Dairy Nutrition
A late first cutting can reduce forage quality across the entire season, making timing one of the most important calls in spring alfalfa management.
Corn silage performance comes down to a handful of decisions in the field and at the bunk that ultimately show up in how cows eat and how much they produce.
While global production climbed in 2025, the latest Alltech survey highlights a diverging landscape of North American contraction and rapid commercialization in Africa and Asia.
Feed shrink is taking a bite out of profits between storage and the bunk.
Energy balance is only half the battle. Rumen-protected choline provides the essential “shipping crates” needed to clear the liver and prevent post-calving crashes.
Taking time to inspect bunkers, silos and bags now can help catch small issues early.
From close-up diet setup to on-farm treatment decisions, these expert-backed steps help reduce both clinical and subclinical milk fever.
For producers striving to deliver consistent, high-quality colostrum to newborn calves, the most important management window may begin much earlier than previously thought.
A newer pre-fresh strategy is gaining traction across U.S. dairies, offering a way to manage hypocalcemia without relying on acidification.
Emerging research suggests milk fever may be less about calcium deficiency and more about how inflammation and metabolism interact during the transition period.
In Brazil’s driest regions, sorghum silage offers a lower-cost, drought-tolerant alternative.
Boot stage or soft-dough? The timing of triticale harvest can change what your cows get from the feed.
Camelina may be unfamiliar to many, but it’s emerging as a low-risk option for smarter crop rotations.
With BMR corn becoming less available, short-stature corn is emerging as a silage option that can still improve fiber digestibility.
The importance of colostrum in raising healthy, productive calves only continues to grow as we learn more about it.
As seed companies phase out brown midrib corn silage hybrids, producers are reevaluating how to maintain forage quality and milk production without the once-popular option.
When it comes to colostrum, more isn’t always better.
With 86% of North American feed ingredient samples testing above the risk threshold for mycotoxins, livestock may face stacked biological stress.
Beef-on-dairy steers need better fiber than conventional cattle to perform their best.
Virtually all calf starter grain formulations in the U.S. currently lean on soybean meal as their main protein source. But researchers at Kansas State University are looking at an interesting alternative – distillers grain.
Updated guidelines from USDA and HHS urge Americans to focus on protein, full-fat dairy, fruit and veggies and avoid processed foods.
By treating data collection as a strategic tool rather than a routine task, feed efficiency can become more than a number.
Knowing the forces that shape feed efficiency is only half the story; the next step is using them to your advantage.
Choosing the right hybrids and learning from last year’s harvest can set up a stronger silage season.
Switching from milk replacer to whole milk can make financial sense, but it requires careful planning and management.
By providing microbial metabolites directly, postbiotics help calves develop stronger gut defenses and support cows as they move through the biologically demanding transition period.
Experts say it’s time to feed colostrum according to quality not habit. When it comes to calf immunity, more volume isn’t always better.