The lower the stress these guys feel, the better they put on weight.

Agricultural researchers are always looking for ways to maximize the value of crops and livestock. Farming is a tough business, typically with small margins, so every little bit helps.  For example, livestock put in “stressful” situations can end up having their growth rate slowed—that is, it can take them longer to put on weight.  Anything that slows the growth rate ends up costing more money.  So at Iowa State they took a look at the effects of a gel supplement on reducing the stress at vaccination time for weanling pigs.  They measured the growth rate with a platform scale.

For further information visit www.ans.iastate.edu.

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