Weekly Livestock-Equine News: May 19, 2025

Clemson identifies antibiotic-free ways to treat gut disease in chickens

Clemson University researchers say natural products like black cumin, kefir and bacteriophages may be just as effective as antibiotics in treating necrotic enteritis, or gut disease, in chickens. Clemson cited a 2021 USDA study showing that household spending on antibiotic-free poultry increased by 7% to 11% annually over a six-year period.

USDA Secretary Rollins says Proposition 12 is a slippery slope

Speaking to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins agreed with lawmakers that a patchwork of laws similar to California Proposition 12 and other government regulations could put small farmers out of business. Prop 12 mandates that Californians have access to food that is sourced from humanely and sustainably raised animals, regardless of where they were raised.

New veterinary teaching hospital is critical for Oklahoma, says OSU president

Oklahoma State University President Dr. Jim Hess is urging state lawmakers to approve $295 million in funding for a new veterinary teaching hospital, calling the issue critical to Oklahoma’s food supply, public health and agricultural economy. “The current facility was designed to accommodate about 60 students,” he said. “We have about 155 students who are being trained every day in the animal teaching hospital.”

Staff exodus at US farm agency leaves fewer experts to battle bird flu

Hundreds of veterinarians, support staff and lab workers – 16% of all staff – at the animal health arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture have left under the administration’s push for resignations. The departures come as the country battles bird flu and faces the encroachment of New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating pest detected among cattle in Mexico.

Cultivated meat must be labeled ‘imitation meat product’ in Indiana

Indiana has enacted a two-year ban on the sale, production and labeling of “cultivated meat.” The moratorium, which will take effect on July 1, 2025, prohibits the sale of lab-grown meat unless it adheres to strict labeling requirements, including a clear statement that the product is an “imitation meat product.”

Milk producers like House reconciliation proposal

The National Milk Producers Federation said it is pleased that the House Agriculture Committee’s reconciliation proposal extends the Dairy Margin Coverage program through 2031. The program offers financial assistance when the margin between the all-milk price and average feed cost falls below a coverage level chosen by the producer.