurt, F. Mitloehner, D. Pitta
Summary: The Greener Cattle Initiative is a collaborative program developed by two US organizations to address the issue of enteric methane emissions from dairy and beef cattle. The program aims to fund research projects in areas such as nutrition, microbiome, genetics, sensing and data technology, and socioeconomic analysis. It is structured as a closed consortium and will incorporate participants from various sectors. The program is expected to award $5 million in research grant funding over a 5-year period.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alejandro Belanche, Alexander N. Hristov, Henk J. van Lingen, Stuart E. Denman, Ermias Kebreab, Angela Schwarm, Michael Kreuzer, Mutian Niu, Maguy Eugene, Vincent Niderkorn, Cecile Martin, Harry Archimede, Mark McGee, Christopher K. Reynolds, Les A. Crompton, Ali Reza Bayat, Zhongtang Yu, Andre Bannink, Jan Dijkstra, Alex Chaves, Harry Clark, Stefan Muetzel, Vibeke Lind, Jon M. Moorby, John A. Rooke, Aurelie Aubry, Walter Antezana, Min Wang, Roger Hegarty, V Hutton Oddy, Julian Hill, Philip E. Vercoe, Jean Victor Savian, Adibe Luiz Abdalla, Yosra A. Soltan, Alda Lucia Gomes Monteiro, Juan Carlos Ku-Vera, Gustavo Jaurena, Carlos A. Gomez-Bravo, Olga L. Mayorga, Guilhermo F. S. Congio, David R. Yanez-Ruiz
Summary: This study developed empirical models to predict enteric methane emissions from sheep using a global database. The models showed that including variables such as body weight and organic matter digestibility improved prediction accuracy. Age-specific equations were also found to enhance prediction performance. The study concluded that predicting sheep methane production requires considering variables such as dry matter intake, body weight, and rumen propionate proportion, and appropriate universal equations can be used across different diets and climatic conditions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Henk J. van Lingen, James G. Fadel, Ermias Kebreab, Andre Bannink, Jan Dijkstra, Sanne van Gastelen
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of different sampling schemes on the estimated daily H2 and CH4 emissions from dairy cattle. Sampling every 0.5 hours was needed for accurate estimation of daily H2 emissions, while less frequent sampling intervals were sufficient for CH4 emissions. The study highlights the importance of accurate sampling schemes for reliable estimation of emissions from cattle.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna M. Naranjo, Heidi Sieverding, David Clay, Ermias Kebreab
Summary: Livestock production contributes to GHG emissions and there is variability in the carbon footprint. This study assesses GHG emissions from dairy production in South Dakota using a life cycle assessment. Results show that producing 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk in South Dakota emits 1.23 kg CO2 equivalents, with enteric methane and manure management as major contributors. Improving genetics, nutrition, and feed production, as well as utilizing anaerobic digesters, can further reduce the carbon footprint of South Dakota dairies.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
E. Kebreab, J. Mendez, P. Ji, J-J Lee, S. Seo
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementation with a fibrolytic enzyme, beta-mannanase, on feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and milk yield in cows fed a diet relatively low in crude protein concentration. The results showed that beta-mannanase supplementation improved FCE and lowered somatic cell counts without affecting milk yield or component yield and composition.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. E. Uddin, Henk J. van Lingen, Paula G. Da Silva-Pires, Dolores Batonon-Alavo, Friedrich Rouffineau, Ermias Kebreab
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of synthetic methionine sources and determine the differences in growth rate of broiler chickens fed at or below requirements. Through database analysis and model fitting, it was found that there were no significant differences between linear and quadratic plateau models in determining methionine or sulfur amino acid requirements during different growth phases. Additionally, there was no difference in body weight gain response of broiler chickens to the two sources when fed at or below requirements for any of the growth phases.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Julia Q. Fouts, Mallory C. Honan, Breanna M. Roque, Juan M. Tricarico, Ermias Kebreab
Summary: Mitigation of enteric methane can be achieved through dietary reformulation, feed additive inclusion, and selective breeding of low CH4-emitting animals.
TRANSLATIONAL ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. Honan, X. Feng, J. M. Tricarico, E. Kebreab
Summary: Increasing concern over GHG contributions from cattle is driving the livestock industry to improve sustainability goals. Enteric methane production is a major contributor to GHG emissions and research on feed additives is showing promise in reducing CH4 emissions. Feed additives work by either inhibiting methanogenesis or modifying the rumen environment, leading to a reduction in CH4 production.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE
(2022)