https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In the drylands of Benin, West Africa, livestock farming is under growing pressure. These vast, hot landscapes cover roughly 70% of the country's land area. Their sparse pastures and scattered trees sustain around six million grazing animals, including 2.5 million cattle, one million sheep and 2.4 million goats which walk with herders over long distances in search of food and water. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-indigenous-trees-secret-climate-resilient.html Ecology Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:30:03 EST news688827289 Within the next few decades, intensifying heat waves could expose a significant share of Europe's cattle to dangerous levels of heat stress. New research maps where and how millions of animals may be affected by mid-century. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-millions-european-cattle-mid-century.html Agriculture Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:26:53 EST news688731962 In the Kenyan savanna, lions and livestock essentially live in shifts: Cattle graze during the day and are enclosed at night when lions are active. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-kenya-big-cats-pressure-cattle.html Plants & Animals Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:47:19 EST news688229221 Illinois is a top agricultural state, generating billions of dollars annually, but even where stalks of corn and acres of soybean vastly outnumber its 400,000 head of cattle, cows raised for beef and dairy account for an outsize portion of the industry's methane emissions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-illinois-dairy-beef-farms-methane.html Environment Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:19:54 EST news686215141 An outbreak of a highly contagious cattle disease has left France, the world's top exporter of live animals, struggling since June to prevent devastating impacts on its industry, amid growing protests by farmers. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-balkan-nations-lessons-cow-virus.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:30:04 EST news685192903 The H5N1 avian influenza virus—commonly known as bird flu—has been causing outbreaks in dairy cows in the United States since March 2024. Now, scientists studying the adaptation of the avian H5N1 viruses to cows have found that some of the more recent variants are more able to infect cow cells and tissues than some older variants. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-h5n1-bird-flu-variants-ability.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:00:01 EST news685014541 A highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in a herd of dairy cattle in Wisconsin, the latest in an ongoing outbreak of the disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-wisconsin.html Agriculture Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:31:32 EST news685009594 Bovine respiratory disease (BRD)—a type of pneumonia—is the leading cause of death for dairy calves after they become accustomed to food other than their mothers' milk, resulting in economic losses more than $1 billion annually for the U.S. cattle industry. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ai-enabled-dairy-calves-healthy.html Biotechnology Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:26:20 EST news684491161 An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has affected more than 184 million domestic poultry since 2022 and, since making the leap to dairy cattle in spring 2024, more than 1,000 milking cow herds. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-receptors-mammary-glands-livestock-humans.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:20:06 EST news684076125 Texas A&M AgriLife scientists have uncovered new insights into how cattle fever ticks survive and spread across South Texas, revealing hidden refuges that could explain why the pest remains one of the U.S. cattle industry's greatest threats. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-war-cattle.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:45:19 EST news683988301 Researchers from the University of Adelaide's Davies Livestock Research Center (DLRC) have described the most complete cattle genome yet, in a study that will lead to improvements in Wagyu breeding and result in better beef marbling. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-genome-advancement-wagyu-marbling-menu.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:35:14 EST news683886901 Rustling through fallen golden leaves, locals in a forest outside Arslanbob in the Kyrgyz mountains were scurrying for walnuts—an ancient pastime and economic lifeline for the region. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-kyrgyzstan-world-largest-natural-walnut.html Environment Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:50:01 EST news682231090 A new nationwide survey from the University of Copenhagen published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism shows that most Danes would like to see more large animals in the forests. Danes prefer forests with wild animals such as red deer and bison to traditional nature conservation with cattle and sheep. However, a significant minority are far from enthusiastic about nature with fences and large animals. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-wild-animals-danes-red-deer.html Ecology Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:36:03 EST news682162561 A high-tech, no-fence solution is teaching cattle to stay home on the range, University of Alberta research has found. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-high-tech-collars-cattle-straying.html Ecology Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:39:04 EST news681644342 The dairy industry has been plagued by a persistent global problem for decades—bacterial infection of cow udders that significantly reduces milk production. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-scientists-safer-sustainable-antimicrobials-infection.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:40:05 EDT news679318802 With a pioneering, comprehensive approach on a global scale, Brazilian researchers have developed a methodology that allows them to project the physiological responses of herds of different production animal species to the impacts of climate change between 2050 and 2100. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-global-analysis-livestock-vulnerability-climate.html Plants & Animals Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:05:17 EDT news678549911 The most cost-effective way to conserve the dwindling waters of the Colorado River may not come from building new reservoirs, canals, or wells, but from changing how water is used on farms that consume most of it. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-farm-economical-path-river.html Environment Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:52:04 EDT news678444722 In Indonesia, cattle are not just cattle. The large island-nation houses a variety of different breeds, locally preferred for their unique set of physical attributes and strongly linked to culture and ceremonies. There is even a distinct species of domesticated bovine here, namely the Bali cattle, a domesticated version of the wild banteng. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-indonesian-genetics-cattle-sustainable-productive.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:40:03 EDT news678022474 Bird flu hits cats particularly hard. Just last week, an infected cat was euthanized in California after eating raw pet food. But a University of Maryland-led study appearing in One Health shows promising results when an infected cat gets early care and treatment. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-bird-flu-outbreak-house-cats.html Plants & Animals Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:16:03 EDT news677430961 Salmonella Dublin is a type of bacteria that primarily infects cattle, but some strains also can adapt to infect humans. It is increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics, making it a growing public health threat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers at Penn State have investigated how strains of the pathogen—which can cause severe illness and death in cattle and blood infections and hospitalization in humans are evolving and spreading across humans, cattle and the environment in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-bacteria-strains-infecting-cattle-humans.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:52:05 EDT news675334322 Since its emergence in US dairy cattle, highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu, H5N1) has defied control, spreading to other species and disrupting every stage of the dairy sector. A newly published invited review in the Journal of Dairy Science presents the most comprehensive look yet at the virus's impact and calls for a unified response. With current science pointing to complex transmission dynamics and broad consequences, the authors argue that only a One Health approach, taking into account the intersection of animal and human health with that of the environment, can effectively combat H5N1 and prevent future outbreaks. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-comprehensive-urges-health-approach-tackle.html Agriculture Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:13:04 EDT news674410381 New research shows how cattle are coping with searing summertime heat while grazing on rangeland, which could help prairie ranchers better understand how to manage their herds in a warming climate. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-hot-range-cattle-cope-extreme.html Ecology Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:16:52 EDT news674126209 Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and can spread to people from a variety of foods, including beef. Understanding how and why cattle become infected with Salmonella is an important part of fighting this major public health concern. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-diet-impact-salmonella-prevalence-cattle.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:50:01 EDT news673771448 Researchers at USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are investigating the microbial communities carried by house flies to enhance disease monitoring and reduce the risk of disease transmission by fly-borne pathogens in livestock, ultimately protecting our food supply and public health. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-scientists-silver-lining-adult-house.html Plants & Animals Wed, 23 Jul 2025 16:12:55 EDT news672505964 Uncharacteristically wet weather this year has left many producers across the state with a growing weed problem, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-year-prompts-weed-crops.html Ecology Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:08:35 EDT news671875708 The infectious and multi-resistant cattle disease Salmonella Dublin can be fatal to both humans and animals and causes significant losses for farmers. Although Denmark has attempted to eradicate the disease since 2008, it has not yet succeeded. A study from the University of Copenhagen published in Agricultural Economics points to possible reasons—and the necessary solutions. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-dangerous-variant-salmonella-eradicated-danish.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:23:04 EDT news670501382 As the dairy industry increasingly adopts automation with the use of sensors and robotics, researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife are helping producers harness this evolving technology to help optimize production and improve the health and well-being of dairy cattle. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-advances-precision-dairy-ai-powered.html Biotechnology Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:56:05 EDT news670089362 Moderate cattle grazing on public lands does not reduce sage-grouse nest success, according to a newly published 10-year University of Idaho study. The findings suggest sage-grouse and cows can coexist on the same land in southern Idaho. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-cattle-grazing-effect-sage-grouse.html Ecology Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:10:01 EDT news670067314 The U.S. government plans to open what amounts to a fly factory by the end of the year, announcing its intent Wednesday to breed millions of the insects in Texas near the border with Mexico as part of an effort to keep a flesh-eating parasite from infesting American cattle. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-fly-factory-texas-flesh-parasite.html Agriculture Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:53:20 EDT news669527589 An interdisciplinary research team involving the Research Institute of Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf and the Universities of Rostock, Munich and Vienna has discovered that willow leaves have the potential to drastically reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from cattle farming. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-cattle-additive-nitrogen-emissions.html Ecology Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:11:03 EDT news669399061