Animal Production Systems
![A Balancing Act](/media/images/research/research_100.jpg)
A high priority among cattle producers is to ensure that livestock are comfortable; however, a cow's inability to shed at the proper time may impact production performance....
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![A soldier in the fight](/media/images/research/research_92.jpg)
The black soldier fly, which turns agricultural waste into viable protein that can be used in feed for livestock such as chickens, may help fight food insecurity. John Schn...
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![An Ample Diet](/media/images/research/research_103.jpg)
Pork, the most consumed meat in the world, is one of the most economical sources of animal protein for human consumption. Dr. Shengfa Liao, assistant professor in the Depar...
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![Automated Gathering](/media/images/research/research_142.jpg)
McDonald's, Wendy's, and Walmart are just a few of the hundreds of corporations who have vowed to switch to cage-free eggs in the not-so-distant future. Because of the grow...
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![Balanced Cows, Better Beef](/media/images/research/research_101.jpg)
The personality of livestock may seem secondary to productiveness, but research shows that the two may be connected. Cow temperament is correlated with how much money the c...
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![Biotics to the Rescue](/media/images/research/research_210.jpg)
MAFES scientist Dr. Pratima Acharya Adhikari, an associate professor in poultry science, is investigating the use of probiotic additives to poultry feed as a means of redu...
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![Down the Line](/media/images/research/research_97.jpg)
730 million broilers were raised on Mississippi farms in 2015. MAFES researchers hope to discover more efficient, cost-effective ways to deliver feed to so many birds. That...
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![Farm to Fork](/media/images/research/research_213.jpg)
Supply chain disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the vulnerability of the country’s meat supply and the need for smaller-scale producers to contribut...
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![Feeding on Fescue](/media/images/research/research_134.jpg)
Kentucky 31, a popular forage, is chosen for its drought tolerance and adaptability across climates; however, it has an unwanted host, an endophyte or fungus that lives ins...
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![Go with the Flow](/media/images/research/research_126.jpg)
Two MAFES scientists, Dr. Caleb Lemley and Dr. Derris Devost-Burnett, are leading a team of researchers who are using biophotonics to study how maternal nutrient restrictio...
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![Grass-fed](/media/images/research/research_91.jpg)
As consumer interests for forage-finished beef increases in the U.S., Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station scientists, Wes Schilling and Byron Williams,...
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![Grazing on the Coast](/media/images/research/research_211.jpg)
MSU scientists are turning to traditional practices to solve modern land management problems in pine savannah habitats along the Gulf Coast. Dr. Eric Sparks, associate ext...
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![Healthy Mom, Happy Calf](/media/images/research/research_102.jpg)
Melatonin is a hormone our body naturally produces. Melatonin as a supplement is considered an antioxidant. While many people may take melatonin for a good night's rest, re...
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![Herding Heifers](/media/images/research/research_212.jpg)
Dr. Marcus McGee, MAFES scientist and assistant clinical professor in the animal and dairy sciences department, envisions a day where autonomous robots roam the range, doi...
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![Protecting the Herd](/media/images/research/research_140.jpg)
As a molecular biologist, Dr. Florencia Meyer, a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, hopes to unlock molecular secrets about the micr...
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![Q&A with David Peebles](/media/images/research/research_98.jpg)
Poultry was a $3.2 billion dollar business in Mississippi in 2015. MAFES scientists conduct research that drives that industry forward. One such researcher is Dr. David Pee...
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![Q&A with Drs. Christy Bratcher and Ken Macklin](/media/images/research/research_215.jpg)
Last year, MAFES welcomed two new department heads: Dr. Christy Bratcher, Animal and Dairy Sciences, and Dr. Ken Macklin, Poultry Science. They share with MAFES readers th...
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![Ripples in the Pond](/media/images/research/research_209.jpg)
MAFES scientist Dr. Ganesh Karunakaran, associate wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture research professor, is the first to create a comprehensive economic impact model detai...
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![Safe from the Storm](/media/images/research/research_214.jpg)
As extreme weather events raise both the risk of lightning damage to broiler houses and insurance premiums; chicken growers are experiencing record losses due to these eve...
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![Seal the Housing Envelope](/media/images/research/research_120.jpg)
Poultry is big business in Mississippi. In 2016, the state's broiler production value totaled $2.23 billion dollars. A researcher in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forest...
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![Shades of Green](/media/images/research/research_117.jpg)
The uses of perennial warm-season grasses are as varied as the plants themselves. Applications include poultry bedding, cattle forage, conservation plantings, bioenergy, an...
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![Splitting Returns](/media/images/research/research_136.jpg)
Recent technological advances in production systems have enabled catfish producers to achieve significantly higher yields through greater control by concentrating all of th...
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![Swimming Upstream](/media/images/research/research_99.jpg)
MAFES scientists are helping producers in the heart of catfish country. Dr. David Wise and his staff at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center help producer...
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![The Maze of Maize](/media/images/research/research_206.jpg)
Sulfur is a key macronutrient required to grow a healthy crop of corn. Dr. Jagmandeep Dhillon leads a team of MSU researchers to determine how nitrogen affects sulfur level...
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![Unlocking a path to probiotics in poultry](/media/images/research/research_138.jpg)
MAFES researchers are trying to unlock a better path for administering probiotics in poultry. Researchers hope bioluminescence will illuminate the effectiveness of a suite ...
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![Vaccine leads to better survival, bigger fish](/media/images/research/research_83.jpg)
MSU scientists have developed a vaccine and vaccine delivery system to protect catfish from commonly occurring bacteria that can cause death. During their first growing sea...
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![Where the Grass is Greener](/media/images/research/research_104.jpg)
Dr. Rocky Lemus is on a mission: to help Mississippi producers become better forage managers. To accomplish his mission, he and Joshua White, manager of the MAFES Official ...
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