In ruminant supplementation, the main energy source used is maize; however, this product is a commodity that is influenced by the international market, and this often makes its use in animal feed unfeasible. To solve this problem, the use of agribusiness residues has been proposed in terms of animal nutrition, without causing significant changes in the nutritional value of diets. Depending on the quantity, cassava wastewater can be safely used in the ration of feedlot lambs.

Relationships have previously been identified between reticulo-rumen volumes, measured using computed tomography (CT) scanning of sheep, and methane emissions. This study investigated reticulo-rumen volumes, measured from CT images of live lambs, and found variation between breeds, sires and individual animals that could be exploited for genetic selection. Genetic relationships of reticulo-rumen volume with other economically and environmentally important traits, including methane emissions, should be fully investigated to inform potential use of this measurement in breeding programmes to reduce methane emissions.

Forage silage is commonly used in dairy farming but inappropriate ensiling could be associated with occurrence of mycotoxins as well as low quality silage. Five of 23 mycotoxins screened were identified and quantified from different types of silage and from upper, central and lower parts of the silos, drawing attention to possible occurrence in cow milk. The silages were generally of low quality, with high pH and dry matter content.

The consumption of pork is increasing and presents an opportunity for pig farmers to make more profits. This study revealed that the high cost of commercial feeds can be overcome by feeding a low-cost diet containing 22% brewers’ spent grain, 15% yeast and 60% malt dust. By lowering the cost of quality feeds, pig productivity, population and profits will increase.

It is important to identify efficient cows. However, there is no standard measure for cow–calf efficiency. Cow weight and Large Stock Units were used to identify cow–calf efficiency, either as a ratio with calf weaning weight or as covariates. The use of ratios favoured the smaller cows. This inconsistent definition of cow–calf efficiency makes its improvement challenging. The difference between output and input can be maximised, when traits are reported in consistent units like joules, or the carbon footprint.

Including sugarcane in dairy cow diets usually decreases feed intake; therefore, large proportions of concentrate are often needed to meet the nutrient requirement. We evaluated the effects of partial replacement of sugarcane with cactus (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw) cladodes. Although an optimum response for most variables was achieved when cactus cladodes replaced ∼1/3 of sugarcane, the highest level of replacement (51%) also resulted in a better overall performance than that observed for a diet containing only sugarcane as a forage source.