Methane is a major greenhouse-gas contributor to global warming in the livestock sector and it is entirely produced by a certain group of microorganisms called methanogens. The aim of this review was to explain methanogens diversity across different species, including humans, as well as highlight the main factors that can potentially alter methane production.

Milk is the most important source of animal protein, vitamin and minerals in many countries worldwide. Yet, the levels of productivity on farm and hygiene with product handling along marketing chains and then use by the consumer is often compromised. This perspective explores some of the recently identified properties of milk and ways in which the product can be produced, marketed and then used in the household to preserve these unique properties. Experiences in different countries are highlighted.

Enzymatic treatment significantly reduced the crude fibre and increased the crude protein contents of palm kernel expeller (PKE). However, these improvements were not reflected in the growth performance of broilers chickens, and the benefits of enzymatic treatment diminish when higher percentages of PKE were included in the broiler diets.

The technology of vitamin A restriction in Korean native steers has not yet been clearly established. Therefore, the present research was to determine the effect of vitamin A restriction on serum metabolites and carcass performance in Korean native steers during a fattening period, and our results showed that vitamin A restriction with a vitamin premix could affect serum vitamin A concentration and carcass performance as well as causing metabolic changes. This makes a contribution to the marbling development and health management of steers.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) provides various health advantages. The present study showed that tropical forage species and grazing system have the potential to improve forage intake and CLA content in dairy goat’s milk, therefore providing useful information for dairy-goat farmers in tropical and subtropical countries to transform from an indoor-fed to grazing system to achieve better results.

Tropical plants such as leucaena, cassava and Siamese neem have high potential to be used as ruminant feed. These plants contain condensed tannins (CT) with varying concentration and chemical structure, which affects ruminal fermentation, especially methane production. High molecular weight of CT from Siamese neem shows a stronger effect on inhibition of ruminal methane production than low molecular weight of CT from leucaena. Feeding of CT-containing plants to ruminants could manipulate rumen fermentation and mitigate methane emission.

A greater knowledge of ovarian structures and function are essential to the increase and improvement of animal reproduction. To our knowledge, the present study is the first investigative research seeking to provide data on the locational relationship between ovarian corpus luteum and ovulatory follicles in beef cows of Asian origin. The growth rate and diameter of a further ovulatory follicle during luteolysis increased more significantly in Thai indigenous beef cows with an ipsilateral relationship (same ovary), than in cows with a contralateral relationship (opposite ovaries).

Animal vocalisations provide information related to age, gender, rank and breeding status. A vocalisation-parameter analysis of Hanwoo cattle in different situations enabled the classification of an auditory communication system on the basis of their physiological and emotional states. Such vocalisation research data can be used for animal welfare and to enable more advanced and precise cattle farming.

The provision of effective extension services to the smallholder farmers significantly increases their farm productivity and profitability. The main objective of the present study was to demonstrate the impacts of improved extension services on awareness, knowledge, adoption rates and perceived benefits of smallholder dairy farmers. A country-wide extension program has great potential to significantly increase on-farm efficiency and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farming households across Pakistan.

In the production of raising pigs, it is a common problem that replacement gilts do not exhibit oestrus at the age of puberty. We offer a hormone treatment method to promote the oestrus of replacement gilts at the age of puberty. The hormone treatment method can improve the economic efficiency of pig producers greatly.

Lactoferrin is reported to improve lactation performance in primiparous sows when supplemented from early gestation until weaning. Its application in the pig industry is limited by the lack of knowledge of its effects in multiparous sows when supplemented from late gestation. We found supplementing 2 g/day lactoferrin from late gestation until weaning did not affect lactation performance in mixed parity sows. The duration of lactoferrin supplementation may determine its effectiveness and should be optimised in the future.

Feeding strategies for improving milk production are important in dairy farming in order to maximise profit. The relationship between the colostrum proteomic composition and energy intake was investigated. Adequate energy with a balanced amount of feed intake is a key for better production of the milk component. The results of the present study contributed to the development of feeding strategies and improved milk quality.

The Spanish horse industry represents the 0.5% of Spanish Gross National Product, in which the Pura Raza Español has an annual economic impact of ~$1200 million, and the Spanish Trotter Horse of $42 million. It has been confirmed that a horse’s sporting performance is influenced by their stress level. This work aims to evaluate the stress level and the possible association with behaviour candidate genes, allowing the pre-selection of animals, reducing the training costs and increasing their genetic progress.

There is a dearth of information regarding the effects of feeding protease-supplemented reduced-protein diets on overcrowded broilers. The inclusion of protease in broiler diets could be considered by poultry industry as an effective nutritional tool for reducing nutrient density, so as to improve feed efficiency and increase the profit margin. The present study is not only of academic interest, but will be valuable to the poultry industry too, given present imperatives to produce better-quality chicken meats at low cost.

Because chromium is a mineral that is difficult to absorb, nanotechnology was used to produce nanoparticle trivalent chromium, which has a reduced particle size and increased surface area to increase chromium bioavailability. Nanoparticle trivalent chromium, either alone or mixed with a polymer γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), increased chromium bioavailability and improved feeding effectiveness in a feeding trial.

The post-weanling period is a challenging time for piglets due to low feed intake, stresses, diarrhoea and immature intestinal functions, and it is also an important phase for later growth of pigs; therefore, this study focused on evaluating the dietary fermented oats supplementation on weanling pigs. Administration of a fermented oats diet demonstrated beneficial effects on the performance and ileal microorganisms balance of weanling pigs.

Inorganic phosphorus is an indispensable non-renewable resource for modern swine production once diets commonly used are deficient in available phosphorus. Thus, phytase supplementation is becoming increasingly common in order to improve phosphorus utilisation. Ca levels and Ca : nPP ratio exerts a great influence on phytase efficiency due to Ca–phytate complex formation. Improving P utilisation in swine diets will decrease the amount of inorganic P required, reduce P excretion and feed costs, as well as increase the sustainability of swine production.

Reducing feeding labour and costs is often the main concern of nutritionists and feedlot managers, with the inclusion of the fibre fraction (hay) in a total mixed ration one of the most expensive activities. In this sense, an alternative is to offer the hay separately and in a self-feeding way, a technique that does not affect normal animal performance. This may contribute to enhancing profits and simplifying activities in small- to middle-scale fattening operations.

Because several goat herds are reared in the tropics and in dry zones, feed deprivation is a challenge that goats can be subjected to if not supplemented. We investigated the effect of feed restriction on calcium, phosphorus and magnesium metabolism of male and female goats during the prepubertal phase, and we observed that the metabolism of each sex responds similarly to feed restriction. Our results may help producers with feeding management strategies for growing goats during feed scarcity.

We investigated the effects of feeding an ensiled mixture of king grass forage and foliage of a browse tree legume (leucaena or gliricidia) on nutrient digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance of Pelibuey sheep. The study demonstrated that compared with feeding king grass silage alone, feeding legume–king grass silage mixtures can improve intake and nutrient digestibility. Further, N retention can be enhanced when feeding king grass–legume silages.

Heart girth (HG) bands are suitable alternatives to weighing scales in rural areas of Ethiopia; thus, their accuracy in estimating liveweight (LW) is vital for sustainable use. Regressing LW on HG of Menz sheep, then selecting models with the highest R² generates inaccurate prediction models. A novel algorithm using multiple criteria was generated to develop a robust predictive model for LW estimation of Ethiopian Menz sheep by using HG. Model redeployment is crucial to generate accurate prediction models.

Pork is the most consumed meat in the world, and therefore, its quality is of great importance for both the industry and the consumer. Apart from the long-term factors (genotype, diet, etc.), short-term factors (duration of transportation, lairage time, season) also affect meat quality and have the ability to degrade the final product. Evaluation of their effects allows the industry to take the appropriate measures for producing good-quality pork.