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Animal Nutrition & Physiology

Major Research Themes

• What regulates the way an animal uses available nutrients
• Development of nutraceuticals using animal model systems
• Understanding and optimizing gut health
• Bioactives and phytochemicals in animal feeds
• Provision and management of pasture and forages
• Nutritional modulation of fertility and longevity

Research Programmes

• Development of new nutraceuticals for improved digestive health
  A broad range of gastrointestinal diseases and disorders impact on human health and animal (pig and poultry) production. These include conditions affecting the small intestine (for example chemotherapy-induced mucositis and infective enteritis) and large intestine (primarily the inflammatory bowel diseases). Newly-developed, naturally-sourced, bioactive factors (nutraceuticals) are showing great promise for the improvement of gastrointestinal function. Utilizing well-characterised animal model systems and novel non-invasive assessment techniques, this project seeks to identify new bioactive dietary supplements capable of improving intestinal function.

  Contacts research: Associate Professor Gordon Howarth, Miss Sarah Pain, Associate Professor Ross Butler (Women's and Children's Hospital), Dr Bob Hughes (SARDI), Mr William van Wettere, Dr Roger Campbell (CEO Pork CRC)

• An Integrated Approach to Understanding Gut Function and Gut Health in Chickens
  The feeding of low levels of dietary antibiotics on a continuous basis to improve growth and feed efficiency is a common practice used in many developed countries throughout the world. The reasons for the improved performance are (a) antibiotics reduce the bacterial load in the gut, and hence decrease the level of immune stimulation, which otherwise diverts energy and essential nutrients away from deposition of muscle mass, and (b) to suppress growth of bacteria pathogenic to poultry. The Australian poultry industry is aware of the need for alternatives and has made “sustainable production of chicken meat without reliance on antibiotics” a major objective for the Australian Poultry Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). To achieve this objective, much more needs to be known about the biology of the gut, which is the key factor that determines the performance of the bird. We are investigating the effects of various biologically active compounds in the feed on intestinal structure and function, mucosal immunity, gene expression and gut microbial communities, in conjunction with colleagues in CSIRO Livestock Industries and the Australian National University.
  

  Contacts researcher: Dr Bob Hughes (SARDI), Dr Mark Geier (SARDI). Dr Valeria Torok (SARDI), Associate Professor Gordon Howarth, and Professor Robert Gibson.
  

• Palatability of hay for dairy cows and horses
  Animals often show distinct preferences for different feeds when given the choice. Research in this area is investigating the physical and chemical (both nutritive and volatile) factors that influence the short-term preference of feedstuffs, how this relates to long term preferences, identifying the keys drivers of diet selection and any potential manipulations of these, as well as what role diet selection plays in the ultimate production and performance of livestock.

Contacts researcher: Miss Sarah Pain, Dr Dean Revell (CSIRO)

• Nutritional interventions to maximise sow longevity; body condition during gestation and lactation and resulting reproductive performance
  For Australian herds one of the major problems associated with sow longevity and lifetime performance, at least in the short term, is the very early culling of gilts and first litter (parity 1) sows on the basis of reproductive failure. Current research suggests that the poor reproductive performance seen may be due to a lack of body reserves (protein and/or fat) or the rate at which it is lost during gestation and/or lactation and that ultimately this contributes to reduce sow longevity within the breeding herd. Our research is focusing on investigating and developing various management strategies and nutritional interventions to reduce the potentially detrimental demands of gestation and lactation and maximise sow longevity and lifetime performance.

Contacts researcher: Mr William van Wettere, Miss Sarah Pain, Dr Paul Hughes, Dr Roger Campbell (CEO Pork CRC)

• Nutritional interventions to alleviate seasonal infertility through improved oocyte quality and embryo survival
  Impaired fertility and fecundity of breeding sows during the summer months, commonly referred to as seasonal infertility, has a severe, negative impact on the productivity of Australian breeding herds. The primary problems seen during the seasonal infertility period are: restricted oestrus activity; reduced proportion of gilts reaching puberty; extended weaning-oestrus intervals in weaned sows; higher anoestrus rate in gilts & sows; and, an increased rate of mid-pregnancy returns. A series of research projects are currently being conducted to investigate each of these areas in an effort to understand the drivers and contributing factors of seasonal infertility and to investigate and develop various management strategies and nutritional interventions to help alleviate some of these problems currently seen in industry

Contacts researcher: Mr William van Wettere, Miss Sarah Pain, Dr Roger Campbell (CEO Pork CRC)

• Digestive function in rabbits and hares
  The European rabbit and the European hare are amongst the most abundant and widespread free-living terrestrial mammals in Australia. Both are grazing animals, and they compete with each other for food resources, but grass is not readily digestible, and requires retention in the body for an extended period for efficient digestion. Both species are subject to heavy predation by foxes, and their power-weight ratio is critical to their ability to escape an attack. However, retaining food in the gut for extended periods increases the ballast that the animal is carrying, and reduces its power-weight ratio. Our studies seek to understand the compromises that the animals make to maximise digestion while minimising risk of predation.

  Contact research: Dr Philip Stott.