Ecological intensification of beef cow-calf systems on native grasslands requires quantitative tools that link herbage condition, animal physiology, and management at the whole-farm level. We present and evaluate the animal dynamics module of PAmpa Sustainable grAzing Livestock Management (PASpALuM), a farm-scale model developed for high-diversity Pampas grasslands. The module simulates individual animal herbage intake, energy balance, BW, body condition score (BCS), and reproduction as functions of herbage height, management practices, and weather. Herbage height and BCS are used as key, farmer-measurable state variables that integrate sward structure, intake regulation, metabolic status, and reproductive performance. Output is probabilistic as a result of stochasticity in animal input data and the parameters governing pregnancy. Model performance was evaluated using (i) experimental data on herbage intake and daily weight gain of heifers under contrasting herbage allowances during two single seasons (n=16), and (ii) on-farm data from six cow-calf farms to assess cow BW, BCS and pregnancy, and herbage height during one mating season. Herbage height and mass were simulated by the herbage module presented in an accompanying paper. Simulated herbage intake showed strong agreement with the experimental data, resulting in mean absolute difference (MAD) and RMSE values of 0.44 and 0.52kgDM/animal per day, respectively. MSD was dominated by 'lack of correlation' (79%), whereas 'squared bias' (13%) and 'non-unity slope' (8%) were small, indicating limited systematic error and adequate representation of intake responses across pasture conditions. Daily weight gain was well reproduced (MAD and RMSE of 0.05 and 0.06kg/animal per day, respectively). Modelling efficiency (EF) was 0.6 for herbage intake and daily weight gain, indicating good model performance. MAD and RMSE values over 90days for cow BW, BCS, and herbage height were 22.6 and 25.4kg, 0.35 and 0.40 units, and 1.3 and 1.4cm, respectively. EF was 0.6, 0.5 and 0.7, respectively. Pregnancy percentage was predicted within 95%-confidence intervals on five of six farms, with a MAD of 4.2% points. The sensitivity of actual DM intake was greatest for sward height. The model includes the option to operate it with multiple paddocks. Together with the individual-animal-based approach and the use of easily measured state variables, herbage height and BCS, PASpALuM is distinct from other native grassland production system models. We discuss its scientific merits and validity domain, and its use for scaling the ecological intensification paradigm on cow-calf farms in the Pampas region.

Influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on quality of Asian elephant semen - Current knowledge and new research directions.

Trypanosomosis is a serious constraint to livestock productivity in Ethiopia, affecting a wide range of hosts. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2023 to December 2023 to determine the prevalence of trypanosomosis in small ruminants and its associated risk factors in the Abe Dongoro district, Oromia Regional State, western Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling approach was employed for this study. A total of 390 blood samples (308 sheep and 82 goats) were collected from the ear vein using a random sampling method, considering various agro-ecological kebeles, body condition, age, and sex. The wet blood film examination and buffy coat technique were employed to determine the prevalence of trypanosomosis, and Giemsa-stained thin smears were used for species identification. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between parasitic infection and risk factors. The overall prevalence of trypanosomosis in small ruminants was 17.69% (69/390), with 15.9% (49/308) in sheep and 24.39% (20/82) in goats. The dominant species of Trypanosoma identified were T. congolense (6.66%), T. vivax (4.87%), and T. brucei (1.02%), with mixed infections accounting for 5.13%. The difference in prevalence among parasite species was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). The study indicated that infection prevalence varied significantly across kebeles, body condition scores, and sex categories ( P < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between age categories of animals ( P > 0.05). The mean Packed Cell Volume (PCV) analysis recorded values of 20.76 ± 2.675 in parasitemic sheep and goats, compared to 26.78 ± 2.551 in aparasitemic individuals, revealing a significant statistical difference between the two groups ( P < 0.05). The study concluded that trypanosomosis is prevalent in sheep and goats, with significant anemia and poor body condition in infected animals representing substantial productivity losses for smallholder farmers. The identification of kebele, sex, and body condition as independent risk factors enables targeted interventions. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated control strategies combining vector control in high-risk areas, strategic trypanocidal drug use, and community education on animal husbandry practices to mitigate disease impact and improve livestock productivity in the region. • Trypanosomosis prevalence is 17.69% in small ruminants in Abe Dongoro, Ethiopia. • T. congolense is the dominant Trypanosoma species in infected animals. • Parasite infection significantly lowers packed cell volume (PCV). • Prevalence varies significantly with body condition and agroecology.

From horticultural waste to feed: Circular economy potential of cucumber-straw silage in Mediterranean lamb production through integrated in vitro, in vivo, and life cycle assessment.

Modeling milk yield in dairy cows is essential for improving management decisions, but traditional lactation curve models often fail to capture individual variability. Machine learning approaches offer greater flexibility; however, their performance in small, within-herd datasets and their reliance on explicit cow identification remain unclear, particularly in grazing systems. This study aimed to evaluate whether routinely measured biological traits can substitute for cow identification in machine learning models for predicting daily milk yield within a herd under limited data conditions. The dataset comprised 62 lactations from 48 Holstein–Friesian cows in a grazing system. Two machine learning models were developed: one including cow identification (With ID) and another excluding cow identification but incorporating milk quality traits, body weight, and body condition score (Without ID). Both models were compared with the Wood lactation model fitted to individual cows. The With ID and Without ID models achieved R2 values of 0.97 and 0.93 and RMSE values of 1.2 and 1.6 kg d−1, respectively. Both machine learning models outperformed the Wood model fitted individually to each cow (R2 &lt; 0.90; RMSE &gt; 2.03 kg d−1), which represents an implicitly cow-specific approach. The model including cow identification therefore served as a machine learning analogue to this benchmark. Importantly, the trait-based model closely matched the performance of the cow-specific model. These results demonstrate that machine learning models based on routinely measured traits provide a practical approach for predicting within-herd milk yield from small datasets, while retaining much of the accuracy of cow-specific models.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic zoonotic disease affecting cattle of all age groups, including wild animals. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a comprehensive and unbiased summary on the distribution of bTB and its associated risk factors in Africa. We gathered and systematically reviewed literature concerning the prevalence of bTB in Africa, published in English from January 2000 to October 2024 in three databases, and a meta-analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. A total of 513 studies were retrieved, and at the end of the screening, 30 full texts were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The results of this study revealed an overall pooled prevalence estimate (PPE) of bTB in Africa was 6.9%, with a higher burden being in Nigeria (9.2%) and Ethiopia (6.7%), respectively. Furthermore, immunoassays had a PPE of 31.9%. The results further showed that milk samples had the highest PPE with 17.9%. Our multivariable regression showed that overall bTB may be associated with the breed and body condition score (BCS). However, exploratory univariable regression showed that bTB may be associated with the Fulani breed, semi-intensive production level and medium herd size. The current research findings enable African nations to adopt targeted, cost-effective and sustainable bTB control strategies that are more likely to succeed than generic, one-size-fits-all programs by mapping prevalence, identifying risk factors and understanding socio-economic contexts.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Udder Cleft Dermatitis in UK Dairy Herds.

Monitoring prognostic factors, such as body weight, is important to assess the effectiveness of therapies in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and estimate the survival rate (SR). As established in the literature, both body condition score (BCS) and muscle mass score (MMS), when analysed individually, show a positive correlation with SR in dogs with CKD. However, no studies have analysed the correlation between both parameters on SR. The present study aimed to clarify the real influence of fat and lean mass on the SR in dogs with CKD, based on a Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, to improve the nutritional management of these patients. This study included 120 client-owned adult dogs diagnosed with CKD stages 2, 3, or 4. The hazard ratios for stage, BCS, MMS, age, and sex were estimated in univariate and multivariable analyses. The results showed survival was not influenced by BCS alone but was influenced by MMS. Severe muscle mass loss (MMS 0) had a 3.85-fold risk of mortality when compared to normal muscle mass (p = 0.006). Regardless of body condition, the present study observed that what really influenced the survival of dogs with CKD, considering the stage, was muscle mass.

The importance of glucan additives has been widely recognized in farm animals. Yet the precise role of POLYCAN, a β-glucan derived from the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001, remains limited in companion animals. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate its effect on performance, nutrient digestibility, hematology, and the gut microbiome and serum metabolites in beagle dogs. Eight healthy male beagle dogs (8months old; 10.70 ± 1.79kg body weight; 3.00 ± 0.15 body condition score) were enrolled in a 10-week study comprising two phases: Phase 1 (weeks 0-4) and Phase 2 (weeks 6-10), separated by a 2-week washout period. The dogs were divided into two groups and fed a control (CON), basal diet and CON diet supplemented with 1,000mg/d of POLYCAN. Each of two diets were provided using a cross over design for eight weeks, with four beagles assigned to each treatment. During the washout period, all dogs were fed only the commercial basal diet. Throughout the experimental period, POLYCAN supplementation did not affect growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or fecal pH in beagles. However, serum calcium, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), growth hormone, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the POLYCAN-supplemented group. Alpha-diversity indices of microbial richness and evenness, as well as beta-diversity based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and unweighted UniFrac distances, showed no significant differences between treatment group. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were more abundant in the POLYCAN group, followed by Fusobacteria and Bacteroidota. At family level, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae exhibited higher relative abundances. Furthermore, the core gut microbiota at genus level was dominated by Micrococcus and Fusobacterium. Untargeted metabolomic analysis also revealed distinct group separation, identifying key metabolites including lumichrome, D-mannitol, and 2'-deoxycytidine. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated alterations in pyrimidine, histidine, and bile acid metabolism with higher metabolite abundance observed in the POLYCAN-treated group. Overall, our findings validate that adding 1,000mg/d POLYCAN to canines' diet could serve as a functional nutraceutical to enhance their immune and gut health without affecting growth and digestion.

Use of Punica granatum phytocompounds against gastrointestinal nematode in sheep: Health and welfare implications.

Reliable body condition scoring in rabbits is essential in managing healthy bodyweight. The commonly used Rabbit size-o-meter (RSOM) has shown poor inter-rater reliability, particularly among inexperienced raters. This study aimed to develop a reliable, reproducible body condition scoring scale for companion rabbits across breeds, ages and sexes. We evaluated the impact of rewording RSOM descriptors, expanding scales from five to nine points, and using single-point anatomical assessments on inter- and intra-rater reliability. Eleven raters from three rater groups (veterinary professionals, students and laypersons) gave 400 rabbits 3113 scores using nine modified scales. Ordinal mixed models assessed the effects of age, sex, rater group and scale on scores. Reliability was assessed using Krippendorff's alpha and Cohen's kappa. Intra-rater reliability ranged from moderate to almost perfect (κ = 0.61‒0.92). Expanding to nine points improved overall inter-rater reliability (α = 0.60‒0.65), with inter-rater reliability being highest among experienced raters (α = 0.79). The revised nine-point scale with detailed descriptors achieved the highest inter-rater agreements. Single-point assessments showed low agreement (α = ‒0.32 to 0.62), except dewlap scoring by veterinary professionals (α = 0.77). Rater group and scale significantly affected scores, unlikeage and sex. Different rabbits were used acrossscale comparisons. A revised nine-point scale modestly improved reliability for experienced raters, though not overall statistically significant.

Postpartum magnesium status as an important risk factor for delayed and persistent subclinical hypocalcaemia in grazing Holstein cattle.

In semi-extensive cattle systems, cows may be exposed to undernutrition, which may reduce the productivity of beef herds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of undernutrition and supplementation with hydroxytyrosol (HT, polyphenol derived from olive leaves) during the last third of gestation on cow productivity, metabolic and hormonal profiles, transfer of passive immunity to calves via colostrum, and birth weight and vitality of newborn calves. A total of 109 pregnant beef cows (Parda de Montaña, n=63; and Pirenaica, n=46) were assigned into four feeding groups following a 2×2 factorial design, according to feeding level (100 vs 60% of nutritional requirements) and dietary HT supplementation (Control vs HT; 0 and 180mgHT/kg total mixed ration) between 28 and 40week of gestation. At week 28, all groups (100-Control, 100-HT, 60-Control and 60-HT) were balanced in BW, body condition score (BCS), breed and age. Cow BW and BCS were recorded, and plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), cholesterol, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), glucose, fructosamine and urea were analysed every 3weeks during the last third of gestation. Cow cortisol was measured in late pregnancy and shortly after parturition. Colostrum and plasma from cows and calves were analysed for immunoglobulin (IgM, IgG) concentrations. At birth, calf weight and a vitality test were recorded. Undernutrition in the last third of pregnancy reduced dam BW at parturition and induced fat mobilisation. Hydroxytyrosol supplementation in the 60-HT group led to a more moderate increase in NEFA and cholesterol levels, along with a lesser decline in IGF-1 levels. Hydroxytyrosol also decreased the dam plasma urea levels. Calves from HT-supplemented dams were heavier at birth. Undernutrition during the last third of gestation resulted in elevated plasma cortisol levels in newborn calves, which persisted for 1month, while dam cortisol levels were not affected. Plasma IgG concentrations were higher in HT-supplemented dams regardless of feeding level, and higher concentrations of IgM and IgG in colostrum were maintained throughout the first 24h postpartum in them. Calf vitality was only affected by calving difficulty. Overall, undernutrition during the last third of gestation had negative effects on dam BW, BCS and indicators of metabolic status, partially alleviated by HT supplementation, and increased cortisol levels in newborns. Moreover, HT supplementation increased calf birth weight and helped to maintain colostrum IgM and IgG concentration during the first 24h after calving.

This critically appraised topic (CAT) explored the association between body weight and survival in dogs with canine parvovirus (CPV). A systematic literature search identified six peer-reviewed studies published between 1978 and 2024 that met predefined inclusion criteria. Four of the six studies demonstrated a significant association between lower body weight and increased mortality. While some studies undertook multivariable analysis to account for confounders, limitations including inconsistencies in study design, retrospective data collection, and limited control for variables such as age, breed, and body condition score (BCS) reduce the overall strength of the conclusions. Overall, there is moderate evidence to suggest that lower body weight may be a negative prognostic factor in CPV survival. Further prospective research with standardised methodology is essential to validate these findings and disentangle the impact of confounders such as age, breed, and BCS.

Postnatal but not prenatal exposure to artificial long days enhances growth and IGF-1 secretion in goat kids.

The study objective was to assess the methane (CH4)-mitigating potential (CH4-MP) of an Asparagopsis taxiformis variety (Brominata; Blue Ocean Barns) and evaluate its effects on cow health when fed at increasing dietary inclusion rates (IR) in dairy cows. This paper reports data on the CH4-MP and production performance. In this study, 48 late-lactation cows (mean DIM = 386) blocked by parity were assigned randomly to receive 1 of 4 freeze-dried and pelletized Brominata IR treatments: 0% (CTL), 0.30% (standard IR [SIR]), 0.45% (SIR1.5), and 0.60% of DM (SIR2.0), with mean bromoform concentrations of 0, 17.4, 26.1, and 34.8 mg/kg of DM, respectively. The study consisted of a 10-d baseline measurement period (P1), a 4-wk IR ramp-up phase (P2), and a subsequent 9-wk response measurement period (P3). The pelletized Brominata was mixed uniformly into the TMR delivered daily to individual cows. The CH4 emissions were measured daily using the GreenFeed system (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD). Milk composition, BW, and body condition scores were recorded once every 2 wk. The feces samples were collected directly from the rectum every 8 h over 2 consecutive days during the last week of P3 to determine the apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients. Orts were examined periodically during P3 to assess pellet refusals. Treatment effects were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with the REPEATED option. The model included fixed effects of IR, time (in weeks), the treatment × time interaction, parity, the covariate effect of P1 measurements, and the random effect of cow. The DMI decreased linearly with increasing IR. The DMI decreases of SIR1.5 (32.4%) and SIR2.0 (46.5%) were sustained throughout P3, whereas that of SIR became negligible after the fourth week of P3. The pellet refusals revealed sorting against Brominata pellets, resulting in 37% to 43% lower Brominata concentrations in ingested DM compared with the treatment IR. The mean CH4 production decreased by 50%, 70%, and 77%, and CH4 yield decreased by 41%, 56%, and 59% compared with the CTL in response to SIR, SIR1.5, and SIR2.0, respectively. The CH4 yield reduction of SIR gradually decreased from the second week of P3 onward and became negligible in the last week, whereas SIR1.5 and SIR2.0 sustained it at 66% until the sixth week and then experienced a reduction to 36%. Consistently, the bromoform concentration (mg/g) in freeze-dried Brominata declined during P3, reaching a 23% reduction by the final 2 wk, primarily due to variability among harvested batches. Milk yield, milk component yields, and milk fat content decreased linearly with increasing Brominata IR. Compared with CTL, only SIR2 decreased those responses, except for milk fat yield, which was also decreased by SIR1.5. The nutrient digestibility had cubic relationships with IR, such that the DM, OM, and CP digestibility of SIR1.5 was lower than that of SIR but similar to that of CTL and SIR2.0. The results demonstrate that Brominata is highly effective in reducing enteric CH4 emissions of dairy cows. However, it is crucial to address palatability concerns and managing variability in bromoform concentration to sustain this efficacy under current feeding conditions in late lactation and possibly in other lactation stages.

The objective of this study was to explore hepatic metabolic adaptations in mid-lactation Holstein cows managed under feeding strategies with different levels of pasture inclusion. Sixteen multiparous North American Holstein cows were assigned from calving to 180days in milk (DIM) to either a fixed pasture strategy (FixP; n = 8), in which grazed pasture represented approximately one-third of dry matter intake and the remainder was provided as total mixed ration (TMR), or a maximum pasture strategy (MaxP; n = 8), in which pasture intake was maximized and cows were supplemented with concentrate and conserved forage according to pasture availability. At 180 ± 20 DIM, plasma samples and liver biopsies were collected for biochemical analyses, quantitative PCR, and targeted liver metabolomics by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Milk yield, milk components, and body condition score did not differ between feeding strategies. Plasma urea nitrogen was greater in MaxP than FixP cows (6.64 vs. 4.96mmol/L; P = 0.01). In liver, FixP cows showed greater abundance of metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism, including phosphoenolpyruvate, fructose-6-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, and sucrose, together with greater expression of genes related to the pentose phosphate pathway and fatty acid synthesis, including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase A, acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha and fatty acid synthase (p ≤ 0.10). In contrast, MaxP cows showed greater abundance of metabolites associated with nitrogen metabolism, including citrulline, ornithine, glutamine, and creatinine. These results indicate that, during mid-lactation, greater pasture inclusion is associated with enhanced hepatic nitrogen metabolism, whereas partial replacement of pasture with TMR is associated with greater hepatic carbohydrate-related metabolism and fatty acid synthesis.

Cryptosporidium species is an obligate intracellular gastrointestinal zoonotic protozoan parasite that widely exists in nature and is associated with cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in humans. There is paucity of reports on the comprehensive study of the epidemiology of the disease in ruminants in the study area. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the prevalence, risk factors and molecular identification of Cryptosporidium parvum species in sheep and cattle in Maiduguri, Nigeria. In this cross-sectional study, fecal samples were collected from a total of 764 animals comprising of 383 from cattle and 381 from sheep in Maiduguri, and analyzed microscopically using formalin-ethylacetate sedimentation method followed by modified Kinyoun's acid-fast staining technique. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to confirm the identity of C. parvum using conventional PCR and sequencing. An overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection was 16.2% (124/764), with cattle having a higher prevalence of 20.4% (78/383) than sheep 12.1% (46/381) using microscopy. Cattle were statistically significantly more infected with Cryptosporidium species than sheep (p=0.0026). Multiple regression analysis identified important risk factors for Cryptosporidium specie infection in the sheep to include sex, age, body condition score and fecal consistency while only sex and age were identified as risk factors in the cattle. Cryptosporidium parvum was detected by PCR amplification of 18S rRNA gene in (8/25) from cattle and (5/25) from sheep. This is the first report on the molecular identification of C. parvum from Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria highlighting the need for improved hygiene and biosecurity to reduce the transmission of Cryptosporidiosis in farmed animals.

Biotin is a vital coenzyme involved in diverse metabolic pathways and plays a key role in hoof health by supporting keratin synthesis and the protective barrier of the hoof. This study systematically investigated the effects of rumen-protected biotin (RPB) on hepatic metabolic networks, redox homeostasis, and hoof health in lactating dairy cows using an integrated multiomics approach. The RPB supplement consisted of 2.1% biotin (purity ≥99%), 62.9% glucose, and 35% hydrogenated palm oil fatty acids. Eighty multiparous Holstein cows were stratified by parity (2.48 ± 0.69), body weight (637.76 ± 55.71 kg), body condition score (3.01 ± 0.20), days in milk (141 ± 16), and average milk yield (32.35 ± 4.36 kg/d). They were assigned for 75 d using a randomized block design to 4 treatment groups: Control (Con; basal diet, n = 20), low-RPB diet (LRPB; 0.5 g/d RPB, n = 20), mid-RPB diet (MRPB; 1.0 g/d RPB, n = 20), or high-RPB diet (HRPB; 2.0 g/d RPB, n = 20). Milk and blood samples were collected on d 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 for analysis of milk composition and serum biochemical parameters. Data were analyzed using mixed models with orthogonal polynomial contrasts to evaluate linear and quadratic effects of RPB. Among the markers of liver function, serum albumin increased but total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin decreased in a linear and quadratic fashion with higher doses of RPB. Feeding RPB increased serum total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase in a linear and quadratic fashion, while malondialdehyde decreased. Incremental feeding of RPB decreased linearly the serum type II collagen C-terminal peptide concentration and lameness scores. Further, serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein concentration decreased in a linear and quadratic fashion, whereas serum procollagen IIA N-terminal propeptide and hoof horn hardness increased in a linear and quadratic fashion. Based on serum biochemical and hoof health results on d 75, the Con and MRPB groups were selected for proteomic and metabolomic analyses of serum. Proteomics revealed that RPB upregulated key proteins involved in antioxidant reactions and keratinization, including GSR, GCLC, GPX3, TGM1, and TGM3. Metabolomics identified l-cysteine, glycine, and pyruvate as key metabolites associated with RPB suggesting upregulated glutathione synthesis and flux through the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Integrated proteomics and metabolomics analyses revealed that GSR, GCLC, GPX3, TGM1, and TGM3 were positively correlated with l-cysteine and glycine but negatively correlated with γ-glutamylcysteine and palmitic acid. Overall, feeding RPB reduces oxidative stress and improves liver function in part by enhancing glutathione metabolism while reducing lipid peroxidation. Further, RPB promotes keratinization and limits cartilage degradation, thereby enhancing hoof health. These responses to dietary RPB supplementation provide molecular evidence for its targeted application in dairy herd nutrition management.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections of ruminant livestock have traditionally been controlled through regular, "suppressive", treatment with anthelmintic drugs, but this has resulted in the evolution of anthelmintic resistance and reduced efficacy. There is now a critical need to reduce anthelmintic use to maintain anthelmintic efficacy by creating refugia where susceptible GIN reside. Targeted selective treatment (TST) strategies only treat animals that need it, ensuring animals affected by GIN maintain their performance, while animals unaffected by GIN are not treated unnecessarily. TST is generally agreed to reduce anthelmintic use without drastically reducing animal performance or increasing GIN faecal egg count (FEC), but there is considerable variation in results reported by studies comparing TST with other strategies. To explore the effectiveness of TST and identify factors affecting previous results, we applied meta-analysis to data collected from 20 studies comparing TST to other strategies. Overall, TST was associated with a statistically significant, but small, reduction in animal performance, no effect on worm FEC, and 50 % lower anthelmintic use. Experimental design affected study outcome: basing treatment decisions on body condition scores resulted in less favourable outcomes compared to other methods. Meanwhile, TST was associated with negligible reductions in performance compared to "suppressive" treatment, and although FEC was increased slightly in the TST group, anthelmintic use was reduced by around two-thirds. Differences between TST and "strategic" treatments were smaller, but TST still reduced anthelmintic use by 25 %. Overall, the results support the use of TST to reduce anthelmintic use while maintaining efficacy and animal performance.