By Grace Thomas, M.Agr.Sc. P.A.S. The temperate climate in Ireland and the United Kingdom leads to ideal conditions for pasture growth. Due to this, pasture and pasture-based forages make up a large proportion of dairy cow and beef cattle rations. With 95% of Irish dairy cows(1) receiving pasture or grass silage in their diet, and […]
By Dr. James C. Coomer, Ph.D., PAS Mycotoxins seem to be discussed everywhere in livestock nutrition press these days and it appears mycotoxins are an inevitable part of nutrition now and into the foreseeable future. DSM recently released their December mycotoxin survey, including their corn mycotoxin survey results for 2023. The survey of 123 corn […]
By Dr. Dan Schauff, Ph.D., P.A.S. Practical and research observations have long shown a healthy calf is more likely to become a healthy, productive dairy cow. Most also recognize that a successful colostrum feeding/management program is essential and foundational to support a calf’s health, future growth, and milk production. There is growing evidence, however, that […]
By Dr. Louisa E. Koch, Ph.D., P.A.S. Cereal grains represent a major source of energy for the high-producing dairy cow and can greatly impact feed efficiency. Transforming every pound of nutrients into saleable product is the cornerstone of achieving optimal feed efficiency. In most dairy production systems, corn is the predominant cereal grain. The largest […]
By Grace Thomas, M.Agr.Sc. P.A.S. Consistency is the key when it comes to all things dairy. This is also relevant when it comes to cow manure. The cow manure evaluation is one of the best indicators of cow performance and any changes to it can be due to reduced rumen function and/or feed digestion. You […]
By Dr. Gene P. Gengelbach, Ph.D., P.A.S. Fall is the time of year many people associate with colorful foliage and football. For the livestock producer, this is the time of year they must evaluate their forages and devise a feeding strategy for the upcoming winter months. Many parts of the country experienced drought conditions for […]
By Lucas A. Krueger Why does dry matter loss matter? With summer forage harvests behind us and fall crop silage in full focus, evaluating dry matter loss from harvested forages is never more important. From a practical standpoint, dry matter loss equates to wasted fuel consumption; seed, fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide use; and acreage. Dry […]
By Dr. David Jones, Ph.D., P.A.S. Along with amino acids and peptides, ammonia is part of the soluble protein (or ‘A’ fraction) of routine protein analysis. It is generated by the deamination (removal of nitrogen-containing amino groups) of proteins, which reduces the overall quality of the protein. Ammonia is a source of nitrogen for rumen […]
By Dr. Dan Schauff, Ph.D., P.A.S.; Dave Spangler; and Lucas Krueger The cost of milk production has increased dramatically in the past year due to various factors such as money supply in excess of economic expansion, higher energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty in world wheat/grain markets due to the war in Ukraine. On […]
By Dr. Louisa E. Koch, Ph.D., P.A.S. You have likely heard a thing or two about the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. Did you know, however, that the water-soluble B-vitamins play essential roles in the cow, as well? The B-vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that have key roles as enzymatic cofactors or […]