Animal and Dairy Sciences

The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences provides research and assistance in livestock agriculture and companion animals. This constantly evolving field provides the world with food and fiber and has done so since domestication. Scientists in the department are nationally known for advances in animal production technology.

To learn more please visit https://www.ads.msstate.edu/


A Balancing Act
A Balancing Act

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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An Ample Diet
An Ample Diet

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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Balanced Cows, Better Beef
Balanced Cows, Better Beef

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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Farm to Fork
Farm to Fork

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
Feeding on Fescue

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
Go with the Flow

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
Grass-fed

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
Grazing on the Coast

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
Healthy Mom, Happy Calf

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
Herding Heifers

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
Protecting the Herd

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 Drs. Christy Bratcher and Ken Macklin
Q&A with Drs. Christy Bratcher and Ken Macklin

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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