Breech strike is a heritable disease in unmulesed and uncrutched sheep that enables the breeding of sheep that are resistant to breech strike. However, most commercial sheep in Australia are crutched and/or mulesed using pain-relief methods. As a small proportion of crutched and mulesed sheep on commercial farms can get struck by blowflies, the present study showed that these type of data can be used effectively to estimate a breeding value for breech strike. The present study showed that commercial ram breeders can collect breech strike data in their own flocks to identify genetically superior sheep for breech strike resistance.

Feeding level can affect the expression of immunity against gastrointestinal parasites. The present study was carried out to determine how important feeding level is in sheep that were bred to be resistant to intestinal worms in comparison to unselected control sheep. The results show that both resistant and control sheep will develop immunity against intestinal parasites, but that genetic differences are much more important than feeding level.

Faecal worm egg count (WEC) has been used very successfully to breed sheep for resistance to worms, but some of the resistant sheep still develop diarrhoea (dags). We studied the blood antibodies that resistant sheep produce to combat the worms. The data show that it is feasible to select simultaneously for low WEC and an antibody-based trait, perhaps avoiding the diarrhoea.

Ribo-Zero RNA-Seq is emerging as a powerful tool to identify potential factor for endometrium development. In this study, we selected the non-pregnant goat endometrium on Days 5 and 15 of oestrus to systematically analyse mRNA and lncRNA expression. The results of the present study provide essential transcriptome data as useful supplementary regarding the goat genome.

Before novel forages are released to industry, we need to test for deleterious side-effects. Here, we matured ovine oocytes in vitro in the presence of methanolic extracts of forage plants, then fertilised them and allowed them to develop into embryos. None of the extracts caused any disruptions and the extract from Biserrula pelecinus appeared to improve the outcomes.

Understanding the regulation of cell proliferation and death in mammary remodelling during the transition from pregnancy to lactation is essential in order to be able to evaluate to what extent we can intervene in mammary development, e.g. via nutrition to manipulate lactation outcomes and animal productivity. Consider the effects of metabolisable energy (E) and metabolisable protein (P) levels on subsequent colostrum and milk production and expression of genes (qPCR) regulating mammary cell proliferation and apoptosis in the mammary of goat. We have found that expression of factors involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis is sensitive to the energy level and protein concentration supplied in the diet; changes in the expression of these factors are also related to simultaneous changes in expressions of factors involved in IGF-1 signalling and in paracrine synthesis of IGF-1 itself.

As feed costs constitute 75% of production costs, recent efforts to balance production and costs incurred have increased the selection pressure for feed-efficient cattle. Despite numerous benefits, selection for residual feed intake (a common measure of feed efficiency) has negative effects on bull reproductive development but no interaction with the environment (pre-natal diet). In a cow-calf production sector, where fertility is crucial, a compromise between feed efficiency and fertility is required to improve profitability and sustainability of livestock production.

Grazing dairy cows excrete >70% of nitrogen intake through urine and faeces, with urine nitrogen being the main pollutant of water and the atmosphere (greenhouse gases). Therefore, the dairy industry aim is to increase milk production and reduce urine nitrogen excretion, which can be achieved through changes in management of herbage mass and time of pasture allocation. Our results indicate that high milk production and low urine nitrogen excretion can be achieved giving a medium herbage mass in the afternoon.

Quebracho extract containing tannins when used in broiler chicken diets is capable of replacing in-feed drugs used as growth promoters (antimicrobials and coccidiostatics), because both experimental groups performed similarly. Tannins in the diet showed antimicrobial and anticoccidial effects, with results similar to those seen in animals that received conventional chemical drugs. Tannin caused an anti-inflammatory effect against coccidiosis, and, consequently, it reduced intestinal lesions caused by this parasite and its usual exacerbated inflammatory response.

Cattle and other ruminants evolved consuming forage-based diets. Therefore, the feeding of diets containing considerable amounts of concentrate feedstuffs is not recommended without a proper adaptation period, which must be well managed to prevent metabolic disorders, such as acidosis, and further economic losses. Based on the results of this study, feedlot cattle nutritionists can shorten the period to adapt Nellore cattle to high-energy diets from 21 to 14 days.

Heat stress brings numerous negative impacts to beef production. This study showed that grape seed extract alone, and with chromium nicotinate, had positive effects on the growth performance of steers through improving intestinal mucosa morphology, enhancing antioxidant capacity and inhibiting inflammatory reaction. Therefore, grape seed extract can be used as a promising anti-heat stress agent for beef production.

Special care should be taken in weaning piglets to minimise problems in production. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of glutamine and glutamic acid in the diet on the performance and intestinal morphology of piglets in thermoneutral and cold stress environments. Supplementation of diets with glutamine and glutamic acid attenuated the effects of cold stress on intestinal mucosa and performance of piglets. Investigation into the effects of cold on the growth and development of the intestinal mucosa is crucial to developing pig production.

Copper is important for antler development, and its supplementation could be useful to improve the antler trophy value even for stags fed a balanced diet. Our results show a correlation between the content of some minerals in serum during antler growth and the mineral composition of whole antler. Thus, analysing blood serum during the antler growth may be used as an early diagnostic for mineral deficiencies in the hard antler, thus allowing them to be corrected before the antler is fully grown.

The uterine infections are caused by a diversity of microorganisms and are responsible for significant economic, productive and reproductive losses in dairy herds. Escherichia coli is the major pathogen that contaminates the bovine uterus in early postpartum and possesses complex virulence mechanisms. However, the virulent-factor profile of E. coli involved in uterine contamination in cows is not fully understood. In the present work, we investigated the prevalence of microorganisms in uterus of a dairy herd at 24 h and 14 days of physiological postpartum, a set of virulence factors and phylogroup characterisation of E. coli isolates, as well as leukogram, and cytology of uterine content.

Existing condition score guidelines developed for Merino ewes may not be appropriate for the management of prime lamb producing maternal composite ewes. Three replicated experiments assessed four condition score treatments in mid to late pregnancy. The optimum condition score targets for multiple bearing maternal composite ewes may be higher than the industry recommended target for Merino ewes based on advantages in lamb survival and weaning weight.

In the industry of dry-cured products, the study of the allometric growth of the main cuts and the shoulder : ham ratio is interesting. The objective was the contribution in knowledge on carcass fatness, pork marbling and fat composition in pigs intended for dry-cured ham and shoulder considering the pig sex and slaughter weight. Barrows provide more suitable carcasses than gilts when are intended for Teruel dry-cured ham and shoulder production.

Evaluation of welfare indexes during heifer housing represents a main goal in the feedlot area. In the present study, the automatic monitoring of rumination and activity times by neck-collar system was performed, and different behaviours in various management and health conditions were observed. These results suggest that the automatic detection of these parameters could be useful to monitor animal welfare during the housing period, and to study the physiological rumination and activity patterns of beef heifers.

Improved pasture management and increased production are positively associated with dairy farm profitability in Tasmania. However, adoption of recommended management practices, involving measuring pasture with a tool, remains low. Farmers perceive tools as inaccurate, the calculations involved with applying measurement information on-farm can be challenging, and measuring pasture is for new or less experienced farmers. Understanding how factors influence behaviour and adoption of recommended practices can assist in developing future pasture management training activities.