Animal Production Science Research Articles

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Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Delineating the extra-nutritional properties of nutrients: characterisation with amino acids

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Table of Contents

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

The role of microbiota in animal health and productivity: misinterpretations and limitations

The rise of sequencing technology brought about a surge of new methodologies that offered a new and deeper level of understanding of the role of the microbiome in the health and performance of livestock. This started a chain reaction in technology evolution, and a decade later, we have developed a new appreciation of a healthy gut and the role of early colonisation and nutrition in developing the microbiome, and its subsequent impact on animal productivity. An abundance of new products flooded the livestock supplement market with the promise of improving the health of intestinal microbiota. However, the impact of these products and any potential gains they might provide have not always been quantified or validated. Further to this, the potential interactions with the microbial community naturally occurring in the feed-base have not commonly been considered. We have recently shown that animal feed carries a complex microbial community that can have various impacts, including negating farm biosecurity measures. The ruminant animal provides an even greater level of complexity where physiological drivers act to maintain ruminal homeostasis. Despite many advances, numerous knowledge gaps remain, and the methodologies are not without their challenges with almost constant evolution in analysing and interpreting data. In this paper, we will discuss the benefits, challenges and shortfalls of microbiome science, its interfaces with multi-omics research and the strategies of its contribution to animal production science.

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Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Castration and alternatives in pig: advantages and disadvantages

Castration and alternatives in pig: advantages and disadvantages

Evaluation of the body conformation traits by system FleckScore and its relationship to longevity of Slovak Simmental cows

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-28 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.155-158 The study is focused to analyse of the relationship between composite type traits evaluated by new system Fleckscore and functional length of productive life in the Slovak Simmental cows. All cows was scored in the first parity just because 85% data were censored. The score of frame, feet and legs, muscularity and udder was between 68 and 93 points.The lowest risk of culling was found for muscularity (0.591) at the group scored between 84 and 93 points,for udder (0.879) and feet and legs (0.751) scored between 77 - 79 points and for frame (0.816) at the score 80 points. Rate of culled cows on first or second parity was 15 %. Within this group, diseases and fertility disorders (involuntary culling) represented 23 % culling cows. Keywords: body conformation trait, FleckScore, longevity, survival analysis References Ansari-Lari, M. et al. (2012). Causes of culling in dairy cows and its relation to age at culling and interval from calving in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Veterinary Research Forum , 3(4), 233–237. https://doi.org/ 4313041 Anzenberger, H. (2012). Zweitbewertung im neuen System. Rinderzucht Fleckvieh , 3(1), 28–29. Ducrocq, V. et al. (2012). The survival Kit v6.1. User´s Manual . 83 p. Frelich, J. et al. (2010). Reasons for the culling of dairy cows on low-input mountain farms. Journal of Agrobiology , 27(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.2478/s10146-009-0006-z Imbayarwo-Chikosi, V. E. et al. (2016). Impact of comformation traits on functional longevity in South African Holstein cattle. Animal Production Science , 58(3) 481–488. Morek-Kopec´, M. and Zarnecki, A. (2012). Relationship between conformation traits and longevity in Polish Holstein Friesian cattle. Livestock Science , 149(1-2) 53–61. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.livsci.2012.06.022 Novotný, L. et al. (2017). Genetic Relationship between Type Traits, Number of Lactations Initiated, and Lifetime Milk Performance in Czech Fleckvieh Cattle. Czech Journal of Animal Science , 62(12), 501–510. https://doi.org/ 10.17221/60/2017-CJAS Ondrakova, M. (2014). Fleckscore proposal for second and third lactations. Zpravodaj chovatelu a plemenne knihy ceskeho strakateho skotu , 2. 10–12. (in Czech) Sawa, A. et al. (2013). Relationship between Conformation Traits and Lifetime Production Efficiency of Cows. International Scholarly Research Notices , vol. 2013, Article ID 124690, 4 p. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/124690 Sewalem, A. et al. (2004). Analysis of the Relationship Between Type Traits and Functional Survival in Canadian Holsteins Using a Weibull Proportional Hazards Model. Journal of Dairy Science , 87, 3938–3946. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73533-X Tanzler, J. (2014). Lineare Nachzuchtbewertung mit Fleckscore. Fleckviehzucht in Osterreich, 4, 25–27. Zavadilova, L. et al. (2011). Effect of type traits on functional longevity of Czech Holstein cows estimated from a Cox proportional hazards model. Journal of Dairy Science , 94, 4090–4099. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3684

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Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Dual-purpose cropping: the opportunity for a step change in production in the temperate region of Australia

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Table of Contents

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Table of Contents

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Table of Contents

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Layer hen welfare

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Table of Contents

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture

Lessons for animal nutrition and production science from the Australian Academy of Science Decadal Plan for the Science of Nutrition

The Australian Academy of Science recently released a Decadal Plan for the Science of Nutrition. This plan was focussed on human nutrition, but it is worth considering implications for production animal science and parallels with animal nutrition. One implication for animal production is the need to understand nutrition for health benefits at the whole-of-diet level rather than as a sum of individual foods or nutrients, providing a driver to studies of human food combinations (meals) as well as of feed ingredient interaction effects in animal diets. A second parallel is in the understanding of differences in individual/genotype responses to food/feed. In humans this is termed personalised nutrition and in animals it is becoming a key driver for genetic selection and nutrition management. A third area involves the need for a Trusted Voice in what is a contested media space for both human foods and animal production. While there are different contexts, there remains much that the animal production nutrition and human nutrition communities can learn from each other.

The maintenance of genetic diversity in a local cattle breed through optimal contribution selection

The maintenance of genetic diversity in a local cattle breed through optimal contribution selection

Combined forest and soil management after a catastrophic event

At the end of October 2018, a storm of unprecedented strength severely damaged the forests of the eastern sector of the Italian Alps. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the University of Padua. After eight months of discussion, the authors of this article wrote a consensus text. The sometimes asper debate brought to light some crucial aspects: 1) even experienced specialists may have various opinions based on scientific knowledge that lead to conflicting proposals for action. For some of them there is evidence that to restore a destroyed natural environment it is more judicious to do nothing; 2) the soil corresponds to a living structure and every ecosystem’s management should be based on it; 3) faced with a catastrophe, people and politicians find themselves unarmed, also because they rarely have the scientific background to understand natural processes. Yet politicians are the only persons who make the key decisions that drive the economy in play and therefore determine the near future of our planet. This article is an attempt to respond directly to a governor with a degree in animal production science, who formally and prudently asked a university department called “Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry” for help before taking decisions; 4) the authors also propose an artistic interpretation of facts (uncontrolled storm) and conclusions (listen to the soil). Briefly, the authors identify the soil as an indispensable source for the renewal of the destroyed forest, give indications on how to prepare a map of the soils of the damaged region, and suggest to anchor on this soil map a series of silvicultural and soil management actions that will promote the soil conservation and the faster recovery of the natural dynamic stability and resilience.

New skills, networks and challenges: the changing face of animal production science in Australia

Livestock producers are facing increasing pressure to reduce the environmental and animal-welfare impacts of production, while also managing the challenge of an increasingly variable climate and diminishing resources. This perspective paper highlights the role for animal scientists to contribute to the sustainability of future livestock systems. We argue the need for a broader, more inclusive and more integrated concept of animal science, better connections among scientists, producers, consumers and policy makers, and more support for the next generation of animal scientists. Animal scientists have an important role to play in providing the evidence to support the social licence of livestock production and inform decisions made by policy makers and consumers regarding the production and consumption of livestock products. Animal scientists can also assist producers to adapt to social, environmental and political challenges that affect their livelihoods and the way they farm. Traditionally, animal science has focussed on species- and discipline-specific areas of research such as ruminant nutrition, genetics or reproductive physiology. While this fundamental research remains essential to understand the underlying biology of livestock production and improve production efficiency, it needs to be better integrated into research applied at and beyond the herd or flock level. Systems thinkers who can apply this knowledge across farm, regional and national scales also have an important role in providing information to key decision makers, from farmers to national government. Better engagement with the social and economic sciences can inform how animal scientists and extension services interact with producers to understand constraints to production as well as adoption of new technology and co-develop evidence-based solutions. Underlying this, the demographics of those who study and work in animal science are changing. Australian animal industries require the best and brightest minds to overcome future challenges and engaging these students as the new face of Australian animal science is an essential step towards sustainable future livestock systems.

Fatty acid profile analysis of grape by-products from Slovakia and Austria

Fatty acid profile analysis of grape by-products from Slovakia and Austria

Equine Science in Australasia: past, present and future

Animal Production Science (continuing Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture) publishes original research into applied agriculture including animal production, animal-plant interactions, pasture and fodder crops, field crops, extension and horticulture