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Abomasal Parasitic Nematode Ostertagia influences dairy rumen microbiome
Ruminants can be fed on human-undigestible plant biomass due to the symbiotic relationship they maintain with the microorganisms that inhabit their rumen. The microbiota (collection of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi) is able to ferment complex polysaccharides in the feed, producing volatile fatty ...Read more -
10 things to keep in mind about lungworm before turnout
Preventing lungworm outbreaks this grazing season must be made a priority ahead of turnout, says MSD Animal Health veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith. “A change in grazing patterns and weather conditions has had a drastic impact on lungworm infections throughout the entire UK,” explains Dr Ba...Read more -
Research shows genes could offer resistance to Campylobacter
Research has identified genes in chickens that could offer resistance to harmful bacterial commonly found in poultry and could inform ways to limit the risk of associated food poisoning in people. The study, led by a team from the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, has identified a large number of gene...Read more -
New foot-and-mouth disease strain detected in Namibia
A new strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which was first detected in Zambia in 2019, has now been identified in Namibia. Authorities believe that the strain may have entered the country due to the illegal cross-border movement of cattle between Namibia’s Zambezi region and Zambia. The first ...Read more -
Mild weather can cause calf pneumonia or respiratory issues
Dairy farmers that have livestock housed at this time of the year should be extra vigilant for breathing issues caused by milder autumn temperatures. Unseasonal hotter climatic conditions coupled with higher humidity are creating problems for cattle indoors with some showing signs of sweat, cough...Read more -
Gene editing to enhance production in developing nations
Poultry production in low to middle income nations could substantially benefit from transferring beneficial genes between breeds to produce offspring with useful characteristics, researchers claim. Sterile male and female chicken eggs have been implanted with reproductive cells from donor birds w...Read more -
Ethiopians encouraged to replace beef with chicken
The government has further prioritised the agriculture sector to boost rural employment opportunities, increase exports and assist its goal to grow the economy by 10% per year over the next decade. More livestock than anywhere else in Africa The East African country, which contributes just 0.04% ...Read more -
Ethiopia to shift from beef to chicken production under updated climate plan
Ethiopia is hoping to induce a shift from beef to chicken production as part of plans to deepen its emissions cuts and increase its climate resilience by 2030. The East African nation country has more livestock than anywhere else in Africa. The sector, dominated by cattle, accounts for 48% of nat...Read more -
Early tooth wear in dairy cattle
Early tooth wear may occur under certain conditions. Therefore, understanding the wear processes that affect animal performance will potentially lead to the prevention of future dental issues in the animals. Cattle teeth are primarily composed of 2 different materials, namely enamel and dentin, b...Read more -
Dehorning your beef cattle can help boost profits
Bruised meat on carcasses, usually caused by horn blows during transport or in a cattle crush, is condemned for human consumption at abattoirs, causing great financial loss. Dehorning cattle will help prevent this. Dehorned cattle can also be fed more easily, and there is less interference from d...Read more -
Encountered the “most serious supply chain crisis”, American media: everything is abnormal
Quoted from “Haiwainet”/ Translated by HJM / October 18, 2021 In the face of the growing supply chain crisis, CNN reported on October 14 that US President Biden in the speech on October 13 announced a ”90-Day Sprint Plan” to deal with the “supply chain nightmare”, includin...Read more -
Animal feed tips for cutting costs and reducing wastage
To get the most out of your feed, start with the most efficient animals for your production environment. So says Dr Leon Ekermans, director at Bester Feed and Grain. Ekermans adds that the feed efficiency of genetically improved animals is significantly higher than that of indigenous breeds. Sinc...Read more -
Livestock farming remains a cornerstone of Namibia’s economy
The Namibian agriculture sector’s contribution to that country’s GDP grew from 4,5% in 2019 to almost 6,6% in 2020. This was according to Thinus Pretorius, chairperson of the Namibian Livestock Producers’ Organisation (LPO). He said in the LPO’s annual review for 2021 that primary livestock produ...Read more -
Import restrictions could save Namibia’s dairy sector
In order to save Namibia’s ailing dairy industry the industry would have to restrict the volume of imported dairy products. This was according to Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture Calle Schlettwein, who, during a parliamentary sitting said that the envisaged restrictions could be implemented by m...Read more -
Varying immune cell levels in canine brain tumors could provide therapeutic targets
A new study reveals that high-grade gliomas, or brain tumors, in dogs contained more immune cells associated with suppressing immune response than low-grade gliomas. The work, which is the most extensive examination of immune cell infiltration in canine glioma to date, adds to the body of evidenc...Read more -
Selecting an Optimum Breeding Season Length
Decisions in livestock production are never simple, but rather complex. Each decision or change in management results in multiple changes or outcomes downstream of the resulting change. One example of this would be changing breeding season length. The duration of breeding season is often discus...Read more -
Monthly Dog Hygiene To-Do Checklist
How relaxing and beautiful is it when your dog jumps all over you after you return from a difficult day at work? It is adorable and much heart-warming to have a dog as a pet! They love you unconditionally. The furry pets are just like your family members who are an inseparable part of your life. ...Read more -
Mineral and Vitamin Considerations When Drylotting Cows
Managing cows in a drylot can be a way to maintain the herd when forage production is reduced due to drought or as a part of a system when pasture is unavailable for other reasons. When cattle are managed in a drylot over an extended period of time, minerals and vitamins that need to be supplied...Read more -
Helping dairy cattle deal with heat stress
Georgia’s summer heat can make it hard to do almost anything outside and, for dairy cows, that includes producing milk. Heat stress is inevitable in the Southeast U.S., and the first week of August had temperatures soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. As Georgians fight to keep themselves cool an...Read more -
Forage system is the key driver of mountain milk specificity
This study allowed to hierarchize the effects related to the origin on milk composition that can be considered as marginal when compared with the effect of season and forage system. The aims of this work were to determine the effect of upland origin on milk composition when comparing similar lowl...Read more -
Do beef cattle frame scores need updating
I heard a seedstock breeder recently quip, “my father used to say, ‘don’t make too many breeding mistakes, because a lifetime may not be long enough if you do’.” If we are not keenly aware of the rapid speed of genetic change occurring within our selected breed(s), we may indeed be destined to ma...Read more -
Dairy cows fed a low-energy diet around dry-off show signs of hunger
Researchers from Aarhus University have studied to which extent the feed energy density affects dairy cows’ feeding motivation during dry-off. A motivational test showed that using low energy diets to dry-off high-yielding dairy cows results in hunger despite ad libitum access. Cows are milked tw...Read more -
Tips to reduce the effects of drought on the herd
Just as agricultural economists advise beef producers to follow a risk management strategy when it comes to cattle marketing, those same principles are important when anticipating drought, said the experts at Kansas State University speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “Having both a plan an...Read more -
Smart vaccine scheme quick to curb rabies threat in African cities
More people could be protected from life-threatening rabies thanks to an agile approach to dog vaccination using smart phone technology to spot areas of low vaccination coverage in real time. Vets used a smart phone app to help them halve the time it takes to complete dog vaccination programmes i...Read more
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