This specially curated collection features five reviews of current and key research on crops as livestock feed. The first chapter reviews the impact of feeding ruminants cereal grains on animal physiology and health. The chapter explores the use of starch-containing cereal grains as a feedstuff to improve animal efficiency and performance, as well as to reduce the environmental footprint of ruminant animal production. The second chapter discusses key environmental trade-offs in the use of crops as livestock feed. It reviews key elements in trade-off analysis and explores opportunities for making better use of existing feed resources and producing more feed biomass of higher fodder quality. The third chapter reviews ways of optimising the use of barley for animal feed, from production and breeding through to the application of new technologies such as near infrared spectroscopy and molecular markers. The fourth chapter reviews the use of sorghum as an important source of fodder and forage. It reviews the different types of sorghum used for forage and other applications, and then provides a detailed discussion of the use of forage sorghum as feed for ruminants. The final chapter discusses the use of soybean meal (SBM) as an animal feed. It assesses the nutritional content of SBM, as well dealing with its anti-nutritive compounds in optimising its use.

This specially curated collection features four reviews of current and key research on metabolic disorders in dairy cattle. The first chapter reviews the prevalence, etiology and effects of ruminal acidosis, as well as ways to counteract it through regulation of ruminal pH. The chapter includes a case study on subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) in the post-partum phase of the transition period. The second chapter assesses the main pathways for rumen fermentation which is a major factor in efficient transformation of nutrients. It discusses factors influencing the efficiency of microbial growth as well as the interactions between rumen energy and nitrogen metabolism in ensuring efficient digestion and avoiding metabolic disorders. The third chapter investigates the genetics of improving feed intake efficiency which has significant potential in reducing metabolic disorders. The chapter reviews key challenges in developing genomic selection indices for feed intake, including recording feed intake, pooling genetic data and establishing genomic breeding values for feed efficiency. The fourth chapter discusses how cereal grains impact feed efficiency in cattle. It reviews how cereal grains can be used to improve feed efficiency and the microbiology of cereal grain fermentation. The chapter also discusses ways of avoiding acidosis and other negative feed effects.

After her traumatic breakup with international musician Flynn Black (from Humbucker Pickup and "FLYNN "), ingenue musician Virginia LaCaulle tries to move on. From her Premiere Arrondisemont Apartment in Paris, Virginia seeks to heal her body, mind, and spirit. Armed with extreme talent in playing guitar and with a global music corporation on standby, Virginia decides to conquer her fears one at a time: stagefright, creative composition, and the worst of all...dating. With Flynn far away and his best friend band mate Philip Hagan at her side, Virginia sets out to conquer the world...and show everyone the mistake Flynn made. Find out what she's been up to.

After a professional comeback that establishes him as one of the most popular international musicians in music history, rock star Flynn Black (from Humbucker Pickup) seeks to move on after the greatest catastrophe of his personal life: abandoning his soulmate ingenue Virginia LaCaulle to go on tour. Moving to California to continue his career, Flynn is quickly enraptured by the beauty and brains of the elegant film star Jamie Dhue. Their worlds collide in outrageous glitz and glamour, but unfortunately they both know that the only thing harder than being a rock and roll star, is being in love with one. Join Flynn for the second volume of Dylan Davis' Dallas Street Anthology.