1. UC Davis completes $108M renovation of animal health and food safety lab
By Lizzie Kane
Sacramento Bee
November 6, 2026
California's $108 million renovation and expansion of its Animal Health and Food Safety Turlock Laboratory is complete. The new 44,000 square-foot lab replaces a 5,000 square-foot facility the California Department of Food and Agriculture called "antiquated." The renovation project began in 2023 and was funded by the state in 2021.
The renovation was led by the Department of General Services, which worked with CDFA and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a statement that the new lab will "strengthen our ability to rapidly detect, respond to and contain animal diseases, protecting both our livestock industry and public health."
"As home to the nation's largest and most diverse agricultural economy, California must remain at the forefront of innovation in animal health and disease detection," Ross said. "This facility comes at a critical time and significantly expands the capacity needed to meet the challenges of today and the future."
The Turlock lab is one of four in California operated by the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and will house 50 CDFA and lab system employees. It previously housed fewer than 20 employees, according to the state agriculture department. All four labs focus on livestock and poultry health, public health and the food supply, including by testing for animal diseases such as bird flu and conducting food safety inspections.
Full text: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article317888136.html
2. Glowing biosensor tracks cell division in chickens
Fluorescent technology supports research into development and disease in avian species.
The Roslin institute
Feedstuffs
November 6, 2026
Scientists have developed a system to visualize how cells grow and divide in chickens. The system uses fluorescent proteins that make cells glow in different colors as they move through the different stages of the cell cycle.
This allows researchers to observe cell division and growth in live cells and tissues of developing embryos and is the first time this has been achieved in an avian species. This system will support research into understanding vertebrate development, disease and infection response.
The research team developed a new version of an established technology known as Fucci (Fluorescent ubiquitination cell cycle indicator), which enables visualization of glowing markers to indicate various cell cycle states.
These were introduced into chicken germ cells, which were transplanted into surrogate host embryos. Once hatched, the resulting males were used to generate embryos carrying the fluorescent cell cycle reporter system.
Full text: https://www.feedstuffs.com/poultry/glowing-biosensor-tracks-cell-division-in-chickens
3. Watch video of October 7, 2026, ZOHU Call
CDC
November 9, 2026
Presentations:
The emergence and evolution of H5N1 viruses in United States dairy cattle
Tavis K. Anderson, Ph.D., Research Biologist
National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Oh, the Places You'll Go - Cattle movement and H5N1
Nicki Humphrey, DVM, Veterinarian Specialist Livestock
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Watch the video: https://tinyurl.com/288smkhk
4. Putting a price on pig health
How much more will shoppers pay?
By Babatope Akinyemi and Janice Siegford, Michigan State University Extension
National Hog Farmer
November 9, 2026
Precision livestock farming, or PLF, gives farmers a closer look at every pig. Cameras and sensors can flag a pig that is sick, hurt or stressed long before a person might notice. Early action can mean healthier, calmer pigs.
But buying and running these tools is not cheap. If farmers invest in PLF to improve pig welfare, will shoppers help cover the cost? And does it matter how much the pigs' lives improve? To find out, we asked 4,004 U.S. pork shoppers to make a series of buying choices.
How the study worked
Each shopper picked between two packages of fresh pork loin or chose to buy neither. Each package carried labels with one to three stars. The stars showed how much PLF had improved three areas of pig welfare:
Physical health: good food, a clean pen, daily care and quick vet treatment
Mental health: less fear, stress and suffering, and more positive feelings
Natural behavior: space and chances to explore, root, play and rest
Each area could show no improvement, or a low, moderate or great improvement. The packages also differed in price, U.S. origin and a carbon-neutral label. From the choices people made, we estimated how many extra dollars per pound they would pay for each improvement.
Full text: https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/livestock-management/putting-a-price-on-pig-health
5. DCHA Webinar Addresses What Can Be Done to Prevent Liver Abscesses [cattle]
MorningAgClips.com
November 9, 2026
NEW PRAGUE, Minn. - "A Gut Feeling: Understanding Liver Abscesses in Beef × Dairy Cattle" headlines the Nov. 16 Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) webinar. Colten Dornbach, Elanco Animal Health beef technical consultant, will serve as the presenter for this free, one-hour webinar, which starts at 1 p.m. Central time (Chicago time).
To register for the webinar, go to: https://bit.ly/ELANCO111626.
Liver abscesses are an important challenge in beef × dairy cattle, with reported prevalence exceeding 50% in some populations and occurring at substantially higher rates than in native beef cattle. But why are beef × dairy animals seemingly more susceptible and what can be done to reduce the risk? This webinar will explore the connection between gut health and liver abscess development, including how damage and disruptions to the gastrointestinal epithelium can allow Fusobacterium necrophorum and other bacteria to enter the portal circulation and reach the liver. Dornbach will examine current industry trends and the growing importance of liver abscesses in beef × dairy production, including their potential impact on animal performance, carcass value and profitability.
Full text: https://www.morningagclips.com/dcha-webinar-addresses-what-can-be-done-to-prevent-liver-abscesses/
6. Suspected botulism behind Utah horse deaths; feed gets recalled
By AGDAILY Reporters
AgDaily.com
November 9, 2026
What began as a devastating October for one southern Utah horse owner has developed into a multistate investigation involving suspected botulism, more than a dozen reported horse deaths, and a voluntary recall of alfalfa hay cubes.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is investigating reports of horses becoming seriously ill or dying after consuming feed potentially linked to a common source. Cases have been reported in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, while an Idaho equine hospital has also warned of suspected cases involving alfalfa cubes.
Although preliminary findings point toward botulism, state officials emphasize that the cause has not been confirmed through final laboratory testing.
Laub's Feeding and Cubing has voluntarily recalled alfalfa hay cubes sold beginning October 3. State inspectors have also placed a hold on sales of the product while samples undergo testing.
"We are actively investigating, but without test results, we are unable to officially confirm the cause and source of these recent horse deaths," Utah State Veterinarian Amanda Price said. "Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that horse owners who have purchased hay cubes from Laub's Feeding and Cubing after Oct. 3 not use the feed."
Full text: https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/suspected-botulism-behind-utah-horse-deaths-prompts-feed-recall/