Applied Animal Science最新文献

{"title":"Effects of exogenous melatonin on the postweaning immune response and growth performance of crossbred beef calves","authors":"Allie E. Martin,&nbsp;Vinicius S. Machado,&nbsp;Ryan J. Rathmann,&nbsp;Whitney L. Crossland","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02555","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>Our objective was to evaluate the effects of exogenous melatonin on the immune response and growth performance of beef calves during a vaccination series at weaning.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Crossbred beef calves (n = 48, initial BW = 176 ± 21.7 kg) were enrolled in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: vaccinated with 0.5 mg of ovalbumin (d 0 and 21) or not, and a 24-mg injection of melatonin (d 0 and 21) or not. Treatments were placebo injections only (CON), vaccination only (VAC), melatonin only (MEL), and both melatonin and vaccination (MVAC). Calves were weaned on d 0 and fed for 63 d. Calf BW and blood samples were collected on d 0, 2, 4, 8, 21, 42, and 63.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>On d 8, MEL-treated calves had a greater percentage of cells performing oxidative burst and a greater percentage of cells performing phagocytosis, and these were at a greater intensity. On d 21, MEL-treated calves also had greater burst intensity than other treatments. Melatonin alone may bolster the innate immune response. Anti-ovalbumin IgG response was different on d 63, where MVAC calves had greater circulating anti-ovalbumin IgG compared with VAC calves. Calves who received VAC treatment had greater DMI than calves who received MVAC, and MVAC-treated calves tended to have a greater G:F than VAC calves. The administration of melatonin at the time of vaccination resulted in greater feed conversion and greater IgG than VAC alone.</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>Melatonin may bolster the immune response of calves at weaning and improve feed conversion, incentivizing its adoption as a management protocol.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 598-607"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000922/pdf?md5=37fdb6f979b9dcab830892778a055e43&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000922-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic potential of field peas as an alternative to corn distillers dried grains with solubles in beef heifer growing diets","authors":"Michael Undi ,&nbsp;Jon T. Biermacher ,&nbsp;Kevin Sedivec ,&nbsp;Timothy Long","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02548","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>This study was conducted to (1) determine the economic potential of field peas relative to corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in diets of growing heifers and (2) identify price points for competitive utilization of field peas as an alternative to corn DDGS in diets of growing heifers.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>In a 2-yr study, 162 heifers/ yr were kept in 6 dry lot pens and fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous corn DDGS-based or field pea-based TMR in the fall and winter. Animal performance (final BW, total gain, and ADG) data analysis considered the fixed effects of diet (DDGS or peas), season (fall and winter), and diet × season interaction. Base-case ration costs were calculated using prices of $325∙t⁻¹ and $366∙t⁻¹ for corn DDGS and field peas, respectively. To understand market situations where field peas are more cost effective than DDGS, and vice versa, sensitivity analysis was conducted to calculate relative total cost of feeding peas versus DDGS for several combinations of prices of DDGS and field peas.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>Heifer performance was not affected by dietary treatment, which was expected because diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Therefore, the relative economics of diet (DDGS vs. field peas) is based on evaluation of costs. Base-case results indicated that field pea-based rations cost $6.89∙head⁻¹ more than DDGS-based rations. Sensitivity analysis suggests that field peas only have a lower cost relative to corn DDGS in situations where the price of peas are between 30% and 50% less than the base-case price of peas at the same time that the prices of corn DDGS are at base-case prices and below. The breakeven price of field peas was $231.15∙t⁻¹ ($7.64∙bushel⁻¹), or 71% of the base-case price of DDGS. Overall, the value of field peas was mainly driven by the amount of field peas incorporated into diets and the price of field peas relative to DDGS.</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>Results from this study offer useful economic information to the field pea processing industry about the range of prices that beef cattle producers can afford to pay for peas relative to DDGS. This information will help the industry to develop a reliable supply chain for field peas as a feed source for beef cattle.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 591-597"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000910/pdf?md5=89b40c2405d2f58d6d6090ebc483529f&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000910-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of vitamin A supplementation on liver retinol concentrations of beef cows and their calves managed in confinement","authors":"H.F. Speer ,&nbsp;K.H. Wilke ,&nbsp;M.E. Drewnoski","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02564","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02564","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>Our objective was to evaluate how the amount of vitamin A supplementation provided from mid- gestation through early lactation affected liver retinol con- centrations of a cow and, subsequently, of her calf in a confinement system.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Multiparous Angus cross beef cows (n = 54; BCS = 6.0) in mid-gestation (5 mo) with an initial BW of 578 kg (SD = ±74) were stratified by BCS and time spent in the confinement system and were assigned to pen (n = 9). Pens were assigned (n = 3) to each of the following treatments: current NASEM (2016) recommendation (31,000 IU/d; 1X) or 3 times (93,000 IU/d; 3X) or 5 times (155,000 IU/d; 5X) the cur- rent NASEM recommendation for supplemental vitamin A. Cows were limit fed a diet consisting of wheat straw, corn silage, and wet distillers grains. Liver biopsies were collected from cows 24 d before treatment initiation and at d 40 and 81 of supplementation, and both cows and calves were sampled 32 d after calving (d 165 of supplementa- tion, SD = ±22).</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>No differences in initial cow liver retinol concentrations (mean 186 μg/g of DM) were observed between treatments. A significant treatment × day interaction was observed for cow liver retinol. Liver retinol concentrations of 1X remained below adequate ref- erence ranges (300–700 μg/g of DM) throughout the study (≤189 μg/g of DM), whereas 3X and 5X were elevated into the adequate range by d 81 (334 and 412 μg/g of DM, respectively). Calf liver retinol concentration also differed among treatments, as calves of cows in 1X had lesser liver concentrations than 3X and 5X calves, which did not dif- fer. Liver retinol concentrations considered adequate for calves at 32 d of age (100–350 μg/g of DM) were not observed in 1X calves (51 μg/g of DM) but were observed in calves from 3X and 5X cows (119 and 165 μg/g of DM, respectively).</p></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><p>Providing the amount of supplemental vitamin A recommended by NASEM to cows in a long- term drylot did not result in cow or calf liver retinol con- centrations within the adequate reference ranges. Supple- menting cows with 93,000 IU/d of vitamin A for 165 d brought liver retinol concentrations of cows and their calves up within adequate reference ranges. Cows being fed diets consisting mainly of brown forages and concen- trates long term may need more supplemental vitamin A than currently recommended to ensure calves receive enough vitamin A from colostrum.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 619-626"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000946/pdf?md5=5c85a60c406a629ed14b476df91f78d6&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000946-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased dietary rumen degradable protein from soybean meal improved growth performance but increased liver abscess severity in finishing beef steers","authors":"Cassidy R. Ross,&nbsp;Zachary K. Smith,&nbsp;Forest L. Francis,&nbsp;Ana Clara B. Menezes,&nbsp;Warren C. Rusche","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02584","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>Our objective was to determine whether partial or complete replacement of dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) with solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) in diets based on high-moisture corn affected growth performance, sera urea nitrogen (SUN) concentrations, and carcass traits in finishing steers.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Beef steers (n = 189; initial shrunk BW = 381 ± 37.1 kg) were used in a 139-d experiment. Treatments were DDGS fed at 20% DM (DDGS), SBM replacing 50% of DDGS (SBM50), and SBM replacing 100% of DDGS (SBM100). Steers were allotted to 1 of 24 pens (8 pens per treatment). Sera was harvested on d 77, 105, and 139 for determination of SUN. Linear and quadratic effects were evaluated using orthogonal polynomials with SUN analyzed as repeated measures.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>Feeding SBM increased final BW (linear). Treatment affected ADG (quadratic) and G:F. Treatment tended to affect carcass-adjusted G:F (quadratic), and SBM increased dietary NE (linear). The SBM100 had greater rib-eye area (linear) but decreased DP (linear). Additional SBM altered liver scores with SBM100 having more severe abscesses. Day and treatment affected SUN, increasing over time, and steers fed SBM100 had greater SUN concentrations than those fed DDGS.</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>Replacement of DDGS with SBM increased retained protein and rib-eye area, tended to decrease DP, and tended to quadratically improve G:F, with increased liver abscess severity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 627-638"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000958/pdf?md5=3c35f941fc96ae1be6c76d5736f4c213&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000958-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A survey of existing and future Tennessee value-added cattle dairy enterprises","authors":"C.S. Zaring ,&nbsp;K.L. Jensen ,&nbsp;D.W. Hughes ,&nbsp;M.T. Morgan ,&nbsp;R.W. Holland ,&nbsp;W.H. Pepper ,&nbsp;M.B. Leffew ,&nbsp;J.L.Z. Ivey ,&nbsp;E.A. Eckelkamp","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02570","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>The objective was to provide a comprehen- sive overview and assessment of Tennessee’s value-added dairy (VAD) industry.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Dairy producers and pro- cessors completed a 50-question in-person survey that included the following: (1) respondent information, (2) farm information, (3) processing information, (4) process- ing equipment, and (5) business economics. Data were reported for 15 cow dairy producer-processors separated into existing VAD (EP) and potential future VAD (FP) (n = 8 and n = 7, respectively). Descriptive statistics were run, and independent-sample <em>t</em>-tests were used to identify group differences within questions.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>Existing and FP were 39 ± 12 and 38 ± 13 yr old, respectively. Seven EP processed their milk. All FP planned to process their milk, but some EP and FP did or planned to supplement their raw milk needs by purchasing Tennessee milk (n = 5). Off-farm income was a minor household income source (9 ± 15%) for EP, whereas FP relied heavily on off-farm income (62 ± 39%). In Tennessee, 6.2% of all cattle dairies were also VAD, primarily located in East Tennessee. Ice cream and creamline milk were produced most often; fluid milk had the highest annual production volume (270,287 L) per EP. Creamline milk and aged cheese were the most considered by VAD. Existing and FP were in good financial standing with a low debt-to-asset ratio (&lt;40%).</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>Study outcomes will be used to assist dairy farmers in Tennessee and surrounding states who are considering entering or expanding VAD through marketing, production, or economic suggestions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 688-696"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524001010/pdf?md5=d3a44956e41035a79f05c91f57da780c&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524001010-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142243587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspective and Commentary: Variation in nutrient composition of feeds and diets and how it can affect formulation of dairy cow diets","authors":"W.P. Weiss,&nbsp;N.R. St-Pierre","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02578","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><p>Our objective was to discuss sources of variation in nutrient composition of feeds and diets, how nutritionists should use that information, methods to reduce nutrient variation, and how nutrient variation may affect dairy cows.</p></div><div><h3>Sources</h3><p>We reviewed peer-reviewed journals and large nutrient composition databases.</p></div><div><h3>Synthesis</h3><p>Nutrient composition of feeds varies for multiple reasons including growing, harvesting, and storage conditions and manufacturing processes. These sources are referred to as “true variation” or variation experienced by the cow. The other source of variation is “observer variation,” which includes analytical and sampling variation. Dietary true variation can be reduced by using a TMR and limiting the inclusion of variable feeds. Sampling variation can be reduced by taking duplicate, independent samples. True variation can cause nutrient composition of diets to vary between days. However, current data do not show any substantial negative effects when diets vary day to day if when averaged over a few days, nutrient composition meets diet specifications. Arguably, observer variation can be the greater problem. Observer variation may cause a nutritionist to change a diet when feed composition has not changed, or a diet might be formulated using feed data that are not representative, resulting in a poor diet.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions and Applications</h3><p>Typical amounts of true variation in feedstuffs when included in a well-made TMR may not cause significant problems with cows when the variation is centered around the correct mean. Sampling error can lead to poorly balanced diets. To reduce that risk, diet formulation should use the mean of at least 2 duplicate independent samples of the ingredients.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 608-618"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000934/pdf?md5=7c3cbed86e3a060328e0a7053db3f07c&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000934-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationships between individual animal variation in dry matter intake and animal performance and feed efficiency of finishing beef cattle","authors":"M.R. Beck ,&nbsp;V.N. Gouvêa ,&nbsp;J.K. Smith ,&nbsp;J.A. Proctor ,&nbsp;P.A. Beck ,&nbsp;A.P. Foote","doi":"10.15232/aas.2024-02583","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2024-02583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the relationship between 2 measures of daily individual animal variation in DMI with measures of overall DMI, ADG, carcass traits, and feed efficiency of finishing beef cattle.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and Methods</h3><p>Daily DMI data were collated from 3 previously published experiments within which beef cattle were individually fed using a Calan gate system (American Calan, Northwood, NH) or an Insentec Roughage Intake Control system (Hokofarm Group, Emmeloord, the Netherlands). The day-to-day CV for DMI of each animal was calculated. Next, the average Euclidian distance (ED) was calculated. The Pearson’s (rp) and Spearman’s (rs) correlations between CV and ED methods and production traits and efficiency indexes were calculated.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>The CV was inversely correlated with DMI (rp = −0.65; rs = −0.59), ADG (rp = −0.52; rs = −0.52), and residual feed intake (rp = −0.41; rs = −0.35) and positively correlated with residual intake and gain (rp = 0.29; rs = 0.25). The CV was negatively correlated with hot carcass weight (HCW; rp = −0.46; rs = −0.45), back fat thickness (rp = −0.25; rs = −0.31), yield grade (rp = −0.29; rs = −0.31), and calculated empty body fat (rp = −0.30; rs = −0.32). The ED was negatively correlated with ADG (rp = −0.55; rs = −0.61), G:F (rp = −0.49; rs = −0.50), residual ADG (rp = −0.57; rs = −0.56), and HCW (rp = −0.33; rs = −0.39).</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>The 2 measures of DMI variation appear to divergently explain variation in DMI and the relationship with production traits and feed efficiency. However, cattle with more improved production outcomes were associated with less day-to-day variation in DMI.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages 639-646"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259028652400096X/pdf?md5=de92ae1ab2b9d8948e2322a69735147a&pid=1-s2.0-S259028652400096X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142244189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Call for Submissions","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2590-2865(24)00107-1","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2590-2865(24)00107-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 5","pages":"Pages iv-vi"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524001071/pdfft?md5=be67d9c2fc971e822e16281975c72328&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524001071-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142238759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Call for Submissions","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2590-2865(24)00090-9","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2590-2865(24)00090-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 4","pages":"Pages iv-vi"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000909/pdfft?md5=4a413c79c891007c42526c880829d9af&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000909-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141952109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying and quantifying key sustainability indicators for pastoral dairy-beef production systems","authors":"M. Kearney ,&nbsp;E.G. O’Riordan ,&nbsp;C.J. Byrne ,&nbsp;J. Breen ,&nbsp;P. Crosson","doi":"10.15232/aas.2023-02529","DOIUrl":"10.15232/aas.2023-02529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>The objective of this study was to quantify the sustainability of representative dairy-beef farms in Ireland (AVE) and to compare these with dairy-beef farms participating in a farm improvement program (IMP) and research (RES) systems. The study aimed to determine the differences in technical performance and key sustainability indicators among these farm categories.</p></div><div><h3>Material and Methods</h3><p>Within each farm category, dairy-beef systems differing in sire breed (early maturing, late maturing, and Holstein-Friesian), animal sex (steer and heifer), finishing age (ranging from 18 to 30 mo of age), and production system (finishing from grazing or indoor-based systems) were modeled using the Grange Dairy-Beef Systems Model.</p></div><div><h3>Results and Discussion</h3><p>The average finishing age was 25.4, 23.8, and 20.6 mo on AVE, IMP, and RES, respectively. Results highlighted a wide range in net margins (from €185 to €806 per hectare; €1 = $1.05) for the systems modeled. Sex had the largest effect on profitability (steer greater than heifer), followed by finishing system (finishing from grazing systems greater than indoor systems) and breed type (late maturing greatest and Holstein-Friesian least). Greenhouse gas emissions of the 3 farm categories ranged from 10.8 to 16.6 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂eq) per kilogram of carcass weight produced. All farm categories were, on average, net producers of human-edible protein, and all farms were net consumers of human-edible energy.</p></div><div><h3>Implications and Applications</h3><p>Key sustainability performance indicators identified in this study include carcass output per hectare, reduced age at slaughter, high individual animal performance, and increasing of the proportion of grazed pasture in the animal’s diet. There is a temporal dimension to ranking farm categories from an economic, environment, labor, feed-food competition, and land-use perspective because none of the 3 farm categories investigated were without fault from a sustainable dairy- beef production perspective.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8519,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Science","volume":"40 4","pages":"Pages 570-590"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590286524000855/pdf?md5=14d0da866f16c827dec6117876198353&pid=1-s2.0-S2590286524000855-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141962225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}