This feeding study is the third of a series where grain sorghum was hammer-milled through differing screen sizes prior to its incorporation into steam-pelleted broiler diets. The influence of sorghum particle size, as dictated by hammer-mill screen size, on growth performance and nutrient utilisation of broiler chickens offered pelleted diets was more profound than anticipated. Therefore, more attention should be paid to sorghum particle size in practice.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency for genetic improvement in cattle and correlated with feed conversion ratio (FCR). Our study of expression of RFI-associated genes demonstrated that RFI was not affected by increased FCR with hormonal growth implants. The assumed action mechanism of protein turnover by HGP has little effect on RFI and RFI-associated gene expression.

The human–animal relationship has consequences for the welfare of laying hens by determining how stressful they find human contact. The present study manipulated the human–animal relationship in commercial caged laying hens, and determined that close proximity, but not duration, of visual human contact was effective in reducing the behavioural response of hens to human approach. Stockpeople may consider working more closely to the cages to reduce fear of humans in their flock.

The conservation and improvement of characteristics through reproduction of native cattle breeds such as Mexican Criollo is of great importance. Differences exist between reproductive functions of Criollo females and those of other cattle breeds. Specific techniques of reproductive management, such as artificial insemination procedures, may be applied to Criollo females in genetic improvement programs.

Livestock activities in Mexico have changed over the past 40 years because of increased demand for milk. The aim of this work was to estimate and compare GHG emissions from Mexican dairy cows during 1970–2010. Although GHG emissions in absolute terms increased in the past 40 years, emission intensity decreased due to higher level of production.

Changes in gut microbiota have been linked to altered feed efficiency in meat chicken. Molecular assays were developed to target several gut bacteria implicated in broiler performance and used to screen a series of feeding trials, where changes in lactobacilli and total bacteria were shown to be significantly linked to feed efficiency. These quantitative assays could be expanded to include other organisms of interest and used as a screening tool in evaluating dietary additives for improved broiler production.

An emerging remote weighing system, namely walk-over weighing (WOW), provides the potential to monitor liveweight of sheep for better, timelier nutritional management. The current study investigated whether the frequency and repeatability of WOW weights were sufficient to provide reliable information for farmers to make decisions on individual sheep. Results suggest that the frequency and repeatability of WOW is, generally, insufficient for estimating the liveweight of individual sheep confidently, but may suffice to estimate the liveweight of the flock

Long transportation of animals (24 h) can have a detrimental effect on animal welfare and product quality. Forty lambs were transported for 24 h and compared with 40 lambs transported for 1 h to assess consequences on animal welfare and meat quality. Results on fecal cortisol metabolites and drinking patterns show that long transportation in lambs should be considered more in terms of animal welfare than product quality, where few effects were found.

Goose production has been expanding in China, but low reproduction efficiency has limited genetic improvement and production. Identification and culling of subfertile ganders is an effective method to improve production efficiency that has received considerable attention. Here we propose a diagnostic method for gander selection that we feel will be relevant to physiologists, geneticists, poultry breeders and others involved in waterfowl production.

Body temperature monitoring used in research on animal stress could help to prevent dark-cutting meat. A significant negative correlation was detected between elevation in core body temperature due to physical stress of sheep and muscle glycogen levels at slaughter. Changes in body temperature pre-slaughter in lambs show a potential for enabling prediction of muscle glycogen levels and dark-cutting post-slaughter, and to propose changes in protocols of animal handling.

Summer heat stress lowers fertility in cattle in hot environments by influencing oocyte quality, follicular activity and progesterone (P4) level in blood plasma. However, the mechanisms by which elevated temperature influences corpus luteum function remain unclear. The results of this study suggest that elevated temperature does not negatively affect luteal function, and that the low fertility observed during summer is not due to a direct effect of elevated temperature on luteal cells.

In free-range systems, hens live in an open environment and may become prone to bacterial infections. Probiotics have been shown to prevent gastrointestinal infections. This study investigated the effects of two probiotics given in the drinking water. It was demonstrated that treatment with probiotics significantly improves reproductive tract health, reduces mortality and increases performance of free-range hens.

Beef producers are sometimes unsure whether dingoes cause significant calf loss. This paper compares calf loss in pregnancy-tested herds pastured in baited and unbaited areas on the same properties and finds that more frequent and greater calf loss occurs where dingoes are baited. Baiting appears to be unnecessary most years and counter-productive in those years when calf loss does occur.

Meat and bone meal (MBM), an important by-product of the meat industry, is the ground, rendered remainder of farm animals after removal of the hide and meat but most is insoluble, which limits its usefulness. Defatted, milled porcine MBM was subjected to saturating amounts of trypsin, a selective protease, and subtilisin, a protease with broad selectivity. The hydrolysates are useful for a variety of food and non-food uses.

The present paper reports on a genetic study to identify indicator traits that are heritable and genetically correlated with breech strike in a Mediterranean environment. Dags, urine stain and neck wrinkle have been identified as indicator traits with the best potential to breed sheep indirectly for resistance to breech strike in a Mediterranean environment without the need to challenge animals directly with blowflies.

This study investigated the effects of increasing the substitution of chopped lucerne hay for 10, 20 or 30% of maize silage on feed intake, rumen pH and fermentation, digestibility, milk production, and feed efficiency of dairy cows in a long term period. We hypothesised that the cow responses would vary with differing ratios of lucerne hay to maize silage in the dairy cow diet. Results indicated that increasing lucerne hay in the place of maize silage did not alter chewing and rumen fermentation, but negatively impacted feed intake and milk production.

Cows are capable of producing 200–600 L per day of the greenhouse gas methane, an amount greater than the pollution produced daily by a family-sized car. In a laboratory experiment, we have demonstrated that some inhibitors of methane production are more effective for a cow-diet containing silage and barley than for a diet containing grass only. The present study highlighted the importance of using different feed types when assessing the methane-reduction potential of feed additives.

Dairy cattle breeding has been revolutionised in the last 2–4 years through the utilisation of genomic information. Utilising experiences from New Zealand, Australia and Ireland the benefits of genomic technologies are shown to be less than that expected. With on-going research it is expected that the accuracy of genomic predictions will improve and thus deliver the improved rate of genetic gain.

The majority of pregnancy loss in dairy cattle occurs in the first 3 weeks of pregnancy. During this time, maternal response to the embryo is a critical factor for pregnancy maintenance. This review outlines the potential regulation of pregnancy response through epigenetic mechanisms. Preliminary results from our laboratory provide support for a role of DNA methylation in regulating endometrial gene expression in response to the embryo. Understanding the environmental and nutritional regulation of DNA methylation may contribute to improved reproductive technologies in dairy cattle.

The nutrtive value of the South American native legumes Adesmia bicolor and A. macrostachya was studied at vegetative, flowering and seeding stages, compared with alfalfa at 10% flowering. A. bicolor showed a high nutritive value, even higher than that of alfalfa, which was not markedly affected by its maturity stage, whereas the nutritive value of A. macrostachya reduced as it matured.

Homofermentative lactic acid bacteria can induce aerobic deterioration of corn silages. In this experiment applications of inoculants including both homo- and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria improved the silage quality and prevented yeast development. Due to dominance of heterolactic fermentation in matured high dry matter corn crops, inoculating such crops with this inoculant for long time period may cause a great improvement in aerobic stability.

Data were analysed from five seasonally mated herds of red deer in New Zealand, to evaluate the genetics of early conception success (date) and liveweight. Hinds ranked similarly alongside their herd-mates for conception date from one season to another.  Conception date was inherited. Selection for earlier conception was associated genetically with increases in weaning and yearling weights.

A need to remain profitable under fluctuating operating and climatic conditions has increased the intensity of dairy systems in Australia and New Zealand. This paper examined if farm technical performance, profit and risk were related to farm system intensity and complexity. Single technical performance measures were poor guides of profit, with profitable businesses being more about the skills of the farm operator, and less about the system being run.

The provision of creep feed to piglets before weaning aims to reduce the post weaning growth check and improve lifetime performance. This study examined the interactions between creep feed composition and weaning age, with the results suggesting a complex creep diet offered during lactation may not improve performance above that of a less expensive creep diet. Weaning age appears to have a greater influence on lifetime performance of the pig.

Dietary calcium binds with phytate reducing the availability of phytate-phosphorus, minerals, amino acids and energy. This study investigated and demonstrated feeding broilers low calcium diets and a separate source of calcium improved the availability of phytate-phosphorus, minerals and amino acids while maintaining skeletal integrity. Separating the intake of calcium from phytate may reduce phytate-calcium interactions improving nutrient availability and bird performance.

University of Queensland research has demonstrated that fermenter produced inoculum may not provide fully effective long-term protection against leucaena toxicity. The study was conducted on 8 properties in southeast Queensland where cattle grazed leucaena and were exposed to high toxin levels as indicated by urinary analysis. Nevertheless, it was recommended that graziers continue to use the inoculum until more effective inoculation strategies become available. However, they should test their herds yearly using the colorimetric urine test and re-inoculate if necessary to ensure that their animals are not exposed to toxicity.

Although all stunning procedures are not totally comfortable from the animal’s point of view, penetrative stunning is less noxious and more effective in inducing insensibility when compared to non-penetrative stunning. The study determined the effects of different mechanical stunning methods on stress-related hormones and electroencephalographic reactions in beef cattle. The method of stunning may have profound impact on the welfare of animals during slaughter.

Lifetime characteristics of wool, such as fibre diameter, are determined during distinct periods in utero. The aim of this study was to determine if transient manipulation of maternal cortisol status could alter the fleece characteristics of Merino sheep. We demonstrated that treatment with an inhibitor of cortisol biosynthesis, metyrapone, during the first wave of fetal wool follicle development significantly increased the hairiness of lambs and the fibre lengths of adult sheep, hence indicating that improvements in fleece characteristics can occur by alteration of the maternal environment.

An 8-monthly accelerated lambing system significantly increased annual lamb production from crossbred ewes. The average annual lamb production from two genotypes of crossbred ewes was evaluated in three lamb production systems (accelerated 8-monthly, spring joining with an autumn backup and annual autumn joining). An accelerated lambing system is likely to be more successful using ewes that naturally have an extended breeding season and good out-of-season breeding performance.

The maintenance of growth performance has always been a major challenge for ascites-attenuating approaches, including maternal hyperthyroidism in broiler production. This experiment, which aimed to study the effect of maternal hyperthyroidism on growth performance and intestinal morphology in progeny chicks, showed no association between maternal treatment and traits evaluated. Accordingly, maternal hyperthyroidism may find an application to improve broiler production.

Our study highlights the affects of PRLR mutations on egg reproduction traits. Five SNPs were identified in the chicken PRLR gene. The results suggest that the single-nucleotide polymorphism g.-14A > G at P1 locus could be a potential genetic marker for age at first egg and number of eggs at 300 days of age.

Changes in animal behaviour can be used for the early identification of sick animals. The period around parturition is a time when dairy cattle are at the greatest risk of disease; monitoring behaviour during this time may help improve herd health and promote good management practices.

Pasture-based dairying in New Zealand and Australia is coming under increasing animal welfare scrutiny as farms become larger and more intensive. Over the past decade, animal welfare research has helped identify the risks for animal welfare in these dairy systems, and management opportunities for ensuring good welfare. Continued research, extension and industry adoption will enable dairy producers to address changing community expectations.

Balancing energy and nitrogen in the rumen is essential for the optimisation of ruminant diets. Our in vitro findings indicated that red clover provides an excess of rumen-degradable nitrogen, which leads to a lower efficiency of nitrogen utilisation by the rumen microorganisms than observed in ryegrass diets. As a result, red clover grazing may increase nitrogen pollution compared with ryegrass without substantial improvement to rumen function.

Ultrasound scanning of live animal body composition allows prediction of future carcass quality, and, therefore, Australian Angus breeders can select high performing young animals for breeding early in life. The reliability of the predictions depends on the genetic correlation between scanned body and carcass composition and is not affected by the age of the scanned individuals. Thus, the age of the individuals at scanning can be decreased without decreasing accuracy of genetic evaluation.

Increasing feed intake and meat yield of duck are expected in duck industry. Dietary arginine supplementation stimulated appetite without changing the concentrations of neuropeptide Y or leptin in hypothalamus, and promoted muscle growth in ducks of both sexes. The findings will assist in the development of a feeding strategy to enhance feed utilisation efficiency and lean-tissue growth in ducks.

An ideal dietary balance of protein and energy is required for efficient chicken-meat production. The influence of nitrogen and starch digestion kinetics on the performance of broiler chickens was investigated; it was found that rates of digestion were more important than extents of digestion. To enhance broiler performance there should be a greater focus on relative rates of protein and energy digestion.

Calving monitoring is fundamental for reducing effects of dystocia in cows and calves. An electronic device for detecting the exact moment of the expulsion phase was tested on a dairy farm. In 100% of the calving events, this crucial moment was detected, allowing the farm staff to be present during the calving. In this way any possible problems for the cow and the calf could be prevented.

Ammonia volatilises from poultry manure into the atmosphere of housing, affecting production and decreasing the fertiliser value of manure. This study found that bentonite additions to poultry litter may decrease ammonia volatilisation – as do alum additions. However, bentonite additions may be more suitable than alum additions for the subsequent formulation of fertilisers from poultry litter, under some circumstances.

The interaction between protein and phospholipids is a widespread phenomenon involving several physiological events in postmortem muscle. A novel phosphatidylcholine-binding (PC-binding) protein in duck Biceps femoris muscle was purified and characterised. The PC-binding protein has a potential role in the lipolysis of phospholipid, maintenance of membrane integrity and improvement of meat quality.

An economic model of sheep flystrike has been used to examine the effect of changes in the risk of strike. It showed that reducing the risk of breech strike by 50% would reduce costs by about $0.27 per sheep per year. This model can be used to estimate the value of management or breeding methods proposed to reduce breech strike.

The Spanish ham industry is interested in knowing the composition of pig meat pieces before the elaboration process. A preliminary study evaluated if BIA can accurately predict the bone, lean, fat and skin weights of fresh hams. It is concluded that BIA might be applied to predict those components but more studies are needed to be used in practice.

Australian and New Zealand dairy farm businesses are world class, but there is no guarantee that their comparative advantage over alternative land uses will continue. An analysis of key physical and financial characteristics of dairy farming shows that there is wide variation in financial performance for farm businesses no matter what level of feed inputs are used. The best performers in both countries are poised to take advantage of the increased global demand for milk products.

This paper reviews the most recent dairy systems research into complementary forages. In environments which are most favourable to perennial ryegrass pasture production there is little evidence for major improvements in farm profits when moving away from this pasture based dairy system. However, complementary forages do have the potential to advance the dairy industry particularly in dairy regions with limited land and water availability.

Before commencing a novel livestock research and adoption project in northern New South Wales, a detailed survey was conducted to find out what were the most important problems producers had experienced. The results showed the most important problems related to the pasture feed supply. These findings helped set the direction for a collaborative program of farming systems research over the next eight years.