Exogenous phytases have won global acceptance by the chicken-meat industry; nevertheless, the extra-phosphoric effects of phytase are still being realised. As outlined in the present review, the extra-phosphoric effects of phytase, especially in relation to intestinal uptakes of sodium, glucose and amino acids, hold importance in relation to the digestive dynamics of starch and protein and, in turn, poultry performance.

An important trait is the length of the productive life of a cow in the herd, or stayability. Here we estimate genetic merit of Brazilian Holstein cows and correlations of stayability with other measures of performance. We show low heritabilities for stayability but positive genetic correlations with milk production, suggesting that animals can be selected for both stayability and milk production in this population.

Lamb meat production is a worldwide phenomenon. Improving the production and profitability of sheep farms is an excellent way of guaranteeing their subsistence. Crossbreeding dairy ewes with meat rams enhances productivity without affecting meat quality.

The administration of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) during the luteal phase promote serum progesterone concentrations in ewes. We evaluate pregnancy rate obtained with eCG and/or GnRH treatment after FTAI. The eCG administration on Day 10 after FTAI had a marginal positive effect on pregnancy establishment during the first month, which was not maintained during the second month of gestation. No effect of GnRH treatment on Day 6 and 11 was found.

Current methods for estimating energy intake and expenditure of ruminants in the field have a range of technical problems. The open-circuit gas-quantification system (GQS) provides a simple, alternative means of quantifying energy intake and expenditure in the field. The potential for GQS to estimate intake represents an important potential breakthrough for identifying and selecting cows with greater feed efficiency in grazing systems.

Bone growth is directly correlated to mineral nutrition, with emphasis on phosphorus (P) under Brazilians conditions. We evaluated the effect of P supplementation in high-grain diets on blood, chemical and physical parameters of bones of feedlot Nellore bulls. P concentration of 2.4 g/kg in DM was adequate to ensure health and its supplementation resulted in no benefits in neither chemical nor physical properties from bones of feedlot Nellore cattle, with emphasis for the increase of pollution and economic losses in Brazilian feedlots.

The present study examined the capacity of young male goats to tolerate high levels of salinity in drinking water without harmful effects to their physiology. It seems that goats are better adapted to sustain their lives and remain productive in regions where fresh drinking water is scarce and of high salt concentration, thus limiting the presence and productivity of other herbivores. Subsequently, this raises considerations on the sustainable management of these lands and the capacity of these regions to support a conventionally calculated number of livestock units (LU), irrespective of animal species used.

Chicken meat consumption has increased considerably worldwide due to its low fat content; however, it contains a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids that make it susceptible to oxidation. The source of lipids in poultry diets could affect carcass fat composition and increase the need for antioxidants. This study demonstrates higher lipid oxidation in stored meat of broilers fed soybean oil than canola oil in the diet. Dietary vitamin E supplementation reduced meat lipid oxidation; however, vitamin C was ineffective at preserving meat against oxidative damage.

Zinc is crucial for a wide variety of physiological processes in all animals. The aim of this experiment was to assess the levels and zinc sources effect on broiler chicken performance. Results demonstrated that supplementation diet with 50 mg of organic Zinc may be sufficient for normal broiler growth to 28 days of age.

The interest in improving periparturient health through dietary supplements has received great attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of niacin, choline and cod liver oil on metabolic variables, and indices of insulin sensitivity in cows with subclinical ketosis. The findings of this study suggest benefits of prepartum supplementation to cattle with subclinical ketosis and could support the advancement of future investigations in animal production.

During summer, heat stress often causes sow reproductive failure. In later pregnancy and lactation, sows are under multiple heat stress; dietary supplementation with N-carbamylglutamate and vitamin C can improve reproductive performance of sows by increasing litter and average weights at farrowing and weanning. Our results can be used to ameliorate heat stress in summer and keep year-round pig production.

Fermenation and aerobic stability is an important issue for total mixed ration (TMR) silage because of its low moisture and high nutrition. This study improved fermentation quality and aerobic stability of TMR silages by the combination of L. plantarum and ethanol. The result could provide a theoretical basis for selection of additive in TMR silage.

Addition of calcium oxide (CaO) can improve the intake and digestibility of sugarcane silage in beef cattle. The objective of this study was to examine the nutritional parameters of feedlot beef heifers fed with corn silage, fresh sugarcane or ensiled sugarcane with different CaO levels. Corn silages diets provide better nutritional parameters than sugarcane diets. Adding CaO to sugarcane silage provides greater intake than silage without CaO. However, the use of high levels of CaO decreases the diet intake.

As a worldwide-known delicacy, fatty goose liver (foie gras) is obtained from overfed geese; however, two factors could affect its safety and quality, excessive amounts of diet and antibiotics in feed. To solve this problem, we added hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) into the diet and the results showed that HSCAS increased relative liver weight, serum immunoglobulin levels, and improved intestine morphology of overfed geese. HSCAS might serve as an alternative to increase nutrient absorption and replace antibiotics in foie gras production.

In animal production, herbal medicines that have already been tested in alternative human medicine are commonly used. This study demonstrated that a 2% and 2.5% addition of the Boswellia serrata resin in the diets can be used to improve haematological and biochemical blood parameters and receive good quality carcass. However, no clear impact of Boswellia serrata resin on humoral immunity was found. The Boswellia serrata resin can be efficiently used in chicken diets as a phytobiotic.

In recent years, restricting or prohibiting the addition of antimicrobial substances in diets has led to investigation into the use of plant extracts as feed additives. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of aromatic oregano (Oreganum onite L.) water on performance, immune system and general health of Holstein calves. The results of this study show that the natural additive of aromatic oregano water could be used successfully and safely in milk replacer to improve the overall performance of calves.

Heat stress is a major problem for rabbits, which causes negative effects on the animal’s health that can extend to death. Natural antioxidants, such as moringa leaves, could be used as a dietary growth promoter for rabbits, helping to face problems induced by heat stress. The improvement of rabbits’ intestinal health encourages researchers to discover the other beneficial impacts of moringa leaves.

We investigated the effect of shearing at 50 days of gestation on ewes grazing in improved pastures, on the vigour of lambs at birth, liveweight at birth and weaning weight. Early shearing coincides with the timing of development and growth of the placenta. Early shearing positively improved birthweight and weaning weight of individual and twin lambs. The twin lambs were more vigorous, which improved the rate of survival at birth. Therefore, shearing at 50 days of gestation can become a useful tool for sheep farmers.

Housing and feeding systems affects the fattening and slaughter parameters of finishing pigs with different genotypes. Considering the selection of appropriate production technology of finishers should be well recognised for each solution. The best results in a study population were achieved for four-ways crossbreeding finishers on slatted floors and fed by liquid feeding.

This study compared the characteristics of the breast meat from Cobb 500 and Hubbard ISA broilers and evaluated the effect of aging for up to 7 days on meat quality. Even though meat from Hubbard ISA broilers is less tender, its use may be beneficial to the poultry industry due to the lower production of exudate. Moreover, it has higher levels of PUFA, which is beneficial to human health. Aging for 3 days at 2°C is sufficient to tenderise and add value to free-range meat.

Zilpaterol and soybean-oil effects on lipid composition of lamb meat were studied under moderate heat-stress conditions. From a human nutrition standpoint, meat lipid composition was not improved by using zilpaterol and soybean oil. New strategies to nutritionally improve the lamb meat lipid profile should be explored.

The effect of growth path to slaughter on the quality of beef from suckler bulls raised in a temperate grass-based production system has not been widely studied. This study has shown that increasing the growth of bulls during the winter, above that advised for steers, has no commercially relevant effect on the sensory characteristics of beef. Producers therefore can economically optimise the growth path of bulls without concern for a deleterious effect on beef quality.

Feeding distillers grains in beef feedlot diets decreases shelf-life, while supplementing antioxidants may mitigate such effects. This research evaluated the effects of feedlot diets containing distillers grains and different antioxidants on the shelf-life of retail-displayed beef. Results showed that supplementing feedlot cattle vitamin E alone or with a synthetic antioxidant was effective in shelf-life extension, which could provide long-range improvement in beef quality.

Crossbreeding is one of the main strategies to improve the meat quality of different dry-cured meat products. It is well known that lean/fat ratio and fat deposition in pigs is largely conditioned by the pig breed employed. In this study, hams obtained from crossbreeding pigs presented higher intramuscular fat than pure line hams. This is a positive point because intramuscular fat affect the juiciness and tenderness. As a general conclusion, the crossbreeding of Celta pigs allows us to improve the quality of dry-cured hams.