Whole-grain feeding regimes for chicken-meat production provide economic advantages by reducing feed costs while generating improvements in energy utilisation and feed conversion efficiency; however, the genesis of the performance improvements are not defined. The present paper considers the contexts in which these responses may be best realised. Identifying the drivers will enable the most appropriate WGF strategies to be adopted.

The application of herbs and spice products as alternatives to antibiotics in raising broilers is receiving attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cardamom seed and its essential oils on broilers and the results suggested that high levels of cardamom essential oils benefited feed efficiency and cholesterol metabolism. This could meet consumer demand for a safe feed additive.

The present paper reports on application of extruded full fat soybean (EFFSB) in broiler diet to identify its potential toward improving production performance criteria. The FFSB extruded at 170°C had acceptable protein solubility in KOH, indicating a good EFFSB. The latter in turn indicates an optimum balance between degradation of ANFs and maintaining the bioavailability of essential amino acids, hence having the potential to exert positive effect on blood metabolites and intestinal morphology of broilers at market age.

Under the conditions of intensive farming, it is very important to improve poultry health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB)on oxidative stress and apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa of broilers and the main discovery was that dietary MSB can partially attenuate oxidative stress induced by corticosterone treatment and inhibit apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. This could confirm again that nutritional regulation of pre-slaughter stress through feed additives may provide a simple way to improve poultry health.

Accelerated lambing potentially increases biological efficiency of lamb production and affects seasonal patterns of feed requirements. Metabolisable energy requirements were used to calculate dry sheep equivalents (DSE) and showed that crossbred ewes in accelerated lambing weaned 16–47% greater weight of lamb per DSE over 4 years than ewes in traditional systems. The increased efficiency of accelerated lambing requires a more consistent feed supply throughout the year.

Excess salt in the sheep’s diet can impair digestion, but they may adapt to high concentrations in plants by reducing absorption. We found no evidence of adaptation, in fact their rumen developed a reduced ability to maintain a normal pH over time, with implications for accumulation of some elements in the brain and kidney. Thus farmers should beware exposing their sheep to high salt in their feed for prolonged periods.

Cattle fed nitrate risk methaemoglobinaemia, but with chronic feeding their red cells increase their ability to reduce methaemoglobin. In vitro studies suggest that phosphate plays a role in aiding the reduction of methaemoglobin and that the metabolic endpoint of red cells changes to maximise substrate availability for methaemoglobin reduction. It appears that both the animal and its rumen microbes adapt to nitrate feeding.

Bituminaria bituminosa is a drought-tolerant, perennial legume that has been used for centuries as a part of the mixed sward in grazing systems around the Mediterranean sea and ‘cut and carried’ to feed as hay to dairy goats in the Canary Islands; varieties albomarginata and crassiuscula, commonly known as tedera, are native only to the Canary Islands. In south-western Australia, tedera will likely be directly grazed as green plants to help fill the feed gap in summer–autumn, due to its drought tolerance and capacity to retain green leaves. . Sheep fed fresh tedera exclusively for 34 days readily consumed the forage and remained in good health, they maintained their liveweight (42.5 kg) and body condition (condition score 3) throughout the experiment.

Rumen degradation of dietary proteins should be minimised using appropriate feed additives and/or technological processing. We hypothesised that supplementing dairy cow ration with monensin and roasting whole soybean seed improves microbial protein synthesized in the rumen; however, such an effect was not observed in the present study. Interactions between the type of technological processing and monensin supplementation should be further investigated

The forage system is critically important to lactation performance in dairy cows. Our results suggested that the expression of IGF-1R in the mammary glands and the number of mammary cells is significantly affected by forage system, and this is closely related to the milk production in early lactation cows. This research provided the basis for better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of lactation regulation.

Ruminants ingest a diversity of forages, but in intensive feeding systems they are commonly fed single rations or pastures. The present study suggests that a diversity of flavours presented in the same ration has the potential to stimulate intake and alter eating behaviour in sheep. These effects may in turn contribute to enhance animal production and welfare.

Wavelet and linear regression methods were used to model time-of-day changes in behaviour due to available forage. The study concluded decreasing forage availability resulted in greater lying activity from 1000 to 1300 and greater grazing activity from 1300 to 2100. Understanding the dynamics between forage supply and behaviour could provide decision tools incorporating behaviour into drought management decisions.

At weaning, the welfare of piglets may decrease because they are exposed to several stressors.

The objective was to assess the physiological response of piglets weaned at three different ages under two different trip conditions. Piglets transported immediately after weaning at Ages 8, 15 and 22 days present significant metabolic, hydric and gas exchange imbalances.

At weaning, the welfare of piglets may decrease because they are exposed to several stressors.

The αs1-casein is the most polymorphic milk protein and its genetic variants influence the quali-quantitative characteristics and the technological properties of the milk. This study investigates the genetic variability at the CSN1S1 in the Mediterranean buffalo. A significant association between the c.628C>T SNP and the protein percentage was found. This result offers useful indications for future applications of marker-assisted selection programmes.

We report the identification of five SSCP patterns in the sheep GH1 gene. The present study suggests a positive effect of SSCP patterns with carcass traits. We report the identification of two different protein structures in the GH1 protein. The identified SNPs in the GH1 gene could be used as molecular markers.

To improve the spermatozoa fertility, cryodamages must be decreased by using suitable diluents and cryopreservation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of trehalose and glycerol on the freezing process of ram semen, when lecithin is used as cryoprotectant. It was concluded that simultaneous use of glycerol and trehalose had a desirable effect on motility of ram frozen–thawed sperm.

Measuring blood stress indicators could be useful for improving animal welfare and meat quality. The current study measured various blood parameters from pigs under the standard pre-slaughter conditions using a portable analyser. Higher levels of blood lactate and glucose correlated with decreased pork quality. Therefore, measuring blood lactate and glucose could easily and quickly provide information about pork quality.

Beef producers in Korea try to increase marbling in beef muscles due to higher consumer demand towards such meat. Increasing marbling through extended feeding eventually burdens stakeholders of the beef industry and this study showed that medium (375–425 kg) carcass weight was optimal for achieving superior beef quality. Medium carcasses provide more health benefits at lower cost.