Real Science Exchange-Dairy

Latest Episodes:

NRC Series: Dry Cows, Calves and Heifers Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

Guests: 
Dr. Jim Drackley, University of Illinois
Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University
Dr. Mike VandeHaar, Michigan State University

Tonight, we continue our discussions with the authors of each chapter of the new NASEM, formerly the dairy NRC. We’re focusing on dry cows, calves and heifers for our conversation and it should be a lively one. Here is a link to the webinar on the new report: https://bit.ly/3B5z2MZ. Also, we've got a new co-host tonight with Dr. Jeff Elliott joining us.

Dr. Bill Weiss discusses changes in the chapter regarding dry cows and transition cows. The biggest update was the changes in intake prediction, which changes every day substantially as the cow gets close to calving, making intake prediction difficult to model. There is also up-to-date discussion on all the metabolic problems within the text that doesn’t all show up in the software but is great for users to have as a reference. (7:08)

Dr. Jim Drackley discusses steam-up rations and high energy density diets. He explains there are large steps from the dry cow to the close-up cow but not a large step to the fresh cow. That is part of the problem and why they took a more moderate steam-up approach. The other problem is that cows are becoming catabolic the last few days before calving. So adjustments are made to focus on metabolism and divert nutrients to the mammary gland. (12.05)

Dr. Mike VanderHaar discussed a big change in the composition of gain. They used data from Holstein cattle instead of growing beef cattle. By doing this the intake equations are better than the last model. They also include feed factors and are size scaled. (41:44)

Dr. Jim Drackley discusses updates to the calf chapter. The requirements on the conversion of nutrients into gain are much improved because of better data based on Holstein and Jersey calf studies. (58:14)

As a reminder, we will continue breaking down the new 2021 8th Revised Edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Animals in podcasts releasing over the coming weeks. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of the new episodes. If you’d like to pre-order a copy and receive a 25% discount, visit Balchem.com/realscience and click on the NRC series for a link and the discount code.

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

NRC Series: Protein and Amino Acids Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Mark Hanigan, Virginia Tech
Dr. Jeff Firkins, The Ohio State
Dr. Hélène Lapierre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Our Dairy NRC series of Real Science webinars was very well received and tonight we are talking about the chapter on protein and amino acids.

Dr. Mark Hanigan discussed the sections his team worked on in the new NRC. First thing was updating the feed library. After the feed library was updated they identified other updates like the microbial equations and RUP equations, adjustability data for the RUP and for microbes as well as composition of the microbes. (6:49)

Dr. Jeff Firkens discussed the difference with the amino acid profile by accounting for protozoa flow which is important for lysine, because protozoa have a lot more lysine than bacteria. So they are attributing microbial protein sources as better sources of lysine. (22:02)

Dr. Hélène Lapierre discussed their updates to metabolic fecal output and urinary endogenous output since the previous data dated back to 1977. The updated data showed a large change. Endogenous urine output was twice as much as it was previously, and fecal output was much lower than it was previously. (36:36)

Dr. Mark Hanigan discussed the new milk protein yield equation and used the analogy of an assembly line. Each nutrient is a separate contributor to the assembly line and without a certain nutrient that assembly line will slow down. Once a little more of that nutrient is provided the assembly line speeds back up. (47:33)

Dr. Hélène Lapierre discussed efficiency and working with cows of the past, and their published data, to provide the specifications for cows of the future that are producing more. So the scaling factor should be based on current herd averages. (58:33)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

NRC Overview Fats & Energy Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Guests: 

Dr. Lou Armentano, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Mike Vandehaar, Michigan State University. Co-host: Dr. Glen Aines, Balchem

We are just coming off a very successful Real Science Lecture Series set of five webinars where we unveiled the new 2021 dairy NRC, a chapter at a time, and we can’t wait to have these sit-down conversations with each of our presenters and their guest.

Dr. Lou Armentano summarizes the biggest changes from the 2001 edition to the 2021 edition within the energy chapter. He explained that their resource data shows that cows have changed, therefore the maintenance requirements for cows have changed. Since cows have biologically changed with genetic selection, they use more energy to maintain themselves. So that part of the chapter needed to be updated to reflect that change. (14:19)

Dr. Lou Armentano discusses the reporting of fatty acid content in the feed. He expands upon fatty acid digestion, and how those fatty acids affect milk fat. (29:52)

Dr. Mike Vandehaar discusses frame growth, which is the true structural growth of the animal, including muscle, bone, fat, gut tissues and gut fill as well as reserve depletion, which happens in all cows even when they hit maturity. The 2001 model wouldn’t change the equation solution when you entered structural growth as a factor. So they wanted to make sure that oversight was fixed in the new model. (37:33)

Dr. Mike Vandehaar discusses feeding high starch diets versus high fiber by-products to cows through their lactation cycles. (45:47)

Dr. Mike Vanehaar stresses that you can’t just trust the model you have to watch the cows and when you make a diet change try to figure out what the cows are telling you by observing and measuring things like milk production, milk compensation, intake, and body condition score. (1:04:04)

Dr. Lou Armentano says that they have been playing with a functioning model for only about a month and a half so he encourages those who are going to use the new model to speak up if something seems to be a mistake so changes can be made to correct any issues. (1:04:40)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Dairy Producer Panel Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Guests: 
Jim Ostrom, MilkSource, with locations in Wisconsin, Michigan and Missouri
Pat Maddox, RuAnn Genetics and Maddox Dairy in California
Jonathan Lamb, Oakfield Corners Dairy and Lamb Farms in New York & Ohio
Co-host: Brian Garrison, Balchem Animal Nutrition & Health

We are so excited to come to you from the World Dairy Expo today. We are happy to be back at World Dairy Expo in Madison in 2021. We are also doing things a little different today and are welcoming three icons in the dairy industry to sit at the pub table with us – and not virtually.

To kick things off Pat Maddox discussed his genetic and commercial business and how they go hand-in-hand for the number one goal of increasing the genetics in the herd for better production, better productive life, and better health. The second goal is meeting the needs of the market and demand. This entails breeding for high indexes, breeding for show and breeding for AI. (6:07)

The producers weighed in on the discussion of the evolution of breeding for the “big cows” trait. Now in the showring and in production, it is important that the cattle be good first and not just big. The production must be considered as well. (6:54)

Jim Ostrom discussed dairy strength improvements versus big and big bones. Dairy strength is hard to physically see on an animal but when they have it they have better balance. He also discussed the improvements in mammary systems in the industry. (8:27)

Jonathan Lamb discussed improvements into the industry due to genomics. He explained that the commercial herd and the showring cattle don’t always line up on the productivity scale. Sometimes the old show cattle struggle to get pregnant and have different health traits. It’s important for showring animals to translate back to that productive commercial herd. Genomics could help breed some desirable traits into the commercial herd as well. (11:56)

Jim Ostrom discussed the importance of communication with consumers. Whether you have 50 or 50,000 social media followers all producers need to tell their story. Producers need to communicate animal care, animal health, soil erosion, sustainability, etc. Occasionally we have to be aggressive on the national stage when things are being said about our industry that are not true. (10:31)

Pat Maddox discusses his use of outsourcing in his operation to improve efficiencies. His operation outsources Human Resources and Nutrition. They use internal veterinarians because of the amount of need for veterinarians in their operations. (28:44)

Jonathan Lamb talks about establishing a culture about animal care among employees so it is a trickle-down effect. If the employees know the importance of what should and shouldn’t be done, then they will feel comfortable reporting bad behavior to those in charge. And the managers have to follow through and terminate bad actors on their farms, so it is not an ongoing issue. (30:55)

Pat Maddox discusses the role innovation plays in the industry like embryo transfer and genetics as well as biosolids. The co-op their operation belongs to is focusing on butter powder and other powder mixes that can be exported to feed the world. (41:47)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Energy Metabolism and Feed Efficiency – Feeding the Metabolic Race Car Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Paul Kononoff, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Dr. Logan Morris, Perdue AgriBusiness. Co-host is Dr. Clay Zimmerman.

As we move into the fall and new silage is going into the bunkers, we wanted to take a closer look at energy metabolism and the mechanics of feed efficiency. Let’s talk about heat production and metabolism. Dr. Paul Kononoff joined us for a webinar on August 4th, 2021, to review the basics of energetics and new science that will help feed cows better. If you want to watch the webinar, go to Balchem.com/realscience.

To kick things off, Dr. Paul Kononoff answers Scott’s question about how our understanding of energetics changed over the last 60 years. He explained the animals have changed dramatically as well as how we view energy when it is supplied to the cows. Feed characterization has changed since the sixties as well as NRC requirements of dairy cattle and how we measure it. (7:00)

Dr. Logan Morris discussed their study on factors that influence heat production. They found the two biggest factors were dry matter and body weight. Bodyweight represents the maintenance energy expenditure, which keeps the cow alive and functioning. Dry matter intake drives the rest of heat production. Higher dietary protein leads to more heat production and generates more milk protein which leads to more heat production. (15:04)

Dr. Logan Morris discusses the change in the industry over the past four or five years and how producers now face production caps and quota systems. He discussed his research on starch and fat and how higher starch increased milk yield. To produce a concentrated product for lowest milk volume, with maximum components, the study suggested feeding a lower dietary starch to prevent an increase in milk yield. (28:56)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discussed the effect energy mobilization of tissue has on feed efficiency. When looking at dairy cattle there are different physiological stages, different ages and different lactation stages. Feed efficiency can be extremely valuable and a useful proxy but can be misleading so you have to understand the conditions around it. (34:46)

Dr. Logan Morris discusses his research that shows starch and fat act differently when influencing milk protein production. (49:43)

Dr. Paul Kononoff is also participating in the new NRC release. You can view the five-webinar series from Balchem on the NRC at Balchem.com/RealScience.

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Journal Club Edition #1 Reviewing RP-Lysine and Silage Cover studies Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Paul Kononoff, University of Nebraska, and Journal of Dairy Science Editor-In-Chief. Co-host: Dr. Clay Zimmerman, Balchem

We’re excited to introduce a new segment into our podcast rotation; The Journal Club. Styled after the traditional journal clubs convened at universities across the US, we’ll take a closer look at some of the newest research being published. Once a month we will welcome Dr. Bill Weiss, Emeritus Professor from The Ohio State University, to the pub table where we will discuss selected papers that were recently published. To gain additional insight and liven up the discussion, we’ll also invite the authors to join us whenever possible.

Dr. Bill Weiss introduced two papers that the guests would discuss throughout the episode. “Effects of rumen-protected lysine and histidine on milk production and energy and nitrogen utilization in diets containing hydrolyzed feather meal fed to lactating Jersey cows” published in June 2020 by Dr. Morris and Dr. Kononoff at the University of Nebraska. The second “Effect of sealing strategy on the feeding value of corn silage for growing dairy heifers” published in March 2021 from a lab at State University of Maringá in Brazil. (1:37)

Dr. Bill Weiss discussed the first paper about feather meal. He explained that feather meal is a bargain feed, however, you get more nutrients for a cheaper product. The research was also done on Jersey cattle instead of Holsteins which is unique as there is not as much research done on Jersey cattle. (7:06)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discussed feed bypass sources and milk performance while feeding feather meal within his study. He also discussed the variance in feed composition, for example, dry matter content, crude protein, and crude fat differences of feather meal. (11:17)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discussed a theory that one of his grad students (who was also an author on the paper) brought to his attention about methane production relating to rumen-protected lysine. (29:21)

Dr. Bill Weiss discussed the second study about feeding corn silage to dairy heifers. He explained the silage sealing and feeding processes used within the study. (41:11)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discussed palatability and animal behavior as it relates to the silage study. A producer has to consider the economics of affecting feed intake with picky animals. Is the saved cost worth a loss in intake? (47:06)

Chart Referenced as Table 7 on page 11 of the paper.

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Your Practical Guide to Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis; Dr. Jim Wallace, Dairy Management, Inc.; Dr. Juan Tricarico, Dairy Management, Inc. and Caleb Harper, Dairy Scale for Good

In May 2021 the Florida Ruminant Nutrition Conference’s Preconference Symposium titled, “Your Practical Guide to Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions” welcomed five speakers and a Q&A session to follow. This was sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition & Health. What you’re about to hear is that Q&A session. Full presentations can be found here.

Dr. Jim Wallace discussed the decision for the 2050 goal for net zero emissions. He said that the 30-year goal provides an adequate window and runway for more innovations. He also touched upon three ways to reduce emissions within the dairy industry by focusing on manure, energy and feed production. (4:42)

Caleb Harper discussed his background in the greenhouse industry and talked about the similarities he sees with cross ventilated barns and greenhouses. Cross ventilated barns are allowing producers to reduce emissions by using new technologies. (13:10)

Dr. Frank Mitloehner played out a scenario with his students in the classroom by asking about technology in human health first then technology in agriculture second. He claimed that the overwhelming majority were in favor of technology in human health but were against technology in animal agriculture. He also pointed out that there are more patents in a tomato than in a smart phone. (18:16)

Dr. Juan Tricarico discussed his study on byproducts fed in the dairy industry. His study focused on removing those byproducts from the diet to see if they could limit emissions. By removing byproducts from the diet they could reduce emissions but where would those byproducts go if they were not being used by the dairies? The byproducts produce less emissions being digested by the cow than they would in the landfill where the nutrients would also be wasted. (39:22)

Dr. Frank Mitloehner discussed nitrates being high in California water. Some California dairies must purchase drinking water because the nitrates are so high in their water supply. He pressed that there are more components to focus on, besides methane and greenhouse emissions, when it comes to the bigger picture of the environment and sustainability. (58:46)

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Calves Are Your Future. Are You Investing Wisely? Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Bob James, Down Home Heifer Solutions and Dr. Ed Kreykes, GPS Dairy Consulting.

Calves are the future of every operation and represent a huge investment in both time and money before they make it to the milking string. But those first two years are the foundation for the rest of their productive lives. Tonight, we get to talk all things calves. From colostrum processes to feeding protocols. We are joined by Dr. Glen Aines as this week's co-host.

Dr. Bob James discusses the importance of raising dairy calves. Since the producer doesn’t see the end result, it can be hard for them to justify the cost of gain. He referenced the beef industry’s focus on calf development and how the dairy industry can work on calf health and their productivity later in life by focusing on nutrition and development within the beginning stages of life. 8:15

Dr. Ed Kreykes jumps in to discuss the importance of colostrum, testing colostrum, and pasteurizing colostrum if certain levels are reached during testing. He agrees with Dr. James that maternity pen maintenance, as well as cow and calf care and handling, is important especially within the first hour after birth. 12:02

Dr. Bob James provides insights into his research success with automatic feeders and how mortalities and morbidities were low. He also mentions calfblog.com and how he uses the blog to educate and teach producers how to use the automatic feeding systems. The technology is great, but producers need to understand the benefits and how to use the system properly. 21:00

Both our guests discuss the importance of having a good calf manager – an employee that excels at paying attention to the calves and notices the small details within the calf herd. Dr. Kreykes also mentions the “MBWA method” aka Management By Walking Around, and how visually observing the calves will provide different information than the automatic feeder. 28:08

Finally, Dr. Bob James shares research on average daily gain during the first 45 – 60 days of life and how it had as much impact on productivity as the animal’s genetics. He also highlights the mammary gland development and how nutrition can have a potentially positive effect on a cow’s later performance. 50:00

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Transition Cows, Looking in the Rear-View Mirror as We Speed into the Future Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

Guests: Dr. Ric Grummer, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dr. Jesse Goff, Iowa State University; Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tonight is our second installment of what we call our legacy series. The legacy series honor those individuals that have a profound impact on our industry. For this conversation, we're going to zero in on the history of transition cow management. We are joined by Dr. Ric Grummer and Dr. Heather White from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Jesse Goff of Iowa State University.

Dr. Ric Grummer discusses the transition cow and the feeding process of pre and postpartum cows from an energy deficit standpoint as well as the lactation dry periods. 8:00

Moving into today’s research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Heather White discusses her work on liver cells. She discusses the different studies on cells done by manipulating treatments and then using that data to determine what to do in a cow study without using thousands of cows in the process. 23:47

The discussion continues with Dr. Jesse Goff sharing about his studies involving milk fever. These studies branched off of a Norwegian scientist’s studies on AIV silage and making haylage by pouring hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid onto the forages. 31:45

Then Dr. Heather White discusses NEFA and the profile of fatty acids. She discussed manipulating the fatty acids in the blood and the impacts of those fatty acids. 43:00

As a veteran of the field, Dr. Jesse Goff discusses where he sees the future of immunology. He discussed his studies on the effects of calcium as well as manipulation of the immune system. He also discussed the options to help treat animals coming out of the COVID pandemic by manipulating messenger RNA to boost various immunological parameters to boost the immune system at the right time. 47:42

A fruitful area of research around protein imbalance was discussed by Dr. Ric Grummer and how it effects the postpartum cow. 55:00

Dr. Jesse Goff and Dr. Ric Grummer discuss more on the transition cow and how there is still a lot of research to be done on storage of protein during lactation and transition cycles. 58:40

As promised, “The Grummertini” also known as a Tangueray Martini Up & Dirty with Ric’s variations
Tangueray Gin
Up (no ice cubes)
Dirt on the side (side of olive juice)
Shaken & Poured

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Transgenerational Impact of Poultry Diets Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

Guests: 
Dr. Chris Ashwell, North Carolina State University
Chandler Keck, Graduate Student, North Carolina State University

Tonight, we're going to switch it up a little bit and address some issues within the monogastric realm, but the ideas are ones that are generating a lot of interest across all segments of animal agriculture. And that topic is transgenerational inheritance.

Dr. Chris Ashwell discusses different research studies supplementing nutrients inside of the egg. He described a study that introduced a nutrient to the egg that ultimately had a negative influence on another trait. Trying to understand the equilibrium is always important. 10:30

Chandler Keck described his research and dissertation focusing on various stressors, mainly stocking density and feed restrictions, in poultry and how they affect each bird, as well as the transgenerational effects to the progeny of that bird. 13:45

The conversation then went on for Dr. Chris Ashwell to discuss clones of highly productive milking females in the dairy industry and how that relates to the poultry industry. The difference between species is, birds and reptiles have higher rates of new mutations, or variants in their sequences. The poultry industry is taking advantage of that by focusing on specific characteristics within superior individuals to change the heritability of these characteristics over time, instead of cloning. 20:00

Adding to the conversation, cohost Dr. Zack Lowman discussed a few research projects he worked on regarding early life feeding changes. Some producers are trying to get the birds as big as they can, as fast as they can, but their skeletal structures cannot support the weight at that early stage. He also discussed the research being done on sex ratios, and the statistical differences in poultry. 23:33

We continue with Dr. Chris Ashwell discussing the importance of more data for industry efficiencies and optimization of animal agriculture. But we also must be aware of how consumers are viewing our products in terms of animal welfare. We can grow a safe, efficient food supply, but must be cognizant of consumer concerns. 25:29

Both our guest experts discuss the financial impacts of restricted feeding and if the resources used on the individual bird will be amplified in the enormous population structure in a positive or negative way. 38:07

Closing out the conversation, Dr. Chris Ashwell discusses the idea of machine learning for big data. In machine learning you can analyze data you are currently focused on, while also seeing trends over time. Patterns might be discovered that are not being seen when focusing on certain values. 59:03

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