DSD 6.6 | How much variability is allowable?

Timing of insemination is still one of the most common question Dr. Paul Fricke, Extension faculty for the University of Wisconsin, gets from farmers. This month he and coauthors Vanda Santos and Paulo Carvalho  discuss the ideal timing of insemination when using popular artificial insemination protocols and when producers use estrus detection devices.

Additionally, how does this change if you choose to use sexed semen or a straw of beef?

Listen in to learn how to improve the pregnancies / AI metric in YOUR herd.

Topics of discussion

1:36       Introduction of Dr. Paul Fricke, Vanda Santos and Paulo Carvalho

Featured Article:

Effect of timing of artificial insemination with conventional or sex-sorted semen on fertility of lactating dairy cows

For decades, ethanol production has generated affordable biproducts to feed. A new distilling method has generated a product with ~50% protein. Dr. Billy Brown, assistant professor of dairy science at Kansas State, wanted to understand how this feed would compare to soybean meal in a starter grain.

To test this he developed rations substituting soybean meal 1:1. Graduate student Rachel Skinner measured intake, growth, effiency and metabolic and digestive parameters to best understand if this product would work in post weaning phase of production.  

Topics of discussion

1:19       Introduction of Dr. Billy Brooks

Effects of a high-protein corn coproduct as a replacement for soybean meal in calf starter feed in the postweaning period

Most dairy farms are trying to push the envelope from the conventional 4L of milk replacer per day to a higher volume to support lean structural growth of replacement heifers. Concerns of ruminal leakage resulting in fermentation has been cited as a concern, but is that based on an incomplete picture?  We know microbial protein offers a nearly perfect alignment of amino acid requirements for the bovine, however nutrition programs have discounted milk replacer to exclusively providing rumen undegradable protein (RUP) – protein that skips the rumen and is absorbed in the abomasum.

Marcos Marcondes, researcher from the Miner Institute, wanted to see if feeding higher volumes would change the flow of protein and energy to the calf and the physiology of the rumen, due to leakage. To test this question he fed a standard rate and double rate of milk replacer with colbalt to mark and track the flow of digestion through preweaned animals.

Leakage was found in the rumen on both treatments, but the results were positive. Energy, in the form of volatile fatty acids, and microbial protein added to the fuel for these growing animals.  Listen in to better understand the kinetics of digestion and questions that still remain for this phase of production.

Topics of discussion

1:44       Introduction of Dr. Marcos Marcondes

Influence of different amounts of milk replacer on esophageal leakage, rumen fermentation characteristics, gastrointestinal tract passage rate, and microbial crude protein synthesis of nursling animals

DSD 6.3 | Big Picture Management Decisions Matter

Timeless dairy management decisions, such as voluntary waiting period & days dry, have recently been the topic of interest across the globe. Scrutiny to illuminate the ideal to maximize productive life has left the industry questioning convention.  

Michael Overton, DVM at Zoetis worked with co-author Steve Eicker to tease out the answers to these questions from a a massive dataset of 109,000 cows across 60 herds nationwide. This retrospective, observational research project was recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science titled, “Associations between days open and dry period length versus milk production, replacement, and fertility in the subsequent lactation in Holstein dairy cows”.

All dairymen should pause to determine the unintended consequences of their management decisions on optimal performance and ultimately the economic success of the herd. Listen in to learn ways to apply concepts from this project to your operation.

Topics of discussion

1:33       Introduction of Dr. Overton

Associations between days open and dry period length versus milk production, replacement, and fertility in the subsequent lactation in Holstein dairy cows

Colostrum, the life-giving liquid-gold first milk that builds the calves’ immune function. The dairy industry has made amazing strides on colostrum management, however we’ll always have a small number of cows that come in with enough colostrum, just moderate quality. What can we do to enhance the colostrum to ensure the calf’s success?

Dr. Sandra Godden, from the University of MN Vet Med, and her team of researchers sought to better understand what would happen if they directly added dry colostrum replacer to the moderate quality colostrum? Is it better to reconstitute and feed separately? Listen in to learn ways to improve your colostrum program and how to enhance that moderate quality colostrum.

Topics of discussion

1:47       Introduction of Dr. Sandra Godden

Controlled Field Study Investigating Two Methods of Enriching Moderate-Quality Maternal Colostrum on Transfer of Passive Immunity and Wellbeing of Neonatal Dairy Calves

DSD 6.1 | Management to create the invisible cow

If you pause and think about a list of cows –  chances are the list that pops into mind is a group of troublemakers that didn’t breed back or need another round of treatment or are on this week’s cull list. What if you could create a herd of unmemorable cows – ones who just do their job; make milk, breed back, no mastitis – the "Invisible Cow".

It turns out that the timing of lipolysis determines if it is healthy or harmful and ultimately has a big impact on her success through transition. It all boils down to are the free fatty acids being mobilized to fuel early lactation being completely oxidized or partially oxidized?  

Listen in to learn more about our featured article: Associations of Body Condition Score, Body Condition Score Change, and Hyperketonemia with Mastitis, Reproduction, and Milk Production

 Topics of discussion

1:40       Introduction of Kirby Krogstad

Featured Article:

Associations of Body Condition Score, Body Condition Score Change, and Hyperketonemia with Mastitis, Reproduction, and Milk Production

Ever heard the adage, “It takes money to make money”? Well, the research highlighted this month shows that it also takes time, to make time. Dr. Zelmar Rodriguez discusses the importance of parlor training and how to make your on farm training as effective as possible. The featured article summarizes results of pre- and post-training assessments he and his team at MI State Vet Med recently completed.

Listen in to be motivated, a small effort can ultimately create a large impact in parlor performance and BTSCC.

Topics of discussion

1:49       Introduction of Dr. Zelmar Rodriguez

Featured Article:

Impact of training dairy farm personnel on milking routine compliance, udder health, and milk quality

Recommended Resources  – National Mastitis Council  

Reproductive physiologists are always trying to improve conception rates for the dairy herd. Double ovsync is one of the best tools in our toolbox to submit cows to first insemination. However, as estrus detection technology becomes more affordable and we learn more about physiology, perhaps combining the expression of estrus at insemination may improve fertility through optimizing ovulation timing.

Dr. Julio Giordano and Ana Laplacette worked with their Cornell reproduction team to investigate this theory on over 4600 cows in 2 commercial herds. “We are trying to take advantage of the power of sync of ovulation and the power of estrus” Giordano explains. “To get the best of both, synergize the two.”

The only change to the well-known Double ovsync protocol includes a delay in the final administration of GnRh before breeding. The goal, allowing the cows more time to show estrus. Take a moment to listen in to better understand the physiology of this synchronization program and how to improve your herd’s reproductive management.  

Topics of discussion

2:03       Introduction of Dr. Julio Giordano & Ana Laplacette

Delaying induction of ovulation and timed AI in a Double-Ovsynch protocol increased expression of estrus and altered first service reproductive outcomes of lactating dairy cows

DSD 5.10 | Rumen friendly fatty acids in High Oleic Beans

Soybeans and dairy cows have walked hand for decades. These oil beans are known specifically for the amino acid sequence in their high-quality protein and energy to support lactation. Recent developments in plant breeding has shifted the fat profile of the bean contain a higher amount of Oleic fat, which is easier for the rumen to digest, in certain varieties. 

Ensuring producers know how much to feed, and how to feed high oleic soybeans to the herd was the objective of a series of research projects in the pipeline of publications due to come from MSU in the coming months and years.

Topics of discussion

1:56       Introduction of Adam Lock  

Featured Article:

Effects of raw and roasted high oleic soybeans on milk production of high-producing dairy cows

Supporting Article:

Effects of increasing dietary inclusion of high oleic acid soybeans on milk production of high-producing dairy cows

Despite decades of dedicated research, the rumen still remains a bit of a ‘black box’. This month we feature an article from  Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira and his team at Virginia Tech as they try further define how undegradable fiber impacts the rumen's flow rate, and therefore productivity.

Comprehending the kinetics of degradation will assist in identifying the ideal combination of ingredients to create a profitable ration for your herd.

Could this help you make future planting decisions, as the nation is repairing from several rounds of drought? Does the ‘queen of forages’ belong in your cropping program?

Listen in to learn more!

Topics of discussion

1:48       Introduction of Dr. Gonzalo Ferreira

Featured Article:

Ruminal passage rate and digestibility of fiber from dairy cows consuming diets containing alfalfa and orchardgrass hays with different concentrations of undegradable neutral detergent fiber (uNDF)