Molasses in excess of existing requirements is in abundant supply in north Queensland. High-molasses diets for cattle that supported liveweight gains approaching those achieved with grain-based diets could underpin an intensive feeding industry in the region. Diets were formulated and measurements of liveweight gain carcass quality and meat eating quality made. The results suggested that the excess molasses could be used successfully for intensive finishing of beef cattle rather than be exported.

Milk components are known to have a major influence on human health, and milk and milk products are major components of dietary intake. In molecular-based breeding programs, a major aim is to increase milk production without reducing quality. In the present study, the IGF-I gene was considered as a functional candidate gene for milk-production traits. An SNP was identified in IGF-I that showed a significant association with milk-production traits in Chinese cattle, implying that IGF-I could be used as a useful genetic marker in programs of gene-assisted selection.

There are a few searches on the effect of dietary protein level on broiler meat fatty acids profile. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between dietary protein level and the fatty acids profile of broiler chickens fed fish oil. The results showed that a lower dietary protein intake decreased n-6 fatty acid deposition in broilers’ meat.

Hatchability of artificially incubated ostrich eggs is low (>30% embryonic mortality) and even a small improvement in hatchability will have a major economic impact. This study showed that there appears to be a genetic component that may be able to be manipulated to improve hatchability. The structure of ostrich breeding populations ensures that breeding values for parents should be very accurate, thus providing opportunities for selection.

The use of in vitro methods to study ruminal fermentation has become more necessary nowadays. The objective of this work was to contribute to increase our understanding on how the microbial ecosystem in the rumen adapts to the in vitro conditions. There are changes in the biomass of some microbial groups due to inoculum processing although no major impact due to the in vitro incubation conditions.

Forage content of the winter diet (forage vs 65% forage : 35% barley) affected weight gains and liveweight of the steers at the end of the winter housing period but did not affect weight gains in the grazing period. Forage content of the winter diet affected the carcass weight but not its composition. Both diets can be recommended in dry mountain areas.

For largely unidentified reasons, the performance of broiler chickens offered sorghum-based diets is inconsistent. Steam-pelleting diets (90°C) based on coarsely ground sorghums substantially increased starch digestibility in the upper small intestine but the responses between red, white and yellow sorghums were different. Variations in starch digestibility between sorghum types may be an important factor in their inconsistency for chicken-meat production.

A high-protein supplement such as soybean meal fed to ewes from Day–8 to Day–4 before ovulation can increase ovulation rate by 15% in ewes fed native pasture. However, if the protein of the soybean meal is protected with condensed tannins, it has two valuable effects: ovulation rate can be increased by 28% and protein intake can be reduced.

With restrictions on the use of antibiotics in animals, green tea and probiotics are being investigated worldwide as alternatives. This study evaluated the effect of green tea by-product and green tea plus probiotics in growing–finishing pigs and demonstrated that green tea plus probiotics exerts positive effects on weight gain, meat composition, blood parameters and immunity. A combination of green tea and probiotics could be used as a functional feed additive as an alternative to antibiotics for growing–finishing pigs.

The relationship between antler and body size is one of the oldest known but no study has assessed the proportion that antlers constitute with regard to the skeleton. In the present work, we calculated this relationship as well as the factors that influence it and it is demonstrated that antler investment in mature males is mediated by age and also by body resources. These results may have deep consequences for social behavior and mating success.

The demand for antibiotic-free animal products has been growing in the past decades. The spore-forming lactic acid bacteria Bacillus coagulans can improve feed efficiency and balance the intestinal microflora of chickens. For eco-friendly animal farming, B. coagulans has the potential to be used as a green alternative to antibiotics in poultry diets.