The Dairy Podcast Show

Heat stress can severely affect the feeding behavior, immune response, and production performance of dairy cows. Besides, it also has the potential to affect not only lactation cows, but calves and dry cows as well. Our guests, Drs. Peter Hansen, Lance Baumgard, and Agustin Rius, have different focuses in their researches on how heat stress impacts those animals. Thus, a round table discussion is held in today's episode to discuss how we can better understand the way cows are affected by heat stress, and the consequences of that.“The more milk cows produce, the less they are able to regulate their physiology to deal with heat stress.” - Dr. Peter Hansen𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:The effect of immune function on feeding intake behaviorThe effects of genetics on the animals’ ability to cope with heat stressSlick Holstein cattle body temperature vs. performanceThe role of immune function on heat stressed animalsThe importance of health microbiomeDietary post-biotics in heat stressed animalsThe importance of microenvironmentThe future of this research areaDr. Peter Hansen got his B.S. in Agriculture, with high honors, at the University of Illinois, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Endocrinology – Reproductive Physiology from the University of Wisconsin. He is currently the L.E. Red Larson, Professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, where he started as an Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and later on, switched to the Department of Animal Science.Dr. Lance Baumgard received his B.S. in Agriculture and his M.S. in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota, and completed his Ph.D. in Animal Science at Cornell University. He started off at the Department of Animal Science of Iowa State University, as an Associate Professor, and then has become a Norman L. Jacobson Endowed Professor in Dairy Nutrition – the role he occupies to this day.Dr. Agustin Rius received his D.V.M. and M.S. in Animal Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his Ph.D. in Animal Science at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He currently works in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee and focuses his research program on understanding the role of nutrients, hormones, and regulatory mechanisms of key metabolic pathways to improve nutrient use efficiency in growing and lactating animals.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

Forages are crucial to support an adequate diet for cows. Because of that, we must monitor and improve its growth. Also, when it comes to silage management, we need to follow the best practices for harvesting corn silage and haylage. As for optimizing forage quality and fiber digestibility, we must consider weather conditions and other factors. So there’s a lot to be considered, right? In this episode, Joe Lawrence and I discuss a whole farming approach meant to determine which crops are best suited for a farming operation and that takes into account soil types, climate, management, and facilities. In addition, we talk about some aspects of renewable energy and sustainability in agriculture.“I really believe in the concept of trying to target our most productive acres and optimize production.” - Joe Lawrence𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:Alfalfa and corn silage this yearAlternative forages Team communication and extension on farmsProducers’ current interests on dairy farmsHow to reduce input costs on dairy farmsExpectations for next year’s foragesAgriculture, renewable energy, and sustainabilityJoe Lawrence serves as the Dairy Forage Systems Specialist with the Cornell PRO-DAIRY team. He has been involved with the US northeastern dairy industry his entire life, having grown up on a farm in Northern NY and worked as an Extension Educator and private sector Crop Advisor prior to his current role. His work has always had a strong focus on approaching forage management on the farm by integrating the growth, harvest, and storage of forage crops to assure these feeds meet the goals of the farm.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

Ketosis is a constant and persistent metabolic disorder in post-calving cows on dairy farms. Due to the need to produce more milk, cows cannot consume enough energy to maintain their performance, which leads to a negative energy balance. That's when the cows start mobilizing fat to try to fix the energy problem. The problem is that this culminates in a higher load of ketone bodies and ultimately, it might lead to ketosis. In this episode, I have a great conversation with Dr. Andres Contreras Bravo about the fat mobilization and ketosis challenges of cows in dairy production. We also discuss some of the technologies that can help control or prevent ketosis from happening.“High ketone concentration is a problem for the individual cow – especially if she has clinical symptoms.” - Dr. Andres Contreras Bravo𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:Fat mobilization in cowsImplications of excessive fat to the cowKetosis in dairy cowsChallenges in monitoring ketonesTechnologies to predict ketone concentrations in the milkHow to prevent ketosis in your dairy cowKey points on cows’ fat mobilization𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Andres Contreras Bravo grew up in Colombia, where he earned his DVM, in 2001, at Universidad Nacional de Colombia. After that, he came to the US to pursue a Master’s Degree in Mastitis and Milk Quality, at Michigan State University, in 2008. He then earned a PhD in Nutritional Immunology at the same university, in 2010. Dr. Bravo is currently a Professor at Michigan State University and his main research interests are lipid mobilization and lipid mediator biosynthesis in periparturient dairy cows.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

What makes a dairy farm successful? Simply enough: daily improvements in efficiency and every aspect and element of a dairy farm is a contributor. Among all factors, one of the most critical ones is nutrition – and amino acid balance plays a significant role. Additionally, effective management and even employee training can help the cows. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Enrique Schcolnik about improving the efficiency of a dairy production, focusing on amino acid balance, and other factors that maintain quality standards on a dairy farm.“One key lesson I've learned when it comes to balancing amino acids is not to be scared of running low protein diets. You won’t kill production doing that.” - Dr. Enrique Schcolnik𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:How to improve dairy production efficiencyKey lessons on balancing amino acidsCow monitoringConcerns about reproduction management for the futureBenchmarking on dairy farmsEmployee training for dairy production𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Enrique Schcolnik grew up in Argentina and worked with dairy cattle before moving to the US at the age of 19. Then, he majored in Animal Science at the University of Illinois.. During his undergraduate studies, Dr. Schcolnik worked with dairy both through university research and local commerce, a time during which he gained lots of valuable experience. Upon receiving his DVM in 1998, he immediately took a position at River Oak Veterinary Hospital in Riverbank, CA. For nine years, Enrique worked with over 45 dairies, totaling over 40,000 milking cows in the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties of California. He emphasizes herd health programs, the monitoring of fresh cow performance, reproductive troubleshooting, and the development of management systems and people. Dr. Schcolnik aims to create positive changes for the dairy industry and for his client operations: his passion lies with cows and people, and his focus is on the areas of dairy efficiency, reproduction, employee training, and nutrition. He currently leads Progressive Dairy Solutions, Inc., a company dedicated to providing advanced training at dairy schools, and has an excellent rapport with all who attend the training sessions. His motto is that everything happens through people.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

A technology revolution is here and it’s happening right before our eyes. So, to keep improving dairy performance, we must keep up with the latest technology. But where are we regarding tech implementation on dairy farms? We have to take a deeper look at dairy farming to understand the bottlenecks and how technology can help us. In this episode with Aidan Connolly, we talk about technology trends and benefits on dairy farms, the main issues regarding implementation, consolidation, what the future holds for dairy farms, and what we need to change to make that dream a reality.“I think technology, particularly robots and sensors, is allowing us to get more out of the people we have on the dairy farm, allowing them to do their jobs better.” - Aidan Connolly𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:Dairy production issues and technology solutionsTechnology adoption within ag areas and speciesTechnology that should be used in dairy productionData in dairy production: quantity, quality and its usesHuman bottlenecks on technology adoptionHow to be prepared to be successful in the dairy industry in the futureAgribusiness’ relation to tech revolution in animal production𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Aidan Connolly founded and leads Agritech Capital, a resource for new and established companies working at the interface of agriculture and technology. As part of its AgTech strategy, AgriTech Capital has assisted governments, fortune 500 food companies, and large agribusinesses. Prior to this, Aidan held the position of CIO at Alltech and has 30 years of experience in strategic analysis and planning. Aidan adds innovative thinking and capital investment to make possibilities a reality. He has a strategic understanding of the marketplace and the regulatory parameters that set the environment.Aidan has worked in over 100 countries and speaks five languages. He has worked in political associations, with state and national governments in the US, China, Europe, Brazil, and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations. Aidan also contributes to a wide range of publications in agriculture and business, including Forbes. He was the CEO of Cainthus for 3 years, the world’s fastest growing Dairy tech startup (in terms of paid cows on the system) specializing in monitoring key farm management practices that impact nutrition, health and the behavior of livestock.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

We've finally reached our very first episode! To kick off the Dairy Podcast Show, I had a great conversation with Dr. Mike Hutjens, who is heralded as one of the most influential people in dairy nutrition and dairy management in the past 50 years. In this episode, we focus mainly on the principal advances in fiber utilization in dairy rations, one of the hot topics in dairy nutrition research and practice. We also discussed some key aspects of corn silage utilization by lactating cows and how that has evolved over recent years. Of course, we also looked back on Dr. Hutjens' outstanding career as an educator and asked him for some insights on becoming an excellent communicator."Some of the most critical people we have on dairy farms are the feeders." – Dr. Mike Hutjens𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:Interest in dairy nutrition Fiber in dairy rations: NDFD, NDF, and particle size Forage and land costs Advances in corn silage utilization by lactating cows How to make the most of corn silage Feed efficiency as a management tool Being an effective communicator𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Mike Hutjens was raised on a 70-cow grade Holstein farm near Green Bay, Wisconsin. His bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees were earned at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. From 1971 to 1979, Dr. Hutjens was an extension dairy specialist at the University of Minnesota, where he coached the national champion team in 1978 at the World Dairy Expo. Since 1979, he has been an extension dairy specialist member of the University of Illinois. He speaks at 60 to 70 meetings at conferences in 46 states and up to 17 foreign countries. Mike writes feed columns for Hoard's Dairyman and Progressive Dairyman, and cohosts Hoard's Dairyman’s monthly webinars. His awards include the Undergraduate Teaching Purina Award from the American Dairy Science Association, National DeLaval Dairy Extension Worker Award, Applied Nutrition Award from ADSA, Outstanding Extramural Instructor (University award) in 1993 and 2000, and two citations from the Minnesota Board of Regents. Mike was president of the American Dairy Science Association (2004-2005). In 2008, he was selected "Service Person of the Year" by the World Dairy Expo. In 2009, he received the Award of Honor from ADSA and Fellow, the "Eagle Award" from the IL Farm Bureau Association, the national DHI Service Award in 2013, and the Dairy Shrine Person of the Year in 2019. He resides in Savoy, IL, with his wife, Carol, five children, and seven grandchildren. Mike served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and retired from the University of Illinois in 2010.𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- AB Vista (https://www.abvista.com/)- Protekta (https://protekta.com)- DSM (https://www.dsm.com/anh/species/ruminants.html)- Diamond V (https://diamondv.com/)

The Dairy Podcast Show is a brand new podcast where you’ll get fresh, cutting-edge insights – straight from the brightest minds of the global dairy industry, right into your ears.Visit us at www.dairypodcastshow.com