research on animal production

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Animal production research in the Department of Animal Science focuses on improving livestock production systems, management practices, animal health and welfare, and food quality and safety. Animal production research topics include:

• Organic dairy production
• Precision dairy technologies including robotic milking, automated calf feeders and cow behavior sensors
• Transition dairy cow health, management and welfare
• Cow-calf and beef feedlot management
• Pre- and/or post-weaning management practices that enhance meat quality and safety
• Automated monitoring of behavioral indicators of swine welfare
• Reducing piglet mortality in alternative farrowing systems
• Statistical process control principles in dairy and swine
• Sustainable poultry production
• Management, health and stress interactions in market turkeys
• Decision making processes for evaluating management at the farm level for options across all species with implications to environmental impact and food quality/safety

Animal Production Science

Animal Production Science is an international journal publishing original research and reviews on the production of food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals. Read more about the journal More

Editor-in-Chief : Wayne Bryden

Publishing Model : Hybrid.  Open Access options available

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Collections, these articles are the latest published in the journal. animal production science has moved to a continuous publication model. more information is available on our continuous publication page ., an24013 effect of cooling rates and equilibration times on post-thaw sperm quality of kail rams.

The conflicting results regarding the impact of equilibration time on sperm quality warrant further research to improve the post-thaw sperm quality of ram semen. The findings of the present study indicated that slow cooling and equilibration time of 4 h better-preserved sperm quality. The optimisation of sperm-freezing protocol will be beneficial for the widespread use of artificial insemination in sheep.

AN24070 Growth rate of male Bali cattle ( Bos javanicus ) fed leucaena and rice straw diets with increasing levels of cassava

Supplementing Bali cattle rations in leucaena-based smallholdings with locally available cassava as an energy source, provides an opportunity to increase cattle live weight gain, extend the utilisation of leucaena and increase farmer profitability. Weight gain and profitability were maximised up to 45% cassava, but higher levels reduced feed intake, average daily gain and income over feed costs. Feeding cassava meal to leucaena-based diets is an important strategy to preserve leucaena as well as to increase profitability and meat production nationally.

AN24070 Abstract  |  AN24070 Full Text  |  AN24070 PDF (357 KB)   Open Access Article

AN24148 Effect of egg weight and maternal flock age on egg characteristics, incubation traits, and offspring performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of flock age and egg weight on egg characteristics, incubation traits, hatchling weight, and initial offspring performance. Eggshell thickness and albumen height were lower, but albumen weight, yolk weight, and percentage of yolk were higher in eggs laid by older broiler breeders. Feed intake, bodyweight, and feed consumption rate were affected by the age of the hens and egg size.

AN23385 A narrative review of factors affecting the welfare of dairy cows in larger Australasian pasture-based production systems

Pasture-based dairies of the future are likely to be bigger, have higher stocking rates and feed more concentrate. This review uses the five-domains framework to consider risks to the welfare of dairy cows in these larger pasture-based systems. Risks to cow welfare are broadly categorised as (1) emerging welfare risks that can be managed, (2) emerging welfare risks that require research to be managed, or (3) persisting and/or exacerbated welfare risks. Suggestions are made for future research, development and extension.

AN23385 Abstract  |  AN23385 Full Text  |  AN23385 PDF (682 KB)   Open Access Article

AN24057 Phytase super-dosing modulates bone parameters and the concentration of the calcium epithelial carrier calbindin-D28k in quails ( Coturnix coturnix japonica ) under thermal stress

Thermal stress induces significant changes in the bioavailability of minerals, especially calcium, compromising egg production and egg quality in quails. The use of additives becomes necessary to optimise nutrient absorption and mitigate the negative impacts of high temperatures. Phytase stands out as it breaks down phytate molecules, releasing vital nutrients such as calcium. It also helps combat the effects of thermal stress on the calcium transporter calbindin-D28K. This optimisation consequently enhances calcium absorption for use in egg production.

AN23408 Effects of rumen-protected fat on performance, carcass and meat characteristics, and feeding behaviour of Nellore bulls finished in intensive grazing systems

The inclusion of rumen-protected fat in the diet of grazing beef cattle may be a strategy to increase dietary energy density, and consequently improve the performance and carcass characteristics without negative effects on ruminal microbiota and fibre digestibility. Twenty-four non-castrated animals were subjected to this test. The average daily carcass gain and meat quality were improved by the inclusion of protected fat in the diet of grazing cattle.

AN23391 Sheep performance and forage quality in grass-legume pastures with different canopy heights

Legumes fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, introducing it into pasture systems. The proportion of legumes in multispecies pastures formed by Aruana guineagrass and the three legumes (Macrotyloma, Calopo and Stylo) increased with time. Pastures managed at canopy heights from 15 to 45 cm resulted in high stocking rates and sheep productivity. This study indicates an option for combining forage species in intercropped tropical pastures, and identifies a range of pasture heights to ensure animal productivity and pasture sustainability.

AN24040 Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon mitigation methods in probiotic-fed broiler production

Livestock production plays a major role in global greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts of using probiotics in broiler production is a new area of study in Malaysia. This research conducted on three broiler farms, reveals that energy consumption, particularly electricity and fuel, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The findings highlight the potential of probiotics in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in broiler production and developing sustainable practices in the poultry industry to address environmental concerns.

This article belongs to the Collection Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries 2023.

AN24022 Including magnesium sulfate in the diet of twin-bearing ewes in the last week of gestation improves the adaptation of lambs to extrauterine life

Perinatal mortality in the first week of life is one of the most significant productive and animal welfare losses in sheep production countries; most of these deaths are due to a lack of adaptation to extrauterine life. In this work, we demonstrated that magnesium sulfate supplementation of adult ewes carrying twin lambs extended the gestation duration and improved the lambs’ birthweight. This supplementation improves the lambs’ adaptation to extrauterine life.

AN23412 Disease as a constraint on goat production in Lao PDR and trade to neighbouring countries: a review

Disease is one of the major issues affecting goat production in Lao PDR. Although only a limited number of studies have been published on diseases in Lao goats, a review of the available literature is desirable, given that goat production is rapidly expanding among smallholder farmers. This review article brings together the disease-related studies for a better understanding of health and production in Lao goats.

This article belongs to the Collection Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries 2023

AN23412 Abstract  |  AN23412 Full Text  |  AN23412 PDF (2 MB)   Open Access Article

AN23416 Goat meat supply and demand in Vietnam: global context and opportunities and risks for smallholder producers

Goats are a resilient animal that can thrive in areas where cattle and sheep can’t, making them an ideal species for rural communities. Our analysis of goats in Vietnam found that there are cultural and economic drivers that promise continued growth in demand, creating plentiful opportunity for rural communities to continue developing goat production to improve their living standards. These trends justify increased action on marketing, biosecurity and environmental impacts, to ensure the sustainability of goat production.

AN23416 Abstract  |  AN23416 Full Text  |  AN23416 PDF (4.5 MB)   Open Access Article

AN24159 Additivity and associative effects of metabolisable energy and ileal amino acid digestibility in broiler diets combining sorghum with different protein sources

Sorghum-fed broilers has reduced performance compared with those fed corn- and wheat-based diets. This difference has been attributed to the presence of anti-nutritional factors in sorghum. The present findings showed that anti-nutritional factors in sorghum and protein meals have an impact on the additivity of digestible nutrients in mixed diets, giving rise to associative effects.

AN24159 Abstract  |  AN24159 Full Text  |  AN24159 PDF (285 KB)   Open Access Article

AN24061 Fermented bed flooring systems enhance profitability in smallholder native pig production

Traditional indigenous pig farming using concrete floor has low productivity and is environmentally unsustainable. Fermented bed-flooring system enhances net profit by four fold through sale of the flooring compost. Fermented bed floor provides a profitable and environmentally sustainable option for smallholder pig farming in the developing countries.

AN24048 Effect of L-carnosine on frozen ram-semen quality evaluated by CASA and flow-cytometry

In this study, L-carnosine was added to semen diluents so as to overcome the problems encountered during the freezing of ram semen. The cell membrane protecting and diluent pH buffering properties of L-carnosine came to the fore. The freezing quality of semen was found to be enhanced when 5 mM of L-carnosine was added. This result was demonstrated by basic analyses (computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and flow-cytometry) of ram semen after freezing and thawing.

AN23428 Animal husbandry and animal production activities in village institutes, an important educational institution for social and economic development in Türkiye

In this review, we have analysed the animal husbandry and animal food production activities of the village institutes, a former educational institution in Türkiye. The ability of these institutions, which operated between 1940 and 1954, to create and sustain their resources in the face of shortages caused by World War II is noteworthy. The activities of these institutions, which are still spoken about both in their period and today, can be seen as an example for today’s food and agricultural authorities.

AN23428 Abstract  |  AN23428 Full Text  |  AN23428 PDF (2.7 MB)   Open Access Article

More content

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

Regional differences in beef cattle trade and movements associated with the covid-19 pandemic in australia.

Prediction of the Apparent Ileal Digestible Amino acid Contents of Canola Meal for Broilers from Crude Protein Content

Probiotics Effects on the Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens

Undegradable dietary protein limits growth and carcass yields in crossbred Boer kids fed Desmanthus hay or Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay supplemented with urea and/or cottonseed meal

Advances in smallholder large ruminant production and profitability in southeast Asia over the past decade – lessons from the Mekong region: a review

Assessing input efficiencies of specialized milk farms in the EU using a non-radial DEA approach

Effects of Paullinia cupana peel meal on the growth performance, meat quality, and hematological and serum biochemical parameters of slow-growing broilers

Growth performance and meat quality of finishing pigs fed diets supplemented with antioxidants and organic acids in late summer

Nutritive value and multi-mycotoxin occurrence in feeds and milk of dairy cattle

Effect of Cooling Rates and Equilibration Times on Post-Thaw Sperm Quality of Kail rams

The effects of nutritional composition of black soldier fly (hermetia ilucens) larvae reared on vegetable wastes on growth performance of village chickens.

The Most Read ranking is based on the number of downloads in the last 60 days from papers published on the CSIRO PUBLISHING website within the last 12 months. Usage statistics are updated daily.

Effects of β-carotene supplementation and age on the oxidative status, production and reproductive performance of grazing ewes.

Goat meat supply and demand in Vietnam: global context and opportunities and risks for smallholder producers

A narrative review of factors affecting the welfare of dairy cows in larger australasian pasture-based production systems, perspectives on progression of transboundary disease, one health and ecosystem health management in the greater mekong subregion and beyond.

Selection for growth rate at pasture in Angus cattle results in heavier cattle that eat more in the feedlot

Disease as a constraint on goat production in Lao PDR and trade to neighbouring countries: a review

Sheep producers report docking tails shorter than recommended, knowledge–practice gap, and inconsistent length descriptions: an australian survey.

Profile of the poultry system and the socio-economic impact of native chickens as a potential development area in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetica illucens ) as a sustainable source of nutritive and bioactive compounds, and their consumption challenges

The use of industrial hemp ( Cannabis sativa ) on farm animal’s productivity, health and reproductive performance: a review

Antibacterial properties of oil extracts of black soldier fly larvae reared on bread waste

A survey of stockperson attitudes and youngstock management practices on Australian dairy farms

Environmental impacts of Australian pork in 2020 and 2022 determined using lifecycle assessments

Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition – Australia 2023

Effect of animal and diet parameters on methane emissions for pasture-fed cattle

Strengthening the role of innovation brokers in the livestock advisory services system of Pakistan

Effect of zinc supplementation on the quality of cooled, stored equine sperm

Additivity and associative effects of metabolisable energy and ileal amino acid digestibility in broiler diets combining sorghum with different protein sources

Physical treatment and protease or probiotic supplementation and feather meal digestibility by broilers, utilising locally based energy supplements in leucaena and corn stover diets to increase the average daily gain of male bali cattle and the income of smallholder farmers, collections are a curation of articles relevant to a topical research area, submit article.

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Animal Production

Animal production, fao's role in animal production.

In several countries across the world, the surging demand for livestock products is largely met by large-scale livestock production and associated food chains. Nonetheless, hundreds of millions of small-scale producers and pastoralists depend on livestock for their livelihoods. Beyond food production, farm animals play other important economic, cultural and social roles and provide multiple functions and services. They are an essential part of agro-ecosystems. 

FAO works to enhance livestock’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting the transformation of animal production systems – small and large – in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

The Organization plays a policy advisory and awareness raising role and provides technical support, advocacy, information, knowledge and guidance to help produce high quality animal products, safely, efficiently and responsibly, while improving poor people’s livelihoods and meeting consumers’ needs. FAO also works alongside governments and farmers, responding during and after livestock emergencies and promotes dialogue amongst public, private and civil society partners whose ultimate goal is responsible and sustainable livestock production.

Among other things, FAO’s programme focuses on animal genetics, animal husbandry, animal nutrition and feeding, antimicrobial resistance, animal health and animal welfare, pastoralism and agroecology.

Livestock contributes to nearly 40 percent of total agricultural output in developed countries and 20 percent in developing ones, supporting the livelihoods of at least 1.3 billion people worldwide.

Thirty-four percent of global food protein supply comes from livestock.

Livestock consume annually about 6 billion tonnes of feed dry matter, about half being grass. Eighty-six percent of the global livestock feed intake is made of resources that are not edible by humans. Cereals represent about 13 percent of the intake, and about one third of global cereal production.

Pastoralists promote rangeland health by improving soil fertility, conserving biodiversity, managing fires and accelerating nutrient cycling.

Areas of work

The Organization supports member countries on different overlapping issues, including:

• implementing the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources  monitoring national breed populations;
• measuring progress towards SDG indicators 2.5.1 and 2.5.2;

• planning and implementing the sustainable development of the livestock sector by, for instance, supporting the preparation of livestock master plans to guide and implement investments and policies;
• improving livestock feeding systems, for example through enlarging the feed resource base, increasing feed safety, promoting the use of novel feed sources and related technologies, and reducing food-feed competition;
• providing guidance and technical assistance on good animal husbandry practices and animal welfare;
• reducing the use of antimicrobials in animal production;
• facilitating the implementation of animal identification and traceability, value-chain development, animal breeding programmes and livestock farmer field schools;

• enhancing the role of livestock in agroecosystems and evaluating the performance of agroecological systems;
• addressing the impacts of climate change on livestock, reducing the environmental footprint of livestock supply chains and assessing the impact of projects and investments on greenhouse gas emissions;

• supporting pastoralist friendly-policies and regulations and participatory decision-making;
• supporting pastoral communities to build resilience by helping them to keep the short- and medium-term socio-economic, ecological and technical balances within and around pastoral systems.

Seven reasons why pastoralism supports a better future

Money from honey

From worry to well-being

Returning to make rural areas in Tunisia flourish

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• Animal genetics
• Antimicrobial resistance
• COAG’s Sub-Committee on Livestock 
• Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS)
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• Gateway to poultry production and products
• Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model – interactive GLEAM-i
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• Pastoralism- Policy Support and governance
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Video: Sustainable Livestock for Sustainable Development Goals

Video: To all the unsung heroes...Thank you!

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Genomic characterization of animal genetic resources

Innovations in cryoconservation of animal genetic resources

Transforming the livestock sector through the Sustainable Development Goals

TAPE Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation

Livestock solutions for climate change

Good practices for the feed sector - Implementing the Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding

Animal health

Livestock and the environment

External links

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)  

Feedipedia  

Badi Besbes Senior Animal Production Officer Animal Production and Genetics Branch (NSAG)

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Animal Production

Range and grassland management.

Rangelands provide the principal source of forage for the cattle and sheep operations on thousands of American farms and ranches. As human populations increase and demand for food and energy expands, the need for forage and the other range resources will increase.

• National Range and Pasture Handbook
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Beef Resources

The United States is the world's largest beef producer and second largest beef exporter, but significant imports of lower-valued processing beef also make it the world's largest beef importer.

• Beef Commodity Purchase Programs
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Dairy Resources

Milk has a farm value of production second only to beef among livestock industries. Dairy farms, which are overwhelmingly family-owned and managed, are generally members of producer cooperatives. Dairy products range from cheese, fluid milks, yogurt, butter, and ice cream to dry or condensed milk and whey products, which are main ingredients in processed foods.

• Dairy Market News
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Poultry Resources

Poultry and egg production is expected to expand in the coming years to meet higher domestic and foreign demand. The growing demand for relatively low-cost, healthy, and convenient meat products is expected to support higher domestic poultry consumption. The opening of trade due to bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations is also expected to boost demand for U.S. poultry products.

• Economic Analysis of Poultry and Eggs
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Pork Resources

The United States is the world's second-largest pork producer and a major player in the world pork market, ranking second as both an importing and exporting country. USDA conducts market analyses on the domestic and world pork markets, including domestic supply and utilization, farm and retail pork prices, and international trade.

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• Alternative Livestock

Alternative livestock production is another option for protecting the genetic diversity in livestock and poultry species through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds.

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Animal Identification

Animal identification systems provide the ability to identify disease control and eradication, disease surveillance and monitoring, emergency response to foreign animal diseases, regionalization, global trade, livestock production efficiency, consumer concerns over food safety, and emergency management programs.

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Animal Production Research and Reports

Through various market and animal research programs and reports, USDA has developed biotechnological methods and gathered data and statistics to demonstrate the great development of animal productivity in the United States and foreign markets.

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Animal Health and Production: Identifying Challenges and Finding a Way Forward

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It has been said that “the difficulty with predicting the future is that uncertainty seems to increase exponentially with the number years in the future, simply because we can’t predict technology let alone geopolitical upheavals”. By the year 2050 our world will grow to 10 billion people, and we need to feed ...

Keywords : sustainable animal production, disease management, one-health, food security, zoonoses, host-pathogen interaction, microbiome, intelligent breeding technology, climate change, AMR

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Committee on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research; Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Policy and Global Affairs; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Division on Earth and Life Sciences; National Research Council. Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Mar 31.

Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

6 Recommendations

Animal production and the science that informs it are confronted by an emerging and globally complex set of conditions in the 21st century that generate new challenges for sustainable animal production, which in turn requires rethinking about the overall nature of animal science. These challenges include, but are not limited to, growing demand for animal products by an increasingly affluent, global population approaching 10 billion people; the globalization of food systems that cross continents with consequences for individual country and regional concerns about food security; the intensification of production systems in the context of societal and environmental impacts; the development and maintenance of sustainable animal production systems in the face of global environmental change; and the multidecadal stagnation in research funding for animal production. As described throughout this report, a new roadmap for animal science research is required. The findings and recommendations described below will help to inform this new roadmap.

The breadth of the committee's task led to many recommendations being developed. The committee twice deliberated on prioritization of these recommendations. Early in the process the committee chose a limited number of broad and high-level overarching recommendations, which were then refined in subsequent meetings and are described immediately below. At its last meeting, the committee chose its highest priorities from among all of the possible recommendations. These recommendations appear after the overarching recommendations and are specific to what the committee identified as key areas in animal agriculture in both the United States and globally. In addition to its recommendations, the committee identified complementary priorities for research, research support, and infrastructure, which can be found in Chapters 3 - 5 .

Ideally, NRC committee recommendations should include an action statement specifying the specific agency or organization that should follow up. This works well if there is an individual sponsor with a single short-term task; however, the breadth of the tasks and the multiplicity of overlapping national and international public and private organizations involved in sponsoring or performing animal research limited the committee's ability to specify action pathways. Sorting out responsibilities for moving ahead is part of the reason that the committee has recommended the development of a U.S. Animal Science Strategic Plan under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• Overarching Recommendations

Two central issues have guided National Research Council and other reports regarding the setting of research agendas for animal agriculture in recent years: productivity and sustainability. The committee built on these reports and emphasized the importance of research to sustainably and efficiently increase animal agricultural productivity. The committee's deliberations resulted in the following overarching recommendations:

• To achieve food security, research efforts should be improved through funding efforts that instill integration rather than independence of the individual components of the entire food chain. Success can only be achieved through strong, overarching, and inter- and transdisciplinary research collaborations involving both the public and private sectors. Animal science research should move toward a systems approach that emphasizes efficiency and quality of production to meet food security needs. The recently created Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) needs to incorporate holistic approaches to animal productivity and sustainability ( Chapter 5 ).
• Continuing the research emphasis on improving animal productivity is necessary; however, concomitant research on the economic, environmental, and social sustainability nexuses of animal production systems should also be enhanced. Both public and private funding agencies should incorporate inter- and transdisciplinary approaches for research on animal productivity and sustainability ( Chapters 3 and 5 ).
• There is a need to revitalize research infrastructure (human and physical resources), for example, through a series of strategic planning approaches, developing effective partnerships, and enhancing efficiency. In the United States, the committee recommends that USDA and the newly created FFAR spearhead the formation of a coalition to develop a U.S. Animal Science Strategic Plan or Roadmap for capacity building and infrastructure from 2014 to 2050. The coalition should be broad based and include representation from relevant federal agencies; colleges and universities that are involved in research, teaching, and outreach activities with food animals; NGOs; the private sector; and other relevant stakeholders. Areas of focus should include assessment of resource needs (human and physical infrastructure) to support the current and emerging animal science research enterprise; strategies to increase support for research, outreach, and instructional needs via formula funding, competitive funding, and public-private partnerships; curriculum development and delivery; evaluation of factors affecting hiring, retention, and diversity in the animal sciences; and mechanisms for research, priority setting to meet emerging, local, regional, national, and global needs ( Chapter 5 ).
• Socioeconomic/cultural research is essential to guide and inform animal scientists and decision makers on appropriately useful and applicable animal science research as well as communication and engagement strategies to deal with these extensive challenges. Engagement of social scientists and researchers from other relevant disciplines should be a prerequisite as appropriate for integrated animal science research projects, such as National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Coordinated Agricultural Project grants, to secure funding and approval of such projects ( Chapters 3 and 5 ).
• For research in sustainable intensification of animal agriculture to meet the challenge of future animal protein needs, it is necessary to effectively close the existing broad communication gap between the public, researchers, and the food industries. This will require research to better understand the knowledge, opinions, and values of the public and food system stakeholders, as well as the development of effective and mutually respectful communication strategies that foster ongoing stakeholder engagement. A coalition representing universities, federal agencies, industry, and the public should be formed to focus on communications research with the goals of enhancing engagement, knowledge dissemination, stakeholder participation, and informed decision making. Communications programs within agriculture schools, or in collaboration with other university components, such as schools of public health, could conduct this type of research ( Chapters 3 and 5 ).
• The United States should expand its involvement in research that assists in the development of internationally harmonized standards, guidelines, and regulations related to both the trade in animal products and protection of the consumers of those products ( Chapter 4 ).

Many of the recommendations and priorities discussed in each of the chapters are based on a central theme of the need for strategic planning to meet the challenges of the increased animal agricultural demand that is projected through 2050. These recommendations and priorities include planning for research in the United States and in developing countries and reconsideration of education and training in animal agriculture in the United States, particularly at the university level. These strategic planning activities should be guided by the need for systems approaches that integrate the many scientific disciplines and governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders involved in achieving the goal of food security based on sustainable animal agriculture.

• Recommendations for U.S. Animal Agriculture

The committee developed several recommendations that are of high priority for reinvigorating the field of animal agriculture in the United States.

Public Funding

In view of the anticipated continuing increased demand for animal protein, growth in U.S. research related to animal agricultural productivity is imperative. Animal protein products contribute over $43 billion annually to the U.S. agricultural trade balance. Animal agriculture accounts for 60 to 70 percent of the total agricultural economy. In the past two decades, public funding, including formula funding and USDA Agricultural Research Service/National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding, of animal science research has been stagnant in terms of real dollars and has declined in relation to the research inflation rate. A 50 percent decline in the rate of increase in U.S. agricultural productivity is predicted if overall agricultural funding increases in normative dollars continue at the current rate, which is less than the expected rate of inflation of research costs. If funding does meet the rate of research cost inflation, however, a 73 percent increase in overall agricultural productivity between now and 2050 is projected and a 1 percent increase in inflation-adjusted spending is projected to lead to an 83 percent increase.

Despite documenting the clear economic and scientific value of animal science research in the United States, funding to support the infrastructure and capacity is evidently insufficient to meet the needs for animal food; U.S.-based research will be needed to address sustainability issues and to help developing countries sustainably increase their own animal protein production and/or needs. Additionally, animal science research and practices in the United States are often adopted, to the extent possible, within developing countries. Thus, increases in U.S. funding will favorably impact animal production enterprises in developing countries.

With the lack of increase in public funding of animal science research, private/industry support has increased. The focus of industry funding is more toward applied areas that can be commercialized in the short term. Many of these applications are built on concepts developed from publicly funded basic research. With the increased animal protein demands, especially poultry, more publicly funded basic research is needed.

RECOMMENDATION 3-1: To meet current and future animal protein demand, and to sustain corresponding infrastructure and capacity, public support for animal science research (especially basic research) should be restored to at least past levels of real dollars and maintained at a rate that meets or exceeds the annual rate of research inflation. This is especially critical for those species (i.e., poultry) for which the consumer demand is projected to significantly increase by 2050 and for those species with the greatest opportunity for reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture (Section 3-1 in Chapter 3 ).

Productivity and Production Efficiency

Regarding productivity and production efficiency, the committee finds that increasing production efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint and cost per unit of animal protein product is essential to achieving a sustainable, affordable, and secure animal protein supply. Technological improvements have led to system/structural changes in animal production industries whereby more efficient food production and less regional, national, and global environmental impact have been realized.

RECOMMENDATION 3-2: Support of technology development and adoption should continue by both public and private sectors. Three criteria of sustainability—(1) reducing the environmental footprint, (2) reducing the financial cost per unit of animal protein produced, and (3) enhancing societal determinants of sustainable global animal agriculture acceptability—should be used to guide funding decisions about animal agricultural research and technological development to increase production efficiency (Section 3-2 in Chapter 3 ).

Breeding and Genetic Technologies

Further development and adoption of breeding technologies and genetics, which have been the major contributors to past increases in animal productivity, efficiency, product quality, environmental, and economic advancements, are needed to meet future demand.

RECOMMENDATION 3-3: Research should be conducted to understand societal concerns regarding the adoption of these technologies and the most effective methods to respectfully engage and communicate with the public (Section 3-3 in Chapter 3 ).

Nutritional Requirements

The committee notes that understanding the nutritional requirements of the genetically or ontogenetically changing animal is crucial for optimal productivity, efficiency, and health. Research devoted to an understanding of amino acid, energy, fiber, mineral, and vitamin nutrition has led to technological innovations such as production of individual amino acids to help provide a diet that more closely resembles the animal's requirements, resulting in improved efficiency, animal health, and environmental gains, as well as lower costs; however, much more can be realized with additional knowledge gained from research.

RECOMMENDATION 3-4: Research should continue to develop a better understanding of nutrient metabolism and utilization in the animal and the effects of those nutrients on gene expression. A systems-based holistic approach needs to be utilized that involves ingredient preparation, understanding of ingredient digestion, nutrient metabolism and utilization through the body, hormonal controls, and regulators of nutrient utilization. Of particular importance is basic and applied research in keeping the knowledge of nutrient requirements of animals current (Section 3-4 in Chapter 3 ).

Feed Technology

Potential waste products from the production of human food, biofuel, or industrial production streams can and are being converted to economical, high-value animal protein products. Alternative feed ingredients are important in completely or partially replacing high-value and unsustainable ingredients, particularly fish meal and fish oil, or ingredients that may otherwise compete directly with human consumption.

RECOMMENDATION 3-6.1: Research should continue to identify alternative feed ingredients that are inedible to humans and will notably reduce the cost of animal protein production while improving the environmental footprint. These investigations should include assessment of the possible impact of changes in the protein product on the health of the animal and the eventual human consumer, as well as the environment (Section 3-6.1 in Chapter 3 ).

Animal Health

The subtherapeutic use of medically important antibiotics in animal production is being phased out and may be eliminated in the United States. This potential elimination of subtherapeutic use of medically important antibiotics presents a major challenge.

RECOMMENDATION 3-7: There is a need to explore alternatives to the use of medically important subtherapeutic antibiotics while providing the same or greater benefits in improved feed efficiency, disease prevention, and overall animal health (Section 3-7 in Chapter 3 ).

Animal Welfare

Rising concern about animal welfare is a force shaping the future direction of animal agricultural production. Animal welfare research, underemphasized in the United States compared to Europe, has become a high-priority topic. Research capacity in the United States is not commensurate with respect to the level of stakeholder interest in this topic.

RECOMMENDATION 3-8: There is a need to build capacity and direct funding toward the high-priority animal welfare research areas identified by the committee. This research should be focused on current and emerging housing systems, management, and production practices for food animals in the United States. FFAR, USDA-AFRI, and USDA-ARS should carry out an animal welfare research prioritization process that incorporates relevant stakeholders and focuses on identifying key commodity-specific, system-specific, and basic research needs, as well as mechanisms for building capacity for this area of research (Section 3-8 in Chapter 3 ).

Climate Change

Although there is uncertainty regarding the degree and geographical variability, climate change will nonetheless impact animal agriculture in diverse ways, from affecting feed quality and quantity to causing environmental stress in agricultural animals. Animal agriculture affects and is affected by these changes, in some cases significantly, and must adapt to them in order to provide the quantity and affordability of animal protein expected by society. This adaptation, in turn, has important implications for sustainable production. The committee finds that adaptive strategies will be a critical component of promoting the resilience of U.S. animal agriculture in confronting climate change and variability.

RECOMMENDATION 3-11.2: Research needs to be devoted to the development of geographically appropriate climate change adaptive strategies and their effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants involving biogeochemical cycling, such as that of carbon and nitrogen, from animal agriculture because adaptation and mitigation are often interrelated and should not be independently considered. Additional empirical research quantifying GHG emissions sources from animal agriculture should be conducted to fill current knowledge gaps, improve the accuracy of emissions inventories, and be useful for improving and developing mathematical models predicting GHG emissions from animal agriculture (Section 3-11.2 in Chapter 3 ).

Socioeconomic Considerations

Although socioeconomic research is critical to the successful adoption of new technologies in animal agriculture, insufficient attention has been directed to such research. Few animal science departments in the United States have social sciences or bioethics faculty in their departments who can carry out this kind of research.

RECOMMENDATION 3-12: Socioeconomic and animal science research should be integrated so that researchers, administrators, and decision makers can be guided and informed in conducting and funding effective, efficient, and productive research and technology transfer (Section 3-12 in Chapter 3 ).

Communications

The committee recognizes a broad communication gap related to animal agricultural research and objectives between the animal science community and the consumer. This gap must be bridged if animal protein needs of 2050 are to be fulfilled.

RECOMMENDATION 3-13: There is a need to establish a strong focus on communications research as related to animal science research and animal agriculture, with the goals of enhancing knowledge dissemination, respectful stakeholder participation and engagement, and informed decision making (Section 3-13 in Chapter 3 ).

Recommendations for Global Animal Agriculture

Overall, the committee strongly supports an increase in funding of global animal research both by governments and the private sector. The committee also identified several recommendations directed toward global animal agriculture.

Infrastructural Issues

The committee notes that per capita consumption of animal protein will be increasing more quickly in developing countries than in developed countries through 2050. Animal science research priorities have been proposed by stakeholders in high-income countries, with primarily U.S. Agency for International Development, World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and nongovernmental organizations individually providing direction for developing countries. A program such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) demonstrates progress toward building better planning in agricultural development in developing countries, through the composite inclusion of social, environmental, and economic pillars of sustainability.

In addition, for at least the last two decades, governments worldwide have been reducing their funding for infrastructure development and training for animal sciences research. Countries and international funding agencies should be encouraged to adapt an integrated agriculture research system to be part of a comprehensive and holistic approach to agriculture production. A system such as CAADP can be adapted for this purpose.

RECOMMENDATION 4-1: To sustainably meet increasing demands for animal protein in developing countries, stakeholders at the national level should be involved in establishing animal science research priorities (Section 4-1 in Chapter 4 ).

Technology Adoption

The committee finds that proven technologies and innovations that are improving food security, economics, and environmental sustainability in high-income countries are not being utilized by all developed or developing countries because in some cases they may not be logistically transferrable or in other ways unable to cross political boundaries. A key barrier to technological adoption is the lack of extension to smallholder farmers about how to utilize the novel technologies for sustainable and improved production as well as to articulate smallholder concerns and needs to the research community. Research objectives to meet the challenge of global food security and sustainability should focus on the transfer of existing knowledge and technology (adoption and, importantly, adaptation where needed) to nations and populations in need, a process that may benefit from improved technologies that meet the needs of multiple, local producers. Emphasis should be placed on extension of knowledge to women in developing nations.

RECOMMENDATION 4-5.2: Research devoted to understanding and overcoming the barriers to technology adoption in developed and developing countries needs to be conducted. Focus should be on the educational and communication role of local extension and advisory personnel toward successful adoption of the technology, with particular emphasis on the training of women (Section 4-5.2 in Chapter 4 ).

Zoonotic diseases account for 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases. The cost of the six major outbreaks that have occurred between 1997 and 2009 was $80 billion. During the last two decades, the greatest challenge facing animal health has been the lack of resources available to combat several emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. The current level of animal production in many developing countries cannot increase and be sustained without research into the incidence and epidemiology of disease and effective training to manage disease outbreaks, including technically reliable disease investigation and case findings. Infrastructure is lacking in developing countries to combat animal and zoonotic diseases, specifically a lack of disease specialists and diagnostic laboratory facilities that would include focus on the etiology of diseases. There is a lack of critical knowledge about zoonoses presence, prevalence, drivers, and impact. Recent advances in technology offer opportunities for improving the understanding of zoonoses epidemiology and control.

RECOMMENDATION 4-7.1: Research, education (e.g., training in biosecurity), and appropriate infrastructures should be enhanced in developing countries to alleviate the problems of animal diseases and zoonoses that result in enormous losses to animal health, animal producer livelihoods, national and regional economies, and human health (Section 4-7.1 in Chapter 4 ).

In addition to the recommendations presented in this chapter, the committee identified complementary priorities for research, research support, and infrastructure that can be found in Chapters 3 through 5 .

• Cite this Page Committee on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research; Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Policy and Global Affairs; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Division on Earth and Life Sciences; National Research Council. Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Mar 31. 6, Recommendations.
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An Introduction to Animal Research

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• Lord Ara Darzi 4  

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Despite advances in computer modelling and bioinformatics, animal models remain a vital component of biomedical research. The growth in this area of work is in part due to the evolution next generation of biotechnologies, which more than ever necessitate the need for in vivo experimentation. An understanding of the principals of animal research therefore remains a necessity for medical researchers as it permits scientific analysis to be interpreted in a more critical and meaningful manner. Initiating and designing an animal experiment can be a daunting process, particularly as the law and legislation governing animal research is complex and new specialist skills must be acquired. This chapter reviews the principles of animal research and provides a practical resource for those researchers seeking to create robust animal experiments that ensure minimal suffering and maximal scientific validity.

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Alternatives of Animal Models for Biomedical Research: a Comprehensive Review of Modern Approaches

Research: Animals

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Animal Welfare Act

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National Institute for Clinical Excellence

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Raising a female dairy calf is an approximately 2-year investment before she enters the milking herd. Heifers should have greater production potential than cows leaving the herd. Diseases that occur early in a calf’s life can have far-reaching negative impacts on health, welfare, and milk production. Therefore, raising healthy calves to meet their potential should be prioritized. Early disease detection and intervention is anticipated to improve clinical health outcomes such as reduced disease severity and time to recovery. Health scoring and lung ultrasound work well together but requires time, technical training, and expensive equipment. There is growing interest in precision livestock technologies (PLT) to assist with health monitoring. However, few sensors are available and validated for calves. This work aims to compare the use of amplified upper and lower respiratory sound recordings from a digital stethoscope as a tool for early BRD detection alone, in combination with health scoring, and in combination with both thoracic ultrasound and health scoring. The results may yield insight into the use of respiratory sound recordings as an early predictor of BRD and to monitor for recovery. It will be hypothesis generating for methods to record, monitor, and interpret respiratory sounds. This work will benefit the New York State dairy industry by exploring a tool for BRD detection that is less expensive and requires minimal training as compared to ultrasound. The goal is to improve health and future productivity of replacement heifers.

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National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Progress Report: Fiscal Year 2022

The evolution of pathogens to resist the drugs used to treat infections is an ongoing threat to public health, animal health, food production, and national security. Globally, a recent analysis estimated that 1.2 million deaths were caused by antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria in 2019, making this threat a leading cause of death for people of all ages worldwide. Domestically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 2.8 million Americans suffer from AR infections each year and that more than 35,000 die. While significant progress to address AR has been made in recent years, CDC found surges in antibiotic use and resistant infections in U.S. hospitals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including an alarming 15 percent increase in both resistant hospital-onset infections and deaths.

To coordinate and enhance the public health response to the AR threat, the U.S. Government is currently pursuing the National Action Plan for CARB, 2020-2025 (2020 Plan), which takes a global One Health approach recognizing that AR arising in humans, animals, or the environment may spread from one to the other, and from one country to another. The 2020 Plan follows on the original National Action Plan for CARB, 2015-2020, and describes continuing and new actions considered to be the highest priority for reducing antibiotic resistance. These Plans have provided a roadmap to guide the Nation in reducing the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through infection prevention and control, surveillance, diagnostic testing, therapeutic and other product innovation, and global coordination.

The FY22 Report summarizes progress toward the 2020 Plan and includes highlights related to pandemic preparedness, equity, and other challenges; new and updated targets; common challenges and barriers; and progress toward all targets in FY22. The report includes a spotlight on surveillance, describing the collaboration between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDC, and USDA to support the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS), which tracks changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility of enteric (intestinal) bacteria in the United States. Other achievements include:

• CDC’s efforts to develop evidence and incorporate health equity-driven efforts into its antibiotic stewardship program and research activities;
• The National Institutes for Health’s (NIH's) efforts to store, manage, analyze, and disseminate submitted sequence data and expand the data collection of antimicrobial resistant organisms and genes;
• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) continued expansion of the Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use with positive results in long-term and ambulatory care, including completing the suite of three healthcare setting-specific toolkits based on the Four Moments of Antibiotic Decision Making;
• FDA’s multiple advances to foster stewardship of medically important antibiotics in animals, including the development of a targeted multi-media stakeholder outreach campaign director to farmers and ranchers in preparation for label changes associated with GFI #263.
• The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response/Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (ASPR/BARDA’s) renewal of CARB-X with options to provide a total of up to $300 million over the next 10 years to support preclinical development of therapeutics, preventatives, and diagnostic candidates to combat AR infections; and
• USDA’s virtual public meeting to recognize 10 years of progress since the first USDA Antibiotic Resistance workshop held in 2012.

The primary challenge to implementing the 2020 Plan has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to increased numbers of hospitalized patients, increased lengths of stay and severity of illness for many patients, staffing shortages, changes in antibiotic use, and departures from standard infection prevention and control practices. The CARB Task Force continues to monitor, evaluate, and adapt to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AR and ongoing efforts to address its threat.

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Medaka ( oryzias latipes ) dmrt3a is involved in male fertility.

Simple Summary

1. introduction, 2. materials and methods, 2.1. animals, 2.2. phylogenetic tree construction, 2.3. semi-quantitative rt-pcr (sqrt-pcr), 2.4. in situ hybridization (ish), 2.5. generation of dmrt3a mutants by crispr/cas9, 2.6. analysis of spawning and fertility, 2.7. hematoxylin–eosin (h&e) staining, 2.8. tunel assay, 2.9. sperm motility evaluation, 2.10. rna sequencing and data analysis, 2.11. quantitative real-time pcr (qrt-pcr), 2.12. statistical analysis, 3.1. genetic structure and phylogenetic analysis of dmrt3a, 3.2. expression patterns of dmrt3a, 3.3. establishment of the dmrt3a mutants, 3.4. the deletion of dmrt3a leads to male reproductive dysfunction, 3.5. dmrt3a deficiency leads to medaka sperm dysfunction, 3.6. transcriptomic analysis on dmrt3a-knockout and wild type medaka testis, 3.7. dmrt3a deficiency causes testis mitochondrial dysfunction, 4. discussion, 5. conclusions, supplementary materials, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Deng, J.; Huang, Y.; Liang, J.; Jiang, Y.; Chen, T. Medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) Dmrt3a Is Involved in Male Fertility. Animals 2024 , 14 , 2406. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14162406

Deng J, Huang Y, Liang J, Jiang Y, Chen T. Medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) Dmrt3a Is Involved in Male Fertility. Animals . 2024; 14(16):2406. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14162406

Deng, Ju, Yan Huang, Jingjie Liang, Yuewen Jiang, and Tiansheng Chen. 2024. "Medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) Dmrt3a Is Involved in Male Fertility" Animals 14, no. 16: 2406. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14162406

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