In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Dr. Ken Griswold, the Lead Ruminant Technical Manger @Selko, will talk with us about the importance of Ramping Up Your Herd Health. With today’s feed prices and an extremely volatile market, keeping your animals in top notch health is key. As a PhD, and also a father of two daughters who grew up showing dairy cows, Dr. Griswold knows first-hand, just how important it is to protect herd health at all costs. Listen in as we chat with Ken one-on-one to collect his insights on how to Ramp Up Your Herd Health and keep it there.

To learn more about how Selko can help dairy producers and nutritionists ramp up herd health, please visit https://www.selko.com/en-us/

Questions in this episode:

• Tell us a little about yourself and your involvement in the dairy industry.
• Dr. Griswold, can you give us a quick snapshot of the dairy industry today? How many cows, where are they located?
• What are the biggest health challenges facing the dairy industry today?
• When talking about herd health — what components make the “ideal health” state for a dairy animal?
• What are the essential trace minerals that contribute to ruminant performance?
• Are there any warning signs that suggest an animal may have a deficiency with a trace mineral?
• How do we know if the dairy animal is getting “enough” proper nutrition? 
• What measures/actions can producers take to ensure they have a herd that is healthy and remains healthy? (IntelliBond research)
• I’m curious about whether trace minerals need to be fed more or less based on seasonal stressors a ruminant might experience — like summer heat. 
• What do you tell a producer who thinks trace minerals are over-rated?
• Knowing Selko tends to heavily invest in data/ study research, what kind of data does Selko have that proves strong results for proper herd health?
• What sort of efforts does Selko exhibit to ensure their customers herds are healthy?
• Talk to us about feeding and trace mineral usage in dairy herds — what do you want the producer to know?

About Dr. Ken Griswold:

Ken is responsible for dairy technical support for the Micronutrients team and has been professionally involved in the dairy industry for over 30 years. Ken was raised on a family-owned dairy in New York and holds degrees in animal science, dairy nutrition, and rumen microbiology. He has worked in academia, extension, and industry positions ranging from on-farm nutritional consulting to university research to feed additive development and technical support. Ken is a member of ADSA and ARPAS and served on the National ADSA Board. Additionally, he has been an author or co-author on over 50 articles in scientific and lay publications.

This episode is sponsored by Selko.