Podcasts about Animal nutrition

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Microbial protein has always been Dr. Frikins' main interest. It's the most important and consistent source of protein for the cow, with a very high amino acid content. Histidine is the only exception, but bypass protein sources high in histidine complement microbial protein well. Our assessment of microbial protein is all based on prediction models. In his presentation, Dr. Firkins talked about what we can do to have consistently high microbial protein production and how to make the best use of the models. He touched on starch and fat content as two areas of focus, emphasizing a balanced diet to achieve a balanced supply of microbial protein. (5:36)Dr. Firkins notes that about 90% of the bacteria in the rumen can't be cultured, and there is great diversity in the rumen. There's a core group of bacteria that almost every cow has that are really good at their job because they've been co-selected along with the cow for fiber digestion. The panel discusses how much the microbiome changes over time, host interactions with the microbial population, and inoculation of calves at birth and weaning. (8:47)Dr. De Souza and Dr. Faciola talk about starch associative effects and their impacts on fiber digestibility, how sugars impact the rumen and butyrate production, and the importance of butyrate in de novo milk fat synthesis. Dr. Frikins hypothesizes that when sugars improve fiber digestibility, the sugar stimulates how fiber digesters do their job. Some studies have shown an increase in rumen pH when sugars are supplemented, which may be part of the mechanism of improved fiber digestibility. However, he doesn't recommend using sugars when there is a lot of starch in the diet. (13:38)Dr. Faciola and Dr. Firkins discuss some of the finer points of the dietary starch and fiber digestibility relationship. What are you replacing when you add more starch? What is the proper amount of effective fiber in higher-starch diets? On the other hand, if you decrease starch a little bit, there might be more room for fat. Well-managed cows with adequate effective fiber can probably handle more starch. Dr. Firkins underlines that starch is more digestible than fiber and thus supports microbial protein, but an optimum level is desirable, perhaps 28-20%. (20:37)The panel talks about microbial growth efficiency and the energy-spilling mechanisms some bacteria have. Some models suggest that starch-digesting bacteria have higher maintenance energy requirements. The group then pivots to methane production and available feed additives marketed to reduce methane. Dr. Firkins notes that there is quite a bit of variability in the additives. He emphasizes that if we're using these products, we need to know and measure what's in them and have them be consistent. This is challenging due not only to variability in product, but also rumen adaptation. Dr. Firkins also reminds the audience that improving the cow's efficiency in general in a variety of ways will lead to a smaller environmental footprint. This can range from improving reproductive efficiency to understanding differences in the microbiome of cows who emit more or less methane and trying to shift microbial populations to those with lower emissions. (23:12)Dr. De Souza and Dr. Firkins discuss fatty acid supplementation and fiber digestion relationships. Dr. Firkins explains that in the microbiology literature, it's common to culture bacteria in a simple or complex medium, then add yeast culture. Interestingly, the yeast culture contains a lot of palmitic acid, which has been shown to improve fiber digestibility. He suggests the cell membrane of the bacteria is very critical. When fat supplementation depresses fiber digestibility, he suspects it's disrupting the bacterial membrane. Dr. De Souza recommends 1-2% palmitic acid in the diet for optimal results. (33:58)The panel touches on the importance and relevance of in vitro fermentation work, why histidine is the limiting amino acid in microbial protein, and Dr. Firkins' passion for protozoa. (43:08)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (53:40)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Lars Reimann and Kari Nichols from Eurofins Scientific explain the science behind analytical testing and regulatory compliance in the pet food world. They talk through the new label modernization rules, why ingredient consistency matters, and what makes testing fiber and shelf life so tricky. You'll also hear how lab methods are adapting to keep up with industry demands. Tune in now on your favorite podcast platform!"Crude fiber remains a necessary component in determining calories from carbohydrates, despite no longer being listed on pet food product labels." - Kari NicholsMeet the guests: Lars Reimann, Chief Scientific Officer at Eurofins Scientific, brings over 35 years of experience helping pet food clients navigate analytical, nutritional, and regulatory testing.Kari Nichols, Vertical Business Development Manager for Pet & Animal Nutrition, has 11 years of experience in lab services, specializing in food safety and label compliance.Dr. James Templeman & Lindsay Meyers: Raw Pet Food | Ep. 96Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:01) Introduction(03:37) Labeling regulation changes(06:00) Dietary vs crude fiber(12:54) Fiber testing methods(28:49) Analytical methods matter(36:57) Shelf life evaluations(42:47) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- EW Nutrition- Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition- ICC- Biorigin- Scoular

Dr. Nicholson details the high points of his presentation, including a milk price outlook, implications of changes to milk and milk component pricing that will take place in June, and changes in butterfat value over time. As a result of the pricing changes, milk component values are expected to decrease. (3:15)Net impacts on milk prices for a dairy will depend mostly on where they're located, but also a little bit on how their milk is currently priced. Dr. Nicholson expects a decrease of around $0.32/cwt for dairies in his area. The panel discusses how a dairy might shift management and feeding to try to increase milkfat to recoup that loss. Dr. Zimmerman asks if the pricing changes will affect fat and protein pricing equally or differently. Butter and other non-fat solids are all going to have the same impact every month. But protein is slightly different because the formulas for protein pricing use both the price of cheese and the price of butter, and those factors interact. Brian comments the impacts for a cheese and powder type of dairy stand to be quite different from a fluid milk dairy. Chuck talks about some of the background as to why dairy cooperatives and dairy producers voted in favor of the milk pricing changes. (8:16)The panel discusses the impact of cheese demand on component pricing and production. Billions of dollars worth of cheese processing capacity are coming online in the next couple of years, so demand should remain strong. Tariffs are definitely bringing a lot of uncertainty to the market. Some of the new cheese plants have a lot of whey processing capacity on the back end to add value. Whey products are one of our major exports. (13:54)Brian talks about the shift in what's considered an acceptable butterfat percentage over the span of his career. The panel talks about the influence of genomics and feeding management on that trend. Dr. Lock talks about a recently completed study in his lab feeding fresh cows two different levels of metabolizable protein and supplementing 0%, 1% or 2% of a 60:30 palmitic-oleic fatty acid blend. Cows fed a higher level of metabolizable protein and a 2% fatty acid blend produced 9.5 kilograms more energy-corrected milk in the first three weeks of lactation. He mentions the protein had more of an impact on milk fat than he had anticipated, that protein and fat supplementation showed additive positive effects, and there was a carryover effect after supplementation ceased. (21:04)Dr. Lock summarizes some recent work on feeding high oleic soybeans to lactating cows. The panel chats about roasting vs. not roasting soybeans, transportation costs and economics. Dr. Lock's group is now looking at feeding the oil from high-oleic beans to see how the response differs, if at all, from feeding the beans. (25:42)Dr. Nicholson predicts a pretty good margin year for 2025, forecasting about $3 above the average long-term margin, even with the upcoming milk pricing changes. The big wild card is exports and trade policy, which could have a significant impact on what margins look like going forward. (31:32)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (33:36)Scott invites the audience to Bourbon and Brainiacs at ADSA in Louisville - a bourbon tasting with all your favorite professors! Sign up here: https://balchem.com/anh/bourbon/ (37:55)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of From the Pasture with Hired Hand, Jaymie recaps the exciting second annual Appalachian Trail Sale and Futurity, held June 6th–8th in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex.Tune in as we break down the highlights, top sellers, sale averages, and standout consignments from both the Futurity and Sale. Whether you were there in person or catching up from home, this episode gives you a quick and informative rundown of all the action.Send us a textFrom the Pasture with Hired Hand:Hired Hand Websites (@hiredhandwebsites): https://hiredhandsoftware.comHired Hand Live (@hiredhandlive): https://hiredhandlive.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiredhandwebsites/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HiredHandSoftwareTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiredhandwebsitesNewsletter: https://www.hiredhandsoftware.com/resources/stay-informed

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.In 2020, the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), North American Renderers Association (NARA) and Pet Food Institute (PFI) collaborated to publish the Pet Food Consumption Report. The organizations collaborated again to publish a second edition in 2025, which Lara presented at Petfood Forum. Data sets from both brick-and-mortar sales and Amazon sales were used to create the report. (6:16)Lara explains that data analysts reverse-engineered product labels from dog and cat food and treats in the dataset to identify trends, including ingredient use, value, tonnage, upstream value, and what pet food adds to the economy. Dry dog food makes up the largest volume of sales at 55%, and also takes the number one spot in value of sales at 38%. Dry cat food is the second largest by volume (16%), followed by dog treats (11%). However, dog treats are the second largest by value (20%), followed by dry cat food (12%).  (7:57)Louise and Charles talk about trends in non-veterinary spending on pets, cultural shifts in consumer perceptions of pet ownership, pet food trends in developing countries, and consumer understanding of human and pet nutrition needs. (12:04)Lara notes that the top five ingredients in the report are chicken and chicken products, whole grains, milled grains, beef and beef products, and marine-based ingredients. Chicken and chicken products made up 2.2 million tons, while marine-based products represented about 500,000 tons. Marine products doubled in volume from the 2020 report to the 2025 report, signifying a trend of higher value, more select ingredients coming into the pet food space. Salmon and cod are the primary marine ingredients. Lara remarks that the specialty ingredients side of the report is fascinating, with items like blueberries, tomatoes, peas, beet pulp, cranberries, and flaxseed making an appearance. Louise explains the 2020 report had less than 400 ingredients, while more than 600 ingredients appear in the 2025 report. Charles notes that since the last report, there has been a slight shift to more fresh meat products and slightly less rendered products. (16:10)About half the cat and dog food is made up of upcycled ingredients. The panel discusses consumer perceptions of byproducts and co-products, the sustainability role that these products play in the industry, and their organizations' commitments to education and policy efforts. (22:27)Pet food manufacturers purchase 9.8 million tons of ingredients valued at about $13.2 billion, which then represents about $52 billion in sales. Lara talks about some of the upstream impacts of the pet food industry. Pet food is manufactured in 43 states, with the top five being Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and California. Each of these states is selling more than $700 million worth of ingredients to pet food manufacturing. Relatively few pet food ingredients are imported; amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and marine products would be the exception. Manufactured pet food has a fairly strong export market. (29:55)Lastly, panelists share their take-home thoughts. (35:56). The 2025 report is available at https://www.ifeeder.org/. You can download the full report as well as graphics, and there is a feature that allows you to create your graphs and charts with the data. Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded in Reno, Nevada, during the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference. The panel discusses their individual experiences with outbreaks in different states. Beth talks about her group's microbial surveillance technology they used to compare rectal swabs from positive and non-positive herds. They noted elevations in specific virulent E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Clostridium perfringens in the HPAI-positive herds. Enrique noted that in California, the outbreak began in the South Valley during periods of heat stress, which exacerbated symptoms. He also felt that some dairies panicked a little and moved cows too much, which did not help. In the North Valley, the outbreak happened in cooler weather, and dairies purposefully did not move cows out of their pens and provided supportive therapy within the pen. (5:25)Dr. Schcolnik emphasized making sure i's are dotted and t's are crossed in your nutrition program to help manage through an outbreak. The immune system is an obligate glucose utilizer, so energy is key, as are protein and trace minerals. He noted they also added binders to diets, and either probiotics or double doses of yeast to keep the rumen healthy. Decreasing intake is a big symptom, so he recommends vitamin B supplementation to stimulate appetite. (12:30)The panel discusses how the Texas and California outbreaks differed from one another, including heat stress, recovery in milk production after infection, bird migration and cattle movement. Enrique notes that in California, it seemed like transmission was going downwind. Animal movement, wild birds and milk trucks were also implicated. (14:31)Several companies are investing in vaccine development, but the virus mutation is a challenge. Dr. Spencer wonders if the vaccine will end up resembling the human flu vaccine where you hope to target the general structure of the virus to reduce impact. The panel talks about natural immunity and how cows will be impacted in the lactation after they were ill. Dr. Schcolnik has observed that a percentage of cows who were dry during the outbreak aren't performing as well after freshening. He hypothesizes this could be due to mammary cell death during infection, as the virus lyses the cell as it exits the cell. (24:41)The panel discusses practical recommendations for dairy producers to prepare for or help mitigate during an outbreak. Biosecurity is key. Vaccines are hopefully on the way, but until then, minimizing cattle movements within the herd, post-dipping cows as soon as possible after the machine falls off and minimizing splashing of milk are all good practices. The panel looks forward to more research about all the different ways the virus transmits. They're also eager to learn more about treatment plans and what has worked for different dairies regarding giving fluids, altering rations, boosting the immune system, managing co-infections and impacts on calves and heifers. (29:18)Lastly, panelists share their take-home thoughts. (37:33)Scott invites the audience to Bourbon and Brainiacs at ADSA in Louisville - a bourbon tasting with all your favorite professors! Sign up here: https://balchem.com/anh/bourbon/Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of From the Pasture with Hired Hand, Jaymie visits with Nelson Hearn, President of the Appalachian Trail Sale, to preview the exciting second year of this growing event. Now in a brand-new location—the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA—the 2025 Appalachian Trail Sale and Futurity is set to be bigger and better than ever.Tune in as Nelson shares what attendees can expect, including Friday's packed Futurity schedule featuring 8 classes and 144 entries, followed by a guest speaker on Animal Nutrition and a bbq dinner. On Saturday, the Sale kicks off at 11am, showcasing a strong lineup of consignments from across the country. This year also includes a special donation lot, with proceeds benefiting Wildfire and Hurricane Relief—an effort close to the hearts of many in the Longhorn industry.Whether you're consigning, attending, or watching from home, this episode offers a great overview of what's in store at the Appalachian Trail Sale.Send us a textFrom the Pasture with Hired Hand:Hired Hand Websites (@hiredhandwebsites): https://hiredhandsoftware.comHired Hand Live (@hiredhandlive): https://hiredhandlive.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiredhandwebsites/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HiredHandSoftwareTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiredhandwebsitesNewsletter: https://www.hiredhandsoftware.com/resources/stay-informed

Melted cheese over a burger – is your stomach rumbling? How about making that cheese from plant protein and the burger from insects? We need to develop ways to produce more existing sources of protein more efficiently. Animal-based protein has an important role as part of a sustainable diet and as a contributor to food security. But now is the timefor alternative sources of complementary protein for direct human consumption, and animal feed, to increase their market share. In this episode we are going to be looking at how to increase the production and market uptake of complementary proteins, with:Emanuele Zannini who has a PhD in Applied Biomolecular Science and is now a senior researcher coordinator at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork. Tuen Veldkamp, a senior researcher in Animal Nutrition at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and who is interested in testing and demonstrating innovative rearing methods to help the European insect supply chain become commercially viable.Erlend Sild the founder of the deep-tech company, BugBox, who has developed an industrial and scalable technology forsustainable protein production from crickets, providing competitive production costs and increasing efficiency using AI.

This episode was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during the 2025 Tri-State Dairy Conference. Dr. Laporta gives an overview of her presentation, focusing on the impact of heat stress during the dry period on the cow, her daughters and her granddaughters. She covers heat stress impacts on mammary gland involution, as well as fetal programming effects on the daughter and granddaughter. (3:37)Daughters of heat-stressed cows have fewer sweat glands located deeper in the skin, thicker skin and more sebaceous glands. This was observed at birth, weaning and puberty. They sweat more than heifers who weren't heat stressed in utero, but have higher rectal temperatures during the preweaning phase. Dr. Laporta hypothesizes that if those calves were exposed to additional stress, they would be more susceptible to illness because of the higher core temperature.  (6:34)The panel discusses heat stress impacts on male fetuses and the potential for epigenetic changes to be transmitted through semen. Dr. Gerloff asks about differences in the impacts of heat stress on first-calf heifers compared to older cows. Dr. Laporta describes the survival rates of heifers who were heat-stressed in utero. Heifers are lost from the herd even before first calving, with more following in first and second lactation.  (11:00)Dr. Laporta outlines the differences between heat-stressed and cooled treatments in her experiments. They measure respiration rates and rectal temperatures to assess the physiological impacts of heat stress in the cows. Scott asks how long the heat stress period needs to be in order to observe negative effects. Dr. Gerloff asks about calf mortality rates between the two groups. Dr. Laporta estimates a 12% death loss in the heat stress groups, who seem to be more susceptible to the usual calf illnesses. It appears that gut closure might occur earlier in heat-stressed calves - maybe even before birth, which does not bode well for their immune systems. (16:49)Dr. Laporta details how heat stress impacts mammary gland involution. Early in the dry period, you want a spike in cell death to build new cells for the next lactation. In heat-stressed cows, the spike in cell death early in the dry period is diminished, not allowing those cells to die. This results in less proliferation of the mammary gland, and the cow starts her next lactation with older cells that weren't renewed in full. Thus, producing less milk. Dr. Gerloff shares some of his experiences with heat stress in his area of Illinois. (22:17)Heat stress has negative impacts on other organs as well. Heifers who experienced heat stress in utero are born with larger adrenal glands with altered microstructure. Dr. Laporta describes some of the DNA methylation that has been observed in these heifers. The panel discusses whether the response would be similar for other types of stressors, like cold stress or social stress. (26:19)What can we do to mitigate these impacts? Cooling dry cows so they can thermoregulate during gestation is critical. Altering diets to account for heat stress is also an important strategy. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet to “fix” cows who were exposed to heat stress in utero, but these negative implications can be prevented. Dr. Laporta has also focused on what she calls perinatal programming - after the calf is born, what can we do? She has been working to develop cooling mechanisms for calves and is interested in further investigating early life mammary development. (33:41)When a dry cow experiences heat stress, she has fewer and smaller alveoli. Daughters of those cows have smaller udders with altered tissue growth. Granddaughters of those cows have fewer estrogen receptors in their udders and negative impacts on mammary proliferation. (44:30)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (47:52)Scott invites the audience to Bourbon and Brainiacs at ADSA in Louisville - a bourbon tasting with all your favorite professors! Sign up here: https://balchem.com/anh/bourbon/ (54:31)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Jacob Copelin, a ruminant nutritionist, discusses strategies to mitigate milk fat depression in dairy cattle. He breaks down how oils, fatty acids, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) affect milk fat production and rumen health. Jacob also explores how the new CNCPS model and branched-chain volatile fatty acids relate to balancing BCAAs for optimal milk production. Tune in now on all major platforms!"Increasing acetate production means more butterfat, and in theory, more money for dairy producers."What will you learn: (00:00) Introduction(01:53) Milk fat depression(05:03) Isoacids explained(06:20) Fiber digestion(07:40) Research results(12:18) New CNCPS model(16:01) Closing thoughtsMeet the guest:Jacob Copelin, Nutritionist, Consultant, and owner at Arbor-Vale of NDS Consulting, specializes in ruminant nutrition and feeding management. He holds a Master of Science in Animal Nutrition from The Ohio State University. Jacob also teaches as an Associate Faculty at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, focusing on cattle nutrition and feeding strategies. Connect with our guest on Social Media: LinkedInClick here to read the full research article!The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:* Adisseo* Kemin- Virtus Nutrition- Zinpro- Afimilk-Volac

In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Antonio Gallo, Full Professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy, discusses mycotoxin contamination in dairy feed, its effects on cow health, and strategies for mitigation. Learn how to detect and manage mycotoxins to protect your herd and milk production. Tune in now on all major platforms!"Contamination can come from multiple sources, even forages, making it essential to monitor quality regularly."Meet the guest: Dr. Antonio Gallo is a Full Professor in Animal Nutrition and Feeding at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy. He holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science, with research focused on dairy cattle nutrition, feed evaluation, and improving nutrient utilization in dairy production systems. Dr. Gallo has been recognized among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University.Click here to read the full research articles:Review on Mycotoxin Issues in RuminantsAdverse Effects of Fusarium Toxins in RuminantsStrategies and technologies in preventing regulated and emerging mycotoxin co-contamination in forageWhat will you learn: (00:00) Highlight(01:41) Introduction(03:47) Common mycotoxins in dairy feed(05:56) Sources of contamination(07:50) Effects on cow health and milk(10:31) Strategies for mycotoxin mitigation(14:36) Future research directions(17:09) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:Volac* Adisseo* Kemin- Virtus Nutrition- Zinpro- Afimilk

In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Mutian Niu, Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich, explains exhalomics, an approach for assessing rumen fermentation by analyzing volatile organic compounds in cattle breath. He discusses how this technique can provide valuable insights into rumen function and help improve cattle health monitoring, with potential applications in managing methane emissions and optimizing dairy production. Listen now on all major platforms!"We're using exhalomics to study the volatile compounds in cattle breath, which provides new insights into ruminant metabolism and health monitoring."Meet the guest: Dr. Mutian Niu is an Assistant Professor of Animal Nutrition at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, specializing in ruminant nutrition and precision livestock farming. He holds a Master's in Animal Science from Penn State University and a Master's in Statistics, along with a Ph.D. in Animal Biology from the University of California, Davis. His research integrates data science to enhance sustainability in dairy farming, focusing on methane reduction and efficient nutrient utilization.Click here to read the full research articles:Exhalomics as a noninvasive method for assessing rumen fermentation in dairy cows: Can exhaled-breath metabolomics replace rumen sampling?Exhaled volatile fatty acids, ruminal methane emission, and their diurnal patterns in lactating dairy cowsWhat will you learn: (00:00) Highlight(01:33) Introduction(01:28) What is exhalomics?(03:04) Why study exhalomics?(05:28) Research discoveries(06:55) Rumen fermentation analysis(09:21) Future of exhalomics(12:29) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:* Adisseo- Afimilk- Kemin- Virtus Nutrition- Zinpro- Volac

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Dr. Ricardo Vasconcellos from the State University of Maringá (Brazil) breaks down the complexities of feline palatability. He explains how cats' unique sensory traits affect their food preferences and the techniques used to measure palatability in pet food. Discover the science behind food selection, including the role additives and textures play in influencing what cats choose to eat. Tune in now on all major platforms!"Cats, despite having fewer taste buds than humans, are incredibly selective eaters, relying more on their sense of smell than taste to choose food."Meet the guest: Dr. Ricardo Souza Vasconcellos is an Associate Professor in the Animal Science Department at the State University of Maringá, Brazil. With a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition focusing on cat and dog nutrition, Dr. Vasconcellos has extensive experience in both academia and the pet food industry. His research includes feline palatability, cat nutrition, and sustainability in pet food.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:20) Introduction(03:36) Feline food preferences(07:01) Role of sensory characteristics(10:27) Palatability testing methods(13:45) Acceptability vs. preference tests(33:20) Sustainability in pet food(41:10) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:Biorigin* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- ICC- Scoular- Symrise- EW Nutrition- Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada. Gregg Doud, National Milk Producers Federation, begins with an overview of his talk regarding recent and ongoing investments in the dairy industry. Dan Siemers, Siemers Holsteins, notes they were able to build a new dairy and find a new milk market because Agropur built a new plant in their area. Corey Geiger, CoBank, describes that the US is approaching $9 billion of new investment in dairy plants coming online through 2027, over half of that in cheese. High-quality whey protein isolates are in equal demand as cheese, so that has been a large part of the investment as well. He mentions investment in class one beverage milk and extended shelf life, as well as growth in yogurt and Greek yogurt. The panel also discusses milk in schools.  (1:35)Corey talks about the generational change on dairy farms regarding components. Dan mentions that in one generation, you can increase the fat percentage by 0.4 using bulls available today. The focus on pounds of fat and protein plus health traits has resulted in somewhat less milk. Dan feels that the industry needs to focus a bit more on pounds of milk as a carrier to get protein back in the business. Some plants indicate there might almost be too much fat, so a focus on protein pounds may be in order. (11:03)Corey states that 92% of dairy farmers get paid on multiple component pricing, and 90% of that milk check is butter fat and protein. While some cheese plants don't quite need all the butter fat that's coming from dairy farms, it's important to note that we are still not filling our butter fat needs domestically. There are definitely opportunities in the butter sector. The panel discusses some shuffling in domestic processing might also be needed to better use the sweet cream that's available. (13:01)Scott asks about export markets in developing countries. Gregg mentions that many Central American dairy products contain vegetable oil, so there is a lot of potential there. Corey agrees and states there is also similar potential in the Middle East and North Africa. He also notes that lack of refrigeration is still an issue in some parts of the world, so shelf-stable products are critical. Gregg mentions that drinkable yogurts are in demand in Latin America. (18:29)The panel dives into the way beef on dairy has changed the industry. Dan notes the baby calf market has been a huge profit center, where the dairy can essentially break even and the calves provide the profit. This may be creating a challenge where a lot of dairies aren't creating enough replacement dairy heifers. (23:16)Data and how we use it is the next topic the group discusses. Gregg shares a story of an MIT grad who is developing an artificial intelligence algorithm to combine cow genetics with different diet ingredients and feed additives to decrease methane production while improving cow productivity. (28:49)The panelists close out the episode with their take-home messages. Corey gives listeners a look at the impact of the domestic dairy market. Dan shares the sustainability story and climate impact of the dairy industry will continue to be important. Gregg is excited about new technologies, but asks for assistance in working with the federal government to get those technologies approved at the speed of commerce. The panel also discusses the impacts of tariffs on agriculture and how dairy farmers need to be communicating with their members of Congress. (32:56)Please reach out to your Congress members. Start the conversation, and  help them understand!Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Dr. James Templeman and Lindsay Meyers from Primal Pet Foods break down the science behind creating complete and balanced raw diets for pets. They talk about the challenges of getting micronutrients right, dealing with ingredient variability, and why solid research matters in pet food. Hear how innovation, testing, and careful formulation work together to keep pets safe and well-nourished. Listen now on all major platforms!"Raw and minimally processed pet foods have gained popularity due to their natural look, but balancing their nutritional composition requires careful formulation." - Dr. James TemplemanMeet the guests: Dr. James Templeman holds a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition and is Director of Nutrition and Formulation at Primal Pet Foods. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Guelph, focusing on protein quality models and pet diet formulation.Lindsay Meyers, BS CVT, is Vice President of Quality, Nutrition, and Compliance at Primal Pet Foods. With over 15 years in veterinary medicine, she specializes in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and nutritional development for minimally processed pet food formulations.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:02) Introduction (03:04) Formulating raw diets (06:07) Ingredient variability (10:18) Micronutrient sourcing (16:10) Scientific pet food research (24:04) Product innovation (37:16) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- EW Nutrition- ICC- Scoular- Biorigin- Symrise

Dr. Drackley begins with an overview of his presentation at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium, focusing on the NASEM requirements for pre-weaned calves. He mentions some differences in energy and protein requirement calculations compared to the NRC system, as well as increased vitamin E recommendations and a more biologically based factorial approach to calculating mineral requirements. (5:59)Dr. Overton notes that milk replacements can be formulated differently to account for changes in mineral or vitamin requirements. In herds that feed whole milk, is there any reason to think about supplementing those calves? Dr. Drackley suggests that Mother Nature may have been smarter than us all along, as the composition of whole milk matches very well with the nutrient requirements of calves. (9:43)Dr. Lundquist asked what the impetus was for the increase in vitamin E requirements. Dr. Drackley refers to a series of studies examining the role of vitamin E in immune function that have shown the previous requirements were too low to achieve optimum health outcomes. Many dairies give a vitamin injection after birth to help boost young calves. (11:45)The panel discusses improved colostrum feeding efforts and the variation in successful passive immunity that still exists in the industry. (13:51)Scott asks Dr. Overton what gaps he sees in calf nutrition from his Extension specialist perspective, and he suggests that best management for weaning is still a big topic. Dr. Drackley agrees this is an area that needs some attention. He feels the industry is doing better on the baby calf side by feeding more milk, but then that almost makes weaning more difficult because people are not changing their mindset about how to step calves down from milk or what age to wean calves. (16:39)For people feeding more milk than the traditional 1.25 lbs of solids, Dr. Drackley recommends extending weaning time to eight instead of six weeks. He also recommends at least one step down in the amount of milk, which could be a week of feeding just once a day. Calf starter formulation and quality are also critical. Research shows that providing a small amount of forage, preferably grass hay or straw, before weaning is beneficial for buffering and rumination. (18:47)Dr. Overton asks about the research gap in our understanding of transition cow management and how that impacts the calf in utero and after birth. The panel discusses heat stress and season of birth impacts on calf growth and first lactation performance. (26:08)The panel wraps up with their take-home messages. Discussion includes pelleted versus texturized starters, sugars in a starter to promote rumen development, the value of increasing the quality and quantity of calf nutrition, the thermoneutral zone in baby calves, and outsourcing calf raising.  (33:10)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Elliot Neto from Kemin Industries, discusses the critical role of amino acids in dairy nutrition, emphasizing the importance of optimizing amino acid balancing and rumen-protected amino acids through advanced product technology. He explains how particle size, nutrient delivery, and bioavailability impact milk production, feed efficiency, and sustainability. Learn how innovative solutions can fine-tune amino acid delivery for maximum success in your dairy operation. Tune in now on all major platforms!"The combination of particle size and retention time is crucial to ensure the product bypasses the rumen and releases the amino acid at exactly the right location."Meet the guest: Dr. Elliot Neto is the Ruminant Technical Services Manager at Kemin Industries, bringing decades of expertise in dairy cattle nutrition. He earned his Ph.D. in Animal Science from Newcastle University, where he also completed postdoctoral research in Animal Nutrition. With over 20 years of global experience in the feed and animal health industries, Dr. Neto has held key technical and research roles across Europe, North America, and Brazil.Click here to read the full research article!What will you learn: (00:00) Highlight(01:17) Introduction(02:29) Amino acids(05:22) Feed efficiency(06:34) Rumen transit time(08:40) Effective amino acids(10:47) Nitrogen excretion(14:15) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:* Adisseo- Evonik- Kemin- Virtus Nutrition- Volac- Zinpro

Dr. Hansen's lab conducted several in vitro experiments where choline chloride was supplemented to beef embryo culture media for the first seven days of embryonic development. Calves resulting from the choline-supplemented embryos were consistently 17-20 kilograms heavier at weaning. In the feeding experiment presented at the Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium, Dr. Sagheer fed rumen-protected choline to beef cows one day before AI through seven days post-AI, spanning ovulation, fertilization, and the first seven days of embryo development. In contrast to the in vitro studies, calves born to cows supplemented with choline during the peri-conception period were lighter at weaning than control calves. The panel discusses potential mechanisms of action for these results, including choline's role as a methyl donor potentially impacting the epigenetic programming of the embryo.

In dieser Folge sprechen wir mal etwas ausführlicher über das Thema Ernährung (aus unserer Sicht). Soll heißen: Natürlich sind wir keine Ernährungsberater, weshalb diese Folge auch nicht zur Fütterungsanweisung für deinen Hund anzusehen ist, aber natürlich werden wir in unserem Beruf häufig auch mit diesem Thema konfrontiert. Kai hat uns selbstverständlich auch dieses Mal nicht enttäuscht und hat passend dazu auch wieder die ein oder andere Studie rausgesucht. Leider kommen wir in dieser Folge nicht in aller Ausführlichkeit zum Themenbereich "Ernährung und Verhalten", aber wir hoffen natürlich das wir auch dieses Thema nochmal aufgreifen können. Wenn ihr einen oder eine ErnährunngsberaterIn kennt, die vielleicht Lust hätte als Gast in unserer Folge mit uns über das Thema zu sprechen schreibt uns gerne! Quellen zu der Folge: Knight, A., Huang, E., Rai, N., & Brown, H. (2022). Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported indicators of health. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0265662. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265662Dillitzer, N., Becker, N., & Kienzle, E. (2011). Evaluation of the nutritional adequacy of raw food diets for dogs. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 95(3), 348–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2010.01054.xFreeman, L. M., Chandler, M. L., Hamper, B. A., & Weeth, L. P. (2013). Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat–based diets for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(11), 1549–1558. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549Köhler, B., Stengel, C., & Neßler, J. (2021). Feeding affects learning: Impact of feeding frequency on cognitive performance in pet dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 638404. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.638404DeNapoli, J. S., Dodman, N. H., Shuster, L., Rand, W. M., Gross, K. L., & Freedman, E. S. (2000). Effect of dietary protein content on behavior in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 217(4), 504–508. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2000.217.504Bosch, G., Zhang, S., Oonincx, D. G. A. B., & Hendriks, W. H. (2014). Protein quality of insects as potential ingredients for dog and cat foods. Journal of Nutritional Science, 3, e29. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2014.23Zicker, S. C. (2008). Evaluating the evidence supporting the use of nutraceuticals for canine and feline joint health. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 38(6), 1207–1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.008

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Dr. DeVries' research focuses on farm-level decisions and modeling. The University of Florida dairy has implemented the use of beef semen. Dr. DeVries describes some of the factors that go into a partial budget for this system as well as details some of the factors involved in implementing beef on dairy. The UF dairy genomically tests all their cows and the panel discusses some differences in beef and dairy selection based on genomics. (5:58)Dr. Felix asks how the beef sires are selected for the UF dairy. Calving ease and fertility are key, as well as low cost. Dr. Johnson asks if spending a little more on beef semen might pay off in the longer term regarding beef quality. The panel agrees that in the current market, dairy producers are getting $800-$1000 for a day-old calf regardless of the beef sire, so perhaps beef sire selection has not been a major focus. (15:07)Dr. DeVries describes some of the data he evaluates when deciding how many cows to breed with sexed dairy semen. Given the current beef prices, heifer retention has not been as high in either the beef or dairy sector as previously predicted. (19:22)The panel discusses the importance of cow longevity in the dairy sector. Dr. DeVries explains the pros and cons of keeping cows in the milking herd longer. Dr. Nelson reminds listeners of the current cull cow market and how that also plays a role in decision-making for dairy and beef producers. (24:16)Dr. Nelson describes the heifer development program for the UF dairy. Week-old heifer calves are shipped to Kansas for development and return to UF at about 200-220 days pregnant. This approach is very common in the southeast. Many of the beef on dairy calves will also be shipped to calf ranches out of state. (30:59)Dr. DeVries' model concluded that switching from conventional dairy to beef-on-dairy resulted in about $150 advantage per cow per year. On top of that was another $50 per cow because of the switch to sourcing your heifers from your best cows. (34:13)The panel discusses the idea of transferring beef embryos into dairy cows. Could there be a day when this approach creates beef calves less expensively than the cow/calf sector can? They also delve into whether there will be any long-term negative impacts of breeding dairy cows with beef semen. (38:44)Dr. Johnson mentions another paradigm shift of the beef-on-dairy system is feeding dairy-influenced heifers in the feedlot, which has not happened before. Technologies used to promote growth in the feed yard can induce spontaneous lactation in some of these heifers. Milk is considered an adulterant in the packing plant and requires trimming if it splashes on a carcass. Dr. Nelson suggests that until there is a discount for heifer beef on dairy calves, there won't be a shift to using sexed male semen to create predominantly beef on dairy steers. (48:33)The panel wraps up with their take-home thoughts. (57:46)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show - Equine, Dr. Marie-Céline Hottat, from Ghent University, talks about the growing issue of equine obesity and its impact on horse health. She explains how to assess body condition accurately, the risks that come with excess weight, and practical feeding strategies for safe weight loss. Tune in to discover practical ways to keep horses in top condition!"Equine obesity increases the risk of laminitis, insulin resistance, and orthopedic issues, all of which compromise health, performance, and overall well-being."Meet the guest: Dr. Marie-Céline Hottat earned her Master's in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Liège and completed a residency in Animal Nutrition at Ghent University. Now a Teaching Assistant and Research Associate, she specializes in equine and small animal nutrition, focusing on obesity management and dietary optimization. Her expertise helps veterinarians and nutritionists implement effective feeding strategies for better animal health.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:48) Introduction(03:58) Prevalence of equine obesity(09:42) Health risks of obesity(13:54) Feeding strategies for weight loss(23:32) Managing pasture intake(28:09) Educating horse owners(34:40) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Kemin* Trouw Nutrition- Corbion- ProAmpac- EW Nutrition- Alura- Symrise- Biorigin- ICC- Scoular

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Ignacio Artavia, Global Marketing Manager for Ruminants at dsm-firmenich, explores the critical role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) in dairy cattle health. Unlike traditional vitamin D3, which requires metabolic conversion in the liver and kidneys before becoming bioavailable, 25OHD3 bypasses the first step, allowing for faster absorption and improved efficiency. Learn how this can enhance calcium metabolism, immune function, and milk production, helping dairy cows stay healthier and productive. Listen now on all major platforms!"Feeding 25-hydroxy D3 benefits dairy herds by improving health, enhancing calcium metabolism, and strengthening immunity—boosting milk yield."Meet the guest: Ignacio Artavia holds a Bachelor's degree in Agronomic Engineering from EARTH University in Costa Rica and a Master's in Animal Sciences with a specialization in Animal Nutrition from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. With a background in ruminant nutrition, he has worked extensively in dairy cattle health, focusing on mycotoxin risk management and vitamin supplementation. Currently serving as Global Marketing Manager for Ruminants at dsm-firmenich, Ignacio is dedicated to improving dairy farm sustainability and efficiency.What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:26) Introduction(03:42) Guest background(07:39) Why vitamin D matters(11:11) Sunlight vs. dietary vitamin D(19:16) Vitamin D conversion(22:50) Milk production and immunity(34:16) Final three questionsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like: dsm-firmenich* Adisseo- Natural Biologics- Scoular- Priority IAC- Protekta- Volac- SmaXtec- ICC- Acepsis- Trouw Nutrition- Berg + Schmidt

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Corinna Brock, PhD in Animal Nutrition, discusses fatty acid nutrition in dairy cows. She highlights the expanding role of fats in enhancing energy density, supporting metabolic health, and boosting fertility in high-producing cows. Dr. Brock also shares innovations in fat blends that improve productivity while addressing methane emissions. Listen on all major platforms!"Fats have different roles in cow metabolism, including milk fat increase, body maintenance, and immune support."Meet the guest: Dr. Corinna Brock earned her Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, where she researched the effects of green tea extract on dairy cow health during the peripartum period. She also holds a Master's in Animal Sciences and a Bachelor's in Nutritional Sciences from the same institution, focusing on feed additives and selenium nutrition. What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:36) Introduction(05:43) Role of dietary fats(09:00) Rumen protection mechanisms(12:14) Benefits of palmitic acid(16:49) Oleic acid advantages(21:44) Fat-feeding economics(28:29) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:Berg + Schmidt* Adisseo- Natural Biologics- Scoular- Priority IAC- dsm-firmenich- Protekta- Volac- SmaXtec- ICC- Acepsis- Trouw Nutrition

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, PhD candidate Pawan Singh from the University of Guelph shares insights into how pulse ingredients are shaping pet food formulations. He covers their nutritional advantages, tackles concerns about their link to canine cardiomyopathy, and highlights innovative research aimed at ensuring pet food safety while promoting sustainable protein sources. Stay up to date on the latest in pet nutrition by tuning in on all major platforms!"Pulse ingredients are low in fat, high in fiber, and contribute to satiety, weight loss, and blood sugar regulation in pets."Meet the guest: Pawan Singh, a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, focuses on protein quality in pet food, exploring amino acid ratios in companion animal diets. With a Master's in Animal Nutrition, Pawan investigated pulse-inclusive diets and their impact on canine cardiac health. Her expertise highlights the intersection of pet health and sustainable nutrition.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:30) Introduction(02:26) Pulses in pet food(04:22) Grain-free diet(08:11) DCM concerns(17:05) Processing & digestibility(20:40) Future research(24:05) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- Biorigin- ICC- Scoular- Corbion- ProAmpac- EW Nutrition- Alura- Symrise

This Real Science Exchange podcast episode was recorded during a webinar from Balchem's Real Science Lecture Series. You can find it at balchem.com/realscience.How can we increase milk protein and capture that income opportunity? Dr. Van Amburgh describes the seasonal drop in milk protein observed in the summer months. Heat stress may play a role in altering insulin sensitivity and how the cow partitions nutrients. What can we do to avoid that seasonal decline in milk protein?  (0:01)Simple things like cooling, fans, and sprinklers can reduce heat stress and increase cow comfort. Dr. Van Amburgh recommends promoting dry matter intake and lying time, with feed available 21-22 hours per day and more than 12 hours of lying time per day. (5:27)Dr. Van Amburgh discusses basic formulation considerations for amino acid balancing including current feed chemical analyses that include NDF digestibility, characterizing the cows appropriately by using accurate body weights, understanding DMI and making sure actual milk lines up with ME and MP allowable milk, assessing body condition changes, and understanding the first limiting nutrient of milk production. Areas where mistakes are often made include using much lighter body weights than actual to formulate rations, not using actual DMI, and using feed library values instead of actual feed chemistry. (8:00)Milk protein percentage and dietary energy are closely aligned. This is often attributed to ruminal fermentation and microbial yield. Sugars, starches, and digestible fiber sources drive microbial yield. While protein and energy metabolism are considered to be separate, that is an artificial divide and they should be considered together. Once adequate energy for protein synthesis is available, providing more dietary protein or amino acids can increase protein synthesis further. Dr. Van Amburgh provides some ranges of target fermentable non-structural carbohydrates, starch, sugar and soluble fiber appropriate for early peak and mid-lactation cows. He speaks about the benefits of adding sugars to the diet instead of trying to continue to increase starch. (11:15)Dr. Van Amburgh details an experiment using more byproduct feeds in a lactation diet to successfully increase intake and subsequently, milk protein content. (24:04)Milk protein increases with higher DCAD in diets, independent of protein level. Increasing DCAD can also lead to increased DMI, probably through better fiber digestion. The mechanism is not completely understood, but perhaps some rumen microbes have a higher requirement for potassium. In another study, feeding higher DCAD resulted in an 11% increase in milk protein yield and a 26% increase in milk fat yield. (32:39)Feeding fatty acids may also improve milk protein via insulin signaling pathways. A 5.6% increase in milk protein was observed when the ratio of palmitic acid to oleic acid was around 1.5:1. (36:21)Dr. Van Amburgh encourages the audience to pay close attention to digestibility of dietary ingredients and shares an analysis of ten different sources of feather meal that varied in digestibility from around 50% up to 75%. (40:10)Dr. Van Amburgh details an experiment targeting optimum methionine and lysine levels for improved milk protein. In an example with 60 Mcals of ME in the diet, the targets were 71 grams of methionine and 193 grams of lysine. (42:00)Questions from the webinar audience were addressed. They included information about the best type of sugars to add to diets, if protozoa are preferentially retained in the rumen, BMR vs conventional corn silage, amino acid supply when dietary crude protein is around 14-15%, using metabolizable energy instead of net energy, variability of animal protein blends, and methionine to lysine ratios. (48:23)To end this podcast, Dr. Jose Santos steps in to invite everyone to the Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium in Gainesville held February 24-26.Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this study, two basal diets were fed, one low-fat and one high-fat. The low-fat diet contained cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls and the high-fat diet contained whole cottonseed. This balanced fiber and protein to try and make the difference between the basal diets and just the fatty acids. Basal diets were supplemented with two different fat supplements that had different ratios of palmitic and oleic acids. The applied question at hand was “Does fat need to be supplemented to a high-fat basal diet?” (5:32)The low-fat diet contained 1.93% fatty acids and the high-fat diet contained 3.15% fatty acids. Fatty acid supplements were fed at 1.5% of dry matter and replaced soyhulls. The palmitic acid supplement contained 80% palmitic acid and 10% oleic acid. The palmitic + oleic acid supplement contained 60% palmitic acid and 30% oleic acid. Thirty-six cows were used in a split-plot Latin square design, with half the cows on each basal diet. Under each split-plot, cows were allocated to a 3x3 Latin square, evaluating a control treatment (no fat supplement), palmitic acid supplement, and palmitic + oleic acid supplement. (8:46)Bill, Adam, and Clay discuss the increase in milk components the industry has experienced recently due to the powerful combination of genetics and nutrition. Hoard's Dairyman reported that 2024 was the first year that the U.S. had averaged over 4% milk fat going back to 1924 when records began. (13:01)Both fat supplements increased milk yield in low-fat and high-fat basal diets, but the magnitude of the increase was larger in the low-fat diet. The high palmitic acid diet increased milk yield more in cows fed the low-fat basal diet than the palmitic + oleic supplement did. High-fat basal diet cows had similar milk yield responses to both fatty acid supplements. The panel discusses the industry emphasis on milk components and if/when a threshold in performance might happen given the advancement of genomics and nutrition. (15:51)Clay asks Adam to remind the listeners about the relationship between fatty acids and crude fat or ether extract. Adam recommends moving away from ether extract and focusing solely on fatty acid content. Bill, Adam, and Clay talk about the variability in the fatty acid content of various feedstuffs. (25:33)Bill asks if the feed efficiency improvement with the fat supplementation was due to more of a gross energy or digestible/metabolizable energy effect. Adam suggests it may be a little of both. The diet is more energy-dense, but we also know now that some of those specific fatty acids have specific effects. Improvements in NDF digestibility are consistently observed with palmitic acid supplementation. Oleic acid improves fatty acid absorption and has an impact on adipose tissue metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Bill and Adam go on to talk more philosophically about the best way to measure feed efficiency in dairy cows. (29:02)If Adam could do this experiment over again, he would have pushed the basal fat levels a bit more and had both lower-producing and higher-producing cows in the experiment. This leads to a discussion of how the results might have differed if distiller grains or soybeans were used instead of cottonseed in the experiment. Listeners should be careful not to extrapolate the results from this experiment to other fat sources. (33:55)Adam emphasizes that we shouldn't be afraid of feeding high-fat diets, either basal or supplemental fatty acids, especially to high-producing cows. We should be very mindful about where those fatty acids are coming from. We could provide the same nutrients by feeding either cottonseed or distillers grains, but how those ingredients feed out could be very different. (38:38)In summary, Clay agrees we should take a fresh look at how much fat we're feeding cows in basal diets and underlines the importance of the source of supplemental fatty acids. Bill concurs and commends Adam's group for basically making cottonseed without fat in the low-fat basal diet, which allowed for very clean interpretations of the fatty acid supplement results. Adam underlines that we can feed higher fat diets, but the fatty acid profile of all of those ingredients we might use is going to be key. In addition to fatty acids in diets and supplements, de novo synthesis of milk fat from acetate is the other half of the equation. Bringing those together might be a strategy to keep up with genetic improvements and drive higher milk fat yield. (47:43)You can find this episode's journal club paper from JDS Communications here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910223001114Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Dr. Kathy Gross from Kansas State University tackles the pressing issue of pet obesity and weight management. She highlights the growing prevalence of obesity in pets, its recognition as a disease, and practical strategies for controlling weight through innovative diets and better owner education. Don't miss this insightful discussion on keeping your pets healthy—available on all major platforms!“Pet obesity is a global issue, with 60% of pets in the U.S. overweight or obese, mirroring human health trends.”Meet the guest: Dr. Kathy Gross holds a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Kansas State University and has over 30 years of experience in the pet food industry. Renowned for her expertise in pet obesity and weight management, she continues to contribute as an adjunct professor at Kansas State.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:23) Introduction(04:29) Pet obesity(09:57) Inflammatory disease(12:10) Weight control(21:34) L-carnitine & metabolism(29:43) Owner education(32:23) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- Scoular- ProAmpac- EW Nutrition- Alura- Symrise- Biorigin- Corbion- ICC

Please note the recording was before the new NASEM model was released. However, there is still a lot of good information from Dr. Weiss beyond those recommendations. This Real Science Exchange podcast episode was recorded during a webinar from Balchem's Real Science Lecture Series. You can find it at balchem.com/realscience.Most ration formulation software uses the 2001 NRC mineral equations. The basic concept of the 2001 NRC mineral requirements is to feed enough absorbable minerals to maintain adequate labile body stores and fluid concentrations. Minerals are lost each day via excretion in feces and urine, milk production, and incorporation into tissues or the fetus in the case of growing or pregnant animals. We have decent data to predict mineral concentrations of milk, growth, and the fetus; however, the endogenous loss in feces is much harder to capture. Absorption coefficients (AC) for most minerals are exceedingly difficult to measure. (0:29)The NRC requirements are the means of several experiments. Feeding to the mean results in half the cows being fed adequately or in excess, and half are not fed enough. In human nutrition, recommended daily allowances for vitamins and minerals are calculated as the mean plus two standard deviations, which statistically meets the requirement for 97% of the population. Since the standard deviation of the requirement is hard to acquire, human nutrition uses the same standard deviation for energy metabolism, around 20%. Dr. Weiss feels this is a reasonable safety factor for minerals for animals as well. He recommends feeding about 1.2 times the NRC requirement while keeping an eye on the maximum tolerable limit for the mineral in question. (4:59)How do we measure absorption? We measure the minerals in the diet, we apply AC, and we get grams or milligrams of absorbed minerals available for the animal to use. Dr. Weiss details some of the complex methodology involved in trying to obtain AC. Feces contain not only unabsorbed dietary minerals but also endogenous/metabolic minerals (e.g., intestinal cells, enzymes, etc.) and homeostatic excretion of minerals (e.g., dumping excess minerals). In the 2001 NRC, the endogenous fecal for almost every mineral is a function of body weight, which is incorrect. It should be a function of dry matter intake. (8:40)Endogenous fecal losses can also be measured using stable or radioactive isotopes. This method is extremely expensive and if radioactive isotopes are used, management of radioactive waste becomes an issue. Thus, most of the AC for trace minerals that used these methods are 50-60 years old. (15:33)Dr. Weiss details some of the issues with calcium requirements in the 2001 NRC leading to overestimation of calcium absorption for many calcium sources and overestimation of the maintenance requirement due to endogenous fecal being calculated using body weight. Organic and inorganic phosphorus have different AC, so partitioning between organic and inorganic will give a more accurate estimate of the requirement. (16:33)Potassium has a linear antagonistic effect on magnesium. You can feed more magnesium to overcome this antagonism, but you won't ever eliminate it. If you feed a few percent added fat as long-chain fatty acids, Dr. Weiss recommends feeding 10-20% more magnesium to account for soap formation in the rumen. (19:17)It's much more difficult to measure AC for trace minerals due to multiple antagonists, interactions among different minerals, and regulated absorption. In addition, AC for trace minerals is very low, which means a small change in the AC can have a huge impact on diet formulation. All feeds in the NRC system have the same AC for each trace mineral and we know that's not right.  (25:39)Dr. Weiss gives an overview of different trace mineral antagonisms and interactions and details his approach to formulation if he has absorption data for a particular ingredient. He also gives his estimates of revised AC for several minerals. (28:07)In summary, the factorial NRC approach only fits 50% of the population. Feeding an extra 10-20% above the NRC requirement includes about 97% of the population. We need to continue to account for more sources of variation in AC. Interactions need to be top of mind when considering mineral requirements and diet formulation. (37:39)Dr. Weiss takes a series of questions from the webinar audience. (40:50)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of the Poultry Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Peter Ferket from N.C. State University continues exploring lipid matrix microencapsulation technology. He shares significant findings on improved nutrient absorption, reduced vitamin dosages, and enhanced feed efficiency. Dr. Ferket also emphasizes the technology's applications for broiler breeders, including increased egg production and healthier progeny. Tune in now on all major platforms."Broiler breeders delivered four more eggs per hen and improved progeny robustness with lipid matrix technology."Meet the guest: Dr. Peter Ferket, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor at N.C. State University holds a B.S. and M.S. in Animal and Poultry Science from the University of Guelph and a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Iowa State University. He is also a member of the Poultry Science Association. Dr. Ferket conducts nutrition and metabolism research and education programs related to enhancing productivity and health and the formulation and manufacture of quality feeds. Click here to read the full research article!What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:24) Introduction(02:47) Technology basics(04:21) Nutrient time-release(06:09) Lipid encapsulation(06:55) Performance gains(09:09) Future research(12:44) Closing thoughtsThe Poultry Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Kerry- BASF- Anitox- Poultry Science Association- Kemin

“Our mission is to raise healthy animals, to get a healthy product by having healthy soil.” —Mandy Schmidt    Healthy soil leads to healthy animals, which in turn lead to nutrient-dense, sustainable food. This cyclical relationship holds the key to a more resilient food system.  Mandy Schmidt is a 5th generation rancher at Marin Coast Ranch, where she and her family have been raising grass-fed livestock for over 30 years. Committed to regenerative agriculture, Mandy prioritizes land stewardship and species-appropriate diets to produce the highest quality meat. In this episode, Mandy shares the secrets to her family's sustainable ranching practices, from the importance of soil health to the benefits of grass-fed beef and lamb. Tune in as Justine and Mandy talk about the definition of grass-fed vs. grass-finished livestock, the role of soil health in animal and human nutrition, generational knowledge and continuous learning in family farming, transparency and consumer education in sustainable agriculture, and more.  Meet Mandy:  Mandy Schmidt is a 5th generation rancher at Marin Coast Ranch in West Marin, California. Mandy and her family have been raising grass-fed beef cattle, sheep, and goats on their family ranch for over 30 years. Committed to sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices, Mandy prioritizes soil health and species-appropriate diets for her livestock. As a mother of two, Mandy is passionate about providing nutrient-dense, transparent food options for her community. Mandy leads ranch tours and educational events to connect consumers with the origins of their food. Through her work, Mandy aims to inspire others to make more informed choices about the food they consume and its impact on personal and planetary health.   Website Instagram TikTok Facebook Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram  LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:27 Traditional Livestock Care Methods  03:29 Grass0Fed vs Grass-Finished 07:08 Evolving Conversations About Food 10:34 The Role of Soil Health and Food Quality  14:58 Buying Power and Direct Relationships 18:35 Questions for Informed Choices 22:45 Generational Challenges and Continous Learning  27:10 Transparency and Consumer Education  

This Real Science Exchange podcast episode was recorded during a webinar from Balchem's Real Science Lecture Series. You can find it at balchem.com/realscience.Feeding behavior of dairy cows is inherently tied to their dry matter intake (DMI) which is tied to milk production. If we want to change a cow's DMI, it must be mediated by changing her feeding behavior. (00:23)In a multi-variable analysis, Dr. DeVries found that DMI was most associated with feeding time and meal frequency. It's important to allow the cow to maximize the amount of time she can spend at the bunk eating, as well as the number of times she can get to the bunk each day. In one study, about 30% of the variability in milk fat content in cows on the same diet was explained by their meal frequency, where cows who had more meals per day had higher milk fat. Dr. DeVries also talks about the impacts of feeding behavior on cow efficiency and rumen dynamics. (2:13)As soon as a cow sorts the TMR put in front of her, she consumes a diet that's variable in composition to what we expect. Cows who sorted against long feed particles had lower milk fat and milk protein concentrations. In another study, Dr. DeVries retrospectively analyzed cows with a low vs high risk of ruminal acidosis. Cows in both groups had similar DMI but a tendency for high-risk cows to have lower milk yield and numerically lower milk fat. Combining these resulted in significantly lower fat-corrected milk for the high-risk cows. Given that the diets and DMI were similar, the difference was attributed to sorting, which can have quite negative impacts on individual and herd-level production. (10:00)Cows spend nearly twice as much time ruminating as they do eating. Rumination reduces feed particle size and increases surface area, leading to increased rates of digestion and feed passage. In a recent study, Dr. DeVries' group calculated the probability that cows were ruminating while lying down using automated monitoring data from previous experiments. Cows with a higher probability of ruminating while lying down had higher DMI, milk fat, and milk protein than cows who ruminated while standing. This highlights that cows need not only time to ruminate but also space for sufficient rest. (16:44)Diets and diet composition should be formulated to encourage frequent meals, discourage sorting, and stimulate rumination. Forage management factors including forage quality, forage quantity, forage type (dry vs ensiled), and particle size all play important roles. In a study with fresh cows, Dr. DeVries' lab fed two different particle sizes of straw: 5-8 cm vs 2-3 cm in length. While DMI was the same over the first 28 days of lactation, cows fed the long straw spent more time with rumen pH below 5.8 because they were sorting against the straw. This also resulted in a yield difference, as the short straw-fed cows produced about 165 pounds more milk over the first 28 days compared to the long straw group. Dr. DeVries also comments on the use of feed additives on rumen stability and feeding behavior (22:54)More frequent feed delivery should generate more consistent consumption and better feeding behavior, and improve rumen health and milk component concentration. Shifting feed delivery away from return from milking, while still ensuring cows have abundant feed available, results in more consistent eating patterns. Dr. DeVries emphasizes that we push up feed to make sure it's present at the bunk, not to stimulate cows to eat. We want to make sure that eating behavior is driven by the cow: when she's hungry and goes to the bunk, we need to make sure feed is there. (30:02)Dr. DeVries indicates we want to minimize the time cows are without feed completely. An empty bunk overnight plus a little overcrowding resulted in negative impacts on rumen health, including more acidosis and reduced fiber digestibility. Increased competition in overcrowding scenarios results in cows having larger meals, eating faster, and likely having a larger negative ruminal impact. In another study, every four inches of increased bunk space was associated with about 0.06% greater milk fat. Herds with high de novo fat synthesis were 10 times more likely to have at least 18 inches of bunk space per cow.  (40:04)In closing, Dr. DeVries' biggest takeaway is that how cows eat is just as important as the nutritional composition of the feed in ensuring cow health, efficiency, and production. Collectively, with good quality feed and good feeding management, we can gain optimal performance from those diets. Dr. DeVries ends by taking questions from the webinar audience. (43:40)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode of The Poultry Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Peter Ferket from N.C. State University shares his expertise on lipid matrix microencapsulation technology. This groundbreaking approach enhances vitamin stability, boosts bioavailability, and optimizes feed efficiency, addressing critical challenges in poultry nutrition. Tune in now to this essential discussion, available on all major platforms."Lipid matrix encapsulation safeguards nutrients, reducing degradation caused by moisture, heat, and other environmental factors."Meet the guest: Dr. Peter Ferket, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor at N.C. State University holds a B.S. and M.S. in Animal and Poultry Science from the University of Guelph and a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Iowa State University. He is also a member of the Poultry Science Association. Dr. Ferket conducts nutrition and metabolism research and education programs related to enhancing productivity and health and the formulation and manufacture of quality feeds. Click here to read the full research article!What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:17) Introduction(05:22) Lipid matrix microencapsulation(06:29) Vitamin & mineral stability(07:17) Bioavailability advantages(08:51) Feed handling improvements(10:55) Long-term nutrient efficacy(11:34) Closing thoughtsThe Poultry Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:* Kerry- Poultry Science Association- Kemin- BASF- Anitox

Dr. Weiss and Dr. St-Pierre co-authored this episode's journal club paper in Applied Animal Science (ARPAS Journal). Bill and Normand share a career-long interest in how feedstuffs and diet variation impact cows. (6:31)Bill and Normand discuss sources of variation, which they divide into true variation and observer variation. True variation means the feed has changed: a different field, change during storage, etc. Observer variation includes sampling variation and analytical variation. Some feeds may exhibit a lot of true variation and others may exhibit a lot of observer variation. And some feeds are high in both types of variation. Highly variable feeds should be sampled more frequently. Some feeds are so consistent that using book values makes more sense than sending in samples for analysis. Bill and Normand go on to give some examples and share sampling and analysis tips for different types of feedstuffs. (12:41)Bill would often be asked if users should continue to average new samples with older ones or just use the new numbers from the most recent sample. He and Normand debate the pros and cons of the two approaches as well as discuss the use of a weighted average where recent samples would be weighted to contribute more. (26:02)Next, our guests discuss how multiple sources of a nutrient reduce the TMR variation for that specific nutrient. For example, alfalfa NDF is more variable than corn silage NDF on average. Yet if you use a blend of these two ingredients, you end up with less variation in NDF than if you used all corn silage. Normand details the mathematical concepts behind this relationship. Both Bill and Normand emphasize that diets must be made correctly for the best results. (32:26)How do feedstuffs and diet variations impact cows? Both guests describe different experiments with variable protein and NDF concentrations in diets. Some were structured, like alternating 11% CP one day and 19% CP the next for three weeks. Some were random, like randomly alternating the NDF over a range of 20-29% with much higher variation than we'd ever see on-farm. The common thread for all these experiments is that the diet variations had almost no impact on the milk production of the cows. (38:04)Clay asks how variation in dry matter might affect cows. Bill describes an experiment where the dry matter of silage was decreased by 10 units by adding water. Cows were fed the wet silage for three days, twice during a three-week study. To ensure feed was never limited, more as-fed feed was added when the wet silage was fed. It took a day for cows on the wet silage treatment to have the same dry matter intake (DMI) as the control cows and milk production dropped when DMI was lower. However, when switching abruptly back to the dry silage diet, DMI increased the day following the wet silage and stayed high for two days, so the cows made up for the lost milk production. Bill and Normand underline that it is critical for the cows not to run out of feed and described experiments where feed was more limiting, yielding less desirable outcomes. (46:17)In the last part of the paper, our guests outlined seven research questions that they feel need to be answered. Normand shares that his number one question is how long will cows take to respond to a change in the major nutrients? He feels that we spend an inordinate amount of money on feedstuffs analysis, and there are some feeds we should analyze more and some feeds we should quit analyzing. Bill's primary research question revolves around controlled variation. What happens if you change the ratio of corn silage and alfalfa once a week? Will that stimulate intake? Data from humans, pets, and zoo animals indicate that diet variation has a positive impact and Bill finds this area of research intriguing. (50:43)In closing, Clay encourages listeners to read this paper (link below) and emphasizes the take-home messages regarding sampling and research questions. Normand advises that if you are sampling feed, take a minimum of two samples, and try as much as you can to separate observer variation from true variation. He also reminds listeners to concentrate on a few critical nutrients with more repeatability for analyses. Bill encourages nutritionists to sit down and think when they get new data - before they go to their computer to make a diet change. If something changed, why did it change, and is it real? Take time to think it through. (1:01:38)You can find this episode's journal club paper from Applied Animal Science here: https://www.appliedanimalscience.org/article/S2590-2865(24)00093-4/fulltextPlease subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In part two of a two-part series, the Balchem technical team selected industry research of interest from the 2024 American Dairy Science Association meetings to feature on this episode of the Real Science Exchange. Smart Cows, Smart Farms: Unleashing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in the Dairy Sector Guest: Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Holstein Association USA (1:58)Dr. Bewley is the Dairy Analytics and Innovation Scientist at Holstein Association USA, where part of his role is collaborating with Western Kentucky University at the WKU Smart Holstein Lab. The group works with more than 30 technologies, including wearable, camera and machine vision, milk analysis, and automation technologies. At ADSA, Dr. Bewley's presentation was part of a symposium titled “Applications of AI to Dairy Systems.” His talk focused on cow- and farm-level technologies using artificial intelligence. He anticipates a continued massive increase in the availability of technologies for dairy farms to assist with automating processes that are often monotonous tasks. One example of this is the wearable accelerometer technologies that allow for the assessment of estrous behavior, as well as rumination and eating behavior. In the future, camera-based technologies may become more commonplace for things like body condition scoring. Cameras may also be able to monitor rumination and eating behavior, and even perhaps dry matter intake. Dr. Bewley also sees an opportunity on the milk analysis side to be able to measure even more biomarkers to better manage for improved health, reproduction, and well-being. He reminds listeners that animal husbandry will continue to be a critical piece of dairy farming even with advancing technology. He gives examples of current and cutting-edge technologies on the horizon for dairy farms. On his wish list of technologies for the future, he includes dry matter intake measurement and inline measurement of somatic cell count, hormones, and metabolites in the milk. In closing, Dr. Bewley encourages listeners to be excited yet cautious about artificial intelligence and gives examples of how technology can collect phenotypic data to use in genetic evaluation. Explaining the Five Domains and Using Behavioral Measures in Commercial Systems Guest: Dr. Temple Grandin, Colorado State University (26:48)Dr. Grandin's presentation was also part of a symposium, titled “The Animal Behavior and Wealthbeing Symposia: Evaluating Animal Comfort and Wellbeing Using the Five Domains.” The five domains approach is gaining popularity. Previous guidance documents emphasized preventing suffering, cruelty, and discomfort. The five domains are nutrition, environment, health, behavior interactions, and the emotional state of the animal. Much of the information available is very theoretical. Dr. Grandin's goal for this presentation was to gather easy-to-download scoring tools to assist in auditing the five domains in the field. She emphasizes the importance of good stockmanship for animal well-being and cautions that while artificial intelligence technologies can be used to assess the five domains, good stockmanship will always be necessary. Dr. Grandin recommends a three-legged audit: internal, independent third-party, and corporate representatives. She cautions against farming all audits out to a third party and anticipates that it has the potential to cause major supply chain disruptions. Lastly, Dr. Grandin recommends simple yet effective outcome measures for audits that can be taught in a short training session that includes practice audits.View her five domains paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36290216/Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt. 

In this episode of the Shiny New Object podcast, host Tom Ollerton interviews Aurea Mauries, the Strategic Marketing and Technology Leader for Animal Nutrition in Mexico at Cargill. Aurea shares her insights on becoming a better data-driven marketer, including the importance of moving beyond just data analysis to truly understanding customer behaviour and emotions.

Hello there!Join us for the fourth episode of the Animal Protein Sustainability Series, where Julie Anna Potts, President & CEO of the Meat Institute, explores the importance of sustainability in the meat industry. From food safety to environmental impact and animal welfare, Potts discusses the comprehensive efforts the Meat Institute is spearheading to meet evolving consumer expectations. Tune in to learn about the industry's commitment to transparent, sustainable practices to ensure a responsible future for animal protein. Listen now on all major platforms!"There's room for us in each of these areas—food safety, animal welfare, environmental impact, nutrition, and labor practices—to connect with consumers and ensure everyone in the chain is doing a good job."Meet the host: David Dayhoff is the North America Sustainability Director for Animal Nutrition & Health at DSM-Firmenich. With over two decades of experience, David specializes in sustainability, strategic business development, and international business. He holds an MA from Johns Hopkins and a BA from Princeton University. His expertise includes improving sustainability in agriculture and fostering global partnerships.Meet the guest: Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute, brings a wealth of experience in agricultural policy and industry leadership. Since 2018, she has led the Meat Institute, including its efforts to enhance sustainability and consumer trust in animal protein. Previously, Potts served as Executive Vice President at the American Farm Bureau Federation and held key legal and policy roles with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:20) Introduction(01:59) Overview of the Meat Institute(08:05) Key sustainability priorities(12:07) Building consumer trust(24:55) Building trust economic benefits(31:00) Collaborative messaging(33:51) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by an innovative company like:dsm-firmenich

Nutritionists are often blamed for transition cow problems like high NEFAs, clinical and subclinical ketosis, and subclinical hypocalcemia. Dr. Baumgard suggests these symptoms are a result of one of two situations: 1. These are highly productive, healthy, and profitable cows; or 2. The symptoms are the metabolic reflection of immune activation, likely stemming from metritis, mastitis, pneumonia, or GI tract inflammation. In the first scenario, the nutritionist deserves a raise; in the second, these are mostly management issues not caused by nutrition. (1:26) If listeners are interested in more detail on this topic, Dr. Baumgard suggests reading this 2021 review in the Journal of Dairy Science: “ Invited review: The influence of immune activation on transition cow health and performance—A critical evaluation of traditional dogmas.” Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030221006329Dr. Baumgard highlights key concepts that underpin his thinking regarding transition cows: The best indicators of health are feed intake and milk yield, it's too easy to overthink the immune system, Mother Nature is rarely wrong, and inconsistent or non-reproducible data should create doubt. He goes on to review the incidence of metabolic disorders in early lactation and the energy balance dynamics of the transition period. (4:29)For decades, we've had the assumption that NEFAs and ketones are causing many of the health issues in transition cows. NEFAs, BHBs, and calcium have been correlated and associated with negative outcomes. However many other studies do not find these negative correlations or associations. Plasma NEFA is markedly increased following calving in almost all cows, yet only 15-20% get clinical ketosis. Dr. Baumgard suggests that it's presumptuous and reductionist of us to assume we can use one metabolite to diagnose the disease. Little mechanistic evidence exists to explain how these symptoms cause metabolic disease issues.  (10:29)If hyperketonemia, high NEFA, and subclinical hypocalcemia are causing disease, then therapeutically treating these disorders would improve overall cow health. NAHMS data does not back that up. Dr. Baumgard dissects the dogma of ketosis. In short, mobilization of adipose tissues and partial conversion of NEFA to ketones is essential for maximum milk yield. (18:35)High-producing cows are more hypoinsulinemic compared to low-producing cows, and transition period insulin concentrations are inversely related to whole lactation performance. Low insulin concentrations coupled with insulin resistance allow for fat mobilization. (29:02)Post-calving inflammation occurs in all cows. Sources include the mammary gland, the uterus,  and the gut. Severe inflammation precedes the clinical presentation of the disease. In one experiment, all cows exhibited some inflammation in very early lactation. However, cows that were culled or died before 100 days in milk were already severely inflamed during the first few days of lactation. Dr. Baumgard thinks inflammation is the simplest and most logical explanation for why some cows don't eat well before and after calving.  (31:13)While clinical hypocalcemia (milk fever) is pathological and requires immediate intervention, is subclinical hypocalcemia detrimental to health, productivity, and profitability? (36:33)Dr. Baumgard's paradigm-shifting concept suggests that increased NEFA and hyperketonemia are caused by immune activation-induced hypophagia, and hypocalcemia is a consequence of immune activation. He goes on to use a high-producing, a low-producing, and a sick cow to illustrate this concept. (43:26)In summary, the metabolic adjustments in minerals and energy during the transition period are not dysfunctional and don't need to be “fixed.” The real fix is to prevent immune activation in the first place to prevent the cow from going off feed. Profitable production is a consequence of wellness. (52:19)Dr. Baumgard takes a series of engaging questions from the webinar audience. Watch the full webinar at balchem.com/realscience. (56:04)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

The Balchem technical team selected abstracts of interest from the 2024 American Dairy Science Association meetings to feature on this episode of the Real Science Exchange. Whole Cottonseed and Fatty Acid Supplementation Affect Production Responses During the Immediate Postpartum in Multiparous Dairy CowsGuests: Jair Parales-Giron and Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University (0:58)The experiment had four treatment groups: no fat supplement, 10% of the diet from whole cottonseed, a 60:30 mix of calcium salts of palmitic and oleic acid at 1.5% of the diet dry matter, and a combination of both whole cottonseed and fatty acid supplement. Energy-corrected milk was increased by almost six kilograms in cows fed the whole cottonseed diet, with a similar increase of more than five kilograms in the fatty acid-supplemented cows during the first 24 days of lactation. However, no further improvement was observed when both whole cottonseed and fatty acids were fed together. The increase in milk production was not accompanied by increased weight loss or loss of body condition. Effect of Close-Up Metabolizable Protein Supply on Colostrum Yield, Composition, and Immunoglobulin G ConcentrationGuests: Dr. Trent Westhoff and Dr. Sabine Mann, Cornell University (17:06)In this study, cows were assigned to one of two diets 28 days before expected calving: one that provided 39 grams of metabolizable protein (MP) per pound of dry matter and one that supplied 51 grams of MP per pound of dry matter. This represents about 100% of the MP requirement and 140% of the MP requirement, respectively. Diets were formulated to supply equal amounts of methionine and lysine. Cows entering their second parity who were fed the elevated MP diet produced two liters more colostrum than second parity cows fed the control MP diet. This effect was not observed in cows entering their third or higher parity. Overall, higher MP supply did not impact colostrum quantity or quality. Dr. Westhoff also highlights an invited review he authored regarding nutritional and management factors that influence colostrum production and composition. The MP research has also been published; links to both are below.MP paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224010774Invited review: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030224000341Colostrum—More than Immunoglobulin G (IgG): Colostrum Components and Effects on the CalfGuest: Dr. Sabine Mann, Cornell University (41:23)Dr. Mann presented this abstract at an ADSA symposium titled “Colostrum: The Role It Plays In Calf Health, Development, and Future Productivity.”  Her focus was to give credit to the importance of IgG while reminding the symposium audience of the importance of other colostrum components like bioactive factors and nutrients. There is potential that measuring IgG could be a marker for all the other colostrum components that have been transferred as well. We have excellent and cost-effective ways to measure IgG calf-side, but very few bioactive factors can be measured as easily. Heat treatment of colostrum to control bacterial contamination has a detrimental effect on many of the non-IgG components of colostrum. More data is needed to learn how impactful this may be to the calf. Dr. Mann details parts of the heat treatment process that farmers can check to make sure heat treatment is having as little impact as possible. She also would like to have a way to measure the antimicrobial activity of colostrum and the concentrations of insulin and IGF-1 in colostrum on-farm. Lastly, she reminds the audience that we can focus a lot on making the best quality colostrum via transition cow management and best management practices for colostrum harvest, but we still need to get it into the calf. Colostrum must get into calves cleanly and safely, at an adequate amount, and at an optimal temperature.Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

EuroTier 2024 is fast approaching. It will be held Nov. 12-15 in Hanover, Germany. Holding to tradition, there will be lots of new innovation unveiled as well as valuable information for attendees to take in. Animal feeds and feeding will most certainly again be a topic of focus. Joining us in this episode is Detlef Kampf, Head of Animal Nutrition, DLG – EuroTier. Our discussion centers around the trends taking place in animal agriculture in Europe, specifically the animal feed and feeding sector. This episode of Feedstuffs in Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting the website at UnitedANH.com 

Dr. Nydam and Dr. LeBlanc recently presented a Real Science Lecture series webinar on August 7, 2024. You can find the link at balchem.com/realscience.Dr. Nydam begins with a brief overview of the concepts from the webinar, all based on understanding and applying information from different types of studies on dairy cow health and performance. Dr. LeBlanc adds that their goal was for the webinar to be useful for people with a practical interest in feeding and managing dairy cows. (4:12)Dr. Nydam discusses different kinds of bias in research. All studies have some bias in them to some extent, so acknowledging, understanding, and trying to control for that is critical. Dr. LeBlanc describes survivor bias. In the simplest sense, survivor bias can be thought of as who's alive to be counted. Several examples of treatments causing animals to be removed from a study or a disease-causing animal to be culled are reviewed. (8:24)Both guests give their perspectives on p-values. A p-value tells us the likelihood that a difference we observe is due to chance. There is active discussion among statisticians about the value of the p-value. Both guests suggest that readers should also assess if the study achieved its stated objective and if there are adequate numbers and statistical power to accomplish the objective. P-values help us understand risk. A p-value does not tell us how big a difference was or how important it was. (18:54)Dr. Nydam reviews that there are two kinds of study validity: internal and external. Internal validity centers around whether the study was done well. Was bias controlled for and acknowledged? External validity centers around the applicability of the study to the population. Is a study about mastitis treatment in water buffalo in Pakistan applicable to a dairy farm on Prince Edward Island? Peer review usually takes care of assessing internal validity. External validity is more up to each reader to decide for themself and their situation. (29:01)Scott asks about the validity of field trial data. Both guests acknowledge the inherent challenges of field studies and give some tips for success. Field studies can often have good external validity because they are done under real-world conditions and at scale. (34:23)The group dives into the topic of industry-funded research. Some skepticism and cynicism about industry-funded research exists. Industry-funded studies are not inherently biased and often answer important and tangible questions for decision-makers. Government funding is rarely going to be awarded to that type of research, but the industry is interested in funding it. If an industry-funded study is well done by a reputable researcher, has gone through the peer review process, and has appropriate methods and statistics, Dr. Nydam sees no reason to discount it. (44:56)Dr. LeBlanc reminds the audience when looking at different kinds of studies and different types of evidence, it's not that one type of study is good and others are not. For a lot of health-related research in dairy cows, we don't have good (or any) experimental models to reproduce things in a white-coat-science sort of way. At the end of the day, dairy managers and industry professionals want to know if a particular piece of science, whether experimental or observational, helps them make decisions on the farm. There's a place for all types of research as long as it's done well and in its own right.  (42:08)Dr. Nydam's key takeaway is that it's important to remember to keep some faith in science and have open discourse about it as we move forward in dairy science and as a society. Dr. LeBlanc reminds the audience that even if listeners are not in the business of designing, conducting, and analyzing their experiments, they do not need to feel powerless as consumers of scientific information. It can and should be something they can engage with and use to answer questions in their day-to-day jobs. (52:26)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

This Real Science Exchange podcast episode was recorded during a webinar from Balchem's Real Science Lecture Series. The primary goal of a replacement program is to raise the highest quality heifer that can maximize profits when she enters the lactating herd. She carries no limitations that would detract from her ability to produce milk under the farm's management system. Ideally, one would wish to optimize profits by obtaining the highest quality heifer at the lowest possible cost, usually in the least amount of time. Dr. Van Amburgh presents a snapshot evaluation of benchmarks to assess the potential quality of replacements. (3:47)When does the process of creating a quality heifer start? Probably before conception. In non-pasture herds, the first lactation cows giving birth to heifers produced about 1000 pounds more milk in the first two lactations. Heifers whose dams were supplemented with choline during the pre-fresh period had higher birth-to-yearling average daily gains and improved immunity. Choline also appears to enhance the quality of colostrum via increased absorption of IgG. This implies that maternal programming extends beyond the uterine environment via ingestion of milk-borne factors, known as the lactocrine hypothesis (14:29)After the calf is born, the goal is anabolism or growth. The dam communicates with the calf via colostrum to direct calf development after birth. Not only does colostrum provide immunoglobulins, but it also contains a large amount of nutrients and non-nutrient factors that support gut maturation. In particular, IGF-1 and insulin may act on receptors in the gut to stimulate cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and protein synthesis. Dr. Van Amburgh summarizes several studies that showed increased colostrum feeding improved pre- and post-weaning growth and development. While the immunoglobulin content of colostrum is essential for passive immunity, the other components in colostrum are responsible for the increased growth performance. (27:39)The hormones and growth factors in colostrum enhance protein synthesis, enzyme expression, and gastrointestinal tract development. This implies that the gut is now an even stronger barrier to infection, with more surface area for digestion and absorption, with an increased capacity to digest nutrients due to higher enzyme excretion. (36:33)To investigate the impact of non-nutrient factors in colostrum, studies were designed where calves were fed either colostrum or milk replacer with the same nutrient content. Glucose uptake was increased for colostrum calves even though both groups received similar nutrient content. Plasma glucagon was higher in colostrum calves, indicating better glucose status and higher reserve capacity. Plasma protein levels were higher in colostrum calves, suggesting more amino acids available for growth and protein synthesis. Plasma urea nitrogen was lower for colostrum calves, indicating fewer amino acids were used for gluconeogenesis leading to more efficient growth. (46:55)What happens to immune cells in colostrum? Leukocytes and other immune-related cells in colostrum are trafficked into the circulation of the calf. Maternal leukocytes can be detected in the calf by 12 hours, peak at 24 hours, and disappear by 48 hours. Long term, there appears to be greater cellular immunity in calves that received whole colostrum compared to cell-free colostrum. Uptake of cells from colostrum enhances cellular immunity in calves by providing, mature, programmed cells from the dam. (52:24)The take-home message for colostrum management is to feed colostrum for four days. Give first-milking colostrum within six hours of birth and again at 12 hours. Give second-milking colostrum for day two feeding and third- and fourth-milking colostrum for days three and four. (56:04)Dr. Van Amburgh answers a few questions from the webinar audience about dry cow management for colostrum quality and quantity, the impacts of pasteurization of colostrum on components, and the efficacy of colostrum replacers. Watch the full webinar at balchem.com/realscience. (58:25)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

In this episode, Steve Campbell from Tailor Made Cattle Company joins the Ranching Reboot podcast to explore innovative, regenerative ranching techniques focused on mineralizing cattle. The discussion emphasizes the use of natural minerals like Redmond salt and mineral water to enhance cattle health and productivity. Steve shares insights into addressing common cattle ailments such as pink eye, foot rot, and scours through natural solutions and highlights historical and scientific supports for mineralization. The episode also discusses optimal cattle health and breeding strategies, including feeding practices, fertility indicators, and the relationship between horn and hair quality. Engaging with sustainable practices, Steve offers practical advice on selecting fertile cows and managing pastures. He also provides information about his upcoming speaking engagements, inviting listeners to connect and learn more. #RanchingReboot #RegenerativeRanching #CattleHealth #SustainableFarming #AnimalNutrition #BreedingStrategies #FarmManagement #CattleHealth #Mineralization #RanchingTips #SustainableFarming #RanchingReboot   00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:26 Guest Introduction: Steve Campbell 01:25 Steve Campbell's Background and Early Life 03:44 Preventive Health and Mineralization in Cattle 05:56 The Impact of Clean Minerals 11:05 Geographical and Environmental Influences 13:51 Water Management and Irrigation Challenges 18:05 Historical and Modern Agricultural Practices 22:24 The Importance of Clean Minerals and Honest Practices 30:20 Human and Animal Health Connections 55:14 Gabe Brown's Grass and Cattle Health 56:28 Mineral Water for Cattle: A Game Changer 57:55 Success Stories with Mineral Water 01:00:08 Implementing Mineral Water Techniques 01:02:32 Personal Experiences with Mineral Water 01:05:21 The Importance of Mineral Balance 01:18:24 Cattle Adaptation and Breeding Insights 01:40:31 Upcoming Events and Contact Information 01:45:35 Closing Remarks and Social Media ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grassroots Carbon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Landtrust Info!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Audubon Conservation Ranching!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Wild Ass Soap and CBD!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use the Coupon code "Reboot" for an extra discount!! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy BoBoLinks Here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code "BOBOREBOOT" for $10 off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast on Spotify!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ranching-reboot/support

Hello there!Join us for the third episode of the Animal Protein Sustainability Series, hosted by me, David Dayhoff, as we explore the critical role of sustainability in animal agriculture. In this episode, Dr. Partha Ray and Dr. Kelly Racette from The Nature Conservancy share their expertise on integrating sustainable practices within the livestock sector. They discuss agriculture's role in conservation, the importance of partnerships, and how science-backed strategies can help reduce the environmental footprint of animal farming. Discover how these initiatives aim to create a win-win for nature, farmers, and the industry. Listen now on your favorite platform!"Our goal is to work with multiple stakeholders to create a win-win situation for everyone so that sustainable change in the right direction is possible."  - Dr. Partha Ray Meet the host: David Dayhoff is the North America Sustainability Director for Animal Nutrition & Health at DSM-Firmenich. With over two decades of experience, David specializes in sustainability, strategic business development, and international business. He holds an MA from Johns Hopkins and a BA from Princeton University. His expertise includes improving sustainability in agriculture and fostering global partnerships.Meet the guests: Dr. Partha Ray, Science Lead at The Nature Conservancy, has over 10 years of experience in livestock sustainability, holding a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Virginia Tech. He focuses on reducing the environmental impact of livestock production through innovative, science-based solutions. Dr. Kelly Racette, Senior Scientist for Agriculture at The Nature Conservancy, specializes in regenerative agriculture with a Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Florida. She integrates sustainability into agriculture and food systems, creating solutions that benefit both nature and the industry.What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:18) Introduction(03:50) The Nature Conservancy(09:40) Priorities in animal agriculture(14:08) Win-win sustainability strategies(20:08) Sustainability in farming(24:33) Corporate sustainability trends(34:09) Closing thoughtsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by an innovative company like:dsm-firmenichAre you ready to unleash the podcasting potential of your company?

Dr. Kononoff's lab evaluated retrospective feed mixing records collected from eight commercial dairy farms. Data was divided into 28-day periods. Daily TMR nutrient deviation was automatically calculated from feed mixer data as the actual amount of a nutrient fed minus the target amount from the original diet formulation, divided by the target amount. (5:43)Crude protein, NDF, fat, and starch were the nutrients evaluated in the study. (13:40)Variation was positive for every nutrient on the vast majority of days. Dr. Kononoff attributes that to more feed being delivered than the diet formulation predicted animals would consume. Dry matter intake decreased with increasing positive deviation days in starch and increased with increasing positive deviation days in crude protein. NDF deviation did not impact dry matter intake. A narrow range of diets was used in the dataset and the main byproduct feed was high in NDF, so Dr. Kononoff speculates that there was not a wide enough range in NDF to have an impact on intakes. (17:04)Milk yield increased with increased positive deviation days in starch and decreased with increased positive deviation days in NDF. The pregnancy rate increased with increasing positive deviation days in fat and decreased with increasing positive deviation days in crude protein. Unfortunately, milk urea nitrogen data was not available in the dataset to further investigate the crude protein/pregnancy rate relationship. (20:44)There was little farm-to-farm variation in the data. (25:08)As positive deviation days for starch increased, so did feed conversion. The opposite effect was noted for NDF. As positive deviation days for fat increased, feed conversion decreased. This result was a little surprising, as delivering more energy usually improves feed conversion. However, the dataset did not specify the source of fat or fatty acid profile, so there may have been some rumen fermentation interference from fat. (27:08)Dr. Kononoff thinks it would be interesting to track individual cows through lactation and collect nutrient variation data. Dr. Weiss asks if the correlation between daily farm milk yield and nutrient variation was evaluated; it was not. Dr. Kononoff agrees that there may be some additional correlations that would be interesting to run. (33:22)In closing, Dr. Zimmerman commends Dr. Kononoff's work in tackling such a large dataset and looks forward to follow-up research. Dr. Weiss agrees and encourages more data extraction from the dataset. He was also very surprised at the low farm-to-farm variation observed and speculated if that would hold up if there were more variation in diets. Dr. Kononoff reminds the audience that taking a look at the TMR beyond the paper ration and digging into mixing techniques and TMR consistency is as important as evaluating bulk tank information or the amount of milk shipped. (37:20)You can find this episode's journal club paper from the Journal of Dairy Science Communications here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910224000760Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

Balchem sponsored several abstracts presented at the 2024 ADSA Annual Meeting. This episode consists of five segments, each focused on an abstract.Segment 1: Evaluating the total mixed ration stability of rumen-protected lysine products.Guests: Kari Estes, Balchem; Dr. Mark Hanigan, Virginia TechThis research compared the TMR stability of a Balchem prototype, several commercially available rumen-protected lysine products and a positive control of unprotected lysine. (3:39)A sample of TMR and the equivalent of one gram of lysine from each product were mixed and placed in a  plastic zip bag for 0, 6, 12, or 24 hours. After each time point, the sample was placed in a strainer bag, dipped in distilled water, and drip-dried. The solution was collected and analyzed for free lysine content. (5:28)About 85% of the unprotected lysine was recovered at 0 hours. After 24 hours, around 50% was recovered. The rumen-protected lysine products varied widely; one product released nearly 87% of its lysine in 24 hours, while another only released 9%. TMR stability should be taken into account when determining feeding rates and handling of rumen-protected lysine products. (7:19)Segment 2: Evaluating the total mixed ration stability of rumen-protected choline products.Guests: Kari Estes, Balchem; Dr. Mark Hanigan, Virginia TechIn this experiment, Kari evaluated TMR stability of five commercially available rumen-protected choline products, along with a positive control treatment of unprotected choline chloride. (14:04)At 0 hours, about 80% of the unprotected choline was recovered and 50% was recovered at 24 hours. Results for the rumen-protected choline products were highly variable, ranging from 5% release to 100% release at 24 hours. Rumen-protected choline products should be evaluated for TMR stability in addition to rumen stability and intestinal release. (17:25)Segment 3: Effect of dry period heat stress and rumen-protected choline on productivity of Holstein cows. Guests: Maria Torres de Barri and Dr. Geoff Dahl, University of FloridaThe experiment had four treatments: heat stress with and without rumen-protected choline, and cooling with and without rumen-protected choline. Cows in the cooling treatment were provided shade, soakers, and fans, while cows in the heat stress treatment were only provided shade. (24:45)Heat-stress cows had higher rectal temperatures and respiration rates than cooled cows. Heat-stress cows also had lower dry matter intakes, shorter gestation length, lighter calves, and produced less milk. (29:36)For cows in the cooling group, choline supplementation increased milk production. However, cows in the heat stress group supplemented with choline produced less milk than cows who did not receive choline. (31:04)Dr. Dahl suggests that not cooling cows in heat-stress environments when they're receiving choline will not result in optimal results. (33:49)Segment 4: Effects of dietary rumen-protected, ruminal-infused, or abomasal-infused choline chloride on milk, urine, and fecal choline and choline metabolite yields in lactating cows. Guests: Mingyang (Charlie) You and Dr. Joe McFadden, Cornell UniversityThis experiment evaluated early and late lactation cows supplemented with choline via three different methods. Each treatment had 12.5 grams of choline ion provided daily: fed in rumen-protected form, continuously infused into the rumen, or continuously infused into the abomasum. (36:29)Choline bioavailability was influenced by the delivery method of choline. Fecal and milk choline concentration was only observed in early lactating cows with abomasal infusion. Abomasal infusion increases the choline metabolite betaine in feces and urine. These results suggest there is potential saturation of choline metabolism in the lactating cow. (40:53)Segment 5: The metabolic fate of deuterium-labeled choline in gestating and lactating Holstein dairy cows. Guests: Dr. Tanya France, University of Wisconsin; Dr. Joe McFadden, Cornell UniversityDr. France explains that choline can be metabolized via two different pathways. Using deuterium-labeled choline (D-9 choline) allows researchers to know which pathway is used. If D-3 or D-6 choline is measured, the methionine cycle is used, and if D-9 choline is measured, the CDP choline pathway is used. The hypothesis was that the physiological stage (late gestation vs early lactation) would influence choline metabolism. (51:06)Dr. France found that both choline metabolism pathways were used in both physiological stages. This experiment also confirmed that choline is a methyl donor and that choline recycling can occur. The research also evaluated the relative amounts of choline and choline metabolites in each pool. (53:40)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt. 

Dr. Overton presented on this topic in a Real Science Lecture series webinar on July 10, 2024. You can find it at www.balchem.com/realscience. This episode takes a deeper dive into the conversation.Dr. Overton begins by reminding listeners of the vast number of changes occurring in the fresh cow during the first two to three weeks after calving. Body fat and protein mobilization, some systemic inflammation, the potential for elevated NEFAs and ketones, and calcium dynamics all play a role in how the fresh cow starts her lactation period. (7:31)When consulting with clients, Dr. Faldet uses research to guide his decisions. He likes to implement a 14-day pen for fresh cows, ranging from 10-17 days. He evaluates things like stocking rates, lockup times, and cow comfort, along with fine-tuning a diet for each individual farm setting. (9:14)The panel discusses the importance of increasing effective fiber along with starch in fresh cow diets. Without adequate effective fiber in the diet, the risk of acidosis increases, resulting in cows going off feed. There is no silver bullet; each farm's fresh cow diet is going to be different due to different forage bases and timing in the fresh cow group. (13:02)Both Dr. Faldet and Dr. Overton stressed the diet is only one component of a successful fresh cow program. Other critical pieces include stocking rate, availability of feed, water quantity and quality, and cow comfort. Dr. Faldet suggests that if you do all these non-diet factors right, you could probably maneuver closeup and fresh pens a little differently and make the diet work with the ingredients you have. Dr. Overton's group is conducting survey work evaluating the variability in particle size in closeup diets. A pilot study showed that as particle size variability increased, so did fresh cow health issues and poor postpartum metabolic status. (19:10)Protein requirements of the fresh cow were another topic of Dr. Overton's webinar. He described a recent experiment evaluating standard and high metabolizable protein concentrations in the diet for closeup and fresh cows. The postpartum MP gave a big milk response, around 15-16 pounds per day for the first 21 days after calving, with a carryover effect of 11-12 pounds of milk for the next 20 days after all cows went back on the same diet. It's important to note that lysine and methionine were fixed regardless of treatment, so it seems that other amino acids are probably involved in the mechanism of action. (23:06)Dr. Overton described an experiment designed to evaluate starch and fiber in fresh cow diets where higher fiber digestibility and increased corn in silage resulted in less fiber and more starch than anticipated in the diet. Fresh cows were a bit of a trainwreck, but the problem was resolved once another couple of pounds of straw were added to the diet. On the other hand, you can go too far with increased fiber in fresh cow diets, which results in ketosis, lower intakes, and less milk production. (35:19)The panel then discusses far-off programs, fat supplementation in fresh cow diets, and vitamin and mineral concentrations for fresh cows. (42:37)In summary, each panelist shares their takeaways. Dr. Elliott reminds listeners that we should think about starch, fat, fiber, and protein together and how they influence each other rather than considering them individually. Dr. Faldet's take-home message is to know what your targets and bookends are and really hone in and implement your fresh cow diets accordingly. Dr. Overton suggests that the industry will shift to evaluating fresh cow diets as their own thing rather than trying to tweak a few things from your high cow diet. Implementing fresh cow diets consistently and well is going to be important. (53:30)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

Dr. Callaway presented on this topic in a Real Science Lecture series webinar on June 4, 2024. You can find it at www.balchem.com/realscience. The following podcast takes a deeper dive into the conversation.For years, probiotics were known as direct-fed microbials (DFMs) in livestock and probiotics in humans. Terminology has been updated to reflect different modes of action and composition. (9:07)A probiotic is defined as a living microorganism that will be beneficial to the health and/or performance of the host. Prebiotics are fermentable substrates that the host can't use, but the microbes can. Dr. Steele agrees that terminology and definitions keep evolving; he uses “microbial-based solutions” rather than DFM. He believes that the ever-evolving terminology and definitions have led to some of the skepticism about these products in the industry. He recommends to farmers and nutritionists that a product should have a bare minimum of three publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals showing efficacy before using them on-farm. (10:13)Every farm is going to have a different set of challenges and goals that will play a role in determining the right choice of microbial-based solution. Weather and climate, water quality, pathogen challenges, ration grind size, and ration ingredients will all factor into the decision. (17:39)Both guests agree that we don't know enough about the microbiome in cattle to define what a good versus a bad microbiome looks like. Dr. Steele suggests the next steps in research should look more deeply at the host's physiological mechanisms in how they're responding to a probiotic to truly understand when it's going to work and when it's not. (21:19)Dr. Ordway asks how much microbial products could improve the absorption of nutrients. Dr. Steele responds that much of the research so far has focused on digestion and absorption has not been studied much. Some studies in calves fed microbials have shown changes in gut structure and the development of villi, and even papillae in the rumen. That gives us some high-level information about absorption, but we are not close to understanding the nitty gritty of the microbial mechanisms at play in absorption. Dr. Callaway adds that hindgut absorption in ruminants is more important than we have previously thought. Dr. Steele suggests the small and large intestines are equally as important as the forestomach, but they are not as well understood as they're harder to study in ruminants. The conversation goes on to discuss possible modes of action behind increased liver abscesses observed in beef on dairy operations. (30:12)Both guests share their thoughts regarding working together across disciplines, especially agronomy researchers since the feed base has such an impact on-farm. They discuss soil microbes, forge inoculants, and silage microbes. (43:23)Dr. Ordway's take-home message for nutritionists is to not forget to have conversations with your partners - the producer, the end user, the veterinarian, the crop team and the management team on the farm. Coordinated biology is not just within the animal, it's all the factors coming into play that have been discussed in this episode. (58:32)Dr. Steele reiterates his earlier advice to only use microbial-based solutions that have a bare minimum of three publications showing efficacy in a high-ranking journal. He also recommends you choose your metric of measurement properly. Focusing on cattle that are experiencing some stress or metabolic or infectious issues may allow you to truly evaluate the return on investment. There are great microbial solutions out there but you need to use a proven solution from a company that's research-based. (59:48)Dr. Callaway echoes Dr. Steele's recommendation to be slightly cynical about companies that come in to sell you things. Ask how their product works, and ask to see the research. A company that tells you when its product works and when it doesn't might be more trustworthy than one that says their product always works. Lastly, what does success look like for you as a farmer? Have a measurable, bite-size metric for determining if these products impact your bottom line. (1:01:28)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

This episode of the Real Science Exchange podcast was recorded during a webinar from Balchem's Real Science Lecture Series.Dr. Goff sees three main challenges for transition cows: negative energy and protein balance, immune suppression, and hypocalcemia. About half of all older cows experience hypocalcemia, and around 3% will experience milk fever. Cows develop hypocalcemia if they are unable to replace the calcium lost in milk from either their bone or diet. Compared to the day before calving, a cow needs around 32 extra grams of protein the day of calving to meet her increased requirements. (2:00)Dr. Goff reviews the pathways of calcium homeostasis and the actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Aged cows may have a harder time maintaining calcium homeostasis due to the loss of vitamin D receptors in the intestine with age and fewer sites of active bone resorption capable of responding quickly to PTH once they have finished growing. Blood pH plays a role in calcium homeostasis: when blood pH becomes alkaline, animals become less responsive to PTH. Dr. Goff reviews the impacts of high vs low DCAD diets and reviews the amount of time it takes for the kidney and bone to respond to PTH. (4:20)There are several strategies to reduce the risk of hypocalcemia. One is to reduce dietary potassium so the cow is not as alkaline. Using forages from fields that have not had manure applied to them is one way to accomplish this. In addition, warm-season grasses (corn) accumulate less potassium than cool-season grasses, and all grasses contain less potassium as they mature (straw). A second strategy is to add anions such as chloride or sulfate to the diet to acidify the blood to improve bone and kidney response to  PTH. Research has shown that sulfate salts acidify about 60% as well as chloride salts. The palatability of anionic diets has led to commercial products such as Soychlor. (13:06)Dr. Goff then discusses the over- and under-acidification of diets and gives his opinion on the appropriate range of urine pH for proper DCAD diet management, including a new proposed DCAD equation to account for alkalizing and acidifying components of the diet. He also gives some options for pH test strips to use for urine pH data collection. (18:30)Dr. Goff's lab has found that as prepartum urine pH increases, the calcium nadir decreases. The inflection point is right around pH 7.5, where above 7.5 indicates a higher risk of hypocalcemia. Data from other researchers suggests that urine pH lower than 6.0 may result in lower blood calcium, indicating an overall curvilinear response. Low urine pH (under 6.0) has also been associated with a higher incidence of left-displaced abomasum. (29:02)Moving on to other minerals, Dr. Goff discusses phosphate homeostasis and how that interacts with calcium in the close-up cow. Feeding too much phosphorus can decrease calcium absorption and feeding low phosphorus diets before calving can improve blood levels of calcium. He recommends less than 0.35% phosphorus in close-up cow diets. For magnesium,he recommends 0.4% prepartum and immediately postpartum to take advantage of passive absorption across the rumen wall. (31:08)Another strategy to reduce milk fever risk is to reduce dietary calcium prior to calving to stimulate parathyroid hormone release well before calving. A zeolite product that binds calcium is now available and may make this much easier to achieve. (42:59)In closing, Dr. Goff reminds the audience that some level of hypocalcemia post-calving is normal and in fact, is associated with higher milk production. The key is making sure that the cow's blood calcium levels can bounce back to normal by day two after calving. (51:23)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

Dr. DeVries presented a Real Science Lecture webinar on May 8, 2024, titled “Lessons Learned in Research on Nutritional Management of Robot Milked Cows.” You can find the webinar recording at balchem.com/realscience.  Dr. DeVries begins with an overview of how his robotic milking research has evolved. In Canada, around 20%-plus of farms are using robotic milkers. He describes survey research in the US and Canada as to why producers choose to implement robotic milkers. (9:19)In Trevor's webinar, he discussed the large amount of variation in nutritional management of robot-milked cows across Canada. Some of his research with Dr. Penner has looked at the interaction between feed consumed at the feed bunk and feed consumed at the robot. Ideally, you wish to be able to accurately predict intake because that is a primary driver of milk production. Because cows can be supplemented individually at the robot, there is opportunity to better feed cows to match their individual needs. (13:50)Trevor and Greg describe their respective university's robot milking research facilities. The panel discusses additional technologies that would be useful for all robotic milkers, like load cells to measure feed delivery and disappearance. Cows typically consume around 250-300 grams of concentrate per minute, and that can vary by feed type (pellet vs mash, for example.) The panel also ponders whether the design of the feed bunk in the robots has an impact on intake rate. (17:35)As a consulting nutritionist, Todd prefers to feed as little as possible in the robot and have a more consistent mix in the PMR. The level of milk production of the cows can have a large influence on how much pellet is fed at the robot versus the feed bunk. Todd goes on to describe his strategy for creating proportions of PMR and robot intakes for different scenarios. (26:06)Clay asks the panel what the maximum amount of concentrate should be fed at the robot. They discuss factors that can influence concentration including individual cow variation, length of time in the robot per milking, and the number of visits to the robot per day. Clay goes on to ask how fast fresh cows can be stepped up in their robot feedings. The group has a lively discussion about all the different factors that play a role in that decision. Greg reminds the audience not to get so caught up with programming the robot that we lose sight of the fact we're still feeding cows and good dairy management still applies. (31:29)Todd describes some of the biggest challenges he observes as a consultant in robotic dairies, primarily centered around understanding cow behavior. Trevor underlines the importance of cow comfort and other non-nutritional factors in regard to their influence on the success of the nutrition program.(41:29)Scott asks the panel what they think robotic milkers might look like in 2050 and what problems will have been solved by then. Greg's wish list includes knowing PMR intake to better manage robot feedings and having cow body weights on every dairy. Trevor thinks we will have a much better understanding of how genetics influence cow performance in a robotic system and how we can raise cows to adapt to the technology to be better robot cows. Todd agrees that body weights are critical and also envisions more individualized milkings depending on each cow's preferences. On his wish list is a drone that could be used to fetch cows to the robot who have not gone to be milked. (46:51)​​Trevor and Greg discuss what's next in their upcoming research projects, and Todd gives some wishlist ideas for future research. (54:18)In summary, each guest gives their take home messages. Clay is intrigued by the precision feeding aspects of robotic milking systems. Todd encourages dairy producers not to be scared of robotic milking systems. Greg looks forward to research in the next 5-10 years to support or refute the preconceived notions we have about robotic systems. Trevor reminds listeners that cows must consume a certain amount of nutrients in order to produce milk. In the robotic system, those nutrients are delivered via two different components and research continues to understand the interplay between them. Lastly, animal behavior is a critical component of the success of robotic systems and our management approach should reflect that. (1:02:46)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.

Dr. Cannas presented a Real Science Lecture webinar on October 17, 2023, titled “Diets of Productive Sheep & Goats: Performance & Health.” You can find the webinar recording at balchem.com/realscience.  Dr. Cannas outlines the topics he covered in his webinar, including nutritional requirement differences between small and large ruminants, particularly in late gestation. Small ruminants have a shorter gestation and are more prolific than cattle, for example, and this means they have more nutritional challenges in late gestation. Dr. Cannas covered supplementation, basal diet quality, and sorting ewes or does by number of fetuses. He also discussed how high milk-producing sheep and goats partition nutrients. (10:36)Many people treat sheep and goats like smaller, low-producing cattle. Dr. Cannas considers this approach a big mistake. During pregnancy and lactation, sheep and goats are highly-producing animals that garner the same attention given to high-producing dairy and beef cattle. Dr. Texeira agrees and reminds the audience that just because sheep and goats are very adaptable animals doesn't mean you should feed them low-quality diets. Jessica mentions that providing poor-quality feed may not allow the ewe or doe to meet her genetic potential. (21:51)The panel discusses the importance of record keeping and data to evaluate management changes. (27:31)Jessica asks about how Antonello fed rumen-protected choline in his experiments. They fed individually to ensure each animal received the correct dose but recommended to mix it into a TMR or mineral supplement for on-farm feeding. (33:12)Izabelle asks how many groups most farms sort ewes or does into before lambing or kidding in Sardinia. Antonello says it depends on the individual farm because they are so diverse, but at least two groups, singles and twins. They may also sort based on the number of days pregnant as well. He describes some experimental results from feeding rumen-protected choline to ewes carrying singles versus twins. (35:35)Dr. Teixeira describes some of the challenges sheep and goat producers face in her native Brazil due to heat stress. Jessica gives examples of management strategies to help manage heat stress based on her work at Cornell. (41:14)The panel discussed challenges with body condition scoring goats using a sheep scale since goats store more fat internally or in other locations like the tail. They also discuss recommendations for target body condition scores at different stages of the production cycle. (48:00)In summary, Jessica recommends that sheep and goat producers focus on what they do well, make small changes to improve their operation, and collect data to see what is working and what is not working. Izabelle encourages producers to understand what is happening physiologically in each stage of production to best manage nutritional challenges. Antonello reiterates that sheep and goats should be given the same attention and care as high-producing dairy cows. It is a complex business and there is much room for improvement in the management of small ruminants. (57:27)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we'll mail you a shirt.