What bottlenecks prevent calves from reaching their genetic potential? How can data help you identify trends and make informed calf health and management decisions? What tools can make it easier? Join Wayne Worden, farm performance consultant with VAS and Dr. Mike Nagorske, director of veterinary technical services and research with SCCL, as they share practical tips and real-world examples of how to level up your calf care using actionable data.

In his role at VAS, Wayne works closely with 300 dairies across the Northeast, from New York to Virginia and other New England states – ranging in size from less than 100 to over 5,000 head. Before joining VAS, he worked as a herd manager on his family’s dairy farm. He still helps on the farm in his free time with embryo and reproductive work. Wayne graduated from Cornell University in 2009 with his bachelor’s degree in dairy science.

Dr. Mike uses evidence-based approaches paired with challenge and influence research to help calf raisers. He enjoys consulting on dairy farms and beef cow/calf businesses across the U.S. and globally. Before becoming the director of research for SCCL, he worked on the veterinary services team at Trans Ova Genetics. He grew up on a grain and cattle farm in southwestern Minnesota. Today, their farm consists of corn, soybeans and registered Angus seedstock cattle. He earned his doctor of veterinary medicine and bachelor’s degree in veterinary science from the University of Minnesota.  

VAS is focused on your dairy’s future with software and information solutions that help collect and connect your farm’s data. Contact your local farm performance consultant or reach out to VAS’ support team to see how herd management solutions can take your calf program to the next level. Visit VAS.com for more.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 0:43 – Wayne and Dr. Mike introductions
• 3:01 – Common management bottlenecks
• 7:52 – How to analyze data trends to make decisions
• 11:45 – Avoid the data overwhelm
• 15:32 – Tools to make data recording easy
• 20:38 – Working with a heifer grower
• 24:10 – Tips to track success
• 26:30 – One piece of advice

This episode is sponsored by VAS.

Discussing cow comfort, genetics, succession planning and social media presence, brother and sister Tyler and Mackenzie Reynolds join host Matti McBride on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast. Learn how a new barn has resulted in increased production, how three siblings returned to the western New York dairy, the impact genetics has had on Reyncrest Farm’s herd and the opportunities that come with showcasing dairy farming on social media.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• :45 – About Reyncrest Farm
• 1:40 – Mackenzie and Tyler’s responsibilities
• 3:00 – Building a new barn focusing on cow comfort
• 7:00 – How three siblings made their journey back to the farm
• 10:45 – The influence of genetics on Reyncrest’s herd
• 14:20 – Finding additional revenue with beef-on-dairy calves
• 15:35 – Managing calves and heifers
• 16:20 – The decision to share Reyncrest Farm on social media
• 20:00 – Preparing for the future of the dairy
• 20:45 – Rapid-fire questions

In 2024, how can producers work through industry pressures and still hit their production goals? In this Progressive Dairy sponsorcast, Merck Animal Health Customer Success Specialist, Sarah Anderson, and Territory Manager, Jeannie Bishop, discuss:

• Finding answers to the skilled labor shortage
• Using data quickly and efficiently
• Combining solutions to get the most from your resources

This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

With identification, monitoring and biopharma products fully integrated in one portfolio, Merck Animal Health offers the only true full-solution approach in the dairy industry. Which means you get the tools you need to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems, let cows be cows and put more milk in the tank. It’s the way you want to work, working better than ever before. Learn more about this unique approach to dairy at M-Power-Dairy.com.

In this episode, join host Kimmi Devaney as she visits with Dr. Geof Smith, who is the managing dairy technical services veterinarian at Zoetis, about longevity and how to get calves off to the best start possible.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• [~0:30] About Smith’s background in the dairy industry working with calves
• [~1:15] His overall thoughts about longevity and why it matters for dairy producers
• [~3:00] The impact on the dairy’s bottom line
• [~5:45] The effect the increased interest in beef-on-dairy and the tight replacement market has had on this overall conversation about calves and longevity
• [~8:00] Three key protocols that are essential for calf programs
• [~10:00] Tips to managing nutrition for weaned calves
• [~11:35] How to encourage employees to follow calf protocols
• [~13:30] Types of calf-related trainings that are most important
• [~15:55] Smith’s priorities when evaluating a dairy’s youngstock program
• [~19:45] Tips for vaccine protocols
• [~23:45] Rapid-fire questions

Final preparations are underway for World Dairy Expo 2024. Laura Herschleb, General Manager, joins podcast host, Lisa Behnke, to share what you can expect if you attend, and how you can join virtually, if unable to make the trek to Madison, Wisconsin. Learn what's new at this year's show and how Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) is being addressed when the world's dairy industry meets, October 1 - 4, 2024.

For more information, or to purchase discounted tickets in advance, visit www.worlddairyexpo.com

Here is the episode breakdown:

• [~01:50] This year’s theme – “The Golden Age” explained
• [~04:15] HPAI’s impact on the show
• [~07:30] What’s new this year
• [~09:57] ExpoTV – for those who can’t attend
• [~11:45] Get your tickets here
• [~13:15] What to Expect
• [~16:25] World Dairy Expo App is a Must

This episode is sponsored by World Dairy Expo.

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo is the premier forum for the global dairy community to learn, share, create commerce and showcase competition. The annual event will return to Madison, Wis. October 1-4, 2024, where dairy producers near and far can experience the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, a world-class dairy cattle show, attend seminars, meetings and presentations highlighting the latest and greatest in the industry and connect with other producers. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Spotify, or YouTube for more information.

Dr. Sara Place of Colorado State University joins host Matti McBride in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast. An associate professor of feedlot systems and researcher with CSU’s AgNext, Place has been working with enteric emissions in cattle for the past decade. Learn about CSU’s feed additive calculator tool, how the beef and dairy industries are approaching the sustainability conversation and if the cattle industries can really have zero emissions by 2050 in this episode. 

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 2:20 – Current research at AgNext
• 3:40 – The development of the feed additive calculator tool (https://agnext.colostate.edu/dairy-fact)
• 9:00 – Comparing the beef and dairy industries approaches to sustainability
• 10:30 – How methane emissions are measured in a grazing environment
• 12:00 – Understanding insets and offsets
• 14:55 – Where beef-on-dairy fits into the sustainability scope
• 16:15 – Is net zero possible by 2050?
• 19:20 – How the beef and dairy industries are measuring up
• 21:00 – Where is there room for improvement?
• 23:15 – Rapid-fire questions

In this episode, Dr. Emily Meccage, senior manager of research and development at Forage Genetics International and Dave Ribeiro, a California dairy farmer, discuss Dave’s experience with growing and feeding alfalfa on his dairy farm and what HarvXtra alfalfa offers dairy producers.

This episode is sponsored by Forage Genetics International.

For more than 30 years, FGI has led the alfalfa industry by breeding, developing and producing premier alfalfa seed and technologies that have advanced farm operations across the country. FGI’s innovative genetic discoveries, variety developments and cutting-edge alfalfa trait technologies have led to the creation of several patented traits and technology in alfalfa, including HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready® Technology, as well as varieties with the UltraCut® alfalfa disease package. Forage Genetics International is the only alfalfa trait provider in the industry that is solely devoted to the relentless pursuit of advancement in the alfalfa industry.

What sets SenseHub Dairy monitoring apart from other monitoring systems? It’s reliable data that leads to needle-moving insights. It’s intuitive reports that simplify tasks and identify problems sooner. It’s time-saving cow location tools. And it’s fully integrated with M-Power, the new full-solution approach to dairy from Merck Animal Health. Now, producers and veterinarians can use M-Power solutions to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems and operate at peak efficiency. Learn more about what it means for you and your dairy from Erica Tessmann, Marketing Manager for Dairy Monitoring Technology at Merck Animal Health.

This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

With identification, monitoring and biopharma products fully integrated in one portfolio, Merck Animal Health offers the only true full-solution approach in the dairy industry. Identification. Monitoring. Biopharma. Which means you get the tools you need to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems, let cows be cows and put more milk in the tank. It’s the way you want to work, working better than ever before. Learn more about this unique approach to dairy at M-Power-Dairy.com.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Dr. Mark Kinsel joins host Kimmi Devaney to discuss how to optimize the data available on the farm when making management decisions. Kinsel is the CEO of Agricultural Information Management Inc. and is also a veterinarian who has worked in many different areas throughout his career.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• [~1:10] About Kinsel’s agricultural and professional background with data and information management, veterinary management, emergency management and more
• [~3:25] How dairy producers can wade through all of it and best optimize it to meet their farm goals
• [~6:50] Whose job is it to manage records? 
• [~8:30] Record flow between employees in the barn and the records manager/records system 
• [~11:20] Utilizing data as herds get larger 
• [~13:30] Tips to improve the information producers are entering into their records program
• [~18:00] Considerations when purchasing a new records system 
• [~23:40] Data management strategies of successful dairies 
• [~25:30] What data do consultants need to help them be successful? 
• [~27:25] Cybersecurity – what to know, how to protect privacy and data, etc. 
• [~29:20] What Kinsel wishes dairy producers knew about data and records management that will help them take their management to the next level
• [~31:10] Rapid-fire questions

Check out season 6, episode 17 of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to hear Kinsel’s biosecurity tips for dairy farms.

Justin Graham of Brooksco Dairy joins Matti McBride on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, chatting about milk quality. Learn about Graham’s role as staff veterinarian at southern Georgia’s Brooksco Dairy; milk quality protocols, including Brooksco’s sand reclamation program; challenges and changes in milk quality over the years; and his role as a member of the National Mastitis Council’s board of directors.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• Get to know Graham
• About Brooksco Dairy and Graham’s responsibilities
• Milking protocols at BrooksCo Dairy
• Graham’s role with the National Mastitis Council
• Effects of procedural drift on milk quality
• What’s changed with milk quality management in 10 years
• Potential challenges producers might be facing with milk quality
• Practices important to maintaining a low somatic cell count
• Rapid-fire questions