The calcium status of the dairy cow may be contributing to reduced longevity and fertility. Cows excrete large amounts of calcium, which is the most important mineral in the diet. However, mechanisms for maintenance of calcium status have not been reviewed in high production pasture systems. Vitamin D metabolites and the correct dietary mineral levels may be an avenue for alleviation of declining longevity and productivity.

Native plants are more tolerant of Australian conditions than introduced species and may provide farmers with an alternative feed source for livestock during times of drought. The nutritional value of 7 out of 15 selected native shrub legumes was found to be adequate for the needs of livestock. These species may be able to be included in low-input livestock grazing systems.

In 2011 the Australian government introduced a voluntary offset scheme called the Carbon Farming Initiative, which allows farmers to receive carbon credits when they reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Lotus corniculatus is a legume that inhibits the formation of methane in the rumen, as well as producing increased wool growth, liveweight gain and fecundity. This study showed that while the use of lotus reduced emissions, income from increased productivity was 15–30 times greater than from potential carbon offset income.

Variability in climate affects plant growth, leading to uncertainty in pasture supply. Modelling the impact of climate variability on pasture production in this study revealed varying levels of feed deficits and surpluses, reflecting the incorporation of summer and winter crops into a traditional pasture-based system. Alternative feeding strategies with high-quality feed are a prerequisite to overcome feed gaps in dairying.

In many areas of the Mediterranean region low-quality forages are largely diffused and may represent a potential feed resource for ruminants. The present study evidenced the presence of positive associative effects, with an increased in vitro gas production, when low-quality forages, milk thistle and crown daisy were used in mixtures with apple pomace and citrus pulp. Mixtures of low-quality roughages with food byproducts might represent a strategy to improve profitability and sustainability of livestock systems in arid and semi-arid areas.

Lambs need a high energy ration to support faster growth but in arid and semiarid regions, heat stress is the major setback for achieving desired liveweight gain as it reduced the dry matter intake. Calcium salt of fatty acids (Ca-FA) increase the energy value of feed and are not degraded in the rumen, thereby, not affecting the rumen microbes adversely. The present study envisages the result of supplementation of a graded level of Ca-FA in concentrate on lamb growth and revealed that 40 g/kg Ca-FA prepared from industrial-grade rice bran oil in growing lamb rations improved liveweight gain, organic matter intake and digestibility and metabolisable energy intake during the post-weaning period with higher dressing yield.

The use of preventive chemical flystrike treatment before flies are active in early spring may restrict reproduction of the sheep blowfly. Modelling suggests that early treatment may reduce flystrike later in the fly season and reduce the need for additional preventive treatment. Further studies are required to determine the extent of the reduction in the risk of flystrike after early treatment.

Broiler diets are typically formulated to either available or digestible phosphorus concentrations and in many cases these two terms are used synonymously. However, available phosphorus is a relative term that is dependent on a reference inorganic phosphorus source and so can vary. The present experiment assessed the relative digestibility of various inorganic phosphorus sources, observed differences in bioefficacy and provided contrasting information for diet design and phytase inclusion strategies.

It is important to establish dynamic prediction models to estimate the available energy in feedstuffs for timely and accurate feed formulation. In our study, two experiments were conducted to study the correlation coefficients between available energy and chemical composition of seven feed ingredients and subsequently to establish prediction equations for net energy for these same ingredients. The NE prediction equations could be used to estimate the NE values of seven ingredients fed to growing pigs with acceptable accuracy.

Reliable estimates of the genetic relationships among populations are important to understand history and selection events in the formation of breeds. Using markers within genes that may be under selection may provide different information from neutral markers. The discriminant resolution power of single nucleotide polymorphisms within candidate genes related with beef production traits was used to evaluate the genetic relationships among bovine breeds. The data showed that there is marker-type specificity in revealing differences in the development of breeds.

RNA sequencing technology provides fascinating information about transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation. This study analysed the differences in muscle gene expression between Angus and Luxi cattle. The results provide unprecedented resolution of mRNAs expressed across the two breeds.

The main objective was to determine the role of the body condition score on the onset of goat puberty. We designed an experiment to study the role of the body condition score as modulator of the onset of the puberty. We used Blanca Andaluza goat kids, an endangered native Spanish breed raised for meat production in extensive or semi-extensive grazing systems. The interest in this kind of system has been increased among Spanish farmers in recent years, more specifically for organic livestock. These results could support the goat farmers.

Most European donkey breeds are disappearing and this genetic resource may be lost in a generation. How that happens at breed level is not fully documented, but our study indicates that the most critical factor is the low percentage of females breeding yearly. The percentage needed is ~50% per year, with current carrying capacity, reduced juvenile mortality and mortality at breeding age in females, reduced harvest and reduction in age at first offspring production also important.

Culatello dry-cured product is one of the most valuable products of Italian gastronomy and it is highly appreciated also at international level. Suino Nero Lucano is an Italian autochthonous pig breed and it represents a cultural and biological heritage that links the typical product to the territory. In this study the quality and sensory characteristics of Culatello dry-cured product obtained from Suino Nero Lucano pigs and from modern crossbreed pigs were investigated. Our results confirm that Suino Nero Lucano pigs represent a resource both for the obtainment of products with high nutritional and sensory value and for promoting the economic development of areas where they are raised.

Improvements in meat quality are constantly sought through sources of variation along the meat chain, one such source being native pig breeds, which are not only a part of biotic diversity, but also a part of the cultural heritage of many countries. Currently undergoing breed reconstruction, the Krškopolje pig from Slovenia, when raised in an enriched environment for the growing-finishing periods, showed good marbling content and composition. These initial meat quality findings show commercial potential for this breed.

Rabbits find it difficult to cope with high temperatures, especially when housed in typical commercial cages, where mobility is reduced. Changes in physiology and behaviour under controlled conditions of temperature were studied, and results showed that animals can adapt some of their important behaviours, such as grooming, once they could predict the thermal changes.