Nutrinfo, Pig
Key pig gene for ASF infection discovered
A team of European scientists has found a key pig gene for the replication of African Swine Fever (ASF) virus. Researchers from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) in Germany and the Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, recently conducted this piece of research, which aimed to find out which pig genes are needed for the ASF virus (ASFv) to replicate.
Technology for earlier diagnosis of serious cattle disease
Monitoring dairy calves with precision Internet of Things (IoT)-based technologies leads to earlier diagnosis of calf-killing bovine respiratory disease (BRD), according to research from three US universities.
Ceva drops appeal over French bird flu vaccine tender
French animal health group Ceva has withdrawn a legal challenge to a tender to supply avian flu vaccine to France, in which it lost out to Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim. France chose Boehringer Ingelheim to supply 80 million doses of bird flu vaccine needed for its first vaccination campaign in ducks, due to start in October. The plan will make France the first country in the European Union to vaccinate poultry against the virus that has ravaged flocks worldwide. Ceva has decided to drop its appeal against the outcome of the tender in order to avoid any delay in the vaccination campaign for the livestock sector, the company said in a statement late last week. The company is continuing discussions with the authorities on subsequent phases of the vaccination campaign and has already produced more than 10 million shots of its avian influenza vaccine for ducks, Ceva added.
Maternal imprinting: Immune development
More than 70% of the body’s immune cells are located into the gut, which means there is a close connection between intestinal microbiota and the immune system.
Scottish engineers lend support to calf diagnosis project
Researchers from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering are part of a new consortium which is developing the first commercial one-step rapid test for calf pneumonia.
2023: a year of caution in pork industry
Softer consumption trends in early 2023 are prompting caution in the global pork industry as it struggles to adjust to a moving target, according to Rabobank’s latest quarterly pork report. Weaker economic growth is starting to have an impact on global pork consumption.
Natural antibody inheritance under polygenic control in brown hens
Results from a Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR-ABG) study published in Poultry Science suggest that both natural antibody (NAb) levels and resilience indicators are heritable and are under polygenic control in a brown layer line.
Will climavores eat chicken?
With consumer concerns about sustainability at all-time high, retailers and foodservice are prepping for the dawn of the climavore.
Nutrinfo agricultural magazine 2023 spring edition
The spring issue of the Nutrinfo agricultural magazine has been published and is now available digitally. Good reading!
High-tech cameras would detect “woody breasts”
A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are testing to see if hyperspectral images can be used to detect a chicken breast defect known as “woody breast” that costs the poultry industry millions of dollars annually and decreases customer satisfaction.
Recent ASF cases in Asia help Brazilian exports
Brazilian pork export increased with 15.7% in the first quarter of 2023 in comparison to the same period last year.
Controversy in the US over mRNA vaccine use
The safety of mRNA vaccines created for protection against Covid-19 remains controversial.
Here’s how the EU dairy cow herd looks now
Two European Union countries – Germany and France – have more than a third of all the dairy cows across member states.
China aims to reduce soymeal use in animal feed
China’s agriculture ministry has issued a three-year action plan to reduce the inclusion rates of soybean meal in animal feed in an effort to reduce the country’s dependence on soybean imports.
Meatball from woolly mammoth cultured in the Netherlands
A giant meatball made from flesh cultivated using the DNA of an extinct woolly mammoth was unveiled at the Nemo science museum in the Netherlands, Reuters reported.
French insect protein producer Ynsect pulls out of feed production
French insect-based ingredients producer Ynsect will refocus its strategy on high-margin markets such as pet food, close a production plant and cut jobs after raising €160 million from investors, Reuters reported, citing the company’s CEO.
Testing of four bird flu vaccines starts in the US
The US government has begun testing vaccines against avian influenza for poultry after a record-breaking outbreak forced the slaughter of more than 58 million chickens, turkeys and other poultry.
DNA helps understand pig muscle development
Analysis of pig DNA has offered insights into important correlations with muscle growth. This can provide tools to help predict piglet growth and support pig breeding programmes.
Hemp products high in THC can contaminate milk
Cows fed hemp silage high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produced contaminated milk and showed signs of intoxication in a study that has garnered attention for making cows “get high” on hemp.
Can pig behaviour be used to predict the development of stomach ulcers?
Research carried out by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland and Queen’s University, Belfast has found that stomach ulcers may cause changes in the way pigs rest, or may be the result of such changes.
