Dairy Nutrition
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.
Live microbes are reshaping dairy nutrition, offering new tools to support gut health, rumen stability and production efficiency from calf to cow.
Prebiotic supplementation is beneficial for dairy calf health and development, and may improve milk yield in lactating cows.
Analysis of almost 1,500 liver samples from beef and dairy cattle reveals persistent trace mineral deficiencies affecting herd health.
Understanding and managing ketosis in dairy cows is crucial for maximizing both herd health and productivity, especially during the transition period from precalving to 100 days after calving.
What if you had a crystal ball to help you choose the best nutrition program to achieve the optimal outcomes for your calves? With a new tool called CalfSim, much of that vision is now possible.
The dairy industry faces a seismic shift as Corteva exits the BMR corn business, leaving farmers and nutritionists searching for alternatives.
Driven by a dual need to enhance sustainability and optimize farm profit, understanding feed efficiency is becoming essential for modern dairy farmers. But what exactly is feed efficiency, how can it be influenced, and should it be a measure used on your farm?
For decades, researchers have explored the influence of dam nutrition on offspring performance. Now, the dairy industry is taking a page from that book, exploring the intricacies of how and what we feed to dairy dams to improve the health and productivity of their calves, without sacrificing theirs.
The economic decisions involved in heifer management are not just about immediate costs. They are a long-term investment strategy that can determine the future productivity and profitability of a dairy farm. Choosing which heifers to keep, which to sell, and how to feed and care for them requires a deft balancing act. Factors such as genetics, health and market demand all play a role.
A new line of biofuels may add to the supply of co-products for dairy lactating and heifer diets. More DDGS and similar corn components from the manufacturing of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) could fit neatly and sustainably into many dairy nutrition plans.
The Budweiser plant in Columbus, Ohio, has an additional demographic — 600 Holstein cows
The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists.
When it comes to nutrition, we certainly aren’t in Kansas anymore.
Focusing on the fundamentals of feedbunk practices is often all it takes to support healthier, more productive cows.
Silage harvest moves fast, and so do the risks. Clear communication and thoughtful preparation can help keep crews safe and the season on track.
In the quest to reduce methane emissions by cattle, grazing animals have been left out of the picture thus far. That may be changing with a new commercial additive under development.
Silage harvest success starts long before the chopper rolls, with early planning, plant monitoring and team coordination key to capturing high-quality feed.
Knowing the different forms of milk fever and when they’re most likely to show up can help you and your team catch problems early, fine-tune prevention strategies and keep fresh cows on their feet from the start.
As ethanol plants adopt new technologies to separate and concentrate nutrients, the resulting high-protein byproducts are reshaping feeding strategies.
Colostrum supplies can often drop as temperatures cool and days shorten, but smart planning and management can help you beat the seasonal slump.
Most commercial milk replacers have been formulated to contain 18-20% fat for decades. But that may be changing, based on new research shared by Dr. Marcos Marcondes from the W. H. Miner Institute, West Chazy, NY.
New research shows adding dry colostrum replacer powder directly to moderate-quality colostrum can safely boost its immune value.
Buffers can often be an overlooked tool in dairy nutrition, yet they play a crucial role in maintaining rumen health, improving feed intake and helping cows cope with heat stress.
Frozen colostrum is a valuable tool for calf health, but to preserve its quality and immune benefits, dairy farms should use it within eight months, store it in non-frost-free freezers and label it clearly.
Whether conventional or high oleic, roasting soybeans makes them more palatable to cows, boosts bypass protein levels, and prevents rancidity.
Mycotoxins pose a hidden threat in dairy feed, but understanding what triggers contamination and taking early action can help protect herd health and performance.