Recent findings have suggested that direct-fed microbials can affect gut microbiota that play a fundamental role in enhancing performance and health of chickens. We attempted to further characterise the functions of direct-fed microbials as therapeutic, prophylactic and growth-promotion uses in the poultry industry. The present review highlights that dietary direct-fed microbials can affect host–microbe interaction, shaping host immunity towards increasing resistance of chickens to enteric diseases.

The sensory preference of consumers in Thailand does not always coincide with the meat produced with commercial, fast-growing broiler lines. Native breeds offer an alternative with a chewier meat and special appearance and flavour features. The review compiles information available about Asian breeds in comparison with fast-growing broilers concerning meat-quality traits.

Reproduction can disrupt the oxidant–antioxidant balance because of the considerable capacity for reactive oxygen species generation during steroidogenesis and during the formation and regression of ovarian structures. A deeper characterisation of the roles that redox balance plays in the control of reproductive physiology will allow the development of strategic dietary antioxidant interventions that can significantly reduce reproductive wastage in domestic animals.

Discharge of huge amount of wastewater is the greatest obstacle to the development of sustainable pig farming in the developing countries in Asia, which are experiencing a rapid expansion in this industry. Although converting this organic waste into renewable energy seems to offer an attractive option to the abovementioned problem, ~60% of the biogas digesta still remain and need to be discharged to the environment. The present paper reviewed our approach, which was shown to significantly cut down the usage of water and the discharge of wastewater, with nearly 98% of biological oxygen demand removed.

Pakchong 1 napier grass is a new hybrid napier with high yield and suitable for silage making but its moisture content is too high. Therefore, it should be mixed with an absorbent, such as maize cob and husk. We found that recommended ratio of maize cob and husk mixed with Pakchong 1 napier grass is 1 : 10 and ensiling fermentation can increased the proportion of protein in the roughage.

Research data showed inconsistencies in digestive capacity between goat and sheep. Results of the study showed significantly higher in vitro gas-production rate constant for insoluble fraction (c), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production in rumen fluid of goat than sheep. The higher fermentative capacity of goat suggests the advantage of keeping goats in environment with poor feed resources.

It is important to find alternative feed resources as sources of protein in rations of beef cattle to improve nutrient digestibility. This study evaluated the effect of yeast-fermented cassava root (YEFECAR) as a feed ingredient in the concentrate diet in beef cattle. Results show that YEFECAR at 20% in concentrate feed tended to enhance fibre digestibility in cattle.

Comparative study between yak and cattle can provide information on animal adaptation to high altitude. This is a preliminary study on water channels in yaks, which we found were somewhat different from that in indigenous cattle. This discovery could provide a new perspective to explain some adaptive mechanisms, especially the water modulation and balance, of yaks to the harsh alpine environment and may help to improve the current understanding of altitude sickness in humans.

Inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) by C75, a synthetic inhibitor, could significantly reduce the relative content of monounsaturated fatty acids (C16:1 and C18:1) in goat mammary epithelial cells. Both C75 and shRNA downregulated the mRNA expression of GPAM, AGPAT6 and DGAT2 relating to triglyceride synthesis, which was in accordance with the results of malonyl-CoA treatment. The malonyl-CoA demonstrated the important role in regulating triglyceride synthesis by inhibiting the expression of FASN.

Genomic prediction (GP) of genetic merit using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers can be conducted even when pedigree information is unavailable. In GP performed for carcass weight and marbling score in Japanese Black beef cattle using SNPs of varying densities, around 80% of prediction accuracy was retained when SNPs used were 1/1000 of ~570 000 SNPs available. GP using the lower-density SNP panel may be beneficial to pre-selection for the carcass traits in Japanese Black young breeding animals.

A worldwide shortage of grain is resulting in large numbers of poultry birds being affected by aflatoxin, which is a toxin produced by certain types of mould. The aim of our research was to evaluate Fixar^® Viva Dry, compounds of silicates and yeast cell wall components, as a dietary supplement that could absorb the aflatoxin from meat producing ducks. Our results showed that using this dietery supplement could improve the mortality rates of poultry worldwide and that the economic-loss index could be improved in that sector.

Sweet potato (SP) provides high levels of starch but the dietary fibre lowers its feeding value to growing pigs. Ensiled or boiled SP roots were of similar feeding value but including SP vines lowered the energy use and growth of crossbred pigs. Ensiling SP forage is advantageous to tropical feeding systems but for growing pigs using vines should be controlled.

The impact of young-ewe fertility rate, selection age and genomic information on genetic gain in sheep-breeding programs was evaluated using stochastic simulation. Yearling-ewe fertility level, ram and ewe age and the availability of genomic information all significantly (P < 0.05) influenced genetic gain. On average, at fertility levels of 10% and above in yearling ewes, flock genetic progress is unlikely to be adversely affected and there is no increase in breeding-program risk.

This study determines the relationship of element content with elements of blood, soil, range forage and animals ration. The influence of protein or energy supplementation on the yield and its easy adaptation to various rearing environments was investigated. This is a new correlational perspective on the factors that can affect cashmere quality.

Feed efficiency can be more accurately estimated by measuring the residual feed intake (RFI), which is laborious and time-consuming. Physiological criteria for RFI determination would facilitate genetic selection for feed efficiency using RFI. We found that mitochondrial enzyme activity measured in biopsied muscle samples provides a useful procedure for genetic selection of lambs for this component of feed efficiency.

The use of ractopamine and the possible cellular pathway it takes in order to improve pig performance and characteristics are still the focus of discussion. Differences in performance and intracellular protein expression were assessed, and the mTOR signalling pathway was activated by ractopamine. This finding indicates that the increased protein expression seen when ractopamine is used is probably due to the mTOR activation.

Delayed feeding after hatching adversely affects the rate of growth as well as gastrointestinal and immunological development. In this study, the effects of time of initiation of feeding after hatching and diet composition were evaluated in broiler chickens. Feeding a maize-soybean meal starter diet immediately after hatch had a beneficial effect on growth performance and immune response of broilers and improved intestinal morphology.

Increasing the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis (EMPS) in the rumen of cattle grazing tropical pastures is important as microbial protein provides most of the metabolisable protein supplied to the animal and therefore has a significant effect on the growth rate of the grazing animal. Our study showed that EMPS in steers consuming tropical grass pastures was low and limited by rumen degradable protein supply from the pasture. High EMPS was associated with very high rumen degradable protein levels in the pasture, vastly in excess of the requirements of the rumen microbes.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of rumen-protected methionine on performance of late pregnant and early lactating goats and growth of their suckling kids. Seventy-five goat dams were divided into three equal groups and supplemented with 0, 2.5, or 5 g/head.day. Supplementation with RPM increased milk production and milk protein content with no changes in milk fat content. Growth performance and birth weights of born kids were not affected.

The cottonseed hull could be useful in high-concentrate systems to improve beef production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cottonseed hull in concentrations 210–330 g/kg on a DM basis of high-concentrate diets on feed intake, in vitro digestibility, animal performance, carcass weights and ingestive behaviour of young bulls. A cottonseed hull level up to 270 g/kg of dietary DM does not have detrimental effects on animal performance when utilised as a non-forage fibre in high-concentrate diets to young bulls in feedlots.

Extruded full-fat soybean (EFS), which has high energy content and digestibility, is commonly used in feedstuff for young pigs but restrictedly for sows. This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing EFS to the lactation diet on sow and litter performance, and found a positive effect on milk composition and litter performance. This research indicates that supplementing EFS in the sow lactation diet has wide application prospects.

The effects of selenium (Se)-yeast diet supplementation on performance and carcass composition in ducks has great importance in the production of meat and functional foods. This study shows that a diet containing 0.4 mg of added Se per kilogram produced the greatest growth-performance results in ducks. The highest dietary supplementation level of Se did not improve performance.

Protein that leaves the intestine represents a net loss to the animal, reduces efficiency of digestion and may compromise environmental sustainability. The protein that leaves the intestine is of mixed origin, being partially undigested dietary protein and partly proteins of endogenous origin, e.g. various intestinal secretions. Data presented herein sheds light on the specific origin of the proteins in the intestine and will help nutritionists develop strategies to recover a greater proportion of these recalcitrant protein fractions.

In pig husbandry, pregnant females are often exposed to stressful conditions that may affect their physiology, behaviour or health. In this study, housing sows in different systems during gestation (conventional vs enriched) modulated their salivary cortisol and health status during gestation and their piglet pre-weaning mortality, despite the comparable environments from farrowing to weaning. This suggests that optimising housing in order to reduce the level of stress of pregnant sows may be also beneficial for the survival of their piglets after birth.

From the last decade and onward, consumers are interested in obtaining high-quality products from animals reared and kept under a high welfare environment. We aimed to investigate the impact of gnawing sticks (of apple or willow tree) as environmental enrichment on the performance, carcass traits and behaviour of individually housed growing rabbits. Enriched cages increased the final bodyweight, some carcass traits, and reduced abnormal behaviour, and potentially improved rabbit welfare in intensive rabbit breeding.

Food value chains have to decide whether they will supply basic quality goods at lowest cost or supply goods with additional attributes that consumers value more but that are more costly to provide. The objective of this study was to develop an economic framework that allows food value chains to make the most profitable choices. Our analysis showed that such a framework could be developed but that practical implementation would require some new measurements of whole-of-chain outcomes so that the economic relationships making up the framework could be estimated and analysed.