Ruminant livestock industries are seeking to improve nutrient use efficiency. The research found significant variation in feed intake in lambs. Those that ate less had lower fat gain and daily methane emission. Selection of lambs with lower feed intake provides ways to improve sustainable livestock production.

The low feed intake of the lactating sow associated with insulin resistance (IR) is a key factor to manipulate due to its effects on the productivity and profitability of the herd. By implementing tools at the farm level that help diagnose IR in the sow in the most important periods (late gestation and lactation), nutritional and management strategies could be generated that can reduce the effects of IR and thus maximise sow productivity and profitability.

Deer antler base is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, but the medicinal value of different deer antler bases has not been systematically evaluated. The present study used UHPLC–MS/MS and found that the composition of metabolites in antler bases of red and sika deer is similar, but there are differences in abundance. Investigating the differences in endogenous metabolites of different deer antler bases and the efficacy components of antler base is important for the utilisation of this traditional Chinese medicine.

In vitro fertilisation can contribute to the conservation and knowledge of the reproductive characteristics of collared peccary. There is little information about the requirements for sperm capacitation in the collared peccary, an initial step in in vitro fertilisation. We compared different capacitating media and incubation times and we observed that heparin improved sperm motility and promoted the capacitation of collared peccary spermatozoa. This result will contribute to the development of assisted reproduction techniques for conservation and productivity of collared peccaries.

Poultry diets contain abundant amounts of leucine, a necessary feed ingredient for higher meat production. Leucine is one of the essential amino acids, whose deficiency impairs the broilers’ performance, body composition, and caecum microbiota. This study points to the importance of leucine supplementation in the diet of broilers to improve their growth performance, fat content, and intestine health.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of increasing concentrations of peNDF-F on growth performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs fed a whole corn grain-based diet. The results showed that increasing concentrations of peNDF-F reduced DMI, ADG, FE, carcass characteristics, and the area and length of ruminal papillae. However, whole corn grain-based diets can be used without the addition of peNDF-F in lambs, which can be a successful strategy for feeding and fattening lambs for slaughter.

Pinus densiflora bark extracts (PBE) have attracted more attention in the livestock industry due to not only their beneficial physiological functions but also their abundance in source and quantity. This study indicated that PBE supplementation had beneficial effects on antioxidant activity and intestinal barrier function, and 200 mg/kg of PBE had no undesirable effect on the nutrient digestibility. This study has provided scientific insight and rationale to protect broilers from oxidative stress and intestinal disease.

High-concentrate supplementation and additives are used to improve the productive efficiency of beef cattle grazing system. In this sense, it is important to determine the effects of additives in supplements for beef cattle in intensive finishing on pasture to determine appropriate management practices. In this trial, the additives can promote changes on intake and affect the feeding behaviour of grazing beef cattle. This knowledge allows us to make decisions about strategies to improve the productive efficiency in an intensive system.