Real Science Exchange (Balchem Animal Nutrition & Health)

Guests: Dr. Joe McFadden, Cornell University and Dr. Peri Rosenstein, Environmental Defense Fund

Joining together around the pub to discuss methane emission metrics are experts Dr. Joe McFadden and Dr. Peri Rosenstein. 

Dr. McFadden, an animal science professor at Cornell University, has focused much of his research and career on studying the interactions between nutrition, environment and animal food production. 

After discussing mitigating enteric methane emissions during the Real Science Lecture series, more than 600 people listened to the episode. In fact, Dr. McFadden’s research in defending the dairy industry has been highlighted in both The Hill and Time magazines. 

Dr. McFadden began the conversation by mentioning he ultimately believes a percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions is methane. He went on to mention that reducing methane emissions does enhance production, and the industry should be in favor of the shift. 9:04

While methane remains a major contributor to agricultural food production, livestock emissions from the glimpse of total greenhouse gas emissions remain relatively low, raising questions on where the focus of enteric methane mitigation should be. 

Progress is moving the needle from management, genetics, nutrition and enhanced efficiency. 

Dr. Rosenstein and Dr. McFadden’s research focuses on South Asia, specifically India, as there are nearly 75 million small dairy farmers and about 300 million buffalo. Dr. McFadden shared that while the country produces around 20% of total global dairy production, it is also the highest producer of methane. 15:30

Cattle are a source of national food security and are a way of life for many people, Dr. Rosenstein added, mentioning the goal is not to pivot completely but instead offer resources to optimize cattle productivity through nutrition, animal health and breeding. 20:22

In addition to the Environmental Defense Fund studies in South Asia, Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem, asked about any other current research taking place. 22:03

Just recently, Dr. McFadden said the plans and proposals for the additional construction at the Cornell University research facility were implemented. He added he believes the opportunity to pivot not only allows his team the position to test the next solutions that reduce enteric methane but to continue acquiring various green feeding units. 23:25

Dr. McFadden then shifted the conversation to highlight the importance in studying feed duration through green feed study trials. Whether three weeks or three months long, he mentioned they offer a greater understanding when analyzing lactation, supplementation or even replacement strategies. 28:21

When discussing strategies for enteric methane mitigation, Dr. Rosenstein mentioned they not only have to have proper feed additives but also be safe for both humans and animals alike. 32:31

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. McFadden summarized the urgency in being transparent on effective additives and encouraged feed manufacturing and feed additive companies to think about markets in new countries as an opportunity to collaborate and expand. 44:10

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Victor Cabrera, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Gathering over cold drinks at the World Dairy Expo pubcast to discuss recent research on nutritional grouping among dairy farms are Dr. Bill Weiss, Dr. Victor Cabrera and Dr. Pete Morrow.

Dr. Bill Weiss, Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University, began the conservation through the recently published research paper in the Journal of Dairy Science, introducing one of the authors, Dr. Victor Cabrera, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 2:25 

Here is a link to the article: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(21)01082-1/fulltext

What strategies in dairy cow nutritional grouping does the research recommend? Victor added that along with help from a graduate student Jorge Bartos, research shows the opportunity to group animals with similar homogenous nutritional requirements. 3:40

He noted the underlying concepts like production, lactation, pregnancy stages and sometimes herd sizes are also drivers for grouping considerations. 5:70

Dr. Cabrera said he would first separate by lactation or production, but when calculating the density of nutritional requirements for each animal, he said the animal grouping typically happens naturally. 9:30

He also said nutritional requirements play a factor, adding the concept-lead factor of following the diet of the 83rd percentile cow. But how can we improve the nutritional accuracy and formulate the best diet for the group, Dr. Bill Weiss then asked. 12:40

Dr. Cabrera mentioned the research paper showed the overweight concern for animals within the transitional period and said another challenge the research indicated was the lower metabolic energy and body score conditions. He added that diets ultimately improve the health and welfare of the animals in all cases. 19:45

Dr. Pete Morrow, podcast co-host, said that early in his career he had a dairy do grouping according to production on a late lactation cow on a cheap diet. He added the diet was formulated for 10 pounds less of milk and later realized lead factors was instead the key measure. 24:20

There are two points to grouping, Dr. Cabrera said. The journal research was collected from a large farm in Wisconsin, with around 2,400 lactating cows used for the data. Within the grouping for this farm, cows were moved from the 14 different pens each week. Dr. Cabrera mentioned that there are multiple pens for each lactation type, adding the nutrition for the animal's changes based on feed prices and not requirements. 29:31

Dr. Cabrera said he and his team thought the roadblock in nutritional grouping for farmers would be fear that moving them frequently would decrease their productivity and labor management throughout the process. 34:49

From the paper, however, he added the research doesn’t show a decrease in milk production, but instead, the grouping concept yields opportunities for extra milk production, health gain, environmental benefits and more. 36:30

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Cabrera emphasized two points, mentioning he believes farmers have a great opportunity to improve nutritional accuracy and believes nutritional grouping offers an effective and efficient system.  41:48

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Guests: Dr. Mike Van Amburgh (Cornell University), Dr. Jose Santos (University of Florida), Dr. Heather White (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Gathering together at the 2023 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference for the Balchem Mini-Symposium “New Revelations in Transition Cow Nutrition” are speakers Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Dr. Jose Santos and Dr. Heather White. 

The mini symposium featured topics such as better understanding essential versus required nutrients, choline research as a nutritional requirement and insights on gaining the next five pounds of milk. 

Dr. Van Amburgh of Cornell University led the discussion, summarizing his report on essential and required nutrients such as amino acids and choline. He mentioned when formulating diets for lactating cows, it’s important to understand there are other nutrients that aren’t necessarily essential but are required. 4:53

Shifting the conversation, Dr. Van Amburgh said establishing an optimum value has now replaced nutrient requirements based on energy. Recent evidence indicates that feeding rumen protected choline (RPC) significantly improves milk production. In addition, supplementing choline shows an increase in low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) output from the liver.  7:21

Highlighting her research in supplementing choline, Dr. White shared that studies show a 20 to 25% increase from cells and culture after incorporating the nutrient. She added choline also increased the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) capacity, indicating a shift in nutrient incorporation. 11:45 

As milk increases when infusing non-essential amino acids or even by using meta-analysis to supplement choline, how is glucose supply impacted? 

Dr. Santos, who focused his research on meta-analysis, said that even with the concurrent increase in dry matter intake, efficiency has still increased. He went on to say that studies from Wisconsin and Michigan highlight the basic understanding of a cow's variable ability to synthesis glucose differently with the ability to produce at least two kilograms more milk consistently. 21:30

Within some of Dr. White’s meta-analysis research, she mentioned mixing choline into the total mixed ration (TMR) allowed for the opportunity to analyze exact intake and also outcome production or energy corrected milk (ECM) fat. 34:08

If cost isn’t an issue, Dr. Santos mentioned that he’s seen experiments feeding choline longer than 21 days postpartum and into 105 days at 12.9 grams. While no major benefit showed at that dosage amount, he added that other studies have shown benefits feeding choline longer and into mid lactation. 39:41

Switching gears, Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem asked Dr. Santos about epigenetics and the effect choline has on behavioral changes. 44:59

Sharing that epigenetics shifts genomes without changing sequences, Dr. Santos mentioned that through a two-by-two factorial experiment on choline, research indicates calf behaviors shifting and performance increasing. He went on to mention that history shows 30% of calves that were born from control dams and fed colostrum from control dams died from lipopolysaccharide challenges. 51:10

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Zimmerman, podcast co-host and technical services manager for Balchem said that research speaks for itself. He stated that higher producing cows continue to prove choline as a required nutrient for transition cows. 55:50

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Today’s episode was filmed at the American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Joining us are the ADSA organizers and research winners to discuss their projects. Dr. Clay Zimmerman is our co-host this week. 

Our first guests are Dr. Corwin Nelson, University of Florida and Kari Estes, Balchem. Dr. Nelson is the overall committee chair for the conference and said more than 1,300 abstracts were submitted. Of those, 1,254 were accepted to present at the ADSA conference. (1:44) Ms. Estes, who was a poster judge mentioned she looks for the aesthetics of the poster, but was also impressed with the rigor of research, especially with the winning posters. (5:22) 

Our next guests are presentation winner, Ursula Abou-Rjeileh, Michigan State University and her advisor, Dr. Andres Contreras, Michigan State University. Ursula is a second-time winner and her research focuses on the effects of fatty acids on lipid accumulation and mitochondrial function in the post-partum phase. Her research showed that supplementing oleic acid with pulmonary acid, especially post-partum means cows don’t lose a lot of body weight. Her presentation name is Oleic acid promotes lipid accumulation and improves

mitochondrial function in bovine adipocytes.(10:11) 

Our third set of guests includes master’s poster winner Corienne Gammariello, The Ohio State University - Wooster and her advisor Dr. Ben Enger, The Ohio State University - Wooster. Corienne spoke about their research methods and how unique they were. She used dead bacteria and was able to elicit an immune response of an udder half, they used a split udder design model. Her poster title is Killed Staphylococcus aureus intramammary challenge

induces subclinical mastitis and clear changes in milk composition but not milk yield.(15:11) 

Next, we have Richard Lobo, winner of the Ph.D poster contest, from the University of Florida. Richard’s research was trying to replace soybean milk with algae. He saw that replacing 100% of soybean meal results in no fermentation. (20:15) More research is needed, because it is not yet known if protein that was not degraded in the rumen is going to be degraded later on, and absorbed. So we are still in the process of understanding how to use these protein sources with dairy cows. His poster title is Utilization of algae biomass as a partial replacement for

soybean meal in the diet of dairy cows in vitro. (21:25) 

Our last guests are Luke Quian, Cornell University and Connor McCabe, University of California Davis, who are the President and Vice President of the GSD (Graduate Student Division) at ADSA. Connor said that scientific presentation is a large reason to attend ADSA, but there are equal benefits and opportunities through networking, career development and professional pieces. (28:52) 

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the additional highlights from the 2023 ADSA Annual Meeting in future podcast episodes. 

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Guests: Dr. Paul Fricke and PhD Candidate Megan Lauber, the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Fricke starts this episode by describing the long-term negative trend for reproductive performance in dairy cows that took place from the mid-1950s to around 2000. 

The reversal of this trend is due to the use of genomics to select for fertility and the use of synchronization and fertility programs in dairy cows. (6:07)

Dr. Fricke explains the high fertility cycle starts with a change in body condition. Observations from the late 1980s and early 1990s showed that cows who calved at a higher body condition and lost condition after calving had worse reproductive performance than cows who calved at a lower body condition and did not lose as much condition after calving. This is known as the Britt Hypothesis.  (13:27)

Paul describes studies aimed at finding the mechanism of action for differences in fertility. One study split cows into groups based on performance in a superovulation and embryo flushing protocol. Cows who gained body condition after calving had the best quality embryos, while cows who rapidly lost condition and didn’t gain it back had very poor quality embryos. (18:50)

In another experiment, cows were body condition scored at calving and 21 days later to measure postpartum condition change. All cows were on a double ovsynch fertility protocol. About 40% of cows lost condition over that time period, 35% maintained condition, and 25% lost condition, but milk production was the same for all. This implies that cows gaining or maintaining condition were eating more feed than those losing condition. Cows who lost condition after calving had a 25% conception rate. Cows who maintained condition had around a 40% conception rate, and cows who gained condition after calving had over 80% conception. These differences were not dependent on the synchronization protocol. (21:18)

Megan said many large farms are starting to body condition score cows at calving and 21-30 days after calving to measure and manage this. She also said cows who lose are less fertile and have a higher pregnancy loss than cows who maintain or gain condition post-calving. In a study where cows who lost three-quarters of a condition score or more from dry off to 30 days in milk had a 25% conception rate, while cows who maintained or gained body condition over that same time period had over 50% conception. (26:24)

One of Megan’s studies found cows bred with sexed semen who were submitted to a double ovsynch fixed-time protocol showed a 6-7% advantage compared to cows submitted to AI after estrus detection. The entire treatment effect was observed in cows who lost the most condition after calving. (33:18)

Paul and Megan encourage dairy producers to body condition score cows at dry off, at freshening, and 21-30 days after that. If cows are losing a large amount of condition, that could be playing a critical role in reproductive performance. In addition, the first test, fat-to-protein ratios, also tells a story about fat mobilization. A cutoff of over 40% might indicate that cows are mobilizing body fat and losing condition rather than going up to the bunk to eat to drive milk production. (40:03)

Megan and Paul said that taking a herd from a low fertility cycle to a high fertility cycle includes an aggressive reproductive management program, evaluating somatic cell count and mastitis to ensure those aren’t impacting fertility, and taking a critical look at the nutrition program, including grouping cows with different rations. (46:54)

Megan’s final thought for the audience is that having cows in the high fertility cycle with aggressive reproductive management to increase our reproductive performance really gives us a lot of power. Managing cow body condition score drives profitability and allows a lot of opportunities. (1:01:05)

Paul concludes that over his 25 years on faculty at Wisconsin, he’s lived through the whole reproduction revolution in the dairy industry. Right now, the high fertility cycle is the big barrier to the performance on dairies, but this is very doable. If you get herds into the high fertility cycle, everything is easier. Cows are healthier. Milk production is great. Reproduction's good. (1:01:55).

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While maximizing milk production and improving feed efficiency continues to be top of mind, joining together around the pubcast to discuss the various factors are Dr. Kevin Harvatine and Dr. Yves Boisclair. 

A leading expert in metabolic and energy nutrition and professor at Penn State University, Dr. Harvatine began the conversation by introducing his guest, Dr. Boisclair. He mentioned the collaboration between the two first began when he was finishing his doctorate degree at Cornell University under Dr. Boisclair. 1:30

Focused initially on regulating hormones, Dr. Boisclair said he quickly acknowledged the importance of shifting his research to better understand molecular mechanisms in dairy cows. 3:11

In a recent Real Science webinar, Dr. Harvatine said nutrition and management are the best practices. While higher production levels result in more milk pounds Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem, asked about the importance of dairy cow synthesis and pathways. 11:00

 

Dr. Harvatine said he likes to think of the three assembly lines as lactose, fat and protein. Within milk, he added the assembly lines would be novo synthesized fatty acids and the preformed fatty acids. He then added that in milk fat depression, the minimum a dairy cow can produce is a 50% decrease. 11:25

 

Based on the basic endocrine regulation, researchers have been able to adjust basic nutritional factors. In fact, Dr. Boisclair mentioned the prolactin cycle is not only essential during the last few weeks in pregnancy but also in lactation performance. 14:50 

 

It’s not just about one enzyme. Metaphorically, the nutritional system works as a factory. When we think about making the assembly line of milk fat, it’s a series of enzymes we have to turn on, and when turned on, they go into molecular biology level. Dr Harvatine went on to mention the importance of understanding the correlation between the different components. 16:61 

On the protein side, Dr. Harvatine believes there is a limiting factor causing a minimized response. In fact, when thinking about nutritional factors, he added it’s hard to have a 50-pound cow make as much fat protein as a 100-pound cow. Adding the main factor always isn’t nutrition, oftentimes it’s the lactation stage and endocrinology history. 34:30

What are some key suggestions for nutritionists in terms of increasing milk fat on the dairy, Scott asked? 48:37

Dr. Harvatine suggested nutritionists tailor goals to fit various budgets and individual operations, adding a few scenarios where various fat levels can be accepted. 50:54

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Harvatine emphasized the importance of understanding the complete system when it comes to producing more milk fat. He added the physiology component and hormonal responsiveness are just as important as increasing nutrition and feed efficiency. 1:04:01

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Guests:  Dr. Greg Aldrich, K-State University, Dr. Amanda Dainton, K-State University, Dr. Heather Acuff, K-State University, Krystina Lema Almeida, K-State University

In this episode, you’ll feel like we're back on campus because we've gathered together some of the top minds in the Kansas State University pet food program for this week's pubcast. The discussion started at our very first research showcase webinar, which aired on March 16th. We'll feature other university programs going forward. And if you'd like for us to consider showcasing your university program, simply email us anh.marketing@balchem.com. To find a recording of the K-State showcase webinar, go to www.balchem.com/realscience.

Dr. Greg Aldrich discussed some of the successes and careers his students have found in the pet food industry after going through the program at K-State. 

22:15

Dr. Heather Acuff gave advice, to future students, to ask their professors about programs they are interested in joining. Also, nobody needs to tell themselves they are too old to go back to school. 

25:39

Dr. Amanda Dainton discussed the option of internships and immersive experiences for college students. 

26.59

Dr. Heather Acuff discussed probiotics and their possible benefits. As well as integrating vitamins and minerals versus consumers having to worry about doses and mixes for their pets. 
41:27

Krystina Lema Almeida discussed sustainability, product variety and ingredients in the pet food industry. 54:53

Dr. Greg Aldrich discussed how protein will be the biggest challenge for the pet food industry moving forward. With a growing world population, the pet food industry will have to embrace different varieties of protein. 56:21

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Guests: Dairy Challenge Organizers, Producers, Coaches & Student Winners

The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge Contest is a two day event that brings together students from around the world to gain real life, hands-on experience and learn from industry experts. Gathering together to discuss the 21st Annual Dairy Challenge are organizers, Amy tePlate-Church, Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Kristi Fiedler and Barry Putnam.  

Fielder, Dairy Sales Manager for Cargill and Board Chair for the Dairy Challenge Committee began the conversation, explaining the value of Dairy Challenge as a networking opportunity for the next generation. (3:29)

Each team has four students and this year there were 31 competing teams. In addition, 142 students participated in the 10th Anniversary of the Academy, an intensive training program in conjunction with the Dairy Challenge contest. 

The Dairy Challenge is all about the next generation, Church mentioned. She said she believes it’s one place where students get the chance to meet many dairy leaders from various sectors, while growing and developing their skills at the same time. (3:58)

Host producers also joined in for the National Dairy Challenge Conversation, including Maxwell Chittenden from Dutch Hallow, Liam Hanahan from Turning Point Dairy and Kyle Getty from Ideal Dairy. 

As host farms, Hanehan shared that each producer opens up their operations for two hours during Dairy Challenge for students to take tours and analyze their facilities, cows and even records. He went on to say that bringing a fresh set of eyes is a bit scary, but the students think big picture and usually are able to point out great strengths and weaknesses. (12:13)

Not only do the students learn, but so do the producers. Getty said oftentimes students point out things they’ve missed or even offer feedback that turns into a simple fix. (16:50)

Stuart and Jessica Ziehm with Tiashake Farm were the 2023 Dairy Challenge Academy Host Dairy Producers. 

Sharing a few stories from the Academy, Jessica said they recently renovated a 200 year old barn into a farm store as an opportunity to not only sell their beef and pork products, but also other local products. She mentioned having students visit was a great opportunity that they hope to continue into the future. (25:09)

Also joining around the pub are National Dairy Challenge coaches Dr. Shaun Wellert, Dr. Joe Domecq and Dr. Lauren Mayo.  

Selecting just four students for each team is not an easy task, but Dr. Domecq said the process is simple as students develop new skills fairly quickly. As coaches, they figure out who works best together and their individual strengths. 33:29

Dr. Wellert shifted the conversation briefly, sharing a few changes he’s seen over the last decade. He mentioned that ten years ago each student was from an agricultural background, but now trends show only one student out of seven is from a dairy or has any industry background. (35:61)

Closing the conversation, Dr. Jeff Elliot, podcast co-host and technical service specialist for Balchem mentioned the 2023 four first place teams, students and their individual studies of interest. 

Placing first at the Dairy Challenge was four students from the University of Guelph including Madeline McClennan (Animal Biology), Allison Visser (Honors Agriculture), Corine Bateman (Food and Agricultural Business) and Johnathan Koot (Animal Science). 

In addition, Emily Starceski (Animal Science), Kevin Jess (Ag Science and Animal Science), Blake Wadsworth (Animal Science) and Caroline Lafferty (Agricultural Business) all students at Cornell University placed first as well. 

The University of Wisconsin River Falls team also won and included Alison Wagner (Dairy Science), Grace Haase (Agricultural Business), Ben Stone (Chemistry) and Haley Kirchoff (Agribusiness). 

Lastly, was Purdue University. Team members included Lane Bollenbach (Animal Science), Chad Patterson (Agriculture Systems Management), Tobyn Smith (Animal Science), Miriam Cook (Agriculture Economics). 

Congratulations to all participating teams from the 2023 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge! 

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Guests: Dr. Alex Bach, ICREA (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies), and Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University

In this journal club episode, Dr. Alex  Bach with the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies joins Dr. Bill Weiss from the Ohio State University. 

Dr. Weiss introduces the paper as one that's immediately applicable to the industry and answers a question he received a lot during his Extension career: What's the cost of moving cows? This research gives us some real data to help producers on cow management. (3:49)

Dr. Bach states that grouping cows is necessary, and the goal is to feed cows as close to their requirements as possible. But in a practical world, that can be difficult, and producers may resist moving cows due to the increased work and perceived drop in milk production. Dr. Bach gathered data from the field to see if that's the case or not by evaluating three farms with different diets and evaluating income over feed cost. (4:33)

Dr. Bach goes on to describe the farms and the methods his team used for estimating individual cow intakes in a group pen setting. Cow pen/group changes coincided with a diet change. Individual farms made their own ration decisions and pen movement decisions. (8:17)

In general, cows moved from a high to a medium to a low diet over the course of lactation. Primiparous cows moved from the fresh pen to the medium diet. If diet differences were adequate between groups, the loss in milk was compensated by the lower cost ration, and producers made an additional 20-30 cents per cow per day in income over feed costs. However, if the diets were more similar, lower feed costs did not compensate for the loss in milk production. (15:30)  

Dr. Weiss asks Dr. Bach if he could only build two rations, a high and a low, how would he do that? Dr. Bach’s approach is to look at a histogram of milk production in the pen and split that into quantiles. His goal is to make a ration that satisfies at least 70% of the animals in the pen for the high diet and around 60% of the animals in the pen for the low diet. (24:36)

Dr. Bach also ran a sensitivity analysis evaluating how results would change if milk prices or feed costs (or both) went up or down. He found that the higher the milk price, the more resilient a farm will be to a single diet and that feed cost is the opposite. The most interesting scenario is high feed costs and low milk prices - that's where it's almost mandatory to make groups, if you want to survive on a dairy. (27:23)

Dr. Bach evaluated the change in nutrient intake for the diet switch and projected the milk production change from that nutrient change compared to how the cows actually performed. The cows always lost less milk production than predicted. Dr. Bach thinks the main reason is that the cows were overfed before moving. (37:46)

Dr. Bach invites the audience to experiment a little bit with grouping cows. Don't be afraid of losing milk, and look beyond milk. Put in place mechanisms on the farm that allow you to measure income over feed costs as the ultimate goal. Cows are flexible, so don't be afraid of making a mistake. If something goes wrong, it will go wrong for a short period of time. You can correct it. You can change the diet right away, and the cows will recover. (46:14)

You can find this episode’s journal club paper here: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22875

Author: Dr. Alex Bach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin 

Co-host: Dr. Clay Zimmerman, Balchem

Air date – April 26, 2022

2203-045

Today’s podcast is the latest installment of the Journal Club where we take a closer look at some of the newest research published around the world. Today we are focused on research centered around dietary energy and genomic residual feed intake in bred heifers. 

Dr. Akins explained RFI is residual feed intake, and is the difference between the actual energy intake and the expected intake based on equations. If it’s negative, the animal ate less than predicted and a positive RFI means they ate more and were less efficient. (7:38)

Dr. Akins also said that diet, high versus low energy, had about a 9-10% reduction in intake, which is about two to two and a half pounds, which was right where predictions were. (19:00)

Dr. Akins compared strategies for bred heifers to limit feedings and said both are good options. Limit feeding takes a lot to manage dry matter, animal intakes and body measurements as underfeeding or overfeeding can have major effects and is less forgiving than a high fiber forage system. (32:15) 

Dr. Akins mentioned a big take-home for producers from this study would be that diet energy and fiber can be useful to control body weight. Use NDF and the diet as a control measure for dry matter intake and make sure you’re balancing the energy content to meet the needs of the heifer. (57:29) 

To read the article referenced in this podcast click here: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(21)01092-4/fulltext

You can contact Dr. Akins for more information or questions at msakins@wisc.edu. 

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees. 

Today’s episode is hosted live at the American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. It’s the first in our three-part series from the ADSA meetings where we are featuring graduate and post-doc students and their research. We have confirmed the future of the dairy research industry is bright hands with the next generation of leaders we had the opportunity to interview.

Effects of maternal dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation during late gestation on calf growth and metabolism.

Joining us is Turner Swartz from Michigan State University discussing his poster on the effects of maternal dietary rumen-protected choline during late gestation. 

In general during the study, calves born to pre-natal treated cows showed lower amounts of oxidative stress and reduced inflammation. Studies on these calves ended at 21 days, but it is possible if the study had continued through weaning, that the choline supplementation could have resulted in better calf growth. 

Additionally, cows that received choline produced 80% more colostrum than the control group, without diluting the IGG’s. 

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/5-Effects-of-maternal-dietary-rumen-protected-choline-supplementation-during-late-gestation-on-calf-growth-and-metabolism.pdf

Changes in plasma and milk choline metabolite concentrations in response to the provision of various rumen-protected choline prototypes in lactating cows.

Joining us is Tanya France and Dr. Joe McFadden from Cornell University discussing her research on the effects of choline. 

The goal of the study was to define the best rumen-protected choline technologies that enhance choline bioavailability. The study included two different experiments featuring mid and late-lactation cows. Varying doses of choline chloride were given as a ruminal bolus to the cow and measured the plasma in milk over the course of 36 hours. 

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/3-Changes-in-plasma-and-milk-choline-metabolite-concentrations-in-response-to-the-provision-of-various-rumen-protected-choline-prototypes-in-lactating-cows.pdf

Rumen-protected choline (RPC) reduces hepatic triacylglycerol content by increasing hepatic triglyceride-rich lipoprotein secretion.

Joining us is Usman Arshad from the University of Florida discussing his research on choline reducing hepatic triacylglycerol content. 

The study analyzes the effects of choline on reducing fatty liver at the cellular level, much more granular than studies done in the past. In the study the effect of choline was isolated, which proved that choline is a lipotropic agent that should be fed with other agents such as methionine. 

In the experiment, feeding choline resulted in fewer cows with fatty liver, which means better health and milk production. 

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/1-Rumen-protected-choline-RPC-influences-hepatic-metabolism-during-induction-of-fatty-liver.pdfhttps://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/2-Rumen-protected-choline-RPC-reduces-hepatic-triacylglycerol-content-by-increasing-hepatic-triglyceride-rich-lipoprotein-secretion.pdf

Rumen protected choline (RPC) influences hepatic metabolism during induction of fatty liver.

Joining us is Usman Arshad from the University of Florida discussing his research on how rumen-protected choline influences metabolism. 

For the study, cows were induced with fatty liver via caloric restriction, then fed them a diet high in fatty acids. Then they looked at triacylglycerides in the blood and collected lymphatic fluid. The study found that triacylglycerol levels were increased in both the blood and lymphatic system which suggests that choline increases digestibility of nutrients concurrent with enhanced absorption of triacylglycerols. 

The study also found that choline reduces inflammation in cows, which could result in less mastitis or matritus. Choline could actually impact the immune function of the cows. 

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/1-Rumen-protected-choline-RPC-influences-hepatic-metabolism-during-induction-of-fatty-liver.pdf

Increasing dose of prepartum rumen protected choline: Effects on milk production in Holstein dairy cows and Increasing dose of prepartum rumen protected choline: Effects on energy and nitrogen metabolism in Holstein dairy cows

Joining us is Dr. Henry Holdorf from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussing his research on postpartum and prepartum rumen protected choline. 

These studies focused on higher producing cows, as they were second or greater lactation cows. The results of feeding rumen-protected choline still created an increase in milk production. While the cows had high intakes, they were very typical in size for a midwest dairy cow. 

An area of interest that requires more study is if choline impacts mammary gland function or rumen health and supply of nutrients. Considering carry-over effects that happen after stopping choline supplementations makes it a subject requiring more study. 

For more details, view the abstract summaries here: 

https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/7-Increasing-dose-of-prepartum-rumen-protected-choline-Effects-on-milk-production-in-Holstein-dairy-cows.pdf

https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/8-Increasing-dose-of-prepartum-rumen-protected-choline-Effects-on-energy-and-nitrogen-metabolism-in-Holstein-dairy-cows.pdf

Increasing dose of prepartum rumen-protected choline: Effects of in utero exposure on growth and feed efficiency in Holstein dairy calves.

Joining us is Dr. Henry Holdorf from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussing his research on increasing the dose of rumen-protected choline and its effect on growth and feed efficiency via in utero exposure. 

The results of the study showed that higher doses of rumen-protected choline in the first two weeks of life increased the average daily gains and feed efficiency than the control group. For this experiment the choline was mixed into the ration, so the intake of choline by the cow was dependent on her dry matter intake. 

An important takeaway is that there are additional benefits for postpartum cows and their calves than what is established with choline. It’s a chance to help young, vulnerable animals. 

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/9-Increasing-dose-of-prepartum-rumen-protected-choline-Effects-of-in-utero-exposure-on-growth-and-feed-efficiency-in-Holstein-dairy-calves.pdf

Increasing dose of prepartum rumen-protected choline: Effects of in utero exposure on Angus x Holstein beef calves and Effects of in utero choline exposure on growth and metabolism in weaned Angus X Holstein calves.

Joining us is Dr. Henry Holdorf and Dr. Billy Brown from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussing their research on in utero choline exposure in crossbred calves. 

The study by Dr. Holdorf fed choline mixed into the daily ration to prepartum cows and resulted in the male holstein/angus calves having improved rates of gain from three to eight weeks of age. It was linearly increasing with the increase of choline ingested by the cow. The results were not the same for female calves. 

Dr. Brown continued the study after weaning of the calves by weighing them monthly and discovered there was a tendency of increased body weight, hip and wither height. For producers, this allows them to gain value on calves right out of the gate, as the average difference in growth was approximately 30 pounds difference between the control group and the highest dosage of choline. 

For more details, view the abstract summaries here: 

https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/11-Effects-of-in-utero-choline-exposure-on-growth-and-metabolism-in-weaned-Angus-X-Holstein-calves.pdf

https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/10-Increasing-dose-of-prepartum-rumen-protected-choline-Effects-of-in-utero-exposure-on-Angus-x-Holstein-beef-calves.pdf

Effects of dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation during an intramammary lipopolysaccharide challenge in periparturient dairy cattle.

Joining us is Turner Swartz from Michigan State University discussing the effects of choline supplementation. 

The hypothesis of the study is that choline supplementation increases milk yield due to a reduction in inflammation. To prove this, cows were put into inflammation with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, which traditionally would decrease milk yield. The study found the choline response was greater than the LPS response. Choline increased milk production by 3kg per cow per day. The LPS was reducing production by 2kgs per cow per day.  

For more details, view the abstract summary here: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/4-Effects-of-dietary-rumen-protected-choline-supplementation-during-an-intramammary-lipopolysaccharide-challenge-in-periparturient-dairy-cattle.pdf

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees. 

Guests: Dr. Tom Rathje and Dr. Jason Schneider both with DNA Genetics

Today’s episode dives into the genetic advancements made in the swine industry and the impact those advancements have on all other parameters. Joining us to help dig into this genetics topic are Dr. Tom Rathje and Dr. Jason Schneider, both with DNA Genetics. 

Dr. Rathje spoke about how genetic change has accelerated in recent years due to the adoption of genomic selection, which improves the accuracy with which we identify a superior animal. You use that information to decide which animals are retained to reproduce. (8:23)

Dr. Schneider mentioned that with genetic makeup changing, the nutritional needs for swine are changing as well. He said amino acids are ratioed off of lysine, and the assumption is if lysine levels are correct, you’re in the ballpark. But different breeds have different feed intakes and performances in lean gain, so changes to nutrition are coming. (17:38)

Dr. Rathje discussed that labor is always discussed as a big challenge in the swine industry, so we have to produce an animal that is more self-sufficient and able to produce and wean pigs on her own. The 14, 14, 21 program was designed to identify sows that have the ability to wean 14, 14lb pigs for 21 days on her own. (26:25). 

Dr. Schneider said the largest sustainability area we can increase is reducing mortality. If we can increase survivability through our genetic selection index, it’s a huge saver in less inputs to create the same amount of product. (46:56) 

Dr. Rathje wrapped up by saying research is taking place that looks at the activation of a pig's immune system and looks at the genes that might turn on. Now we have to figure out how to implement the knowledge. (51:40)

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Guest: Dr. Eric Ciappio, Balchem Corporation

Part three of the podcast series from the 2022 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference is Dr. Eric Ciappio’s presentation about the importance of choline in prenatal human nutrition. Dr. Ciappio is with Balchem Corporation.

Dr. Ciappio begins with an overview of one of the main roles of choline in the body: supporting overall brain health and cognitive function, primarily through its role as a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. (3:20)

Eric then reviews several key pieces of research from the literature, beginning with a prospective cohort study looking at choline intake of the mother during pregnancy and the visual-spatial memory of their child seven years later. Moms who were in the highest quartiles of choline intake were correlated with significant improvement in visual-spatial memory of their children measured seven years later. (5:45)

Researchers at Cornell investigated two levels of choline supplementation for pregnant women during the second and third trimester. One group received low choline, 25 milligrams, or 550 milligrams a day of choline, slightly more than the daily recommended intake for pregnant women. Women in the high choline group had higher blood choline throughout the experiment and that increased choline was also observed in cord blood at delivery. (6:48)

Another Cornell study compared two groups of pregnant women, one who received approximately the recommended daily intake for choline and one who received roughly twice the recommended daily intake of choline during the third trimester. These were achieved through a controlled diet prepared in a metabolic kitchen plus supplemental choline. Once babies were delivered, cognitive testing was performed regularly from four months to 13 months. Babies born to mothers who consumed the higher dietary choline level had significantly faster visual processing speed compared to those born to the lower dietary group of women. Additionally, the number of days of prenatal exposure to choline was actually significantly associated with a faster reaction time, even within the lower choline intake group. (8:39)

These same children were followed up at seven years of age with no additional intervention and subjected to a sustained attention test. Children born to the high choline-supplemented group of women had a significantly higher score overall on the sustained attention test. The beneficial effects of maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy are still present at age seven. (14:46)

Choline also has a second important role in lipid metabolism, primarily to help generate phosphocholine and phosphatidylcholine which play both structural and functional roles: a structural component in the overall cell membranes and helps to transport specific lipids throughout the body. In particular, choline is critical for DHA transport. DHA is critical for maternal nutrition, as it is implicated in reduction of risk of preterm birth and overall support of the development of the eye and the brain (19:54)

In the study with 25 vs 550 milligrams of choline supplementation during the second and third trimesters (6:46), the researchers also supplemented the two groups with DHA. Supplementation with choline plus DHA during pregnancy improved DHA status better than just supplementing with DHA alone. (22:48) 

In large dietary intake surveys of choline across the United States, just 6% of adult women in the United States get enough choline in their diet. Less than one in 20 pregnant women are getting enough choline in their diet relative to the daily recommended intake. Reviewers of the dietary guidelines showed that many prenatal supplements do not contain choline or only contain small amounts inadequate to meet recommendations. Similar observations have been reported worldwide. Furthermore, DHA inadequacy is common in pregnant and lactating women. (24:11)

Dr. Ciappio concludes his presentation with the reminder that choline is an essential nutrient that helps support the growth and development of the brain and supports brain health throughout the lifespan. Despite these benefits, just 4% of pregnant women in the United States get enough choline in their diet. Expert groups are calling on manufacturers to increase the amount of choline in prenatal supplements. (26:25) 

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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/

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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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you like what you heard, please remember to hit the 5-star rating on your way out.  Don’t forget to request your Real Science Exchange t-shirt. You just need to like or subscribe to the Real Science Exchange and send us a screenshot along with your address and size to ANH.marketing@balchem.com.

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Dr. Hristov started working with canola meal after he commissioned a review paper comparing canola and soybean meal when he was editor of the Canadian Journal of Animal Science. In that review, most of the studies used solvent-extracted soybean meal. Because canola has a higher oil content, it is always mechanically extruded to remove oil before solvent extraction. This paper is a more fair comparison because both meals were extruded and thus exposed to heat. (7:02)

There were 24 cows per treatment, and it was a continuous study rather than a Latin Square design. No differences were observed in dry matter intake, even though many studies in the literature have shown a higher DMI for canola meal-containing diets. Both diets had similar milk production and feed efficiency. Cows on the soybean meal diet had higher milk fat than canola meal-fed cows. (15:09)

Soybean meal-fed cows had higher total VFA production. Dr. Hristov attributes this to the additional free oil that was added to the canola meal diet having a slightly depressing effect on fermentation. The canola meal-fed cows had a higher proportion of propionate and a lower proportion of acetate than the soybean meal-fed cows. Serum amino acid concentrations were mostly similar with a few differences in individual essential amino acids. (21:40)

Serum glucose concentrations were higher for canola meal-fed cows. Dr. Hristov believes this was probably a result of the increased ruminal propionate since it is a primary precursor for glucose production. He goes on to describe the digestibility results. (28:30)

Bill and Alex discuss the nitrogen excretion data and how low in protein one could go before impacting milk production in an effort to reduce nitrogen excretion to the environment. (37:06)

Dr. Hristov’s take home message is when you are comparing these two feed ingredients in similar diets, if feed intake is not affected you'll have a similar response between extruded soybean meal and canola meal. Comparing solvent-extracted soybean meal with canola meal is not a fair comparison. (51:05)

The paper can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004101

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Guests:  Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira from Virginia Tech and Dr. Bill Weiss from The Ohio State University

A Journal Club podcast is a staff and fan favorite, and joining us for today’s Journal Club is Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira from Virginia Tech and Dr. Bill Weiss from The Ohio State University. Dr. Ferreira will be discussing his paper about including alfalfa in multigravida Holsteins. 

Dr. Ferreira starts with an overview of his research and said that he did a preliminary trial in Virginia Tech and saw that the urine pH was being decreased by using a product called polyhalite. (5:36) 

Dr. Weiss pointed out that the study had a fair number of clinical hypocalcemia, about 10-15%, which is high. (27:39) 

Dr. Ferreira said that in testing the polyhalite, he included between 400-500 grams per cup per day. And everything was going well in the case of Calcium Chloride; it is stronger, so you can add less and have the same acidification process. (37:03) 

Dr. Ferreira wrapped up by encouraging people doing research not to get stuck in a theory. Sometimes you need to get out of the box and try different things. (48:45) 

You can find Dr. Ferreira’s paper here: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(23)00170-4/fulltext

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Guests:
Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin
Dr. Joseph McFadden, Cornell University 
Dr. Maya Zachut, Volcani Center
Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University 
Dr. Laura Hernandez, University of Wisconsin 
Dr. Larry Miller, Director, DISCOVER Conferences

Hosts Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman were joined around the pub table by a crew from the 2020 DISCOVER Conference. The team of five industry experts presented a session on the Transition Period-From Physiology to Management at the conference and wanted to continue that discussion at the pub to dive deeper into some of the key presentation topics.

Kicking off the discussion, each specialist highlighted their area of expertise and showed how they fit into this larger discussion. 2:07

To dive into controversial conversation the first topic the team discussed was insulin resistance: friend or foe? 11:19

With science and technology these days, Dr. Hernandez discussed if there is a way to predict which cows will suffer from hypocalcemia pre-partum. 23:47

Also understanding the opportunities pre-partum, the group discussed if they could predict the amount of lipolysis postpartum for the cows. 27:01

Since the experts span different geographies, spreading even to the desert with Dr. Zachut in Israel, they discussed how the diets play into this discussion as well. 31:56

Many times, research is only as good as its practical use in the field, the panel added their input how practicality played a role in their research focuses. 36:59

The discussion transitioned into how fatty acids also play a key role in transition cow nutrition. 39:28

Biomarkers in the transition cow was a big discussion at the conference and continued around the table 54:12

The panel recapped their takeaways from each of their disciplines 1:10

Dr. Larry Miller, director of the DISCOVER conferences joined the group at the table and highlighted how the conference transitioned to a virtual setting in 2020. 1:22

The 40th conference will be a special one where the new NACM nutrient requirements of dairy cattle will be released and discussed. The conference will most likely sell out, so you can register today here before it’s too late! https://www.adsa.org/Meetings/40th-Discover-Conference 1:25

 

 

Guests: 

Dr. Tom Overton, Cornell University

Corwin Holtz, Holtz-Nelson Dairy Consultants

The last 18 months have been challenging for the ag industry, and we've seen a rollercoaster of milk prices throughout the COVID pandemic. As the world begins to normalize, we can now shift our focus to impacting efficiency and profitability across the dairy operation. Tonight, we’re going to get really practical and dig into ways we can improve milk component production. 

Corwin describes that he monitors, on a monthly basis, energy corrected milk, pounds of fat, pounds of protein, ratios relative to dry matter intake, what our energy corrected feed efficiency is. He also looks at our component efficiency, pounds of fat and pounds of protein combined, relative to herd average dry matter intake. 7:22

Dr. Tom Overton discussed how components are heritable. This means some of your herds think about genetics and how they also use those strategies to try to improve, not just milk yield, but also component yields over time. 17:08

There is a concern by many, Corwin Holtz shares, that we're probably not pushing up feed nearly as many times a day as what we should. In his opinion, if we're not close to 12 times a day, we're probably not getting the job done the way we ought to be. 38:26

Dr. Tom Overton discusses that all fractions are going to move up or down together when you talk about milk fat protein or total milk fat percentages. He shares that if we're in a milk fat depression type scenario, they all go down, but the de novos go down proportionally more. It helps us identify where that issue may be, relative to saturated fatty acids. 51:20

From Corwin Holtz’s experience, good fiber digestibility; that's the key to any nutrition program and feeding management. He describes that we deal with a lot of overcrowded barns and that's not going to change. But can we get our feeders and feeding management into a routine that we are not slug feeding? Can any cow at any time that wants to go up and eat has the ability to? I think those are two key things that we continue to press with our clients' day in and day out. 58:06

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Guests:  Andy Vance, PSA; Dr. John Halley, J. Halley Poultry Consulting; Addison Elstner, Texas A&M University; Dr. Chasity Pender, DSM Nutritional Products; Dr. Valentina Caputi, USDA-ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit; and Dimitri Malheiros and Dr. Ken Anderson, North Carolina State University

Today’s episode was filmed at the 2023 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Balchem’s technical team chose abstracts of interest from the meeting and those researchers are our guests today. 

We kick off the show with Andy Vance, Executive Director of the Poultry Science Association. Andy speaks to the growth of the conference, the presentations and attendance and reinforces that the Poultry Science Association exists to advance science in the poultry industry. (01:20)

Our second guest is Dr. John Halley with J. Halley Poultry Consulting. John conducted an industry survey about how companies handle data. Are companies digitizing data or just staying with what they’ve been doing? John’s presentation covered how data flows through poultry companies today, as well as where we may be going in the future. (05:56)

John’s abstract was titled: “Current Data Insights and Practices for a Poultry Nutritionist”

Next on the guest roster is Addison Elstner from Texas A&M University. Addison’s research objective was to use a different basal diet than traditional corn and soy to stress birds with high inclusions of other cereal grains. This effort was to create a preliminary model of different cereal diets and their impact on intestinal health, performance and animal welfare. This preliminary work builds a foundation for the addition of feed additives and enzymes to those nontraditional diets in the future. (12:04)

Addison’s abstract was titled: “Phase ingredients change in the diet formulation as a possible model to test feed additive efficacy in broiler chickens” 

Our fourth guest is Dr. Chasity Pender from DSM Nutritional Products. Her abstract presented data compiled over the past year for vitamin A recovery levels. The DSM internal laboratory had samples of broiler, broiler breeder vitamin premixes, and broiler and broiler breeder feeds. With those samples, they measured vitamin A recovery levels and evaluated the variation in the different feedstuffs. (15:09)

Chastity’s abstract was titled: “Evaluation of Vitamin A Recoveries in Broiler and Broiler Breeder Premixes and Finished Feeds”

The next guest in our lineup is Dr. Valentina Caputi with the USDA-ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit in Fayetteville, Arkansas.The main objective of her research is to look for alternatives to antibiotics to fight the carriage of foodborne pathogens in the poultry industry. Dr. Caputi’s specific expertise is the study of the enteric nervous system, which is the nervous system that is intrinsic on the gut wall and is distributed throughout the overall gastrointestinal tract. Her abstract evaluated how heat stress during the pre-harvest stage of poultry production affects the enteric nervous system, the intestinal microbiota, and overall gut health and how this can predispose the animal to be susceptible to colonization by a food pathogen, such as salmonella or campylobacter. (21:34)

Valentina’s abstract was titled: “Heat stress induces regional-dependent modulation of aquaporin 4 expression in the enteric nervous system of broiler chickens”

Lastly, we are joined by Dimitri Malheiros and Dr. Ken Anderson, from North Carolina State University. Dimitri’s research assessed cage densities during the pullet rearing phase. While other previous studies focused on increased stocking densities, Dimitri and Dr. Anderson wanted to focus on lower stocking densities to evaluate if pullet welfare would be improved in less dense cages. (32:42)

Dimitri’s abstract was titled: “Influence of cage rearing density on pullet growth parameters and fearfulness.”

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This journal club episode comes to you from the 2024 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. The paper is “Assessing Transition Cow Health: Integrating Traditional and Novel Biomarkers” from the conference proceedings with Dr. Andres Contreras of Michigan State University.

What is a biomarker, and what makes a good biomarker? Dr. Contreras defines anything that can help assess a physiological response or pathological state. Two examples would be BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyrate) and NEFA (non-esterified fatty acids), both fat mobilization measures. (2:56)

Dr. Contreras structured the paper in three sections of biomarkers: (3:54)

1. Ones that can be measured by looking at cow records, like how many DAs or hypocalcemias occurred over a period of time.
2. Cow-side measurements like BHBA in urine or blood.
3. Samples must be sent to a lab to be measured. These generally cannot be used to make decisions immediately but can help assess how a transition program is working, for example.

How many samples should be taken, and what cows should be sampled in a commercial dairy setting? Dairy size, pen size, and pocketbook size will all play a role in this decision. Experts usually recommend at least 10 head, and those 10 must represent the cows' population in your pen. If you have the ability to take more samples, Dr. Contreras recommends 10-12% of the cows in question. He then describes ideal times before and after calving to sample BHBA and NEFA for the most predictive value. (5:31)

Setting a target that integrates BHBA and NEFA the first week after calving with measures like body condition score and/or body weight is ideal. Cows will mobilize fat post-calving no matter what, so the goal is to moderate the degree and intensity of fat mobilization. (11:38)

Rumination and activity monitors are great for measuring biomarkers in real-time and are excellent tools for diagnosing problem cows early. Dr. Contreras has researched ultrasounds to measure fat mobilization, but this may not be practical in a commercial setting. Urine pH after calving might start to be a significant predictor of clinical ketosis. Healthy cows will have a higher urine pH than sick cows.  (14:44) 

A transition cow experiences several types of adaptations: lipid mobilization to address negative energy balance, skeletal muscle mobilization to address negative protein/amino acid balance, calcium mobilization to compensate for calcium loss, and oxidative stress due to generating energy. The goal is to target biomarkers that reflect the intensity of those adaptive mechanisms. Many of these require sending samples to a lab. A dairy’s nutritionist, veterinarian, and farm manager work together to create a targeted suite of biomarkers to assess their cows and reach their goals. (21:11)

Inflammation is often at the core of transition cow maladies. Measuring a panel of acute phase proteins the first week after calving and comparing the dynamics of how they occur through the year could help identify issues in closeup cows if those proteins are spiking. (26:03)

The group discusses the importance of using individual herds’ baseline data for prediction and assessment and focusing on closeup cows when fresh cow problems arise. They also discuss biomarkers for excessive protein catabolism and a liver functionality index. This leads to a discussion of whether creating an index might be a better overall measure than making decisions on just one diagnostic value. What if someday there might be one perfect predictive biomarker, and what might that look like? (27:50)

In summary, you should not rely on a single biomarker and start measuring early. Ideally, this would be in the dry period. If that’s too challenging, it would be at least a few days after cows go to the closeup pen. Cow-side biomarkers like BHBA, body condition score, and body weight can tell you a lot about transition cow health. Use all the biomarkers and herd records available to design your approach to transition cow health. (43:10)

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Guests: Lara Moody with the Institute for Feed Education and Research and Dr. Steve Lerner with Chr. Hansen

Gathering around the pubcast to discuss key environmentally sustainable animal agriculture practices are Lara Moody and Dr. Steve Lerner. 

Visionary leader and executive director for The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), Lara Moody, shared her background in stewardship and sustainability. She then introduced Dr. Lerner with Chr. Hansen. 2:30

Leading the conversation, Moody described the sustainability roadmap project and highlighted the value IFEEDER has found in delivering measurable sustainability metrics. In addition, she touched on the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and governance. 

A roadmap project started 18 months ago and is aimed entirely at gauging a bigger picture of the sustainability landscape. Moody said it involves everything from understanding supply chain needs and how to support the industry. 14:51

Shifting gears to, Dr. Lerner shared that Chr. Hansen was founded by Christian Deli AOR Hansen who was the first to extract rennet from calves and now remains a highly effective research partner. 23:06

After deciding how to best bring sustainability innovation to the table by gathering with all different kinds of people, Moody shared that the Sustainable Agriculture Summit was founded in 2021 with the idea to collaborate about the World Wildlife Fund. Additionally, she said the summit collectively brought together the whole value chain to work on solutions, understanding that feed is 40 to 80 percent of the footprint for livestock and poultry production. 27:50

As dairy farms continue to consolidate, Dr. Lerner stated that he believes operational management has also improved through the addition of inoculants in their seed treatment, ensuring proper fermentation and staying focused on efficiency. 38:21

Not only does improving the overall health of both plants and animals increase nutrient absorption but research shows drastic benefits to gut health as well. So how are you speaking about sustainability? 

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Moody shared on the importance of shaping your story to highlight individual cost savings, efficiencies and the importance of utilizing the toolkit for the entire value chain. 57:47

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Guests: Stephanie Walsh (Dairy Farmers of America), Melissa Malcolm-Cullison (Cooler Management), Mark Inkrott (Owner of Cooler Management) and co-host: Charlie Benz

Joining us at the table to discuss what their organizations are doing to make significant impacts on food security and hunger are Stephanie Walsh, Melissa Malcolm-Cullison and Mark Inkrott. 

Stephanie Walsh, Director of Industry and Community Affairs for DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) highlights their Farmers Feeding Families Fund, ensuring community members receive the dairy products they need. 1:08

Vice President for Cooler Management, Melissa Malcolm-Cullison also joined the evening discussion, sharing her teams’ experience building infrastructure for food banks and food pantries across the country. 2:20

Co-Founder of the UpField Group and Owner of Cooler Management, Mark Inkrott also joined in on the discussion. For his entire career after sports, Inkrott noted that he’s been involved in supply chain work with both various brands and farmers alike. Since acquiring Cooler Management a few years ago, they have been specializing in cold storage ever since. 3:44

Analyzing the impacts COVID-19 had on the supply chain, Melissa talked about her connection with Charlie Benz of Balchem early in the pandemic. Adding that she saw wasted food due to the influx of food donations during that time, caused by a shortage in refrigerator space. 10:30

After brainstorming solutions with Charlie, Melissa said they realized infrastructure was the key to storing food donations safely to get them to families in need. Today, she added she is proud of the program because it offered a solution for nutritious foods like dairy to be donated without spoiling. 14:37

Stephanie said in support of food insecurity concerns, the DFA Cares Foundation offers education and scholarships to students studying agriculture. Additionally, she added that in 2022 the foundation provided 53 scholarships through the program. 15:22 

Bringing the Cooler Management team and DFA together, Stephanie added in 2020 the two established a partnership to help donate coolers across the country and dairy products to local food pantries. 19:15

Melissa noted most people usually think about donating food to food pantries, but not dairy products or even refrigeration needs until programs like Cooler Management or Kooler Kids (from Balchem) begin. 30:26 

To date, Mark said they have placed over 3,000 pieces of equipment into food pantries across the country. As for the Cooler Management team, they work with various retailers on finding adequate coolers for food banks and food pantries. 38:41

Healthy food equals a healthy family, Mark stated, adding that’s why investing 90 million dollars into 30,000 coolers for food pantries across the country just makes sense and keeps the team motivated. 48:09 

It’s September Hunger Action month and so far Stephanie said the Farmers Feeding Families Fund has raised more than $950,000. Their goal is to raise the last $50,000. If anyone is called to help, she encourages everyone to make sure their own fridge is full of dairy products and also asks people to volunteer at their local food pantry.  57:50

Donations for the DFA Farmers Feeding Families Fund can happen at DFA.

Wrapping up, Mark reflected saying we have an influx of food going into the system, but without proper infrastructure and foundation, it will go to waste. He said if the industry does something about the 30,000 coolers, in 10 years we won’t have to think about refrigeration.1:13:02

Be a part of feeding the hungry and bringing the benefits of fresh dairy, produce and meat to those in need. Contact Your Balchem Representative or email anh.marketing@balchem.com to learn more.

Learn more about these great programs:

https://www.coolermanagement.com/

https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/social-responsibility/kooler-kids-program/

https://www.dfamilk.com/our-commitment/dfa-cares

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Dr. Zimmerman presented a Real Science Lecture webinar on December 12th, 2023, titled “Not All Rumen-Protected Products Are Created Equal.” You can find the webinar recording at balchem.com/realscience.  

Clay outlines four attributes of a good rumen-encapsulated product. They are feed and TMR stable, ruminal stable, nutrient bioavailability, and good efficacy biologically in the animal.  (6:21)

Kari describes a TMR stability test that Balchem has been perfecting based on a paper published in 2016. One to two grams of a rumen-protected product (based on the nutrient composition) is mixed with a half pound of TMR in a Ziploc bag, then the mixture incubates for 0, 6, 12 or 24 hours (based on feeding 1x, 2x, or 3x per day). Once a sample is finished incubating, it’s placed in a strainer bag in one liter of distilled water for one minute. Then, the amount of nutrient that was leached into the distilled water is measured. She describes some of the observations and trends they’ve seen from using this technique on different products. (8:24)

Mark asks about the impact of abrasion during the mixing process on encap stability. Kari describes a mineral mix technique using a small ribbon and paddle mixer. In this case, 5-10 pounds of encap product are mixed with 90-95 pounds of a mineral mix for three minutes. Then a sample is analyzed for damage to the encap. Clay does not recommend pelleting any encapsulated product because that will only reduce efficacy. It may not be 100% damage, but it will be significant. (12:41)

Scott asks about the freeze-thaw stability of encapsulates. Clay mentions that all of Balchem’s encapsulated products are freeze-thaw stable. If a product is not, there will be cracks in the coating and some ruminal stability will be lost. (19:34)

When it comes to ruminal stability, matrix encapsulates tend to have lower stability in the rumen, but it varies widely. Some have no ruminal stability; some lose less than 10% in the rumen. Encapsulation is a complex process and there are tradeoffs between some of the steps. For example, between TMR stability or rumen stability and bioavailability, the goal is to find the perfect mix of these to make a high-efficacy product on the farm. Kari describes a rumen stability test that can be conducted on-farm for protected choline and lysine products. Mark describes in situ experiments for rumen stability testing using small Dacron bags in rumen-cannulated animals. He mentions that creating an encap with high rumen stability and high intestinal digestibility is key.  (19:58)

Bioavailability is key, but methodologies for assessing bioavailability are a limitation. Kari and Mark discuss the pros and cons of various in situ/in vivo techniques, including mobile bag, abomasal pulse dose, and stable isotope. (29:25)

Clay mentions that in vitro techniques are a key piece to product development and testing, but may give erroneous results compared to in vivo testing. Kari describes an experiment she conducted with Mark comparing in vivo and in vitro techniques. She suggests that there may be an argument for creating specific in vitro tests built for different types of protected products.  For example, for a pH-sensitive product, a step mimicking abomasal enzymes would be important. For a fat-coated product, a step mimicking intestinal enzymes for fat breakdown would be important. Clay cautions that a product with only in vitro data should be regarded with skepticism. (44:25)

Biological response in the animal is the key final step. Ultimately, you want independent, peer-reviewed data to prove the efficacy of a product. Mark reminds the audience that even if animals don’t respond to a product, there are a host of different issues that could be causing that unrelated to the product being tested. Things like water quality, water quantity, stress, cow comfort - there’s a whole laundry list of things to consider. (50:39)

In closing, Kari recommends that when picking an encap product, ask for the research that hits the four pillars: TMR stability, rumen stability, bioavailability, and animal performance. Mark suggests that you can’t make a bad encap good, but you can make a good encap bad if you aren’t careful. Clay agrees that the more data, the better. Lastly, we need more work on the feed stability pillar which has been overlooked. It is a critical piece to encap products being effective in the field. (55:13)

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Feeding rumen-protected choline in early lactation has consistently increased milk yield and energy-corrected milk yield, which is more pronounced when cows are fed diets low in metabolizable methionine. Choline feeding also increases milk fat and protein yield, minimizes body condition loss in early lactation, and reduces postpartum disease incidence. Dr. McFadden presents three topics about choline biology in the dairy cow. (01:45)

1. Why should we consider fatty acid feeding when feeding methyl donors like choline and methionine?
2. Choline degradation in the rumen and small intestine, focusing on the role of triethylamine oxide 
3. Why should we consider lysophosphatidylcholine as an immunomodulator in fresh cows and preweaning calves?

Fatty acid nutrition to optimize methyl donor efficiency. (4:02)

Fatty liver is a concern for fresh cows because of its relationship with ketosis, poor fertility and compromised milk production. Cows with fatty liver exhibit low circulating concentrations of phosphatidylcholine, which is a component of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) that transport triglycerides out of the liver. Feeding rumen-protected choline lowers liver triglyceride deposition by supporting the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and thus, VLDL. 

Dr. McFadden goes on to explain the two different pathways for phosphatidylcholine in the liver and how those interact with fatty acid metabolism. He describes several experiments that have investigated how rumen-protected choline and supplemental fatty acids interact in lactating cows. 

Low phosphatidylcholine supply is a key feature of fatty liver in dairy cows, likely due to low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and low choline supplies. Delivery of post-ruminal PUFA may support phosphatidylcholine synthesis with accompanying improvements in insulin sensitivity, body condition maintenance, and inflammation, but interactions with dietary fatty acid digestibility should be considered. Dr. McFadden gives a list of considerations for fresh cow diets incorporating fat and choline supplementation. 

Gastrointestinal choline degradation and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)  (16:58)

Unprotected choline is almost totally degraded in the rumen. Microbes convert choline into trimethylamine (TMA) which is then converted to TMAO in the liver. Rumen-protected choline allows for a large proportion of choline to reach the small intestine intact. However, research shows that choline can also be degraded by microbes in the small intestine in the same pathway, limiting choline bioavailability. Plasma TMAO accumulation is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular disease in rodent and human models. Little research was available regarding if the relationship between TMAO and poor health was causative or just associative. Dr. McFadden’s lab infused cows intravenously with TMAO and found that TMAO did not modify milk production or glucose tolerance in early lactation cows. 

 

TMAO does not appear to influence energy metabolism or health in early lactation cows. Choline is subject to both ruminal and lower-gut degradation to TMA, and that influence on choline bioavailability needs to be defined. Data in non-ruminants suggests that unsaturated fatty acid feeding can shift the gut microbes to slow TMA formation. 

Lysophosphatidylcholine and immunomodulation (28:45)

Dr. McFadden gives an overview of neutrophil activation and the oxidative burst that contributes to pathogen killing. The ability to elicit the oxidative burst is diminished in pre-weaned calves and transition cows. When cows were given endotoxin to cause an immune response, circulating lysophosphatidylcholine was decreased. In rodent models, lysophosphatidylcholine promotes the oxidative burst and suppresses long-term inflammation in response to bacterial infection. Dr. McFadden cultured neutrophils from pre-weaned calves with lysophosphatidylcholine and observed an enhanced oxidative burst.

Immunosuppression is characterized by low circulating lysophosphatidylcholine concentrations in dairy cows. In  vitro data suggests lysophosphatidylcholine can activate neutrophils, and rumen-protected choline increases circulating lysophosphatidylcholine. Future research is likely to define an immunomodulatory role for choline. 

Dr. McFadden takes questions from the webinar audience. (38:07)

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Guests: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

This episode is from a webinar presented by Dr. Sandra Godden from the University of Minnesota Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. To view the full webinar and access the slides referenced during this podcast, visit balchem.com/real science and scroll down to the webinar presented on November 8, 2023.

Dr. Godden begins with the reminder that despite decades of research and definite advances in colostrum management, there's still a lot to learn and research. Her goal is to give an update on new findings that can be utilized in your colostrum management program. (0:21)

Promoting calf health and growth is a balance between maximizing immunity and minimizing infectious disease challenges. Colostrum is one aspect of maximizing immunity and provides passive immunity in the form of immunoglobulins. It also contains bioactive compounds, immune factors, growth hormones, leukocytes, and nutrients. (1:09)

We can measure adequate transfer of passive immunity via serum immunoglobulin G levels, where anything greater than 10 grams per liter is a pass. Passive transfer of immunity is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality, especially in the first 2-3 months of life. Successful passive transfer has many other intermediate and long-term benefits, including improved growth rate and feed efficiency, leading to even longer-term benefits of decreased age at first calving and potentially improved milk production in the first and second lactation. (4:18)

When building a comprehensive colostrum management program, Dr. Godden distills it down to the five Qs: quality, quantity, quickness, squeaky clean, and quantifying. Starting with quantifying passive transfer, in a perfect world, we would have a quick, inexpensive, on-farm serum IgG test that could be run on whole blood. Unfortunately, that test does not exist. In research studies, we send serum samples off to reference labs to have serum IgG tested. On-farm, we use indirect tests such as serum Brix or serum total protein. Historically, the literature has said that a serum total protein of somewhere between 5.0 and 5.2 grams per deciliter most accurately predicts that IgG value of 10 grams per liter. If greater than 10 g/L IgG is a pass, is a higher concentration better? Yes. A good goal would be for 90% of the calves to have serum IgG higher than 10 g/L. More specifically, goals are around 40% of calves in the excellent zone of 25 or greater, roughly 30% of calves in the good zone of 18-25, and around 20% in the fair zone of 10-18. Dr. Godden references the corresponding Brix and total serum protein readings in her slides. (7:24)

Quality refers to the concentration of IgG in the colostrum, and experts have suggested that be at least 50 grams per liter or higher. This corresponds to a Brix reading of approximately 22% or higher. Several factors influencing colostrum quality are under our control, including the dry cow vaccination program, feeding a balanced dry cow ration, avoiding stressors during the dry period, avoiding excessively short dry periods, and milking cows out as soon as you can after calving. (16:18)

When it comes to quantity, a larger volume at first feeding will result in higher IgG concentrations in the calves. One study compared feeding two or four liters at first feeding with a second feeding of two liters at 12 hours. The higher volume first feeding showed better results. (29:23)

As for quickness, IgG absorption efficiency is optimal in the first couple of hours after birth but is then slowly reduced as gut closure occurs. Ideally, we want to feed the calf as soon as possible, hopefully within one to two hours of birth when possible. (30:35)

The last Q is squeaky clean or cleanliness, specifically the level of bacterial contamination in colostrum. Obviously, we don't want to feed colostrum that is laden with pathogens that can cause disease. However, high bacteria counts in colostrum have also been associated with reduced absorption of IgG. Dr. Godden details a number of critical control points that can be assessed if colostrum cleanliness is an issue of concern. (38:19)

Dr. Godden finishes the episode by taking questions from the webinar audience, ranging from average colostrum volume collected at first milking to what temperature colostrum should be frozen at to heat stress impacting quality and quantity of colostrum. (49:20)

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Guests: 
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California Davis CLEAR Center and Rethinking Methane
Dr. Mike McCloskey, Co-Founder and CEO of Select Milk Producers & CEO of Fairlife

The topic today is our carbon footprint, methane, and the dairy industry's environmental impact on dairy producers, the industry, consumers, and lawmakers. In this week's pubcast, a podcast from the pub, we dive into all of these topics and more with two experts. From the research perspective, Dr. Frank Mitloehner shared what he sees at the macro level, and Dr. Mike McCloskey, Co-Founder and CEO of Select Milk Producers and CEO of Farlife Milk, discussed his view as a dairy farm leader and processor. Joining the doctors are our cohosts Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman.

The deep dive on this topic started with a presentation by Dr. Frank Mithloehner from UC Davis on the Real Science Lecturer series. You can find his presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hnysEBuWNY&t=2030s.

Dr. Mitloehner discusses the differences between net zero and net neutral and what net neutral could look like for the dairy and beef industry. 6:32

In California, they have already set stricter restrictions for the dairy industry, but Dr. McCloskey explains why they have worked because they are incentivizing the mandate. 13:03

Agriculture and forestry have a unique place in the carbon discussion. As Dr. Mitloehner explains, they are the only industries also reducing carbon out of the air through photosynthesis. Therefore, it's not just a discussion on methane. 17:03

The lecture presented by Dr. Frank Mithloehner discusses how feed additives can reduce the amount of methane a cow produces up to 30%, so nutrition is also part of the discussion. 21:23

Since the discussion around carbon footprint is not just a problem in the US dairy industry, Dr. Mitloehner discusses the need to help developing countries increase their efficiency through veterinary, feed, and genetics to help their herds. More efficient cattle mean a natural decrease in numbers and a decrease in carbon output. 31:44

Dr. McCloskey talks about the U.S. dairy industry goal to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and believes great strives have already been made, and with all the elements in play, that marker is achievable 45:33

Since this is podcast is set in the virtual, Mike McCloskey shared a refreshing drink that will have you wishing you were on a beach: 

• One shot of Don Q Gold rum
• One shot of Don Q coconut rum
• One shot of coconut water
• One shot of fresh grapefruit juice
• A sprinkle of coconut shavings
• Lots of ice. 
• Don Q can be substituted with other runs but at your own risk. 

Note from Mike: Coconut water should be fresh from the McCloskey Puerto Rican farm as well as the grapefruit, so again, you are at your own risk but do your best to get this fresh! 

If you have questions about net carbon emissions, feel free to email anh.marketing@balchem.com.  

 

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)

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Marcia Endres, University of Minnesota

Dr. Endres begins with a description of a dataset she collected containing individual body weights from 34 robotic milking herds. Weights were collected for every cow; every time that she came into the robotic milking station. Dr. Endres’ team was interested in the relationship between the amount of body weight change in the first 21 days of lactation and subsequent production. (7:34)

The team chose to use the first 90 days of production as their production measurement to make sure they had as many cows as possible in the dataset - the longer into lactation, the more likely to lose cows due to culling. Their results showed that 90-day production was extremely highly correlated with total lactation production. Drs. Weiss and Endres discussed the implications of young cows’ requirements for growth in the first and second lactation, which were easily observed in this dataset (13:13) 

Dr. Endres’ team found a quadratic relationship between body weight loss in the first 21 days and milk production in the first 90 days of lactation. This suggests that if cows don’t lose enough, they aren’t productive. Or, if cows lose too much, they aren’t productive. The optimum amount of weight loss for cows in their second or greater lactation was around 5%, while for the first lactation cows it was 7.4%. Dr. Endres hypothesizes that cows who lost more than the optimum may have been sick because they’re probably not coming to the bunk if they’re losing that much weight. And cows who gained weight might be animals who just do not have as much genetic potential to produce milk. (17:15)

Dr. Weiss and Dr. Endres emphasize that today’s dairy cows are designed to mobilize body weight early in lactation. They are not able to eat enough to compensate for the amount of milk they are producing. Intake is going up as they move through early lactation, and cows can lose some weight and not have issues. The guests discuss the importance of an aggressive fresh cow management plan and designing diets specifically for the fresh cow group. (22:09)

Dr. Endres explains at the extremes, the highest producing cows produced around 30-35 pounds more milk each day than the lowest producing cows. But even halfway in between, it was 10-15 pounds of milk per day and those are not small numbers! Monitoring and managing body weight change has tremendous management potential, particularly with the increasing technology available to dairy herds. Identification of poor performing cows could happen sooner and appropriate interventions could be identified earlier. (26:37)

Is there any reason this can’t be extrapolated to conventional farms that are not using robots? Dr. Endres thinks it would carry over, even though the conventional farms are feeding differently and can’t supplement individually like the robot systems. These results point to feeding fresh cows in their own group while paying close attention to access to feed and limit overcrowding. If Dr. Endres could do the study over, she would like to have reproduction and health records to compare with the milk production and weight loss data. (28:22)

Each panelist summarizes their takeaways from this research. Dr. Morrow suggests that the industry is probably not managing fresh cows nearly as intensely as they should. Their needs for calories as well as amino acids in early lactation are probably greater than we know, and we must do a better job supplying those nutrients and allowing cows to be comfortable, eat, and reach their peak potential. Dr. Weiss agrees and adds that female mammals are designed to mobilize body reserves. The idea that cows should not lose condition in early location is wrong. We don’t want them to lose too much, but losing some is perfectly normal. We need to work around that balance and include it in our formulation goals. Dr. Endres emphasizes the focus on fresh cows and suggests technology is going to allow for more and better data that will help monitor fresh cows and intervene as needed.  (33:38)

Dr. Endres wraps up with a brief description of the upcoming Four State Dairy Nutrition Conference in June and Balchem’s Amino Acid pre-conference symposium on the first day to open the conference. (35:40)

The paper can be found here: https://www.jdscommun.org/article/S2666-9102(23)00041-8/pdf

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Jesse Goff, Iowa State University
Co-host: Dr. Clay Zimmerman, Balchem

Today’s podcast is our January installment of the Journal Club, styled after the traditional journal clubs at universities across the country and around the world. Today we’re a closer look at some of the newest research published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Article 1: https://bit.ly/3zCBdIA

Dr. Jesse Goff, in summarizing a paper from the Netherlands, stated animals on a low phosphorus diet had lower blood phosphorus than the other animals, which isn’t unexpected. But the animal's calcium concentration had improved on a lower phosphorus diet. (5:53)

Dr. Bill Weiss emphasized a two to one phosphorus ratio isn’t always correct. The important thing is to meet the NRC requirements for both phosphorus and calcium. (11:38) 

Dr. Jesse Goff warned that even if you think you are feeding a low phosphorus diet if you are using byproducts - such as soybean meal, canola meal and wet brewers - it can all bring in a lot of phosphorus. You need to be wary of that in the diet. (17:20)

Dr. Bill Weiss mentioned you should be in a slightly deficient diet postpartum and not meet the NRC requirements. Dr. Jesse Goff added that a postpartum cow would be pulling phosphorus and calcium out of her bones, needing less in her diet. (29:26)

Article 2: https://bit.ly/33hKjyI

Dr. Jesse Goff and Dr. Bill Weiss summarized the second article, which covered a study with an even lower phosphorus diet than the first article. This study promotes a low phosphorus diet as a way to control hypocalcemia. (36:49)

Dr. Bill Weiss mentioned that based on these papers, he thinks the low phosphorus diets in the pre-fresh and in the far-off should not worry as much so you can have some cost-savings in your feed.

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Guests: Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin

Joining together for the final episode of the New Revelations in Transition Cow Nutrition mini series from the 2022 Cornell Nutrition Conference to discuss animal nutrition requirements are remarks from Dr. Heather White of the University of Wisconsin and topical insights from Dr. Clay Zimmerman of Balchem. 

Discussing the challenges a cow faces during transition to lactation, Dr. White briefly began the series highlighting the impact both negative energy and nutrient balance has during each period. 3:58 

When a cow enters different cycles such as pre-partum, her energy requirements vary and balance among glucose, negative amino acids and macro and micronutrients becomes critical factors. 

So how can nutritionists maximize adaptive mechanisms to shift precursors or ingredients to maximize lactation efficiency? 

Beginning with key lactation performance supplements, Dr. White mentioned choline is a nutrient with the ability to impact milk yield and improve energy production. In fact, a 21-day choline study from the University of Wisconsin indicated a 4.6 pound per day increase and substantially greater carryover ratios. 15:28

Not only has research shown the immediate production benefits of choline, but also the positive impact the nutritional supplement has had on liver lipids during calving. 

Dr. White added that with three available methyl groups, choline also plays a valuable role in methyl donating which has long lasting effects on liver metabolism and overall nutrition. 20:21 

In addition, research shows that supplementing cows with rumen protected choline (RPC) ultimately improves calf growth, immune functions and metabolic health as well. 

However, when discussing health and clinical improvements in a prepartum cow, Dr. White mentioned the key is to understand the next generation is developing in utero. She then shifted the conversation, echoing the importance of choline supplementation in multiple generations as body score conditions fluctuate. 35:53

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Zimmerman summarized key points that Dr. White shared and highlighted the impressive milk yield results from the University of Wisconsin study. 45:32

If you would like to review Dr. White’s webinar from the 2022 Cornell Mini Symposium, you can view all four webinar series at balchem.com/realscience. 

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Guests: Katharina Unger & Dr. Pratibha Yadav

Joining the pubcast to discuss insect protein as an alternative for the future is Katharina Unger and Dr. Pratibha Yadav. 

Unger is the CEO and founder of LIVIN Farms and an expert in edible insects and food innovation. She led the conversation by introducing her background and briefly mentioning the transformation of using insects as food protein. 8:35

Unger said she started questioning early in her career the required resources needed to produce livestock at a larger scale. After many years of research, carbon emissions studies and searching, an additive that can grow protein on the smallest possible footprint came to the forefront; insect protein. 9:41

Unger mentioned insect protein is highly digestible and for animals has an attractive taste. In addition, the environmental impacts of turning waste into protein is an effective organic byproduct. 11:05

Dr. Yadav discussed how the opportunity to utilize the black soldier fly was a decision based on its opportunity to offer low quality substrates and synthesize biomolecules into amino acids quickly. 19:30

While LIVIN Farms continues to have projects in Europe, Unger mentioned the team also does additional research in other regions which allows a wide variety of demographics to study when analyzing substrates and improvement factors. 23:17

Dr. Yadav said byproducts are already there for certain insect substrates and byproducts. In fact, she went on to say it’s a practical option as livestock production systems can be fed insects by crushing, mixing or distributing them as a way to save on costs and processing fees as well. 32:52 

While the entire insect larva process is vertical farming, Unger mentioned from the start of production to the automated warehouse and then into the two layer systems, they are never dependent on the soil. 39:10

In an effort to produce with the smallest possible footprint, the input substrate must have an adequate amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates during the nutrient composition, Dr. Yadav mentioned. 41:43

Wrapping up the conversation, Unger summarized the visionary work being done with insects as protein alternatives and restated the value the resource has on the planet's ability to secure the food system and provide indefinite solutions for the future. 1:07:25

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Guests: Emmillie Boot and Dr. Ramon Malheiros, North Carolina State University; Catherine Fudge, University of Georgia; Dr. Lisa Bielke, North Carolina State University; Kyle Venter, University of Pretoria; Letecia Orellana Galindo, Auburn University; and Dr. Ken Macklin, Mississippi State University; Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia, PA; Cara Cash and Dr. Giri Athrey, Texas A&M University.

Today’s episode was filmed at the 2023 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA and is the second podcast of two from PSA. Balchem’s technical team chose abstracts of interest from the meeting and those researchers are our guests today. 

We kick off the show with Emmillie Boot and Dr. Ramon Malheiros from North Carolina State University. Emmillie’s research compared bell drinkers and gender-specific (different lines for roosters and hens) nipple-type drinkers for broiler breeders. She looked at the differences between egg production, egg fertility, and rooster fertility between nipple drinker lines and bell drinker lines. The major takeaway was that egg fertility was higher in the nipple drinker lines at the end of the flock cycle. (01:46)

Emmillie’s abstract is titled: “Comparison of bell drinkers and gender-specific nipple type drinkers, without catch cups, on broiler breeder fertility and egg production”

Our next guest is Catherine Fudge from the University of Georgia. Catherine is working to develop a histomoniasis infectious model for broiler breeders. Her lab is an Extension lab and a grower made an interesting observation that whenever he would place cedar shavings in his house, he noticed a drop in his insect population, and insects carry histomoniasis into chicken or turkey houses by way of a vector. Catherine began to evaluate this via benchtop experiments investigating the ability of cedar shavings and cedar extract to repel darkling beetles. (07:20)

Catherine’s abstract is titled: “Evaluation of cedar products against Histomonas meleagridis in vitro”

Next up is Dr. Lisa Bielke from North Carolina State University. Dr. Bielke presented research about the use of feed additives such as probiotics, symbiotics, organic acids, or essential oils as a way to prevent disease in poultry with the result being less antibiotic use. She emphasized that if birds are sick, and antibiotics are needed, then the birds should be treated with antibiotics, but that prevention is also key to bird health. (15:18)

Lisa’s abstract is titled: “Role of Feed Additives for Improving Health and Controlling Disease in Poultry”

Our fourth guest is Kyle Venter from the University of Pretoria. His research focuses on reducing dependence on rock phosphate by improving the digestibility of phosphorus in feed ingredients. Kyle pointed out that once phosphorus digestibility has been maximized from the diet, then one should formulate to the bird’s actual calcium and phosphorus requirements on a digestible basis, rather than using a total calcium, available phosphorus system. (23:12)

Kyle’s abstract is titled: “Evaluating the efficacy of three commercial phytase enzymes based on broiler performance and production economics” 

Next in the lineup are Leticia Orellana Galindo from Auburn University, and Dr. Ken Macklin from Mississippi State University. Their research evaluates egg translucency and color intensity with egg quality parameters. Hatchability is a major issue in the broiler industry and previous research found that less translucent eggs had higher hatchability and darker color intensity eggs also had higher hatchability. In this abstract, Leticia evaluated the relationship between translucency and color intensity with internal and external egg quality parameters. 

(31:05)

Letecia’s abstract is titled: “Relationship between eggshell translucency and color intensity with egg quality parameters on broiler eggs”

When in Philadelphia, what better guest to have than Dr. Benjamin Franklin? Ben tells us about his scientific research regarding electricity and lightning and gives a perspective on agriculture in his day. (45:23)

Our final guests are Cara Cash and Dr. Giri Athrey from Texas A&M University. Cara’s research is data analysis based and she modeled the impact that decreasing broiler breeder fertility could have on broiler production, the climate, and the economy. Her model predicts that declining fertility could result in large increases in the amount of feed required for broiler production and the amount of greenhouse gasses created by broiler production. (49:14)

Cara’s abstract is titled: “The Effects of Broiler Breeder Fertility on Global Food Security”

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Today’s episode is hosted live at the American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. It’s the second in our three-part series from the ADSA meetings.

Abomasal infusion of branched-chain amino acids or branched-chain keto acids alter lactation performance in early lactation dairy cows. 

Joining us is Kristin Gallagher from Michigan State University discussing her research on branched-chain amino and keto acids. 

Associations of pen-level and herd-level management factors with biomarkers, health, milk-yield and reproduction. Associations of nutritional strategies with biomarkers, health, milk yield and reproduction. 

Joining us is Dr. Tom Overton from Cornell University discussing research on management factors and nutritional strategies. 

Linking amino acids to milk fat synthesis. 

Joining us are Yumi C.T. Taguti from Virginia Tech University and Izabelle Teixeira from the University of Idaho to discuss linking amino acids to milk fat synthesis. 

Relationships of blood-based indices of liver health during the transition period with performance and health. 

Joining us is Dr. Tom Overton from Cornell University to discuss blood-based indices of liver health. 

Effects of Feeding Rumen-Protected Methionine & calcium salts enriched in omega-3 fatty acids on lactation in periparturient dairy cows 

Joining us is Tanya France and Dr. Joe McFadden from Cornell University discussing her research on the effects of feeding rumen-protected methionine and calcium salts enriched in omega-3 fatty acids. 

Determining the relative metabolizable methionine content of rumen-protected products and their effect on production responses. 

Joining us is Jair Parales Giron from Michigan State University and Jonas de Souza from Perdue AgriBusiness discussing research on metabolizable methionine and its effect on production responses. 

Dry period environmental impact on colostrum volume and quality. 

Joining us is Kayla Alward from Virginia Tech University to discuss dry period environmental impact on colostrum volume and quality. 

Lipolysis inhibition improves clinical outcomes in the treatment of ketosis in dairy cows: an individually randomized multigroup parallel controlled trial. 

Joining us is Miguel Chirivi and Dr. Andres Contreras from Michigan State University, discussing their research on lipolysis inhibition. 

Lactational performance of dairy cows receiving supplemental His: A meta-analysis 

Joining us is Susanna Raisanen from Pennsylvania State University discussing her research on supplemental histidine and how it affects lactational performance. 

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/S2666910223001114

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Dr. Kohl presented in the Real Science Lecture series, Transitioning a Black Swan to a Phoenix in the Global Dairy Markets. Here is a link to that presentation: https://youtu.be/myhTpyBJzKE. Today's discussion dives into a quick look back at what happened in 2020 and critical learnings for the 2021 outlook. 10:36

 

When Dr. Kohl takes a look at an individual dairy farm or the larger industry, he discusses the importance of Business IQ and what that means for the business's overall health. Additionally, he discusses the change in consumers' outlook on agriculture's importance through food shortages at the grocery store. 12:51

 

As a calf consultant working with farms across the globe, the changes to travel and transition to virtual meetings, Dr. Bob James discusses how that can help dairies. 15:11

 

With any sector of the agriculture industry, data overload can be a struggle. It's not different in the dairy industry, and Dr. James and Dr. Kohl discuss the role data plays on the farm and tips for drilling down to the critical data sets to make decisions. 21:55

 

In 2020 many collegiate courses went virtual, and with that, it allowed both Dr. Kohl and Dr. James to lecturers in the classroom. They stress the importance of folks entering into the dairy industry to diversify, take classes outside of animal science, and even outside of agriculture to broaden their perspective and become more adaptable. 29:42

 

The two guests shared their perspectives on two key aspects for 2021 and beyond: virtual assistance/expertise and further niche diversification by dairies to set themselves apart. 40:31

 

Thanks for joining us for another discussion around the table at the Real Science Exchange. To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email anh.marketing@balchem.com. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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While Dr. Jardon only had milk in his glass for this pubcast, he did share about his bottle of “wheyskey” (whiskey made from whey) from Wheyward Spirit Distillery in California (https://www.wheywardspirit.com/). Iowa State Dairy Extension is offering a webinar, “Fermentation and Distillation of Whey to Produce Spirits at Copper Crow,” on May 15 at noon Central. Curtis Basina of Copper Crow Distillery in Bayfield, WI, will be the speaker. You can sign up for the webinar at https://go.iastate.edu/WHEY (4:13)

Dr. Dhuyvetter presented a March 5 webinar on dairy economics, which can be found at balchem.com/realscience. Key consistent data across time indicate that more profitable dairies tend to be larger. This doesn’t mean that all dairies must be large, but more the reality of the large number of fixed costs in dairying. Diluting costs by having high production per cow is also a mark of a profitable operation. Kevin reminds the audience that he’s talking about averages and there are exceptions to every rule. The key message is that you need to strive to get better. In the long run, profits are equal to zero in a competitive industry, and dairying is no exception. Dr. Dhuyvetter includes all economic costs in his analyses, recognizing all assets, including skills and capital, such as land, facilities, and time. (8:08)

Dr. Jardon suggests that exceptional operations emphasize efficiency and ensure they dilute maintenance costs well. Everything is fine-tuned: feed's always pushed up, stalls are full of bedding, and the time budget of the cows is usually spot on. Dr. Tully echoes this sentiment from his consultant experience. Phil also underlines the importance of focusing on how much it costs to make a unit of milk or income over feed costs rather than concentrating solely on saving money. Kevin agrees that all the little things done right and done consistently often make the difference in profitability. Further, if cutting costs negatively impacts production, then saving money is counterproductive in the long run (15:14)

Dr. Dhuyvetter reminds producers not to automatically assume they have lower costs because you raise your own feed. More often than not, the opportunity costs of producing that feed haven’t been evaluated. If you can produce nutrients more efficiently and cost-effectively on your land, then home-raised feed is a very good thing. But if you produce low-quality home-raised feed, it might be better to purchase feed elsewhere. In addition, growing high-quality feeds takes time and energy away from dairying. Phil saw this when he was a practicing veterinarian. Jim suggests that those larger operations can have a field crew and a herd health crew who aren’t the same individuals. The panelists discuss the shift from getting paid for protein in milk to getting paid for fat in milk and what that means from a cow nutrition and profitability perspective.

(22:51)

Dr. Dhuyvetter then discusses how culling practices impact profitability. He expects successful operations to have very low cull rates because they have healthy, well-managed cows doing all the little things right. On the other hand, unsuccessful operations may also have very low cull rates because they struggle to produce heifers, get them pregnant, and keep them in the herd, leading to keeping cows longer than one should. Jim and Kevin emphasize that the culling rate is individualized and will vary by operation. Phil suggests that perhaps some of the available software tools to help with culling decisions may be underutilized. (35:10)

Many dairies want to know if they should wait longer into lactation before rebreeding cows. Because production is up and reproduction has improved over the last 10-15 years, dairies are drying cows off while still giving a lot of milk. Dr. Dhuyvetter’s analysis of the data for Holstein herds in second- and greater-lactation cows suggests getting them pregnant as fast as possible and getting them back to peak milk sooner. (43:07)

Phil, Kevin, and Jim then touch on comparative advantage and revealed preference and how those relate to shifts in the dairy industry away from some states and toward others. (50:29)

In closing, Dr. Dhuyvetter suggests that the days of being very successful with gut-feel decisions are probably behind us. Making decisions based on the best information from data and analytics is the way forward. Constantly strive to get better, and don’t worry about what your neighbor’s doing. Control what you can control. (58:29)

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Joining the group at the pub for cold brews and conversations this evening is Dr. Trevor DeVries and Dr. Tom Tylutki. While Dr. Tom Tylutki’s passion lies among dairy cow nutrition through various research in growth and maintenance management, Dr. Trevor DeVries has focused his career on studying animal behavior through academia. 

Both joined together to lead the pubcast this evening covering dairy cow consumption and nutrition management. 

Dr. DeVries reflects on his career and shares insight into the synthesis between intake and production, adding that when trying to optimize production, optimizing dry matter intake for cows also occurs. His point being, if the goal is to have cows eat more, changing their behavior is important. 11:30 

Dr. Tylutki highlights his consulting experience in nearly 46 countries educating livestock owners by commercializing ration formulation packages and notes the critical importance in gathering research data to better understand behavior. 16:20

Dr. DeVries adds his perspective in forage quality variation and the studies of both him and Dr. Tylutki have done on fiber length and digestibility. One key point Dr. DeVries shares is the value in making specific recommendations instead of generalized solutions, due to varying factors, operation goals and even some breed differences. 25:32

Dr. Pete Morrow also joins the evening discussion, sharing his thoughts on rumination monitors for management practices, highlighting the potential artificial intelligence has through management data points. 37:14

Dr. DeVries suggested the cow’s behavior is just as important as the diet itself, which is ultimately impacted externally. Adding, continuous improvement in technology and automation management is also going to play a large role in welfare longevity. 1:04:37

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Guests: Dr. Gavin Staley, Diamond V and Dr. Al Kertz, ANDHIL LLC
Co-host: Dr. Glen Aines, Balchem

Today’s episode is focused on one of our most important resources: calves. Calves set the trajectory of our herd and represent our future productivity and profitability. In this Real Science Exchange episode, we will show how appropriate investment in young stock will pay off big in later years. 

Dr. Staley noticed in data there is a correlation between 10-week milk and the average annual herd of the whole dairy. (12:25)

Dr. Kertz spoke on the importance of height in addition to the weight of a calf. Height is the best indicator of the frame that weight will be deposited on and there are some consequences to heifers and cows with too much weight. (20:10)

Dr. Staley said it is worth the time to measure your dairy animals, somewhere in mid-lactation, to establish the genetic makeup and the genetic body condition score to know what you are aiming for. (31:46)

Dr. Kertz closed by saying it’s important to measure birth weights, weaning weights and heights periodically. By looking at those numbers a few times a year, you’ll have a good idea of where your dairy is at and what may need to be fixed. (56:47)

If you’d like to find Dr. Al Kertz’s book, you can find it here: https://outskirtspress.com/dairycalfandheiferfeedingandmanagement

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees.  

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Panelists Dr. John Goeser or Rock River Laboratory, Inc.; Dr. Bob Kozlowski, PAS of Dairy NExT, LLC and Dr. Tom Overton of Cornell University introduce themselves and give an overview of their backgrounds. (0:10)

Dr. Goeser begins with three different ways to define forage quality: energetic potential, particle size as an interaction factor, and anti-nutritional components. He asks Dr. Kozlowski if these are the hot topics for his consulting clients. (6:53)

When evaluating the energy potential in feed, Dr. Goeser states there’s nothing new as far as measuring the nutrient content of feeds, but capturing the nutrient digestion potential in fiber, starch, and fatty acids is an area where we could stand to make sizable strides. We’ve been studying fiber and starch digestion for more than 50 years, and they're still really hard to measure because nutrient digestion potential is not linear. In the laboratory, ruminal fiber digestion is measured at many different time points to create curves, but if we want to get a good handle on the energy potential in feeds, we need to take a total digestible nutrients approach.  (9:31)

Dr. Goeser feels there are more similarities between laboratories in quantifying fiber digestion potential, but there is little agreement among labs for starch digestion. Research shows that seven hour starch digestion is dramatically affected by laboratory technique and starch digestion curves also vary widely among labs. Dr. Overton commends the lab for diligently working to understand these dynamics. (14:31)

From a fiber standpoint, Dr. Kozlowsk states that uNDF has probably been one of the most significant improvements in the tools he has to work with. He gives an example of cows on a 45% forage diet in the Southeast and cows on a 60% forage diet in the Northeast, both with similar uNDF concentrations. Those two groups of cows perform very similarly in terms of volume, fat and protein. (18:43)

Dr. Overton asks both guests for their take on feed hygiene. Dr. Goeser feels that there is at least 10 times more to learn about feed hygiene compared to fiber and starch digestibility. Merging veterinary diagnostics with commercial nutrition laboratory work shows promise for solving undesirable mold, yeast, mycotoxin and bacteria issues in feeds. In case studies, he states there is never just one issue at play; there are two or three that may have negative associative effects with one another. Dr. Kozlowski has been seeing varietal-dependent corn silage DON toxin levels in the last few years. Dairies are now looking at all aspects of the agronomy program in addition to all the other assessments of NDF digestibility and starch. (20:33)

Dr. Goeser goes on to describe some work on large dairies where they’re finding hidden nutrient variation and starch and protein flux that happens within a 1-2 week period that we aren’t able to capture with our current sampling techniques. For dairies feeding 2,000-15,000 cows, a diet formulation is on point today, but within that 1-2 week period at the volume of feed they’re going through, the diet is now out of spec. However, it’s not so out of line that the cows are giving feedback in terms of components or deviation in production or intake. (30:08)

On the cow side, new technologies like SCR are allowing insights into rumination dynamics, which can be applied to feed formulation. Some silage choppers now have NIR units measuring silage quality during harvest. The panelists discuss what other technologies might be on the horizon, including on-farm NIR units on front-end loaders or mixer trucks. Dr. Goeser mentions some of the challenges with these technologies, including feed moisture levels interfering with equipment and lack of trust in technologies. (34:21)

The panelists close out the episode with their take-home messages. (42:03)

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Guests:  Brett Stuart & Richard Fritz, co-founders of Global AgriTrends 

The pubcast table is filled with new guests as we jump into a global topic on the Real Science Exchange. This week we focus on ag trends worldwide and what we can learn from past indicators and future outlook. Our co-hosts Scott Sorrell and Jonathan Griffin, are joined by the co-founders of Global AgriTrends, Brett Stuart & Richard Fritz. 

In December, Brett first initiated this conversation for the Real Science Lecture focused on Global Mega Trends in Agriculture. You can find that lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZcIwJkv-vs&t=1283s. For more information on Global AgriTrends, check out their website at https://www.globalagritrends.com/. 

As conversation kicks off, both Brett and Richard dive into considering all prosperity levels when creating legislation that ties into the food supply, including GMOs. While it might not have an incremental change in the U.S. on our supply, it drastically changes the effect of those in third-world countries, including much of the African continent. 14:22 

Brett discusses the need to understand where the population is located relative to where arable land is found. This comes into play with Asia as they continue to increase their agriculture imports as their population grows and the wealth within that population evolves. 22:05 

Richard dives into his perspective that the extension service model adopted by the United States and Canada, and parts of India to provide free information and introduce new technology to farmers has decreased in many ways. Because of the change with much of the research going into the private industry, it has decreased the public sharing of information and, therefore, the progress some farms can make, especially in developing countries. 28:22 

According to Brett, China’s hurdles with African Swine Fever (ASF) have driven their markets out of whack. It has also meant changes in the global grain markets and U.S. supply. Richard added with the change in U.S. administration, we will see what that means for holding China accountable to follow international trade laws and agreements. 30:16 

From a biosecurity standpoint, it is being reported that ASF is still in China and, therefore, will continue to be an issue even with new facilities under construction. Richard discussed that one biosecurity change they have seen is the decrease of backyard hog production with a movement to large-scale facilities, which does shift the biosecurity concerns slightly. 43:21  

Richard discusses from his experience in Sub-Saharan Africa that when the population shifts to having a higher income, they become more food insecure because they are moving away from producing their own food. 47:07  

When wrapping up the conversation, Brett recommended U.S. producers consider their debt load they are carrying forward as the current price and market trends could help protect against interest rates. 54:27 

 Richard shared his closing thoughts focused on carbon and the continued push for bringing production agriculture into conversations focused on carbon offsets. 58:32   

If you have questions not covered in the lecture or podcast discussion on global ag trends, feel free to email anh.marketing@balchem.com.   

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Dr. Felix and Dr. Johnson begin with brief descriptions of their background and interest in beef on dairy research. (3:15)

Dr. Felix’s first study in this area compared dairy calves with beef on dairy calves of unknown origin. They were placed in the feedlot and fed and implanted the same. Beef on dairy calves grew faster, but they ate more, so there was no difference in feed efficiency. They also had larger ribeye areas and slightly heavier carcass weights. In subsequent studies, calf growers indicated that beef on dairy calves were more hardy and got a quicker start in the calf systems. (9:16)

Dr. Johnson and Dr. Felix are both fans of using Charolais sires in beef on dairy systems. Dr. Felix emphasizes that while breed can be important, individual sires within breeds really make the difference when it comes to successful beef on dairy systems. (13:23)

The beef and dairy industries speak two different languages when it comes to genetic selection. Dr. Felix encourages education efforts across both segments to speak a common language. Bull studs are heavily invested in this effort. Just 2.5 million units of beef semen were sold in the US in 2017, compared to 9.4 million units in 2024. (16:15)

The use of beef sires increased gestation length by two days in one study of over 10,000 dairy records. Dairy producers may have to manage the dry period of beef on dairy cows differently to avoid loss of milk production. (20:46)

Last year, the National Association of Animal Breeders published a new category in their annual semen sales report: heterospermic beef, at 1.5 million straws. Genetic companies have started to market straws containing semen from two to three different beef bulls who have similar desired traits. The literature suggests that different cows’ reproductive tract environments have different “preferences” for semen. The theory behind heterospermic beef is by putting more than one bull in a straw, we may see increased fertility for that straw. (27:52)

Dr. Felix explains her sire selection process from her USDA research. Regardless of breed, she focused on yearling weight, carcass weight, and ribeye area. Because of this, little difference was found between breeds since the same terminal traits were of priority. Dr. Johnson agrees that the growth of beef on dairy has been beneficial to feedlots and that the beef cattle industry can learn from the beef on dairy systems. (32:36)

What challenges still exist with beef on dairy? Dr. Felix suggests we need to get past the block of dairy beef “only being 20% of the fed cattle” - why shouldn’t that 20% be as high quality as possible? Health will continue to be a challenge, particularly in the areas of liver abscesses and respiratory disease. (41:46) 

Adequate colostrum intake is critical for successful beef on dairy calves. Dr. Felix describes a project where calves who had adequate passive immunity were heavier at nine months of age than calves who had failure of passive immunity. Dr. Johnson concurs and reminds listeners that colostrum also contains bioactive components that appear to have value beyond immunity, even after gut closure. (44:36)

Dr. Johnson gives some perspective from the cow/calf side of the beef cattle industry regarding beef on dairy. He feels that there is much to learn from beef and dairy systems that can be applied to the cow/calf sector. Dr. Felix has received pushback from cow/calf producers that she’s trying to “put them out of business.” She counters that we had 20% dairy influence in fed cattle when they were Holstein, and there is still 20% dairy influence now that they’re crossbred cattle. We’re not changing how many calves come from the dairy industry each year, but we are increasing the amount of beef produced. (47:52)

Each panelist wraps up with their take-home messages. Dr. Zimmerman was interested to learn about the longer gestation lengths in beef on dairy crosses and the implications that has for drying off cows. Dr. Johnson reminds listeners not to forget about the maternal side of the beef on dairy industry. He wonders if dairy producers could select for improved muscling without a loss in milk production to make beef-on-dairy crossbred calves even more desirable to the packer. Dr. Felix comments that, at the end of the day, it’s about feeding people. The increase in beef production from beef on dairy is something to be proud of, and she hopes some of what has been learned can also benefit the cow/calf industry to improve sustainability for the entire beef supply chain. (54:16)

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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/fulltext

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Guests: Dr. Carol Cardona, University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Julie Helm,  Clemson Livestock Poultry Health; Myah Walker, Director of Quality and Training at Sparboe Farms;  

Co-host: Tom Powell, Director of Monogastric Business Balchem, Dr. Zack Lowman, Balchem Technical Service

Today’s episode is focused on a hot topic in the poultry industry and that is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The poultry industry has come a long way in how we manage HPAI outbreaks, and we will touch on what we continue to learn and how that will help us moving forward. 

Dr. Cardona starts with some background on HPAI. The outbreak in 2022 has so far affected more than 30 states and 50 million birds. (5:07) 

Dr. Helm explained that wild ducks and geese in North America carry many different strains of a low pathogenic AI. When high pathogenic strains come from Europe and Asia they intermix with the North American strains, which typically mellows the high pathogenic strains. (15:19) 

Myah Walker shared lessons learned from the 2015 outbreak, which includes ensuring biosecurity is tidied up. This can be employee training which is constant because of turnover, communication internally and externally about biosecurity processes and communication with peers to share best practices. (23:48) 

Dr. Cardona addressed free-range birds being infected by wild birds and said that wild birds are attracted to poultry farms either by food or water. By protecting feed and ensuring wild birds don’t come for feed, the outdoor spaces could have the same infection rate as indoor birds. (33:03) 

Myah Walker said in addition to economic impacts, there are mental health impacts of HPAI as well. Depopulating a house takes a mental toll on employees, owners, and growers because they feel a lack of control and sometimes blame themselves. (38:43) 

Dr. Helm wrapped up by saying if you’re in the industry, get to know the state person who will help you with a response and get to know them before an outbreak hits to go over your plans. (50:30) 

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees.

Guest: Dr. Brian Aldridge, University of Illinois

The crew is gathered at the Real Science Exchange again this week. We feature our guest Dr. Brian Aldridge who works in Rural Animal Health Management at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois. Hosting the discussion is Scott Sorrell, joined by Dr. Clay Zimmerman and Dr. Ken Sanderson from Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Listeners who enjoy the Real Science lecture series heard from Dr. Aldridge earlier this year. You can check out the presentation here: https://youtu.be/JoQl6NE-SZM.

A central theme for the discussion is Dr. Aldridge’s way of thinking; when we see an issue, such as intestinal problems, we think of bugs rather than thinking about the animals themselves. Pathogens very often are the manifestation of poor health rather than the cause of poor health. 0:52

Dr. Aldridge introduces the idea of a healthy phenotype and a resistant phenotype. 5:42

While learning about genetics and discussing various factors, Dr. Aldridge brings it back to the basic formula of phenotype = genetics x environment x time. 9:13

The group discussed natural stressors from a changing environment. Dr. Aldridge dove into research that examines the need to build the relationship between human caretakers and, in the case of the discussion, cattle. 16:35

While the industry often seeks out standard protocols or key performance indicators, KPIs, it’s not always as easy as a set approach to management that works across the industry. 19:10

Diets play a big part in animal health, but Dr. Aldridge discusses how your dietary approach can also support the resistant phenotypes. 36:51

Dr. Aldridge answers questions from the lecturer audience, and the discussion includes diving into the outcome from a disease is determined by the extent and duration of the pathology. 52:36

If you have questions about maintaining health in the ruminant digestive tract or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email anh.marketing@balchem.com.  

Guests: 
Dr. Mary Beth Hall with the USDA
Dr. Paul Kononoff from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Co-host: Dr. Clay Zimmerman, Balchem

We continue our discussions on the new 2021 dairy NRC, now known as NASEM. This is a follow-up to our Real Science Lecture series of five webinars that officially unveiled the content back in September. We’ll be breaking down the feed intake and carbohydrates sections during this episode.

Dr. Mary Beth Hall discusses the changes in the dry matter intake equations in the new NASEM. She explains that there are two different dry matter intake equations, and those equations have new factors that give producers a much closer look at the diet and what factors will influence intake. (7:29)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discusses the new feed factor equations and using different forage decisions. He explains when using it for forages, the new equation will be very useful to producers especially with all the factors involved. He also discusses byproducts and his hope for them to be included for future equations once more research is done. (26:19)

Dr. Mary Beth Hall discusses the carbohydrate chapter. She explained the equations didn’t drastically change but they discussed the different types of carbohydrates in more detail and had a better understanding of starch and fiber. (30:40)

Dr. Paul Kononoff discusses the gaps that are possibly in the new NASEM for the next committee to work on in the future. He stressed the importance of reporting chemical composition of feeds and forages. This will not only give a better understanding to those using the current equations, but it will also help the next committee when deciding on changes to those equations in the future. (45:55)

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

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This 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)

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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)

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Guests: Dr. Charlie Elrod, Natural Biologics and Dr. Josh Jackman, Tropical Innovations/Sungkyunkwan University
Co-host: Dr. Ken Sanderson, Balchem

Today’s podcast tackles a big topic in the global swine industry - African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). This virus has recently been reported in Thailand and continues to spread throughout the globe. While North America looks for any sign of ASFV, it continues to struggle with other lipid-enveloped viruses as well. 

Dr. Josh Jackman states that over 80% of livestock and human population epidemics and pandemics are caused by lipid enveloped viruses, making it of huge economic significance. (14:31) 

Dr. Charlie Elrod spoke of balancing the need for that macrophage recruitment and fighting the infection versus keeping them away. By tamping the virus down, or reducing the viral load that results in fewer macrophages getting infected, and fewer virus particles surviving in the mucosal environment, then you’ve improved. (27:02)

Dr. Josh Jackman explains that you need more than one hole in a virus membrane to become inactive or broken down. The structural damage is really important to break the structural integrity of the virus particle. Another mode to prevent infection is with compounds that prevent the viral membranes from fusing with cellular membranes. (33:09) 

Dr. Charlie Elrod mentions that when feeding GML to sows, it does get into the milk circulation and can have a positive effect on piglets in the form of antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. Being able to mitigate risks to the most susceptible neonatal animals would be a good thing. (47:01) 

Dr. Josh Jackman adds that there is an association between higher GML levels and reduced disease severity. The potential is huge because GML targets lipid enveloped viruses broadly. Since you can’t predict which virus will cause the next outbreak, GML is something that has the potential to be a first-line counter measure to the next pandemic. (57:27)

Dr. Charlie Elrod closes by saying there is a lot of potential discoveries out there.We need to continue exploring and bring in different sources of genetic mechanisms or more specific mechanisms like a flavonoid. This is really just the first chapter. (1:14:37)

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Dr. Godden opens this episode with a 30,000-foot view of colostrum management. Colostrum management has been a hot topic for decades, and herds still have opportunities to improve. Researchers continue to learn how to advance colostrum management. The basics include the three Qs: quality, quantity, and quickness. Other critical factors are cleanliness and feeding clean colostrum. Dr. Godden also briefly discusses important monitoring measures to assess a colostrum program. Research continues on the value of post-closure feeding of colostrum after the first 24 hours when the gut can no longer absorb antibodies. Several studies have demonstrated improved health, reduced scours, reduced bovine respiratory disease, reduced antibiotic use, and enhanced gain. Tricia gives an overview of their program, where they feed transition milk to their calves. (5:15)

Nutrition, adequate dry matter intake, pre-calving vaccination programs, cow comfort, and dry period length are all factors impacting colostrum quality and, to some degree, quantity. Tricia and Sandra describe a seasonal effect observed for colostrum quantity and quality associated with the fall months. While the mechanism of action is unknown, it is thought that day length and cold stress may play a role. Tricia indicates she is hard-pressed to get a 24 or 25 Brix reading on her herd’s colostrum in October. To prepare for this, during spring and summer, the dairy freezes 26-27 Brix colostrum to have on hand for use in the fall. 

(14:14)

The relationship between the volume of colostrum produced and its quality is very weak. Dr. Godden recommends using a Brix refractometer to measure all colostrum. Tricia has observed a correlation between the amount of colostrum produced and udder edema, where more edema results in less colostrum. In Tricia’s system, she likes to feed anything over a 24 Brix as a first colostrum and anything from an 18 to a 22 as a second colostrum. They feed four quarts at the first feeding within the first two hours, shooting for the second feeding of two quarts within 8 to 12 hours. (29:18)

Tricia details the calf herd recordkeeping on the farm, which includes weekly serum protein data measured with the same digital Brix refractometer used for colostrum measurements. This data lets the farm see when the program isn’t working and when calves are stressed. The farm also records all treatments and can reflect on previous treatments over the animal's lifetime. She gives an example of a small problem in the colostrum management program having a large impact. The agitator flaps on the pasteurizer were in the wrong position resulting in denatured colostrum.(35:14) 

Dr. Godden details some of the critical points in colostrum management, including adopting a routine monitoring program to measure Brix readings in colostrum and follow up with bleeding calves to measure serum protein. Cleanliness is very critical, and she sees a huge opportunity for farms to clean up their colostrum more. Not only do we not want to feed contaminated colostrum from a pathogen exposure standpoint, but research has also shown that high bacteria counts in colostrum negatively impact the absorption of the IgG into the circulation of the calf. This can be monitored by culturing the colostrum being fed, then backtracking through critical control points to determine where the contamination occurs. Tricia describes some of the important steps she’s taken over her 15 years at Shadycrest to improve their colostrum program. (42:57)

Tricia reminds the audience to remember that your first feeding of colostrum is setting up your milking dairy cow. If you set her up to do poorly because her first feeding of colostrum is poor, you're going to end up with a poor milking cow. Every calf born on the farm needs to have supreme colostrum inside of them because they're going to become a supreme cow. Dr. Godden echoes this sentiment: there are long-term economic benefits to the producer for getting their colostrum program right. These include an improved rate of gain, lower age at first calving, and more milk in the first and second lactation. It's well worth your while to get that job done correctly and get that calf off to a good start. (1:01:32)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Guests:  Dr. Billy Brown, Kansas State University; Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kelli Brost, University of Illinois; Dr. Jim Drackley, University of Illinois; Dr. Sergio Martinez Monteagudo, New Mexico State University; Jair Parales Giron, Michigan State University; Tess Stahl, University of New Hampshire; Dr. Pete Erickson, University of New Hampshire;  Dr. Vinicius Machado, Texas Tech University

Today’s podcast is the second podcast filmed at the American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Joining us are researchers with abstracts of interest chosen by the Balchem technical team.

Our first guests are Dr. Billy Brown, Kansas State University, and Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Brown said results from feeding choline in utero showed no differences in the weight of the animal or ribeye areas, but they did have greater marbling, which is exciting. (4:19) 

Dr. Brown’s poster title is: Effect of in utero choline exposure on Angus × Holstein carcass characteristics

Our second guest is Dr. Sergio Martinez Monteagudo from New Mexico State University. Dr. Martinez Monteagudo mentioned that while upcycling is not new and is used in other industries, it is more difficult to do in the food industry. Dr. Martinez Monteagudo turned lactose into something more used, sweeteners. 

Dr. Martinez Monteagudo’s presentation title: Upcycling strategies of dairy byproducts and waste for value-added applications.

Next up is Kelli Brost and Dr. Jim Drackley, both from the University of Illinois. Kelli found in her research that there is an effect on cow’s milk protein and fat percentages when looking at summer versus non-summer seasons. When you look at winter versus non-winter or winter versus summer, she saw the exact opposite. (27:50) 

Kelli’s Poster title is: Relationships between birth and calving season on first lactation performance of Holstein dairy cows in the Midwestern USA

Now, we’re hearing from Jair Parales Giron from Michigan State University. Jair’s research showed that fat has different effects from a low or high-starch diet. He also recommended that if you can’t have a high-energy or low-starch diet, fatty-acid supplementation could work. 

Jair’s presentation title is: Fatty acid supplementation interacts with starch content to alter production responses during the immediate postpartum in dairy cows

Joining us next are Tess Stahl and Dr. Pete Erickson from the University of New Hampshire. Tess studied the effects of a DCAD diet on Jersey cows. she found that minus 40 cals without and with nicotinic acid or niacin were equally feed efficient. And then there was a decrease with the minus 80. So she assumes that minus 80 is too harsh of a DCAD. (54:24)

Tess’ poster title is: Evaluation of colostrum quantity, quality, and bioactive compounds from Jersey cows fed two concentrations of dietary cation-anion difference with or without nicotinic acid and its effect on calf performance

Lastly, we have Dr. Vinicius Machado from Texas Tech University. Dr. Vinicius didn’t have any solid conclusions in his research but did notice that raising beef-on-dairy calves takes a different focus and approach than dairy cows or traditional beef cows. Throughout his portion, he hypothesizes what some options are. (1:38) 

Dr. Vinicius Machado’s presentation title is: Management of beef-on-dairy calves: Should we raise them differently?

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Guests: Dr. Limin Kung, University of Delaware, and guest Bonni Kowalke, Stem Ag Consulting

Our Real Science Exchange pubcast always has leading scientists and industry professionals discussing the latest ideas and trends, and tonight, we have two distinguished guests. Dr. Limin Kung and Bonni Kowalke join us to discuss wild yeasts in silage.

Dr. Kung begins by giving an overview of the impacts of wild yeast on silage, where they're either going to anaerobically ferment sugars to ethanol or aerobically; these wild yeasts can lead to spoiled silages and spoiled TMR. (8:32)

Bonni and Limin then go on to detail management strategies and practices for reducing the impacts of wild yeast on silage and TMR, including harvest speed, silage moisture content, pack density, feed-out rate, and additives. (10:59)

Bonni gives her perspective as a consultant about how she works with clients ahead of silage harvest to be able to prevent wild yeast infestation or any other problems. Most of her notes come right after harvest is finished with a list of things the farm wants to do differently next time, which she likens to a game plan for a team sport. (18:09)

Dr. Kung describes how to determine if you have an issue with wild yeast in silage. Primarily, one would see aerobic instability via heating and perhaps molding. There will be a distinct telltale odor as well. Unfortunately, there is no on-farm test; samples must be sent to the lab for analysis. (23:10)

Limin and Bonni give their top issues in regard to silage quality that they see in the field, along with ways to help producers get the very best quality silage off their fields each year. (26:40)

This takes a turn into a discussion about how drone technology could be used in the future for perfecting silage moisture content predictions in the field before chopping. (32:02)

Scott asks Bonni and Limin about the addition of NPN (such as urea or anhydrous ammonia) or sugar sources (such as molasses) to silage and what kind of impact that might have on silage quality. (37:24)

Bonni gives an overview of silage inoculants and additives. (47:13)

Limin and Bonni conclude by comparing the stability of legume silages and corn silages, an overview of inoculation best practices, and their take-home messages to ensure high-quality silage. (51:28)

As mentioned in the show, Bonni Kowalke’s contact information at Stem Ag Consulting is bonni@stemagconsulting.com.

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Guests:
Dr. Scott Dee, Pipestone Holdings
Dr. Gordon Spronk, Pipestone Holdings

The Real Science Exchange is open again for a great discussion this time shifting to the swine industry. The host Scott Sorrell was joined by Dr. Eric Altom, a technical nutritionist with Balchem’s Companion and Monogastric segments. Scott and Eric are joined by Dr. Scott Dee and Dr. Gordon Spronk, both of Pipestone Holdings. Dr. Dee and Dr. Spronk both have extensive experience with African Swine Fever and they discussed their experience viewing the virus from the research lens and the practical use lens.

Dr. Spronk’s experience in China with African Swine Fever also closely aligns with his experience with COVID-19 in China. 7:06

Even before we were talking about African Swine Fever, we worried about PED virus and the damage it can do to a pig herd. Dr. Dee and Dr. Spronk discuss the value in having the field day-to-day knowledge to pair with the research when it comes to virus spread, identify and isolating the cause. 12:32

Dr. Spronk dives into why they pushed for research related to feed and the tie to virus spread. 18:40

Since it’s been identified African Swine Fever can spread through feed, Dr. Dee discusses what happens if the virus is identified in a feed mill. 27:02

Not only can African Swine Fever spread through domestic pigs or feed, but it is also spread by wild boar populations. 33:39

The group discussed the most likely way that African Swine Fever could get into the United States. 38:10

Dr. Spronk shared his ah-ha that it’s important for us to remember that the world’s worst swine virus entered into the world’s largest swine herd. That is a game changer. 48:49

Dr. Dee added that, in his experience, it’s pivotal that scientists do field observation. It can be uncomfortable, but researchers need to get out of the lab. 49:58

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In times of limited forage, dairy producers may need to feed diets lower in forage than is typical but would like to maintain milk production. In this study, two diets similar in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), starch, and crude protein with different amounts of forage were fed to 32 mid-lactation Holstein cows in a crossover design. The control diet (CON) contained high forage (55.5% of diet dry matter) with no supplemental fatty acids or amino acids. The low-forage diet (LF) contained 36.6% forage along with supplemental fat and rumen-protected methionine and lysine. As forage was removed from the LF diet, it was replaced with byproducts and high-moisture corn was replaced with dry corn. (4:42)

Dr. Lock added fat and amino acid supplements to the LF diet to not lose milk production. The fat supplement was a palmitic-acid-rich prill. Dr. Lock does not think the response would have been the same if a different fat supplement had been used. The LF diet was higher in fat and palmitic acid, but most other fatty acids were fairly similar between the two diets. (16:25)

Milk yields were similar between the two diets. Cows on the LF diet consumed about 1 kg more dry matter each day than CON-fed cows. Cows fed the LF diet also had higher milk fat and milk protein yields and content which led to an approximately 2 kg increase in energy-corrected milk compared to cows fed the CON diet. Dr. Lock believes the fat and amino acid supplementation were a key part of achieving these results, and they would not have seen the same response if those supplements had not been added to the LF diet. The LF diet spared around 5.5-6 kg of forage per day, and cows gained body condition.  (22:03)

Dr. Weiss asks Dr. Lock to speculate if low-forage diets fed for longer periods would have negative health impacts. Dr. Lock feels that usually production would be negatively impacted by cow health issues, which was not the case here. However, if high-moisture corn had been used in the LF diet, he predicts they would have seen negative impacts. (27:18)

What about low-forage diets for early lactation cows? Dr. Lock suggests looking at diets in other parts of the world where forage is limited and see how dairy producers manage diets in those instances. He speculates that lower forage could be successfully implemented in early lactation cows after the fresh period. (31:09)

Dr. Weiss and Dr. Lock discuss the apparent improved digestibility of the LF diet given the increased production. While byproduct ingredients are often more fermentable in vitro, the results don’t always translate in vivo. Palmitic acid supplementation has been shown to improve fiber digestibility, so that may have happened in this experiment. (32:12)

On the protein side, we’ve moved away from talking about crude protein in the diet and toward amino acid concentrations. Dr. Lock would like to see the same trend in the industry for fat in the diet. A good leap was made recently from ether extract to total fatty acids, and he hopes to see individual fatty acids as the next step in that evolution. He recommends two questions be asked when considering a new fatty acid supplement. What is the fatty acid profile? What is the total fat content? The appropriate fatty acid profile is going to depend on the basal diet and what type of cow is being fed. Dr. Lock’s preference is a palmitic: oleic acid blend around 70:20 or 60:30 early in lactation, with a higher palmitic blend later in lactation. He expects the current work with different oilseeds to provide some good recommendations for feed ingredients to incorporate to increase dietary fat.  (35:53)

As genetics continue to improve and nutrient requirements of cows continue to increase, is it conceivable that someday we are going to purposefully decrease fiber in the diet? While that may be the case, Dr. Lock reminds listeners that about half of milk fat comes from acetate and butyrate produced in the rumen, so fiber is still going to be critical. While we may lower the forage in a diet, forage quality is going to remain very important. (39:45)

The panel wraps up with their take-home messages from this paper. Clay looks forward to more research with a factorial design to further evaluate low-forage diets. Dr. Weiss reminds listeners there’s no one recipe for diets to achieve high yields of milk components. Lastly, Dr. Lock is excited about the future of research in this area and refining diet formulation in the area of fat supplementation. (43:21)

You can find this episode’s journal club paper from JDS Communications here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910223001084

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 Guests: 
Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University 
Dr. Mat Faulkner, Purina 

Welcome back to the Real Science Exchange. Before we get started tonight, we’d like to share how you can get our t-shirts. There are three steps, either subscribe, follow or like the Real Science Exchange podcast on your favorite podcast platform or on YouTube, take a screenshot and send it to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your name, shirt size and mailing address. 

This week, our hosts are joined by Dr. Bill Weiss from The Ohio State University and Dr. Mat Faulkner from Purina. This week’s podcast is a continuation of one of our most highly attended webinars in 2021. If you would like to listen to it, you can find it here: balchemanh.com/realscience. 

Dr. Bill Weiss is from The Ohio State University and has been doing research on minerals since 1978. Dr. Mat Faulkner was a graduate student under Dr. Bill Weiss. He earned his master’s at The Ohio State University and is now a nutritional consultant in Wisconsin for Purina. 

Dr. Bill Weiss discusses the minerals that should not be combined in a diet and that there are many factors that should be taken into account while determining your rations. (00:10:01) 

Both of the guests analyze exactly how much sulfur should be added into your cattle’s diet. (00:17:50) Dr. Bill Weiss reviews the dangers of overfeeding magnesium and copper. (00:34:20) 

Dr. Mat Faulkner discusses the risks of toxicity in zinc and copper and the microbiome effect in the rumen. (00:46:08) 

Both guest speakers analyze factors that may cause oxidative stress. (01:00:33) 

Thank you to our loyal listeners for stopping by once again at the Real Science Exchange to sit with us just for a while. If you like what you heard, please remember to drop us a five-star rating on the way out. 

This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Dr. Arshad begins by reviewing the inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis he conducted. He wished only to look at studies where lysine was supplemented in a rumen-protected form. The meta-analysis did not include studies that infused lysine into the abomasum or intestine. In addition, only completely randomized design or randomized complete block design studies were included. Feed ingredients and chemical composition of diets for each experiment were run through NASEM to predict the metabolizable lysine content using the same model so all studies were on the same scale. (6:04)

The bioavailability of the different rumen-protected lysine products used in the studies ranged from 22 to 90 percent. If the paper's authors reported bioavailability values, they were used in the meta-analysis. If the paper did not provide bioavailability values, Dr. Arshad contacted authors or lysine product manufacturers to offer them. (13:53)

Dr. Arshad discusses the percentage of lysine as a percent of metabolizable protein in the diets as well as differences among the prediction of the flow of amino acids to the small intestine from NASEM, NRC, and CNCPS models. (16:45)

 

Around 40% of the meta-analysis dataset was from early lactation cows where rumen-protected lysine was supplemented starting from 20 days in milk. The rest of the dataset came from mid-lactation cows. The duration of lysine supplementation also varied. Cows supplemented with rumen-protected lysine for more than 70 days In early lactation produced 1.5 kilograms more milk than control cows. Mid-lactation cows supplemented for less than 70 days produced 0.8 kilograms more milk than control cows. Increasing lysine as a percentage of metabolizable protein linearly increased milk and component yield. (20:11)

During the transition period, cows not only experience negative energy balance but also negative protein balance, estimated at one kilogram of protein loss from skeletal muscle during that time. Plasma lysine starts to decrease around 21 days before calving but bounces back after seven days in milk. This suggests that lysine utilization by the mammary gland and other tissues is high during the prepartum period. Supplementing lysine before calving and during early lactation should improve the efficiency of protein synthesis and may explain the difference between early and mid-lactation responses observed in the meta-analysis. (24:10)

Lysine supplementation improved feed efficiency. Dr. Arshad discusses potential reasons for this and also points out that somatic cell counts were lower for lysine-supplemented cows, suggesting that this amino acid may be important for mammary gland health. He also discusses some of the interactions with methionine found in the meta-analysis. Dr. Zimmerman and Dr. Arshad also hypothesize about the mechanism of action of supplemental lysine increasing milk fat percentage. (30:44)

Dr. Arshad describes how he would design the next rumen-protected lysine study given what he learned from the different studies in the meta-analysis. In particular, he would like to see more work with primiparous cows, and dose-titration studies to pinpoint the optimal amount of lysine to supplement and to further explore the impact of lysine on immune function. (42:42)

The base diet and bioavailability of the rumen-protected lysine product are critical components to determine the supplementation rate for a particular group of cows. Dr. Arshad details the differences between this meta-analysis and previous meta-analyses regarding lysine supplementation. (46:40) 

In closing, Dr. Zimmerman was excited to see this meta-analysis and it validated observations from the field. Dr. Weiss underlines the strict inclusion criteria and regression analysis as particularly strong points in the paper. Finally, Dr. Arshad reminds the audience that creating a balanced ration should include essential and non-essential amino acids. He again emphasizes the importance of having an understanding of the bioavailability of rumen-protected products before conducting research projects with them. Lastly, he identifies a research gap regarding lysine supplementation of primiparous cows, which make up 30-35% of herd dynamics. (52:43)

You can find this episode’s journal club paper from the Journal of Dairy Science here: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(24)00499-5/fulltext

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Today in our pubcast, we are taking a deeper dive into Mosida Farms after a fascinating virtual farm tour at World Dairy Expo. The Bateman family operation includes 20,000 animals and over 5,000 crop acres in Cita, Utah. Wayne Bateman started Mosida Farms and once said, “We didn’t have it all together, but together we had it all.” 

The Batemans decided to diversify and added beef to their offering. Kaleb Bateman, joined the podcast via video, and says that Mosida Farms produces 40 to 100 beef calves a week. Those calves are fed and eventually sold in one of three Mosida Market locations. Mosida Market once was just the Bateman family selling beef to their neighbors before it evolved to where it is today. (15:03)

The Bateman family breeds their own beef and dairy crosses, including a Jersey x Charolais cross. Steve Bateman said the Jersey x Charolais crosses gain just as well as an Angus x Holstein cross. They are running trials with all different crosses and so far the Wagyu crosses are the flagship meat in the market. (27:30) 

A labor shortage has helped push the Bateman family to put in a robotic milking system. Brad Bateman said the family traveled to look at different systems before finding one that will work. The stress level of cows has decreased in the robotic barn and it has allowed them the option to grow at a different rate. (29:25) 

Brad Bateman says the family has a philosophy that if you take care of the cow, they will take care of you. To implement that idea there is weekly employee training. The desire of the Bateman family is to do what is best for the cow. (39:00) 

Laun Hall, nutritionist for Mosida Farms, says there are two different diets, one is acidifying rations and the other is more basic. While they want to meet the nutritional needs of the cow, they also want as few ration changes as possible. (42:31) 

Jason Bateman mentioned the robot barn is a controlled environment to test different feeds like specific hybrids of corn and the digestibility of different starches. By drilling down on this information, it will impact their bottom line. (52:30) 

Steve Bateman wrapped up the podcast by commenting that a lot of dairies don’t have family to succeed them. Steve says you have to work to make it possible for your kids to continue the business, and get them involved early to keep them there. (1:02:10) 

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The second episode of the Real Science Exchange focuses on feeding for increased milk protein production. The host Scott Sorrell is joined by his co-host Dr. Clay Zimmerman for this round-the-table discussion. Clay brought with him Dr. Mike Van Amburgh from Cornell University and Dr. Buzz Burhans with the Dairy-Tech Group. The two guests bring both the academic and research perspective along with practical on-the-farm reality. Dr. Mike VanAmburgh in his role at Cornell University lead the development of CNCPS. 2:38 

Dr. Buzz Burhans has been an independent consultant for more than 35 years and was one of the first adopters of CNCPS. 4:50 

Here are highlights of the discussion, make sure to tune in to hear each topic discussed: Previously, on one of the Real Science Lectures Dr. Mike Van Amburgh presented on how to increase milk protein and customer profits. He shared the key points from that lecture. This includes the current challenging times to figure how to get protein levels up and the importance of accurately knowing the cow you are feeding. 8:56 

Dr. Burhans went on to talk about practical experience when he and Mike worked together previously on an industry field day and discovered that most nutritionists did not have an accurate understanding of the cow weight. Some got it close, give or take 400 pounds 20:04 

Discussions shifts to NDF characterization and the importance of diet differentiation based on available economical feedstuffs. 28:39 

A follow-up discussion from the Real Science lecturer series focused around whether or not crude protein should be the focus or if it should be instead on amino acids 34:49 

Dr. Burhans highlighted the importance of rumen ammonia as an indicator in formulation management. 41:34 

Dr. Van Amburgh brought up the importance of honestly knowing your cows' availability to feed vs. assumption. Trail cams can prove the truthfulness from your assumptions 43:26 

With Dr. Burhans experience both in the west and in the northeast, he discussed the sugar levels in diets 46:13 

Dr. Van Amburgh reminded the table the importance of looking at the cows to understand what’s going on there, not just looking at the data on paper 51:57 

The chat then shifts to talk about Dr. VanAmburgh’s current outlook on the push to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Some supplies are discussing the push to a “voluntary” mandate and the discussion for what role does nutrition play into this move. 52:39 

Looking ahead to 2050, both guests admitted they shouldn’t be worry about where the dairy industry is at that point, but they will probably still be involved. Dr. Van Amburgh dives into the need to retain the carbon in the soil and the potential for a different structure of the dairy production and integration. He also discusses how CNCPS will evolve to help with the future changes. 57:75 

Dr. Burhans' looked ahead and indicated that in the future as the nutrition model gets more complex, the background and education of the nutritionists will need to align. 1:06 

Please subscribe for future episodes where it’s always happy hour, the conversations are sometimes spicy and usually satisfying. But most importantly, you’re always among friends. 
 

In this episode, we honor and celebrate the remarkable career and contributions of Dr. Jim Drackley from the University of Illinois, a pioneer in dairy science and animal nutrition. Jim’s work has reshaped our understanding of dairy cow health, metabolism and nutrition. Dr. Cardoso, Dr. Overton, and co-host Dr. Jeff Elliott are former coworkers or graduate students of Dr. Drackley’s. (0:11)

Dr. Drackley begins by telling the audience about his background and how he became a dairy scientist. He talks about several of his mentors during his schooling. (9:20)

Speaking of mentors, Scott asks Dr. Elliot, Dr. Overton, and Dr. Cardoso to describe Dr. Drackley’s mentorship of them during teaching, graduate school and beyond. They praise Jim’s thoughtfulness and hands-off approach that taught them to think critically. (14:06)

When it comes to major contributions to the industry, Dr. Drackley names two that he is most proud of: expanding the knowledge of controlled energy dry cow programs using straw and corn silage to help control energy intake and his work in baby calf nutrition, specifically feeding more milk on-farm to calves. Dr. Overton adds that a visionary paper Dr. Drackley wrote in the late 1990s where he referred to the transition period as the final frontier as another important contribution. Dr. Cardoso also emphasizes Dr. Drackley’s excellent teaching skills as another achievement of note. (20:58)

Dr. Drackley says the teaching part of the job was the part that scared him the most when he started. Graduate school offers little formal teaching training and experience so one learns on the job. Jim describes his teaching style as organized, and he liked teaching in an outline fashion, working from the main topic down through the details. He worked hard to get to know the students, learn their names as soon as possible, and be approachable and empathetic. Later in his career, he used a flipped classroom approach for a lactation biology course and enjoyed it. (28:45)

The panel then reminisces about how much technology has changed from a teaching perspective as well as statistical analysis. Lecturing has moved from chalkboard to overhead projector to slide carousel to PowerPoint. Statistical analysis has moved from punch cards or sending data to a mainframe computer to performing real-time statistical analysis on your computer at your desk. (33:00)

Jeff, Phil, and Tom share stories and memories of their time with Jim. (37:30)

Scott asks Jim what challenges will need to be tackled in the future in the dairy industry. He lists environmental aspects (nitrogen, phosphorus, and greenhouse gases), increasing economic pressure on farms, and improving forage production and efficiency of nutrient use. Dr. Drackley’s advice for young researchers is to carve out a niche for yourself. (47:40)

Dr. Elliott, Dr. Overton, and Dr. Cardoso share some final thoughts paying tribute to Dr. Drackley and his accomplished career. (1:06:18)

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On this episode of the Real Science Exchange we are looking into 2022 and what is shaping up for agriculture around the globe. 

Brett Stewart thinks that with the expansion of the world-wide money supply, current prices won’t break lower, and especially not in commodity markets. (6:26)

John Bedell spoke about the five headwinds, which are: increased demand, constrained supply, commodity price pressure, domestic logistics and international logistics. Of these, the only one that John expects to change is demand. (13:18)

Richard Fritz spoke on the China trade agreement and he believes the most important aspect of the agreement is setting standards for animal health. However, it is an agreement made on price, not volume so it is a very unique agreement. (31:11)

Brett Stewart addressed the labor shortage and said that as wages increase to keep up with inflation, inflation will continue to increase as well. The labor shortage is not unique to the United States, some beef processors in South America are 30% below average slaughter rates because of lack of workers. (42:47) 

Richard Fritz mentioned the Russia/Ukraine situation and the impact on agriculture, mostly in grain export out of the Black Sea which could become a problem. (55:01) 

John Bedell added that Russia supplies natural gas to Europe and that can have a lot of trickle down effects as well. (56:04)

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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/S2666910224000760

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Guests: Dr. Barry Bradford, Michigan State University 
Dr. Turner Swartz, Michigan State University 

We are back at the Real Science Exchange, and this week Dr. Barry Bradford and Dr. Turner Swartz, both from Michigan State University, join us. This week the pub table discussion is focused on The Evolving Field of Nutritional Immunology. 

Dr. Barry Bradford presented as part of the Real Science lecture series. His presentation, “Feeding the Immunity Defenders; The Evolving Field of Nutritional Immunology. You can find the link to that presentation here: https://youtu.be/UdcPNhrZk_o.

The conversation at The Exchange kicked off discussing that you can’t ignore the immune system and its integral involvement in day-to-day physiology. 

The dialogue continues to come back with the focus on micronutrients & trace minerals, including selenium, choline and vitamin E. Both Dr. Bradford and Dr. Swartz discuss how they play into their research and the day-to-day work on the dairy farm. 6:57 

Dr. Swartz has focused his research on mastitis, and he discusses the transition period and how one disease can lead to another in a domino effect. He talks about what role trace minerals play in cow health during this period. 10:01 

We circled back around to Dr. Bradford, discussing that hundreds of receptors are expressed by cells appearing to be designed by nature to respond to nutrients. He shares that it dramatically changes the ways we can think about using nutrients. 14:25 

As the discussion continues, both Dr. Swartz and Dr. Bradford dive into how the decisions made related to each other and what that means for your nutrition and health planning. 29:06 

If you have questions about nutritional immunology or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email anh.marketing@balchem.com.

Guests: Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University 

Here is the first episode of the New Revelations in Transition Cow Nutrition from the 2022 Cornell Nutrition Conference four-part mini-series. Essential versus required nutrition requirements is the subject matter from Dr. Mike Van Amburgh of Cornell University. Dr. Clay Zimmerman from Balchem adds his comments in this podcast as well.

Laying out a new way to think about essential and non-essential nutrients, Dr. Van Amburgh began the series by highlighting the value of understanding nutritional equivalencies such as amino acids and carbohydrates and reframing the function of energy. 2:28

While microbial proteins are made of both essential and non-essential amino acids, the key factor is remembering synthesis is energy intensive. 

Mentioning the adaptability of the organ, Dr. Van Amburgh shares that not only do the nutrient sources allow a cow to manipulate blood flow, but it allows for the ability of groups to form to maximize efficiency. 8:51

Beginning with the general understanding of optimal supply, Dr. Van Amburgh shifted his discussion to anabolic output responses. He shared that when considering the extraction of branched chains, lysine tends to undergo obligate metabolism in the mammary gland. 11:09

Ultimately milk protein synthesis requires key metabolic pathways, but how does an optimal supply of amino acids affect anabolic output? 

When analyzing shifts in nutrient profiles, Dr. Van Amburgh shared the transparency that occurs when building fatty acid diets. He mentioned he’s researching the value of pushing methionine up to 1.19 grams and then nearly 2.7 times for lysine. 17:25

So what does the future of nutrition modeling look like? Based on a meta-analysis, Dr. Zimmerman added the biggest goal in nutritional modeling continues to be focused on the differences between essential and required nutrients. 38:31

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Zimmerman shared key takeaways from Dr. Van Amburgh’s webinar and briefly mentioned the meta-analysis highlight of choline as a required nutrient in transitional dairy cows. 42:39

If you would like to review Dr. Van Amburgh’s webinar from the 2022 Cornell Mini Symposium, you can view all four webinars in the series at balchem/com/realscience. 

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Guests: Dr. Temple Grandin, Betsy Lerner and Kari Estes. 

Gathering for another Legacies Series to honor a true industry leader and pioneer are, Dr. Temple Grandin, Betsy Lerner and Kari Estes. 

Dr. Grandin, an animal science professor at Colorado State University and a well-known author and speaker, has been featured on national public radio stations, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Discover Magazine, Forbes, USA Today and others. In fact, her movie titled Temple Grandin sharing much of her life story is an Emmy Award-winning movie. 

While Dr. Grandin’s career has been nothing shy of exceptional, she led the conversation by explaining how her trials and tribulations at a young age with autism ultimately led her to where she is today. 8:40

After not speaking until the age of four, Dr. Grandin mentioned she began questioning how people think and their behaviors in her mid-twenties. 10:28

Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem, then asked about any new research on autism and what niche skills the autistic brain gives people. 14:37

Sharing a few stories and examples, Dr. Grandin mentioned that attention to detail, thinking in specific instances and extreme object visualization are all key characteristics of autism. 17:34

Also joining the conversation is Betsy Lerner, an author who previously worked with Dr. Grandin. She described the questionnaire for people to find out what kind of thinker they are, adding that Dr. Grandin scored 16 out of 18 in the visual thinker category, and she scored four out of 18. 18:41

Not only has Dr. Grandin focused her career on understandpeople's behavior, but animals as well. 

Opposite of humans, Dr. Grandin added that animals live in a sensory-based world. She mentioned Betsy gave her the book “The Immense World,” which solely focuses on animal sense and living in a sensory-baked world. 28:12

With decades of knowledge and research, Sorrell asked Dr. Grandin what advice she would have for pet or animal owners. 30:20

Dr. Grandin shared it’s no surprise that animals have emotions like fear, anger, separation anxiety and a few others. She went on to add her experience helping producers understand why certain behaviors trigger cows while handled. 36:40

Dr. Grandin said her big career breakthrough started after working with an Arizona farm magazine to write firsthand experiences from ag events and cattle topics that eventually led to speaking opportunities. 43:58

As the industry continues to shift, so does the future of animal handling and behavioral studies. Dr. Grandin shared the story of touring a new cattle handling facility with a slick floor just this last year, adding this is just one of the things she shares in her resources about the basics of cattle behavior and safety. 48:11 

Betsy closed by sharing she truly believes Dr. Grandin is an inspiration to everyone she meets. She added that while traveling to Colorado, Dr. Grandin was honored for her years of service and Betsy met many of Dr. Grandin’s students. While it was no surprise, Betsy mentioned each student said Temple truly changed their lives and believes she has made the world a better place. 55:08

Life is all about helping people and finding practical solutions, and Dr. Grandin closed by adding that’s truly what makes her happy. 59:13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Guests: Dr. Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois, Dr. Dave Fischer, University of Illinois, Dr. John Goeser, Rock River Lab and co-host, Dr. Jeff Elliott, Balchem

This week's episode is a favorite for many as part of our Legacy Series. We are toasting Dr. Mike Hutjens with the University of Illinois. Mike is a pioneer in the field and has combined his love for education and passion for the dairy industry throughout his career. He continues to keep learning to this day. Plus, he was the one who famously coined the term “pubcast” for the Real Science Exchange. The Real Science Exchange is the discussion that happens in the bar after scientific meetings, making the term “pubcast” even more relevant!

Joining us to toast Dr. Hutjens is Dr. Dave Fischer, University of Illinois; Dr. John Goeser, Rock River Lab and co-host Dr. Jeff Elliott, Balchem.

Dr. Hutjens reflects on his career, and one industry controversy that dates him was the discussion by producers between high moisture and shell corn. His point is, that there will always be new topics to discuss and research to share with producers. 11:45

Through Dr. Hutjens and Dr. Fischer’s tenure with Extension, priorities and approaches have evolved from regional experts who were an inch deep and a mile wide to very specific focus areas over time. 15:44

Dr. Goeser added his perspective as someone established as a researcher but still evolving in his career and how the specialization in the industry can also create silos of thinking with very narrow areas of focus. 20:42

Dr. Hutjens and Dr. Fischer highlighted one of their biggest accomplishments in evolving producer education is they have successfully moved all of their training online even though the doubters said it wouldn’t work for producers. 29:43

Dr. Goeser shared that we all know the industry is evolving, and research, producers and education must do the same. One obvious example is how much milk each cow produces today compared to 20 or 40 years ago. 42:27

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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)

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This episode of the Real Science Exchange podcast was recorded during a webinar from Balchem’s Real Science Lecture Series.

Throughout the last 30 years, the dairy industry has moved to producing highly concentrated versions of milk proteins. In cows’ milk, about 80% of the protein is casein and 20% is in the serum or whey phase. These ratios vary by species. There are three major caseins in cows’ milk: alpha-S-casein, beta-casein, and kappa-casein. The first two are rich in phosphate for calcium binding. Kappa-casein is critical in a micellar structure that allows these structures to stay suspended in the milk. (1:21)

Whey proteins also differ by species. In cows’ milk, about 50% of the whey protein is beta-lactoglobulin. It’s rich in branched-chain amino acids, and it is not present in human milk so it is a focus of allergy research. Alpha-lactalbumin is found in all mammals and is a cofactor for lactose production. (10:34)

Caseins and whey proteins are different from one another and are in completely different classes of proteins. From structure, to size, to amino acid content, to solubility; these two types of proteins are yin and yang. (11:51)

When fluid milk or whey is concentrated by removing water, some sugars and other materials dissolve via evaporation or membrane filtration. It results in dried powders, milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolates. Concentrates contain 80-85% protein and isolates contain more than 90% protein.  (17:14)

What's driving the current and probably future popularity of these dairy proteins? One, is their versatility in many food applications, and the other is the superior nutritional quality of the proteins. Nearly half of the milk protein concentrate use is for mainstream nutrition and sports beverages. Similar trends have been observed for whey protein isolates. (20:05)

Dairy proteins are very rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) like leucine. BCAAs help initiate protein synthesis, are important for muscle recovery, help with weight loss by maintaining blood glucose levels, are synergistic with exercise, and can promote healthy aging. Dr. Lucey gives several different examples of products utilizing dairy proteins. He predicts that the increased focus on nutrition products, interest in isolating individual proteins and improving export opportunities will continue to drive demand for dairy proteins in the future.  (27:21)

All of the main milk proteins have genetic variants, which are minor amino acid differences in the same protein. Variants occur at different frequencies among breeds. Beta-casein has two variants, A1 and A2. There is one amino acid difference out of 209 total amino acids, located at position 67 where a histidine is found in variant A1 and a proline is found in variant A2. When histidine is present, the beta-casein is prone to cleavage at position 67, creating a fragment called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7). When proline is present, it hinders the cleavage of casein at position 67. BCM-7 is an exogenous opioid peptide with the potential to elicit opioid activity on a range of tissues and organs. It’s known as a “bioactive peptide” and some others from milk and cheese have been implicated as anti-hypertensive. (35:26)

In the late 1990s, some researchers claimed that A1 milk was implicated in diabetes, coronary heart disease, autism, and schizophrenia. Subsequent reviews and investigations by significant international bodies found no evidence of these claims. (40:34)

In closing, Dr. Lucey answers questions from the webinar audience. He talks about the potential of breeding cows customized for the production of minor milk components, milk components as renewable bio-plastics, and the superiority of milk proteins compared to plant proteins. Watch the full webinar at balchem.com/realscience. (47:41)

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Today’s episode was filmed at the Future Directions in Choline Symposium put on by the University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute.

Our day two episode opens with Dr. Eric Ciappio and Dr. Jonathan Bortz of Balchem, summarizing day one’s focus on pregnancy and early life and previewing day two’s focus on the latest choline research targeting adult nutrition. (1:03)

The next guest on our roster is Dr. Mark Manary, a professor of pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine. Mark’s symposium talk discusses choline and food aid. Food aid products are specially designed to address needs from crisis situations. These specialized food aid products are standardized to meet great deficiency or inadequacy needs. On the most extreme side, there is a product called ready-to-eat therapeutic food for children who are starving to death. Other food aid products include those for severely underweight children. Dr. Manary’s research consists of clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa that include different nutrients in food aid to see if there are improvements in children’s responses. One trial with the inclusion of DHA found a 6-15 IQ point difference by adding fish oil or DHA. Mark hypothesizes that a doubling of that effect will be observed when choline is added. (6:42)

Dr. Rima Obeid from Saarland University Hospital in Homburg, Germany, joins us next. Her symposium presentation focused on choline and pregnancy outcomes. Their research group has found that low or insufficient amounts of choline in the mother’s diet during pregnancy are associated with a higher risk for serious birth defects in babies and that the liver health of the infants is also negatively affected by low choline intake of the mother during pregnancy. Rima’s future research includes investigating the impacts and interactions of folate and choline consumption during pregnancy on neural tube defects such as spina bifida. In another study, she will focus on the relationship between the severity of congenital heart defects compared to neural tube defects. In particular, they wish to look at the association with low choline in the blood of the children, the mother and the father, because a pilot study suggests a family pattern, which could be due to some genetic background. (17:18)

Our next guest is Dr. Susan Smith, Deputy Director of the University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute. One of her presentations centered on choline genetics and cognition. Her research has found genetic variation in choline uptake from the diet. One research question was, “Are there choline variants that affect how powerful that choline is in treating a disease condition?” In particular, Dr. Smith was investigating if choline could be used to treat children who have brain damage from prenatal alcohol exposure, and the answer is yes, it’s very helpful. Then, they evaluated if some children benefit more than others and found that there is a gene variant that affects how efficiently choline is absorbed from the diet. Children with the variant that reduced choline uptake benefitted the most from supplemental choline. In addition, there was an impact of the gene variant on cognitive function regardless of prenatal alcohol exposure. Children who carried one or two copies of this particular variant had reduced cognitive performance as compared to those children who were lucky enough to be born with the other variant. While we still don’t have a blanket recommendation for how much choline pregnant women should consume, Dr. Smith’s message to pregnant women is that eating enough choline lets your baby achieve its full potential. (23:32)

Dr. Isis Trujillo-Gonzales and Dr. Evan Paules, both with the University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute join us. Isis focuses on choline and brain/eye development, while Evan focuses on choline and metabolic health. Dr. Trujillo-Gonzales’s research has found that the neurons in the eye that receive light and connect to the rest of our brain are impacted by choline absorption. Her lab has also investigated the mechanism of action for choline’s effect on brain development. The stem cells in the brain that give rise to neurons are very sensitive to choline availability. If a pregnant mom is not consuming enough choline, these cells in the baby’s brain are not proliferating adequately. Choline is important in the microRNA that fine-tunes the regulation of this pool of stem cells. Dr. Paules’s research is focused on the metabolic symptoms of obesity and the impact of choline on them. For example, giving choline to someone who is deficient can ameliorate the symptoms of fatty liver disease.  One area emerging in his work is the loss of lean mass as people age. It appears that increased loss of lean muscle is observed in people who aren’t consuming adequate choline. This suggests that as we age, making sure we have sufficient amounts of choline intake may help prevent the loss of lean muscle tissue. (32:58)

Dr. Bryan White with the University of Illinois is our next guest, and his area of interest is the microbiome. In particular, he discusses the role of the microbiome in TMAO production. TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) is a metabolite that has been associated with cardiovascular disease. In short, the microbiome produces TMA (trimethylamine), which is converted to TMAO in the liver. Some of the seminal TMAO literature suggests that there is a diet effect on the production of TMAO and that diet changes the microbiome so that more TMAO is produced in the bloodstream. When it comes to microbiome research, there are generally four questions that can be asked about the microbial community: 1) Who's there? 2) How many of them are there? 3) What can they do (given their genetic potential)? and 4) What do they do? The seminal research used 16s ribosome technology to evaluate which microbes were present and their abundance in the microbiome of people consuming omnivorous versus vegetarian diets. It stated that there was a correlation between diet and blood levels of TMAO. Dr. White took the small read archives of that manuscript (the sequencing they did of 16s ribosomes) and got the opposite results of the original paper. (42:25)

Our next guest is Dr. Jonathan Bortz with Balchem Corporation, whose presentation was titled, “TMAO and Choline: A Mechanistic Perspective.” In the last several years, there have been concerns about choline advanced by a group of investigators who have claimed that excessive intake of meat, eggs, and other animal-source foods (resulting in choline and/or carnitine upon digestion) generate a substance in the blood called TMAO, trimethylamine oxide. Their hypothesis has been that TMAO has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system and has been associated with a high incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, Dr. Bortz presented multiple examples of how the concerns about choline with respect to TMAO having a causative effect on cardiovascular disease really cannot be supported. In other words, choline does not represent a risk to any users, young or old. (51:42)

Dr. Julia Maeve Bonner with Sanofi joins us next to give an overview of her presentation about choline and Alzheimer’s disease. In her postdoctoral work at MIT, Dr. Bonner focused on the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which is involved in making a protein that helps carry fat in the bloodstream. Dysfunction in this process is thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. APOE4 is the most highly validated risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Dr. Bonner wanted to understand what is happening in APOE4 high risk allele compared to the APOE3 neutral risk allele of this gene in brain cells (astrocytes) in culture. She found that the APOE4 astrocytes accumulated neutral lipids, particularly triacylglycerols, to a much higher degree than APOE3 cells. These lipid droplets is associated with many different dysfunctions in the cell that can be associated with neurodegeneration. If APOE4 cells were grown in a choline-rich media, the lipid imbalance was shifted much closer to the APOE3 cells. Dr. Bonner’s group was able to pinpoint that phosphatidylcholine synthesis is the mechanism of action by which choline supplementation had the lipid-shifting effect in APOE4 cells. She has also studied choline supplementation in mice that have Alzheimer's disease genes knocked in where they accumulate the plaques that we see in human brains in Alzheimer's disease. In the background, they also have the human APOE knocked in, which means that they're expressing either APOE3 or APOE4. Again, they saw a protection against the accumulation of some of the Alzheimer’s-related damage as well as a lipid shift similar to the brain cell cultures. (1:03:00)

To summarize the Future Directions in Choline Symposium, Dr. Dr. Stephen Hursting and Dr. Susan Smith with the University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute join us. They give their perspectives on the advancements of the field of choline research and leave us with the take-home message that choline is a critical nutrient for the entire healthspan. (1:22:27)

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode of Real Science Exchange. If you haven’t checked out day one from the Future Directions in Choline Symposium, we encourage you to do so. 

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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!

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Guests: Dr. Barry Bradford, Michigan State University

On this third episode of the New Revelations in Transition Cow Nutrition from the 2022 Cornell Nutrition Conference four-part mini-series to discuss animal nutrition requirements are remarks from Dr. Barry Bradford of Michigan State University and topical insights from Dr. Clay Zimmerman of Balchem. 

Bringing forward recent research on transition cow studies, Dr. Bradford began the conversation by highlighting the 2022 Michigan State University study that aimed to understand metabolic physiology better. 3:30

While the focus is usually on refining nutritional strategies, Dr. Bradford suggested the bigger question is how dairy farmers will leverage efficiency and productivity in the future. 4:31

Focusing much of his professional career on better understanding nutrient requirements and capabilities in dairy cattle, Dr. Bradford remains dedicated to helping the industry understand ways to achieve the next five pounds of milk sustainably. 

When limiting cow health problems, Dr. Bradford shifted his focus to analyze epidemiological studies on lactation sustainability and the impact of conditions during milk production. 6:15

Influencing the microbiome continues to be a metric for achieving higher production levels, but what are other strategies? 

Dr. Bradford shared that choline continues to impact phospholipid synthesis and transportation to the mammary gland positively. He added that the focus of choline in transition cows directly affected liver health and suggested analyzing choline concentration in early lactation stages. 12:27

Within the study, Dr. Bradford mentioned research showed active choline cells became less responsive to inflammatory stimuli. He mentioned that choline concentration not only increased mRNA, but overall he saw an 80% increase in colostrum yield from the supplemented study. 25:27

Just a week into lactation, Dr. Bradford’s research showed cows produced nearly 100 pounds of milk daily. But what were some additional effects of choline on the cows? 

While there weren’t any negative impacts on productivity, Dr. Bradford mentioned the study showed baseline research on the anti-inflammatory significance and body circulation through plasma TNF. 33:31 

Dr. Bradford added they also looked at carryover effects of lipid protein (LP) in days 22 to 84, sharing they saw milk yield peak with added LP and choline supplementation. He shared that the LP carryover yielded another five pounds per day and remained steady for another two months post-challenge. 43:33

Wrapping up the conversation, Dr. Zimmerman summarized key strategies Dr. Bradford shared and mentioned the value in protecting choline during transitional periods to not only impact herd health but increase milk yield overall. 54:55

If you would like to review Dr. Bradford’s webinar from the 2022 Cornell Mini Symposium, you can view all four webinar series at balchem.com/realscience. 

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Dr. Penner describes two primary factors of gut health to be absorption and barrier function or permeability. His lab’s work on permeability is suggesting that intestinal regions really drive total gut permeability to a much greater extent than ruminal permeability in dairy cows. (7:06)

Ms. Bertens is Dr. Penner’s Ph.D. student and explains some new methodologies she developed for measuring gut permeability using chromium EDTA and cobalt EDTA. It’s common to use an oral dose of chromium EDTA as a marker to measure total tract permeability. Claire’s work, using cannulated cows, used a ruminal dose of chromium EDTA for total tract permeability and an abomasal dose of cobalt EDTA for post-ruminal permeability. Both of these markers are indigestible, non-metabolizable and have no transcellular transport mechanisms. Claire is working to publish the new method as a complete validation study has been completed. (9:15)

While this method is currently limited to using cannulated animals, Greg and Claire could envision a less sophisticated and more applied on-farm technique to assess permeability. Until then, there are still a lot of management observations that can identify potential issues with gut permeability. The appearance of feces and the presence of mucin casts can both be indicative of gut issues. Certainly dry matter intake is a major influencer on gut health, and Claire also sees potential in new technologies like rumination collars or rumination ear tags. (13:47)

Are there certain time points in a dairy cow’s life when she is at risk for increased gut permeability? Dr. Penner describes research suggesting if weaning is implemented too abruptly, that really increases the risk for decreased barrier function of the gut. Erratic feed intake patterns resulting from withholding feed for any reason at any age can also increase the risk of leaky gut. For example, depressed intake during the transition phase, along with anything that drives a response through an underlying systemic inflammatory response, probably creates risky situations for leaky gut. Claire is currently running a study looking at the impacts of intramammary LPS infusion on gut function. Greg envisions that learning more about gut function could create a new philosophy for treating sick animals. In the past, only antimicrobials were used to treat mastitis, but now it’s common to also treat with a NSAID for pain. Perhaps in the future, we will also provide treatment to accelerate the recovery of the gut to prevent secondary disorders. (16:15)

How long does an off-feed event have to last to cause an issue in the gut? It seems a fairly acute time period is all that is needed. Most studies are trying to replicate what happens on-farm, for example during mastitis, heat stress or the transition period. Greg indicates that not only will permeability be impacted, but ruminal absorptive capacity can also decline rapidly in these conditions. In Claire’s LPS challenge study, cows’ rectal temperatures peak around six hours after the LPS infusion and usually resolve within 12 hours. But most cows do not eat for a solid 12 hours during the challenge, and they are slow to recover feed intake over the next few days. In cows that aren’t sick but experience feed restriction in experimental protocols, they tend to overeat when they are allotted the full ration and this can lead to ruminal acidosis. (21:57)

Increased incidences of liver abscesses in beef-on-dairy calves are being reported in the industry. Dr. Penner speculates that perhaps these calves are not always achieving adequate passive transfer, and may not be receiving high enough levels of milk replacer to support a more robust immune system. It may be the increased beef cattle genetics in the calves are putting an added requirement on growth or muscle development that may not be met by lower levels of milk replacer or even lower colostrum feeding levels. (34:40)

In closing, providing cows with a consistent environment where they can meet their needs by their own behavior such as free access to feed when hungry and to a comfortable stall when it’s time to rest. Cows reward consistency with health and production. Gut health in a commercial setting is a relevant issue and it might go undiagnosed or undetected. Research into where in the gut permeability is occurring will help define strategies to modulate response. While off-feed events for individual animals might be harder to recognize in a large dairy environment, new technology may allow for earlier diagnosis. (40:43)

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Dr. Hernandez recently presented a Real Science Lecture series webinar on this topic. You can find the link at balchem.com/realscience.

Dr. Hernandez begins with an overview of how she came to study calcium metabolism in the mammary gland. Over the past number of years, she has worked on research to manipulate what’s happening in the mammary gland in the prepartum period to ensure adequate endocrine, nutritional, reproductive, and immunological status. (5:55)

The panelists discuss how “normal” has changed when it comes to transition cow health. Dr. Overton reminds listeners that 25 years ago, 6-8% of fresh cows in a herd having clinical milk fever was pretty typical. Now, we accept none of that. Subclinical hypocalcemia was not on the radar then, and we thought we had calcium all figured out. Dr. Hernandez’s work shows that this was not the case. She is pleased that a synergism of producers, veterinarians, and academics have been working together to understand the mechanisms of calcium metabolism to find solutions for individual farms based on their situation. (9:22)

Dr. Hernandez then discusses various interventions used in the industry, including low-potassium diets, negative DCAD diets, and zeolite clays. The clays are new to the US, and it seems that they work primarily through a phosphorus reduction mechanism and are best limited to feeding 10-14 days pre-calving. (18:14)

Dr. Overton asks Dr. Hernandez about a point in her webinar that cows are in negative calcium balance through 150-200 days in milk. She confirms that there are approximately 8.5 kilograms of calcium in the bones of a cow, but we don’t know how much of that she loses each lactation. Her dream scenario would be a CT scanner large enough to fit a dairy cow in to evaluate how her bones change throughout lactation. This leads to a discussion of whether or not we should be including higher rates of calcium in dairy cow diets. Dr. Hernandez would like to learn more about what’s happening with calcium absorption in the gut in real-time with endocrine status and stage of lactation, which is a challenging task. (23:17)

Co-host, Dr. Jeff Elliott, asks if the reason multiparous cows are more prone to milk fever is because they’re not as efficient at calcium resorption to the bone. Dr. Hernandez doesn’t have a definitive answer, but it could be due to less effective gut absorption with age, or it may be related to the influence of estrogen on bone density. She also mentions it could be endocrine-controlled or even stem cell-related.  (28:59)

Dr. Hernandez’s hypothesis has always been that you have to have a calcium decrease to trigger the negative feedback loop involved in calcium metabolism. Her advice is to wait until 48 hours to take a blood sample to analyze calcium. This aligns well with epidemiological research on the veterinarian side regarding delayed, persistent, transient, and normal hypocalcemic animals. (33:04)

Dr. Overton asks about a calcium-chelation study that Dr. Hernandez’s group conducted and whether or not chelating calcium had an impact on colostrum production. It did not in that experiment. Dr. Hernandez was surprised at how much chelating agent was needed to overcome the draw of the mammary gland, but that further underlines how much of a priority lactation is in metabolism. (41:45)

Scott asks both panelists their views on what the priority should be for research in this area. Dr. Hernandez’s ideas include more research on how zeolite clays work biologically, finding out what’s happening in the gut, mammary gland, and bone of a dairy cow at different stages of lactation. She emphasizes that research should be conducted at different stages rather than just extrapolating from one stage to another because lactation is incredibly dynamic. Dr. Overton seconded the idea of a better understanding of zeolite clays and their feeding recommendations, as well as research defining what happens to and where all the calcium is pulled from the bone during lactation. (45:32) 

In closing, Jeff, Tom, and Laura share their take-home thoughts. Jeff is excited to learn more about how zeolite clays work and if other products may come to the forefront to help in calcium metabolism management. Tom commends Laura on her work and how it has dovetailed so well with the epidemiological research from the veterinary side. Laura reminds listeners that the mammary gland is running the show and is thrilled that her work as a basic scientist is having an applied impact on the dairy industry. (51:17)

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Guests:
Dr. Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois
Scott Brenner, Hunter Haven Farms

The Real Science Exchange is back this week and we are joined by Dr. Mike Hutjens from the University of Illinois and Scott Brenner with Hunter Haven Farms in Pearl City, Illinois. The evening discussion centers around Maximizing Dairy Return on Investment (ROI).

Real Science listeners might recognize Dr. Hutjens from his lecture with the Real Science Lecture Series in July 2020. Here is a link to his presentation: https://tinyurl.com/y4axw967.

Dr. Hutjens’ research and broad experience paired with the practical day-to-day experience from Scott paint a great picture of the reality of the ROI for today’s dairies.

Dr. Hutjens looks back on 2020 to highlight key areas where the industry pivoted to match the changing demand from COVID effects. 5:58

Scott talks about his focus on his feed input costs and understanding the value they will see from locking in lower-cost soybean meal. 8:03

Also, in the area of feed costs, Scott discusses the importance of figuring the value and costs of your individual ingredients—amino acids, for example. 17:37

Dr. Hutjens reminds us of the need to keep an eye on global supply and demand for the corn and soybean markets when you evaluate the potential costs for the feed ingredients. Brazil and Argentina harvests play into the cost for the Illinois dairy. 20:45

On the output front, Dr. Hutjens discusses the need to understand maintaining optimal peak milking to garner the most you can from each cow and gallon of milk. 35:32

Automation continues to be on the mind of dairies as they balance hurdles with the workforce and the cow care needed to continue to increase outputs. Scott discusses what automation looks like on his farm while Dr. Hutjens discusses industry-wide trends. 45:50

If you have questions about how to maximize your dairy ROI or suggestions for future sessions, feel free to email anh.marketing@balchem.com.

Guests: Dr. Duarte Diaz, University of Arizona; Dr. Lon Whitlow, North Carolina State University

There are a few things present in almost all environments and one of them is mold. Today on the Real Science Exchange we talk about molds and toxins in agriculture and the opportunity they have to impact the health and profitability of animals and crops. 

Dr. Diaz begins by saying molds that produce toxins will grow in a building off of air particles because they are pretty adaptable. They can find a way to enter a system and produce toxins. (17:21) 

Dr. Whitlow mentioned molds cause problems in addition to mycotoxins. As the mold grows, it will use some of the nutrients and the feed will have less nutritional value. In some cases, molds may use individual amino acids, so it could change the amino acid profile. (29:31) 

Dr. Diaz recommends building a risk assessment model that takes into account the commodities you feed, where they’re coming from and how much of your total diet is made up of this ingredient. You use those data points to decide when to take a sample and see what is being brought in. (38:51)

Dr. Whitlow said one of the biggest effects of mycotoxins is suppressing the immune system. Dry cows are already immune suppressed so if you add the mycotoxin on top of that they don’t have any chance of getting started. You’ve got to keep clean feed in front of the dry cows and the calves. Calves don’t have the functional rumen which allows them to destroy mycotoxins. (51:55)

Dr. Whitlow emphasizes that for dairy farms management needs to be a big emphasis. Planting and harvesting at the correct time and rotating crops is vital. We know continuous corn will create more mold problems. In addition, follow best management practices for silage making and storage to reduce mold. (1:13:56)

Dr. Diaz summarizes by saying he would like to see more work on the identification of biomarkers of exposure. If we are better able to identify exposure to toxins through animal tissues or samples, we would eliminate errors associated with sampling. We would also have a solid diagnostic tool. Ideally, we’d get to a point where we can do diagnostics on-farm. (1:18:37)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees. 

Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University and Dr. Corwin Nelson, University of Florida

Joining together for another Journal Club to discuss vitamin D as a lactation influence on dairy cows are dairy leaders and nutritional experts Dr. Bill Weiss and Dr. Corwin Nelson. 

Dr. Weiss, professor emeritus at The Ohio State University spent nearly 33 years of his career focused on dairy cattle nutrition and has published more than 140 journal articles. He began the conversation, introducing the article “Effect of prepartum source and amount of vitamin D supplementation on lactation performance of dairy cows” and mentioning Mike Piondexter as the first publishing author. 2:20

Discussing the research study in depth was Dr. Corwin Nelson, Piondexter’s advisor. He began by introducing the Journal of Dairy Science article, highlighting the nutritional effects of supplementing vitamin D and the connection between feeding two different forms. 6:15

Dr. Nelson shared studies dating back to 1980 to indicate some vitamin D degradation. But added that most rations have between 30,000 to 50,000 units of vitamin D3 on top of basic international units. 9:40

In the article, the abstract shows productive measures such as body weight and condition, dry matter intake and factors. However, Dr. Weiss mentioned the majority of research data derived from cows during their last few weeks of weaning. 13:21

Dr. Nelson said that research also analyzed net energy between using colostrum and vitamin D, adding that feeding the 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the ration resulted in higher results of energy. 14:14

When looking at energy corrected milk, Dr. Nelson said in about 42 days he’s seen interaction between cows producing the most milk and the three milligrams per day of 25-hydroxyvitamin D supplementation. 19:01

Anti-inflammatory is another mode of action vitamin D has shown to effectively decrease in cows with lower serum. In fact, three to four weeks is the optimum benefit when it comes to supplementing less than the elevated 25-hydroxyvitamin D recommendation. 32:55

It was also mentioned that there may be a possible United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant opportunity to look at the long term effects of cow responses, maternal and neonatal vitamin D nutrition and a more focused approach to the immune system are all upcoming research modes of actions. 42:27

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This episode comes to you from the 2024 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, where Balchem sponsored a Real Science symposium titled “New Discussions in Amino Acid Nutrition.” Each of our guests presented at the symposium, and their presentations can be found at balchem.com/realsciencemedia

Dr. Van Amburgh presented “Amino Acid Nutrition for Maximizing Milk Component Yield.” When considering nitrogen efficiency, we generally compare intake nitrogen, which includes non-protein nitrogen, against milk nitrogen. In high producing cows, aggregate amino acid values are running about 70 to 73% efficiency. But when we work that up to total intake nitrogen, then we're down to 30 to 35% efficiency range. How do we reconcile ruminal nitrogen requirements to a point where we can optimize the capture of recycled nitrogen and reduce the amount of nitrogen that's being excreted in the urine? (2:27)

Dr. Hanigan presented “Understanding Amino Acid Bioavailability.” Our current methods for measuring bioavailability don’t all have the same precision. One of the classic methods, intestinal disappearance, has very low precision. Methods that rely on dilution of a marker or a label in blood or milk have much higher precision. Dr. Hanigan’s lab has worked to modify a carbon-13 labeled amino acid method to allow for evaluating changes in the supply of amino acids in the diet.  (5:01)

Dr. Lee presented “Current Understandings of Lysine Nutrition in Dairy Cattle.” Rumen-protected lysine has more variable responses than rumen-protected methionine or histidine. Amino acid requirements were developed based on the role of amino acids as the building blocks of protein. But there are many roles of amino acids which may influence their requirements. Dr. Lee suggests including that type of information in our modeling may increase the consistency of responses to feeding rumen-protected lysine. (11:24)

Dr. Hristov presented “Histidine: A Limiting Amino Acid for Dairy Cows.” His group has worked with rumen-protected histidine to develop a dataset to define requirements. Microbial protein has considerably less histidine than methionine yet they are secreted at about the same level in milk and are metabolized similarly. All this together points to a higher histidine requirement. (18:02)

The panelists agree that the advent of genomics have resulted in a rapid change in high producing cows and with that, their amino acid requirements (and other nutrients) are also changing. It’s a challenge for feeding and nutrition programs to keep up with rapid genetic change. (21:02)

A question was posed by the audience about how Dr. Van Amburgh used amino acids to increase butter fat. In the research he presented, the diets did not overfeed fat and fed a blend of fatty acids, and also increased the sugar and pulled back the starch. (28:35)

A discussion of histidine follows, including its unique body reserves, its role in hemoglobin concentrations, and its potential impacts on metabolic energy efficiency (34:08)

Dr. Zimmerman asks about plasma histidine in very early lactation cows. Dr. Hristov is currently conducting a fresh cow experiment to assess this. His hypothesis is that because of low dry matter intake and high metabolic demand for amino acids, there will be a response to histidine supplementation. Dr. Lee agrees and feels that the fresh cow stage may be one of the most practical ways we can utilize rumen-protected histidine (39:39)

A question from the audience about the use of blood meal in lower protein diets sparks a spirited discussion among the panelists. (41:55)

In closing, each panelist provides a takeaway. Responses range from bioavailability of rumen-protected products to challenges to progress for ruminant amino acid research to comparing biological potential and economic response. (46:58)

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This week's episode features several guests from one of the top companion animal research programs in the country, Auburn University. This group focuses on joining sustainability with functionality, specifically up-cycling low value proteins with food technology. 

Dr. Starkey begins by explaining that changing eating habits of Americans has led to utilizing organ meats for pet food, as the supply is plentiful and the cost is low. (10:35) 

Joshua Flees said that while the research isn’t complete, by using these types of products (organ meats, wing tips) a few dollars worth of value can be added to a feasible product. (20:40) 

Dr. Altom summarized the process used to turn some of these products into a more usable protein, which is hydro coli technology, where a sodium algenate is blended into the meat mixture to be properly hydrated, then mixed with a calcium ion. (25:28) 

Dr. Starkey addresses the concern of bone fragments in pet food. He mentioned there are a lot of technologies such as x-ray to make sure fragments aren’t included. By grinding bone fine enough to be below the safe threshold, they can still utilize the protein and how it aids the hydrocoli technology and gelling. (36:51) 

Dr. Altom wrapped up by commenting that as the pet and human population grows around the world, pets and humans will be competing for the same protein and amino acid choices. We will have to find new and different ways to provide nutrition to pets, such as these co-products and whole animal opportunities. (54:15)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees.

Guest: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University

In this episode, we welcome back the fan-favorite journal club podcast. Dr. Bill Weiss joins Scott and Clay for this episode, discussing a large study from Germany evaluating the time spent in the pre-fresh group and its impacts on health and production. 

Dr. Weiss begins with a description of the study’s overall research question of “How long should a cow stay in the pre-fresh pen?” - and the researchers’ hypothesis that time periods too short or too long would be detrimental to both cow health and production. (3:14)

The study had a wide range of days in the pre-fresh pen, ranging from around seven days to about a month, with a mean of 18 days. This is similar to the general industry recommendation of 21 days. (7:16)

Diets were typical of a U.S. diet, although DCAD concentrations would be considered moderate. (9:42)

The longer heifers were in the pre-fresh pen, the higher their milk production was. A quadratic effect was observed in the multiparous cows, where too short was detrimental to milk production, and too long was detrimental to milk production. (11:56)

If the time spent in the pre-fresh pen was less than seven days, both cows and heifers were at higher risk for retained placenta. (14:30)

On the other hand, more extended periods of time in the pre-fresh pen were related to higher incidences of clinical hypocalcemia. (16:40)

Metritis and ketosis were also higher for cows who spent shorter periods of time in the pre-fresh pen, with three weeks best for these health issues. (19:26)

From these results, Dr. Weiss recommended that if calcium metabolism is an issue on a farm, leaning toward a shorter pre-fresh period of around two weeks may be beneficial. On the other hand, if other issues like mastitis, metritis, and retained placentas are an issue, leaning toward three weeks may be most appropriate. Regardless, don’t put cows in the pre-fresh pen for less than a week or more than 35 days. (20:37)

Dr. Weiss suggested an interesting next-step study would be to feed a DCAD diet for the full dry period to both cows and heifers. (28:32)

Dr. Weiss detailed some of the differences observed between cows and heifers in this study and how more research needs to be done around first-lactation cows because heifers are not just little cows. (35:35)

You can find this episode’s journal club paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223002230

Authors: P.L. Venjakob, W. Heuwiese, S. Borchardt

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University

Co-host: Dr. Clay Zimmerman and Dr. Glen Aines

Diving into two recent Journal of Dairy Science publications, Dr. Bill Weiss, Emeritus Professor at Ohio State University is back again to discuss the latest ideas and trends in animal nutrition. 

Dr. Weiss highlights two papers published in the Journal of Dairy Science earlier this year, adding one is focused on production while the other highlights fermentation digestibility. One key point Dr. Weiss highlighted was the controversial discussion around supplementing molasses or sugar. 3:02

Dr. Clay Zimmerman with Balchem also joined the evening discussion, adding that currently it is common to add a liquid sugar source for a certain level of sugar to optimize microbial protein synthesis. 6:02

Diving into the first paper, Dr. Weiss suggested the positive response to molasses would be affected by the RDP (Ratio Degradable Protein), adding he believes this was a valid hypothesis. He went on to highlight fiber differences, digestibility measures and the impact of inputting the data into the NRC (National Research Council) old database. 9:09

Analyzing a few key conclusions and surprises from the first production study, Dr. Weiss pointed out his thoughts on the milk efficiency components and intake digestibility results. 16:04

On the 10-week intake study, Dr. Zimmerman noted the results showed cows were on a two-week covariate diet and then eight weeks on the treatment diet, plus adding in high moisture corn as a grain source. Additionally, he added the only key parameter that wasn’t negatively affected by the increasing molasses was fat. 24:26

In fact, Dr. Glen Aines with Balchem, who also joined in on the conversation, was surprised the journal cited about 42% of VFA’s coming out of the molasses due to the belief it will produce less acidosis. 29:16

In the second paper, Dr. Weiss mentioned the results of no impact to RDP (Ratio Degradable Protein) from the models. Dr. Weiss added if he expects the diets to be deficient in RDP, he would also expect increased intake and digestibility. 31:16

No models are ever perfect, so analyzing the results from any study is essential. 

Dr. Aines reflected on key takeaways from the second paper, highlighting the different fermentation battens between the various treatments and microbial population shifts. 49:54

Rounding out the conversation, Dr. Weiss closed suggesting the understanding that nothing works all the time and that’s why replicating experiments is so important. 53:41

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Links to Papers: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222001874

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35346474/

Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University; Dr. Chanhee Lee, The Ohio State University; Haley Zynda, The Ohio State University Special Guest: Dr. Maurice Eastridge, The Ohio State University  

Today’s episode is an installment of the Journal Club and is around an actual table once again! Our guests gathered at the Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference to discuss some of the newest research published in the Journal of Dairy Science surrounding reducing DCAD, nutrient digestibility and ammonia emissions from manure. 

Dr. Lee stated that by reducing DCAD, the urine or lactating cows would have a lower pH, leading to reduced ammonia emission. Traditionally this leads to decreased milk production. (7:48)

Haley Zynda mentioned that there was milk fat depression across all three diets, even the high or average DCAD diets. (16:50) 

Dr. Lee said their study saw a 15% decrease in ammonia, which is a significant environmentally beneficial benefit and increases the mineral value. (26:45)

Dr. Lee also mentioned that in this study, they saw a negative production effect, so at this time, it would not be economically viable. But over the next 5-10 years, we can improve upon the strategy and make it practical. (34:47) 

Haley Zynda wrapped up by commenting the natural next step in research would be a field trial and trying to grow these crops, especially those using sulfur to decrease the DCAD and soils that are sulfur deficient. (50:09)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees.

This episode comes to you from the “New Developments in Transition Cow Nutrition” seminar in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Dr. Santos, Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Zimmerman spoke at the seminar. Each speaker gives a brief overview of their seminar presentation, and then the panel takes questions from the audience.

In his presentation, Dr. Santos discussed some of the latest research using rumen-protected choline in transition cows. There is substantial evidence that choline plays an important role in transition cow nutrition, particularly because of its consistent positive effect on the yield of energy-corrected milk and benefits that extend beyond the supplementation period. (1:16)

Dr. Reynolds’s presentation focused on protein nutrition in very early lactation cows. Cows are in a substantial negative balance for metabolizable protein in the first week or two postpartum. Recent research, with abomasal infusions of casein, or the amino acids in casein, immediately after calving, has resulted in substantial increases in milk yield. In his lab, Dr. Reynolds has used rumen drenches to supplement cows immediately postpartum as palatability of supplements has been an issue. Providing essential amino acids and total protein to cows immediately after calving is a challenging problem.  (2:10)

Dr. Zimmerman’s presentation discussed differences in rumen encapsulated products. There are four parts of a good ruminant encap: good ruminal stability, good intestinal digestibility, good feed mixing and TMR stability and biological response in the animal. (3:44)

Questions from speakers and attendees were as follows:

What is the optimum level of choline to feed to a transition cow? Given the close relationship between methionine and choline, is there a similar ratio between them like the 3:1 lysine:methionine ratio? (4:56)

Around 98-99% of dietary choline will be degraded in the rumen whereas, with lysine and methionine, we know there's an amount that escapes with the bypass protein fraction of the diets. Has the ruminant animal evolved not to require any bypass choline? (13:46)

Dr. Santos’s presentation focused on the benefits of choline supplementation to the transition cow. What are the benefits for the in-utero calf? (19:45)

What is the mechanism by which choline increases colostrum production? Is it just similar to the effect on milk yield generally? (28:21)

Does choline impact younger or older cows differently? (30:36)

Given the increase in intestinal length and changes in the architecture in early lactation, does this result in suboptimal absorption and scouring? Could it be a nutrient deficiency problem as opposed to something like acidosis? Should we analyze fecal samples to assess this? (34:50)

Do you think fundamentally we are underestimating metabolizable protein requirements in very early lactation? Or are we just not managing that transition particularly well? And if so, what sort of safety factors should we evaluate regarding protein nutrition? (41:45)

In the early lactation studies where metabolizable protein is supplemented in high concentrations, we see big milk and energy-corrected milk responses, but no increase in dry matter intake. Why is that? (43:34)

Dr. Santos describes an experiment in beef cattle, evaluating the inflammation impacts of pneumonia on essential and nonessential amino acids in the gut. This model might be quite similar to that of a dairy cow with metritis. (50:24)

Do you have any recommendations for amino acid supply for cows on grass? Is there anything new coming in that regard? Are there any specific recommendations for synchrony and/or ratios of energy and amino acid supplies? (55:58)

When should amino acids be fed after calving? (1:01:13)

In closing, each panelist provides a take-home message. (1:06:00)

Dr. Santos: Consider choline a required nutrient. 

Dr. Reynolds: Most of our cows have the genetic potential to produce a lot more milk than they are achieving in very early lactation. We need to look at that in terms of how we might be able to help them achieve that potential yield.

Dr. Zimmerman: Not all encaps are created equal. Make sure that you’re able to see published in-vivo research with these products, done by reputable institutions, to prove that these products are working in the animals. 

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Gathering around the pub to discuss the latest version of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) version seven is Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Dr. Robb Bender and Dr. Mike DeGroot. 

Extension expert and professor of animal science at Cornell University, Dr. Van Amburgh guided the conversation by briefly touching on the history of the system and the changes to the latest version. He mentioned what has now evolved to a software platform with many equations, essentially began as a 30 year old spreadsheet. 5:45

For nearly three decades the dairy industry has been using various CNCPS versions to formulate rations and create management plans. While each version brings an added level of accuracy, Scott Sorrell, podcast host and director of global marketing for Balchem, asked what the dairy industry can expect from this improved version update. 8:42

Dr. Van Amburgh mentioned ultimately it’s all about finding a balance between the cow and the model. He added the new version moves away from the crude protein concept, but brings forward a three pool model of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and gathers all the nitrogen recycling pools to improve nitrogen efficiency. 12:11

While the publishing timeline is yet undetermined, the last major difference between version six and version seven is resolving the amino acid requirements through fill and flux efficiency, Dr. Van Amburgh went on to mention. 14:51

Joining to discuss how his team utilizes CNCPS is Dr. Robb Bender, Manager Partner Consultant at GPS Dairy Consulting. He mentioned his team leverages the opportunity to fulfill rations through the system using the NDS platform and asked about the impact that variable criterias of forage selection has. 22:55

Dr. Van Amburgh said the most important number for forage moving forward is the 12 hour number given the labs are as efficient as possible. Ultimately, he added with high quality forages the earlier the time to estimate the length it takes to fill the fast pool the better. 24:31

While NDF is correlated to feed intake, uNDF is in fact forage remaining after digestibility within 240 hours. Dr. Mike DeGroot, owner at EDGE Dairy Consulting asked about the impact of uNDF in various rations. 30:15

The impact stems from cow performance changes, mentioned Dr. Van Amburgh. Adding to the research that version seven includes are several evaluations on forage fiber and the inversely related digestible and indigestible pool. 31:20

Within version seven, understanding the chemistry of feed additives and the nutrient values they offer is also a high level factor. In fact, Dr. Van Amburgh mentioned the updated version includes a 2015 study over water soluble carbohydrates, the extended study of starch and also the impact of sugars in any diet formulation. 44:42

So what does the future of CNCPS look like? 

Short term, Dr. Van Amburgh said he is working on a database that offers a full calf, heifer model and transition calf phase. He added working to frame the fatty acid and amino acid requirements is the next goal. 55:15

Dr. DeGroot wrapped up the conversation, mentioning he is looking forward to the new version of the CNCPS because he believes that as new models get better, science also gets better. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Grab a drink and enjoy getting to know one of the Real Science Exchange podcast hosts, Scott Sorrell. While Scott did not grow up on a dairy farm, he's spent his career working in the dairy nutrition field and has a great passion for the dairy industry. 

Scott provides a preview of what listeners can expect from future podcasts. The episodes will dive into hot topics in the dairy industry. Think of each podcast episode as the conversations around the table over a few drinks after the industry meetings. You know, the chats where all the real work gets done. 

Each episode, you'll hear from industry-leading scientists, topic experts and nutritionists that will bring perspectives from bench-top research to the farm level. 

To recommend a topic for future podcasts, email anh.marketing@balchem.com

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/S0022030221006329

Dr. 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)

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Guests: Dr. Mary Beth Hall, USDA; Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University; Dr. David Mertens, Mertens Innovation & Research

Today’s episode is a fan-favorite, the Legacy Series. In this series we celebrate the pioneers of the industry, take a look back at their research, their impact and their lives. Specifically today we are honoring and memorializing Dr. Peter J. Van Soest. Dr. Soest passed away in March of 2021, but his legacy will forever be felt in the animal nutrition world. 

In this episode, we hear from three students of Dr. Van Soest who have gone on to illustrious careers of their own. Dr. Mary Beth Hall with USDA, Dr. Mike Van Amburgh from Cornell and Dr. David Mertens with Mertens Innovation & Research. 

Dr. Mertens said that Dr. Van Soest started his career at USDARS, and was given the mission to create an alternative to crude fiber. The breakthrough came from his knowledge of biochemistry and his work at Walter Reed hospital. Dr. Soest used detergents to remove protein from feed so you could measure fiber. (13:35) 

Dr. Hall emphasized that one of Dr. Van Soest’s legacies lives through the students he trained and the students they trained. Dr. Van Soest passed on the idea that you don’t stop with what you have and say it’s good enough. If new information presents itself, you consider them and test them and move on from there. (21:37)

Dr. Amburgh spoke about the lectures from Dr. Van Soest that are being digitized and will be available to listen to, which includes his popular periodic table lecture. (41:15)

Dr. Mertens recommended reading Dr. Van Soest papers on the development of ADF or NDF and AOAC. They give you an insight into how he did what he did - which was built on nothing that was done before. (56:12)

Dr. Amburgh believes that Dr. Van Soest’s legacy is teaching people how to think. He had a tremendous thought process and it wasn’t whether you were right or wrong, it was about what you learned in the process of thinking through all that. (1:10:53)

If you’d like to find Dr. Van Soest’s book, you can find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sYFpiX.

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Guests: Dr. Jack Britt, Jack H Britt Consulting

This is the first in a series of presentations given at the 2022 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. Epigenetics of different environments and reactions is the topic at hand, presented by Dr. Jack Britt of Jack H Britt Consulting.

Dr. Britt begins by clarifying that epigenetics (transmittable changes in genetic behavior of an individual), are only beginning to be understood. This is partly due to the intricacies of DNA. For instance, the expression of DNA can vary greatly and the process of synthesizing a protein is much more complex than DNA to RNA to protein. 5:32

The tendency of DNA to change over time is the focus of epigenetics, creating positive DNA changes is the focus of multiple dairy cattle studies discussed.

After pointing out that epigenetics is mainly influenced by environment and management, Dr. Britt discusses its implications by giving an example of the pregnant cow. Each pregnant cow represents three separate generations at one time: the cow, fetus, and ovaries in the fetus. 8:34

Genes multiply to produce new life and continue multiplying after birth in various types of cells. Thus, Dr. Britt notes that a change in a gene, such as when a methyl group alters DNA expression, that alteration multiplies along with the gene, creating an epigenetic effect. 11:25

Studying epigenetics is commonly done in twins, Dr. Britt gives the example of his identical twin brother. His brother died of Parkinson’s disease a few years ago, demonstrating that the disease is an epigenetic (due to environmental change) disease instead of a genetic one. 14:56

What are areas where epigenetics have significantly impacted the production of dairy cattle?

Numerous cases are detailed by Dr. Britt, one being the decrease in fertility that correlates with a body condition score loss after calving. An oocyte matures in approximately 101 days, meaning it begins to develop soon after calving, when the cow is potentially at the lowest weight. The egg produced by this cow typically dies 4-5 days after fertilization. 23:07

Technology has created improvements in environment and management factors. Dr. Britt references the University of Guelph, where a new technology is being used to monitor and distribute calves’ energy intake to ensure they consistently gain weight during weaning. 28:57

Concluding his talk, Dr. Britt poses the question: How can technology be used to create a reputable activity score of important factors among each herd? Such a score would allow for long term comparison across herds, allowing for epigenetics to estimate performance. 33:45

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Dr. Räisänen completed this research during her Ph.D. at Penn State. The meta-analysis included 17 different studies published between 1999 and 2022 investigating supplemental histidine for lactating dairy cows. They divided the type of supplemental histidine between infused histidine and rumen-protected histidine and the basal diets between corn silage-based and grass silage-based. (4:34)

Primary response variables measured in the meta-analysis included dry matter intake, milk production, milk composition, and milk component yields. The researchers also calculated the efficiency of utilization of histidine and other amino acids supplied to the cow by the diets. Lastly, they calculated marginal recovery of histidine and evaluated the interaction between histidine supply and energy supply and how that impacts the efficiency of utilization. (7:38)

Dr. Lapierre gives a little history of histidine research. When recommendations were coming out about lysine and methionine requirements, the different studies recommended relatively similar amounts of lysine and methionine based on the proportion relative to MP supply. On the other hand, recommendations for histidine varied widely depending on the study, ranging from less than 2% to almost 4%. As emphasis has been placed on reducing the footprint of dairy production, interest has risen in feeding lower-protein diets. In this scenario, we would expect an increase in the microbial protein; however, microbes are relatively low in histidine content. If we look at the proportion of histidine relative to MP, as the crude protein concentration of a diet decreases, this proportion of histidine decreases. (8:34)

The meta-analysis revealed a clear response to histidine in milk production, dry matter intake, and milk true protein yield. Susanna and Helene are not sure if the dry matter intake response was due to a pulling effect because of increased milk and milk protein yield or if histidine has an independent impact on the brain, as has been observed in some monogastric studies (16:15)

Clay asks the guests what they think the histidine requirement is, and both agree that providing one number is not practical given the other interactions from basal diet to the efficiency of utilization to the concentration of other amino acids in the diet. (32:01)

Practical implications from the meta-analysis include an understanding that lower protein diets may very well need supplemental histidine for optimum performance, and cows pay a penalty when inadequate histidine is supplied. (35:09)

Helene’s take-home message is that histidine should be taken seriously. If you don't supply enough of it, then you'll have a penalty in your cows’ production. Further, the efficiency of histidine utilization will be affected by the energy supply, and we have tools with NASEM to assess if a herd is receiving sufficient histidine. Susanna echoes Helene’s message and adds that a rumen-protected histidine product on the market would be very helpful. (45:35)

The paper can be found here: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(23)00416-2/fulltext

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Guests: Dr. Jack Britt, Jack Britt Consulting; Dr. Jimena LaPorta, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dr. Eric Ciappio, Balchem Corporation; Dr. Pete Hansen, University of Florida; Dr. Clay Zimmerman, Balchem Corporation

Today’s episode was filmed live and in-person from the Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference! This episode will focus on the symposium exploring in utero influences on transgenerational performance. 

Dr. Jack Britt started by saying when managing your dairy herd, if the cow is pregnant, you are managing the next three generations simultaneously. We need to be focused on the long term in how we care and feed the animal. (5:10) 

Dr. Pete Hansen mentioned breeding for heat stress is challenging because there is so much movement of cattle across the U.S. However, there is genetic regulation of resistance to heat stress and how cells respond to hyperthermia. Dr. Hansen believes dairy cattle breeders will start to put out heat tolerance genetic data. (15:15) 

Dr. Eric Ciappio has studied the role of choline in human pregnancy and its increase in infant cognition. While there is currently no direct data supporting choline fed in human pregnancies will also help the child’s immune system as it does in cattle, you could someday make that assumption. (25:48) 

Dr. Clay Zimmerman shared a study that showed improved ADG through ten months of age when supplementing the cow with choline during pregnancy. Furthermore, the benefit was seen in utero, with less improvement but still some coming from colostrum. (38:19) 

Dr. Jimena LaPorta said that her research focused on understanding if you can reverse heat stress in utero. Heifers born to heat stress cows were cooled and provided the opposite environment, but they didn’t recover. They responded to the treatment physiologically, but growth wasn’t recovered. (44:28) 

Dr. Jack Britt wrapped up by emphasizing the importance of a single compound like a methyl group and how it could have a huge influence on the biology of an animal. You can look at big things, but we also need to look at the little things. (1:04:24)

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This podcast is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health. This podcast is sponsored by Balchem. All views expressed by the guests are the opinions of those individuals and are not the views of the Balchem, its affiliates or employees.  

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.

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This journal club episode comes to you from the 2024 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference. The paper is “Practical Aspects of Reducing Carbon Footprint by Dairy Farms Through Feeding” from the conference proceedings.

In the U.S., livestock competes with oil and gas for the top source of methane emissions. While “carbon-neutral” agriculture may be easy for modelers to show, Dr. Hristov feels this is misleading and probably impossible in practical dairy farming. However, mitigation can be addressed in several directions, and nutrition can have perhaps the largest impact. Management practices, genetic selection, and manure management can be added to achieve large reductions in total methane from an intensive dairy production system. (2:43)

As forage digestibility increases, methane yield and intensity will decrease. A forage with higher digestibility may gain a 10-15% improvement in methane intensity compared to a lower digestible forage. In addition, starch makes less methane than NDF does. Feedlot cattle produce half the methane of a normal dairy cow due to the increased starch in the feedlot diet. We know fats and lipids can decrease methane, but anything higher than 5-6% in the diet will disturb rumen function and lead to poorer performance. Comparing different forages, corn silage produces the least methane, with alfalfa in second place. (6:41)

Feed additives have the potential to deliver compounds for methane mitigation. One of these is 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), the commercial version of which was developed in Europe. It is approved in Europe and Latin American countries. Australia and New Zealand are also working through the approval process. This compound inhibits the MCR enzyme (methyl coenzyme M reductase) which catalyzes the last step in methanogenesis. Dr. Hristov’s lab has consistently shown a 30% reduction in methane yield when diets containing 3-NOP are fed, with no impact on milk production and a slight increase in milk fat. 3-NOP is quickly metabolized, so it is most useful in a confinement system where it can continuously enter the rumen. The compound is stable in a TMR for up to 24 hours, and the optimum inclusion rate is 60-80 milligrams per kilogram of diet (60-80 ppm). (14:41)

Regarding regulatory approval in the U.S., the FDA has indicated that 3-NOP must be approved as a drug, not as a feed additive. Dr. Hristov has concerns about an adaptation of the cows to the compound. One study in Holland fed 3-NOP for a year, and there was a definite decrease in efficacy over time. Furthermore, efficacy may depend on diet, as 3-NOP is less effective with high NDF diets. It’s unclear if the decrease in efficacy over time is because the microbes break down 3-NOP before it affects methane synthesis or if the microbes shift to a different pathway of methane synthesis. (22:04)

Bromoform, a compound found in red seaweeds, is also a powerful methane mitigator. Dr. Hristov’s lab has observed 60-65% decreases in methane production early in the feeding period, dropping to 20-25% after 200 days. Other issues include the practicality of growing and transporting seaweed, the instability of bromoform, and the fact that bromoform is an ozone-depleting compound and a carcinogen. Seaweed extracts tend to decrease dry matter intake, and thus milk production and milk iodine increase dramatically. (25:54)

In the U.S. dairy system, where manure is usually handled as a liquid, methane emissions from manure and from the cow are equal. Methane digesters and flaring of methane are common mitigation methods. Acidification is another method whereby decreasing pH can decrease methane emissions and ammonia and nitrous oxide losses. Dr. Hristov predicts a lot of additives to decrease methane emissions from manure will eventually be available on the market. (31:16)

3-NOP has little effect on rumen dynamics but may increase butyrate. Dr. Weiss asks if different feed additives have synergistic effects, and Dr. Hristov thinks much more work is needed in this arena. (33:19)

While methane mitigation probably has no silver bullet, many little interventions can add up to a big impact. Looking forward, so many people are working in this area; we will have solutions for methane mitigation. (43:56)

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Guests: Dr. Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University and Dr. Rich Erdman, University of Maryland

Tonight we finish the conversation on the new NRC with two legends in the industry. We’ll first focus on macro minerals, trace minerals and vitamins, but then we’ll also put a bow on the NRC series and wrap it up for our listeners tonight. 

Dr. Bill Weiss says the new NRC defines “requirements” which was never done in past NRCs. They give a specific number for a specific population which is a large improvement for the reader. (9:55) 

Dr. Rich Erdman discusses the animal’s needs or requirements in order to maintain herself. He discusses the availability of vitamins, trace minerals and macros as well. (19:50) 

Dr. Bill Weiss discusses trace minerals and the factorial system used in the new NRC for these minerals such as manganese, iron, selenium and iodine. He discusses the copper and zinc data found in the 2021 version are based on the maintenance requirements of the cow. (33:33)

Dr. Rich Erdman stresses there is still a need for more specific data on the availability of supplements and feed. (50:10)

Dr. Bill Weiss discusses challenges for the next editions of the NRC (now NASEM) such as finding young scientists specializing in minerals, funding and the USDA recognizing that minerals are important and should be focused on. (1:05:53)

This concludes our series on the 2021 8th Revised Edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Animals. If you’d like to pre-order a copy and receive a 25% discount, visit Balchem.com/realscience and click on the NRC series for a link and the discount code.  

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