Two studies evaluated the mineral status of supplemented beef cattle over two different methods of supplementation. The objective of study 1 was to evaluate the mineral status at weaning and subsequent post-weaning performance of calves supplemented prior to weaning, with limited-fed supplements fortified with trace minerals (Cu, Se, and Zn)...
Immunosuppression during the periparturient period leads to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases in beef cows. Newborn calves rely on passive transfer of antibodies from their mothers at birth for protection against diseases in the first two months of age. It is unknown if supranutritional Se supplementation of cows during pregnancy...
The stocking density for chickens can have major impacts on their health and welfare. There is no single correct answer for how many chickens you can house in a specified area, as it depends on the quality of housing. Chickens can tolerate a higher stocking density without major health concerns...
Oxidative dysfunction can affect dairy animals during periods of heightened stress, particularly during the transition from pregnancy to lactation and during diseases, such as intramammary infection (IMI), and can contribute to increased inflammation, immune dysfunction, and cell death. As such, methods for ameliorating oxidative stress and restoring redox regulation may...
Use of secondary metabolites in legumes and herbs as forage for dairy cattle is tested through analysis of blood parameters including beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), cholesterol, urea, creatinine, haptoglobin, bilirubin, thiol groups and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP). The pasture treatments were grass-based (‘Perun’ festulolium (X Festulolium braunii), ‘Rustler’ tall fescue (Festuca...
Nutrigenomics is a branch of nutrition that seeks to elucidate the relationship between dietary components and expression of genes. Certain bioactive compounds present in the diet have the potential to modulate transcription of genes through their interactions with ligand-dependent nuclear receptors, a series of transcriptional regulators capable of sensing intracellular...
Recently, an interest in supplementation of vitamin D to improve aspects of health, especially in human fertility, has emerged. However, supplementation of Vitamin D above the minimum required levels to prevent deficiency has yet to be explored in cattle despite evidence for vitamin D receptors in reproductive tissues. The objective...
Pasture legumes that persist under challenging agro-ecological conditions are crucial to ensure high lamb growth rates in dryland pastures. Pasture and lamb production from white clover (TF-Whc), birdsfoot trefoil (TF-Bft), balansa clover (TF-Bc) and subterranean clover (TF-Sc) planted with tall fescue either as binary mixtures or as a diverse combination...
Agrivoltaic systems promote dual use of land by combining solar energy and agricultural production. Grazing sheep in these systems is popular but research on intentionally designed pastures to increase production is lacking. This study seeks to compare the herbage growth and lamb production in simple, diverse, and legume pasture mixes...
Transformation is a major bottleneck for genetic engineering and gene editing in forest tree species. This includes most genotypes of Populus and Eucalyptus, which are some of the world’s most widely-cultivated genera of plantation forest trees. To provide new tools for transformation, I tested the transcription factor-protein chimera consisting of...