A study to use female reproductive technologies with genomic selection in sheep breeding programs was conducted to investigate how much extra genetic progress could be achieved over a 10-year period. Both genomic selection and reproductive technologies facilitated enhanced rates of genetic gain and displayed strong synergies. Genomic information collected early in life allowed for larger gains in traits that are measured after selection.

Protein degradability can affect forage utilisation and nitrogen retention in beef cattle fed high-quality tropical grass. The present study evaluated how the supplementation with ruminally degradable (RDP) and/or ruminally undegradable protein (RUP) influence forage intake, digestibility, and metabolic characteristics in Nellore bulls. The RDP and RUP supplementation did not affect forage intake and digestibility, but both improved nitrogen retention. However, RUP supplementation presented greater efficiency of nitrogen utilisation likely as a response of different metabolic mechanisms compared to RDP supplementation.

Feeding lambs in feedlot are based on high proportions of grains in the rations. However, the grain level required to obtain the best lamb performance is unknown. The experiment conducted allowed us to identify that 60% grain is the optimal level. Grain finishing with higher levels involves risk in the health status of lambs.

Vitamin B6 has been associated with protein metabolism. However, the effects of dietary vitamin B6 on the skeletal muscle protein metabolism of growing rabbits are unknown. Our results indicate that the addition of dietary vitamin B6 can increase the skeletal muscle protein synthesis of growing rabbits, and it can be used to improve meat performance of domestic animals in the future.

Limestone is a common source of dietary calcium for broilers. Due to its high dietary concentration, calcium binds with phytate, forming insoluble calcium–phytate complexes, thus reducing the bioavailability of both calcium and phosphorus. Replacing limestone with a highly soluble calcium source may allow reduced dietary concentrations of calcium, improving phosphorus digestibility when coupled with exogenous phytase while maintaining bird performance.

Piglets weaned at 26 days of age have less post-weaning stress and higher feed intake, and therefore outweigh best during the critical period post-weaning. For this reason, the digestible tryptophan to lysine ratio for maximum performance is changed. This research determined the optimal digestible tryptophan to lysine ratios in piglets weaned at 26 days old is estimated at 0.22. Therefore, piglets weaned with at least 26 days develop better than piglets weaned early.

Given the importance of methane as a greenhouse gas, methane production was measured from tropical beef cattle consuming pastures typical of the northern Australian rangelands during the seasonal changes in diet quality. The work aimed to quantify methane produced from diets typical of the rangelands and compare against equations commonly used to estimate methane production from cattle. Methane produced on a daily basis was affected by diet quality and is likely overestimated in Australian cattle consuming low quality forage.

Mitigating methane emissions by dietary manipulation is the most attractive mitigation strategy, as the reduction of methane production is associated with improvements in animal productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate the use of sugarcane-based diets as an alternative to corn silage-based diets for heifers on enteric methane production, energy conversion and animal performance. The increased concentrate level in sugarcane-based diets decreases methane emissions per unit of DM intake and body gain, and improves performance of growing heifers.

Strategies that reduce methane production are not only environmentally beneficial, but they also improve the efficiency of ruminant production. Inoculation of a direct-fed microbial, Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii ATCC 8262, did not affect in vitro methane production or fatty acid biohydrogenation in barley silage diets, supplemented with either flaxseed or rapeseed oil. However, supplementing the oils alone did have beneficial effects on fatty acid profiles.

Perinatal lamb mortality remains a challenge for sheep producers worldwide. A survey of sheep producers who had pregnancy ultrasound-scanned their ewes was conducted to assess the level of losses for different classes of sheep and any management practices which may influence survival. Our results suggest that perinatal lamb mortality remains a challenge, despite adoption of best practice management.

Sexually active bucks induce ovulation in seasonal-anovulatory goats. We determine whether maintaining bucks over 35 days after the introduction of males, would improve pregnancy rate in goats compared with only 15 days. Maintaining bucks with females for 35 days increased pregnancy rates.

The identification of critical points during transport and slaughtering procedures may significantly improve animal welfare during transport. In heavy pigs, long travel duration, low stocking density and overnight lairage resulted in increased animal losses. The routine collection and analysis of animal-loss data at slaughterhouses could reduce the economic impact of animal losses and be of help in improving future legislation on the protection of pigs during transport.

Lamb production in Western Australia has historically been constrained by both within- and between-season fluctuations in pasture productivity and its frequently low availability and poor nutritive value during the autumn-early winter. Hence, there is a need to investigate alternative feed components that could potentially mitigate feed gaps and increase farm profitability. Overall, this study suggests that both winter and spring wheat crops are likely to supply green feed during the winter feed shortage (April–July) and reduce supplementary feed requirements for a short period of time in some seasons.

The relationships between pre-mating weight and pregnancy rate were established for Brahman heifers mated as yearlings on improved pasture, and as 2 year olds on native pasture with pre-mating weights recorded in late October/early November and in late December. The relationships were used to produce tables showing the pregnancy rates predicted from different pre-mating weights. These tables will be useful for budgeting and management.

This study found that F₁ Senepol × Brahman steers had a higher growth rate than Brahman steers in an Indonesian feedlot. The study was conducted to address concerns that crossbred cattle are discriminated against by live export cattle buyers due to a perception that they do not perform as well as Brahmans in Indonesian feedlots. These results should reduce discrimination against Brahman × tropically adapted Bos taurus crossbreds in the live export market.

There is a strong negative association between the concentration of milk protein in early lactation and the date of calving of Holstein cows in seasonally calving herds. A difference of 1% in milk protein concentration is associated with a 31–35-day difference in calving date in multiparous cows. Although this difference is less in the calving date of primiparous cows (8 days), some of the factors involved in this association must have influenced the conception patterns of these young cows when they were ~15 months of age and not lactating.

There is a growing interest in equid milk production, involving some commercial and economic aspects. Knowledge about equids’ milk production and application of mathematical models on it are not well developed. This paper’s result indicates Wood’s model as a good mathematical model to describe and predict equid milk production. Moreover, normalised data according metabolic liveweight showed that IHDH mares produce more milk than Martina Franca donkeys.

The desire to minimise production costs has renewed interest in using diets with whole cereal grain in commercial poultry production. Diet dilution with whole wheat grain was beneficial to the economics of broiler duck production while maintaining good carcass quality. The effect on meat quality was inconsistent.

Most research regarding on use of β-agonists is completed utilising Bos taurus cattle. Climatic zone variability in México allows husbandry of both Bos taurus and B. indicus cattle. Export of calves of European breeds to the USA is a profit centre for Mexican cow–calf farmers, leaving the Zebu heifers for Mexican feedlots. Thus, impacts of supplementation of β-agonists to Zebu females is of great importance in nutritional management programs in the Mexican beef industry.

Little is known about the acceptability of broiler hen meat. This study evaluated the effect of age and aging time on breast meat properties. Its use is beneficial because it has more fat and less cholesterol, higher intracellular water-holding capacity, and lower cooking loss than meat from commercial broilers, and is less susceptible to lipid oxidation. Aging breast fillets for 3 days at 2°C is sufficient to tenderise the poultry meat and reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol.

Quail production is improving in Brazil, but the use of inappropriate strains is one of the factors hindering meat production. We evaluated carcass traits and meat quality of quails from different strains and both sexes pertaining to three breeding-improvement programs. In summary, meat obtained from meat-type strains had better meat quality than that from egg-laying strain. We conclude that meat-type strains, particularly one evaluated, are more appropriate for enterprises focussed on meat production.

The use of organic manure is an issue of debate and controversy in environmental policy in many countries, and field storage is often restricted out of fear for nutrient losses. We investigated different storage options to reduce soil nitrogen losses, meanwhile optimising manure quality, and found that a maximum of 4% of the initial nitrogen content was lost by leaching, depending on the initial manure characteristics and storage option. These findings could help policymakers in adapting regulations regarding field storage, and practitioners in optimising manure treatment.

Managing risk is a key part of farming. Sources of risk include business risks (such as fluctuating commodity and input prices) and financial risks (the risk that cash flow will not meet debt obligations). A farmer has little control over business risk but does have some control over financial risk (a farmer can control how much they borrow). The present study sought to identify the contribution of business and financial risk on a farm business. It demonstrated that detailed financial analysis should be included when analysing changes to farm systems.