Latest News From Dairy Nutrition

While many dairies think they are held hostage to the announcement milk price, this is not always the case. 

. Don’t let these three myths deprive your calves of high-quality nutrition!

How nice it would be to be able to give every calf a treatment that would help safeguard their health, promote growth, and set them up for more successful lifetime performance.

An esophageal tube feeder can be a lifeline for young calves, delivering colostrum, milk or electrolytes when they are unable to suckle a bottle. But incorrect use of these feeders can be dangerous or even deadly.

Here are 10 tips to help establish a better alfalfa stand in 2020.

Mis-managed pre-fresh animals not only tend to cost money after calving, but can also cause added headaches and frustration.

As the mercury drops, the nutritional needs of preweaned calves go up.

​​​​​​​New studies from Europe suggest spices can provide benefits beyond a more tasty TMR.

Ask about about fiber and starch digestibility and milk making potential.

A key to preventing such surprises is to ensure the nutrients we are providing to the cow stay consistent.

In its annual survey, the Biomin PROcheck Mycotoxin Report found contamination levels in 2019 harvested corn to be of medium to high risk for all livestock and poultry species.

The most common calfhood disease is diarrhea.

Looking to 2020, regional supply and demand will continue to be the driving force behind the swing in hay acres and prices.

If feed isn't mixed and fed properly, balancing rations to the nth decimal point doesn't really matter.

With the challenges of the 2019 growing and harvest season in the Midwest and Northeast, a lot of forage was put up under less than ideal conditions.

Here we count down the top 10 nutrition articles that made dairy headlines in 2019.

Could a simple administration of “good” digestive bugs improve the health of young calves?

In all animal species, we are learning more about how the habits and behaviors that young animals develop imprint lifelong behaviors. Dairy calves are no exception.

Research should be conducted that looks at the new product or practice as the sole variable in the trial.

Tough conditions mean cow diets could be lacking one major component: Starch.

The top 20% of cows need six percent less feed to produce the same amount of milk as the bottom 20%.

Warm milk is necessary to maintain calves body temperatures and conserve energy.

After Halloween and Thanksgiving, put pumpkins in cattle rations instead of the dump.

The best of intentions in feeding more liquid nutrients sometimes produces the negative consequence of scours.

A total forage inventory should be done at least quarterly. After each specific crop is harvested, the forage inventory should be updated with the new amounts and inventoried by quality.

Weight at calving not only determines first-lactation performance, it sets in stone lifetime performance.

The transition period, known as the three weeks before and after parturition, is one of the most challenging times for dairy cows.

If you’re considering selling some of your wet grain to livestock owners, it’s important you determine who will test for mycotoxins. The season’s weather and conditions could mean mycotoxins spring up.

The accelerated milk replacer provides about twice as much dry matter per calf per day as traditional replacers.

Starter grain plays an important role in both rumen development and readiness for weaning in young calves.

The colostrum you fed a heifer calf this morning is one of the main predictors of her health as both a calf and a cow.

Nutrition has emerged as the No. 1 reason for reproductive failure.

“The reality is, bale density, or the hardness of the bale, has a heck of a lot to do with your return on investment.”

Milk fat, cost and feed efficiency play tug-of-war in research published this month on how much to feed your cattle.

Costs associated with the cropping enterprise are extremely important whether a producer has a livestock operation or growing cash crops.

The number of options in the grocery store can be overwhelming. This infographic can help you make the best decision for your family.

Cargill’s animal nutrition and health group will consist of three units: Cargill Animal Nutrition, combining feed, nutrition and pre-mix businesses; Cargill Aqua Nutrition; and the new Cargill Health Technologies.

Electrolytes have long been known to hydrate, and milk’s abundance makes it more hydrating than water.

One Instagram hashtag is fighting childhood hunger AND helping dairy farmers. Are you using it?

You may think you’re feeding cattle, but new research suggests the key is the rumen microbes within those cattle. Technology is providing a research breakthrough.

Here we count down the top 10 nutrition articles that made dairy headlines in 2019.

When an auto-feeder calf barn proved to be too expensive, this positive-pressure barn equipped with mob feeders is proving to be a viable alternative.

Late planting and a potentially early frost will make this year's corn silage crop challenging to feed.

Aggressively consuming dry feeds is the gateway to healthy weaning for young dairy calves.

High stocking density and restricted feed access increase the risk of sub-acute rumen acidosis with greater time spent below rumen pH of 5.8.

Take a moment to meet with harvest staff to go through safety guidelines.

The next lactation starts at the end of the previous lactation.

When you’re processing and putting up silage in any type of structure, it’s a complicated job, and potentially dangerous.  

A cow’s calcium demand triples in the week after calving, but how can you best deliver calcium?

New research highlights the potential of rumen microbes in milk production, breeding, and methane emissions.