Timestamps & Summary Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=83.63&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">01:23</a>) Could you share with the listening audience the journey that has taken you to be researching immunity and the respiratory infections in ruminants? Dr. Jodi McGill I actually started out my training on the human side. I was trained in mouse and human medical immunology for my PhD and my master's degree at the University of Iowa. […] [It] led me to a postdoc at the National Animal Disease Center, which is where I started to study bovine respiratory disease. And I really found that much more impactful because you can study the disease in the animal, and you can really see the impact in that species. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=185.66&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">03:05</a>) When you say innate immune system specifically, what are you describing? Dr. Jodi McGill So the immune system is kind of two arms. It is the way we teach it. […] A lot of times with the vaccine, we're targeting the adaptive immune system. So that's really specific and has memory. So, once you've gotten your vaccine, you're protected for a really long time. When we talk about that, we're talking about the adaptive part of the immune system. […]Whereas the innate immune system is nonspecific and kind of broadly reactive. It's kind of the first line of defense, and it responds in a way that says, “I care that it's a virus, but I don't necessarily care if it's BRSV or parainfluenza” […]It's also much quicker to respond. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=377.39&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">06:17</a>) You've authored, and of course co-authored, many studies focused on nutritional approaches that impact innate immunity […]How are these nutritional approaches linked to that immune readiness?Dr. Jodi McGill I think that whole idea of being ready is important because you're not playing catch-up, right? I think as soon as that calf is kind of under the weather is when we're starting to play catch-up. And a lot of the strategies that I've spent my career studying are all about getting that calf in a much better position when he hits the feedlot […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=740.79&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">12:20</a>) What are some of the things that the audience can be thinking of doing this season to help minimize some of those challenges it’s likely going to see?Dr. Jodi McGill Having your calf the right nutrition, the right treatments ahead of time. Management is always, I think, your best tool against BRD. […]I think, overall, a lot of our challenges with BRD, we create, a lot of times. Vaccines are still probably our best tool. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=860.65&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">14:20</a>) What are some of those key things that people need to be thinking about honing in on their operations to ensure that those calves coming in are immune ready?Dr. Jodi McGill I think for, for geneticists, we're at a really cool period where we're starting to understand more and more about the genetics of it. Of BRD and kind of looking at resistance to BRD. And so we have some tests that are starting to become available, and you can start to begin to select for that. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=990.27&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">16:30</a>) What are the 3 key messages that you'd want to leave the audience thinking about?Dr. Jodi McGill I mean, prevention is better than curing, right? […]Management choices, I think, make a huge difference in prevention of BRD. It's really a management disease. And we have tools, but first, think about your weaning practices, think about your transportation practices, all of those things. […]The native immune system is probably the best part of the immune system because without it, the adaptive immune system would be nothing. […]

Timestamps & Summary Chris Gwyn (01:23) Could you share with the listening audience the journey that has taken you to be researching immunity and the respiratory infections in ruminants? Dr. Jodi McGill I actually started out my training on the human side. I was trained in mouse and human medical immunology for my PhD and my master's degree at the University of Iowa. […] [It] led me to a postdoc at the National Animal Disease Center, which is where I started to study bovine respiratory disease. And I really found that much more impactful because you can study the disease in the animal, and you can really see the impact in that species. […] Chris Gwyn (03:05) When you say innate immune system specifically, what are you describing? Dr. Jodi McGill So the immune system is kind of two arms. It is the way we teach it. […] A lot of times with the vaccine, we're targeting the adaptive immune system. So that's really specific and has memory. So, once you've gotten your vaccine, you're protected for a really long time. When we talk about that, we're talking about the adaptive part of the immune system. […] Whereas the innate immune system is nonspecific and kind of broadly reactive. It's kind of the first line of defense, and it responds in a way that says, “I care that it's a virus, but I don't necessarily care if it's BRSV or parainfluenza” […] It's also much quicker to respond. […] Chris Gwyn (06:17) You've authored, and of course co-authored, many studies focused on nutritional approaches that impact innate immunity […] How are these nutritional approaches linked to that immune readiness? Dr. Jodi McGill I think that whole idea of being ready is important because you're not playing catch-up, right? I think as soon as that calf is kind of under the weather is when we're starting to play catch-up. And a lot of the strategies that I've spent my career studying are all about getting that calf in a much better position when he hits the feedlot […] Chris Gwyn (12:20) What are some of the things that the audience can be thinking of doing this season to help minimize some of those challenges it’s likely going to see? Dr. Jodi McGill Having your calf the right nutrition, the right treatments ahead of time. Management is always, I think, your best tool against BRD. […] I think, overall, a lot of our challenges with BRD, we create, a lot of times. Vaccines are still probably our best tool. […] Chris Gwyn (14:20) What are some of those key things that people need to be thinking about honing in on their operations to ensure that those calves coming in are immune ready? Dr. Jodi McGill I think for, for geneticists, we're at a really cool period where we're starting to understand more and more about the genetics of it. Of BRD and kind of looking at resistance to BRD. And so we have some tests that are starting to become available, and you can start to begin to select for that. […] Chris Gwyn (16:30) What are the 3 key messages that you'd want to leave the audience thinking about? Dr. Jodi McGill I mean, prevention is better than curing, right? […] Management choices, I think, make a huge difference in prevention of BRD. It's really a management disease. And we have tools, but first, think about your weaning practices, think about your transportation practices, all of those things. […] The native immune system is probably the best part of the immune system because without it, the adaptive immune system would be nothing. […]

Timestamps &amp; Summary&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=83.63&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">01:23</a>) Could you share with the listening audience the journey that has taken you to be researching immunity and the respiratory infections in ruminants? Dr. Jodi McGill I actually started out my training on the human side. I was trained in mouse and human medical immunology for my PhD and my master's degree at the University of Iowa. […] [It] led me to a postdoc at the National Animal Disease Center, which is where I started to study bovine respiratory disease. And I really found that much more impactful because you can study the disease in the animal, and you can really see the impact in that species. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=185.66&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">03:05</a>) When you say innate immune system specifically, what are you describing? Dr. Jodi McGill So the immune system is kind of two arms. It is the way we teach it. […] A lot of times with the vaccine, we're targeting the adaptive immune system. So that's really specific and has memory. So, once you've gotten your vaccine, you're protected for a really long time. When we talk about that, we're talking about the adaptive part of the immune system. […]Whereas the innate immune system is nonspecific and kind of broadly reactive. It's kind of the first line of defense, and it responds in a way that says, “I care that it's a virus, but I don't necessarily care if it's BRSV or parainfluenza” […]It's also much quicker to respond. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=377.39&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">06:17</a>) You've authored, and of course co-authored, many studies focused on nutritional approaches that impact innate immunity […]How are these nutritional approaches linked to that immune readiness?Dr. Jodi McGill I think that whole idea of being ready is important because you're not playing catch-up, right? I think as soon as that calf is kind of under the weather is when we're starting to play catch-up. And a lot of the strategies that I've spent my career studying are all about getting that calf in a much better position when he hits the feedlot […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=740.79&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">12:20</a>) What are some of the things that the audience can be thinking of doing this season to help minimize some of those challenges it’s likely going to see?Dr. Jodi McGill Having your calf the right nutrition, the right treatments ahead of time. Management is always, I think, your best tool against BRD. […]I think, overall, a lot of our challenges with BRD, we create, a lot of times. Vaccines are still probably our best tool. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=860.65&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">14:20</a>) What are some of those key things that people need to be thinking about honing in on their operations to ensure that those calves coming in are immune ready?Dr. Jodi McGill I think for, for geneticists, we're at a really cool period where we're starting to understand more and more about the genetics of it. Of BRD and kind of looking at resistance to BRD. And so we have some tests that are starting to become available, and you can start to begin to select for that. […]Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=990.27&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=8e1e2d15c4b84cac9917ad98d6d2dda8" rel="noopener noreferrer">16:30</a>) What are the 3 key messages that you'd want to leave the audience thinking about?Dr. Jodi McGill I mean, prevention is better than curing, right? […]Management choices, I think, make a huge difference in prevention of BRD. It's really a management disease. And we have tools, but first, think about your weaning practices, think about your transportation practices, all of those things. […]The native immune system is probably the best part of the immune system because without it, the adaptive immune system would be nothing. […] &nbsp;

How Nutrition and Management Make for Stronger Cattle Immunity

Timestamps & Summary Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=142.25&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">02:22</a>) So [Sarah], let's start with looking at the information that you presented on B vitamin supplementation in dairy calves. In the study, you presented data on the post-weaning period. My question for you is: why focus on that time?Sarah Dean We focused on this time because the post-weaning period is one of the most stressful phases of a calf's life. The calf is experiencing nutritional changes, social regrouping, and environmental stressors all at once. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=198.67&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">03:18</a>) Perhaps you could share with us how that study was built and the results from that.Sarah Dean This trial was conducted on a commercial dairy farm in Hungary, and we enrolled 166 female dairy calves, and we alternated consecutive age groups between control and treatment.So this allowed the trial to be a side-by-side study. And calves were enrolled at around 87 days of age, which was about 10 days after they were weaned. […]And then the calves were followed until 180 days of age. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=285.07&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">04:45</a>) Perhaps then you could share some of the key findings in the study.Sarah Dean The results were very encouraging, as the calves that received the protected B vitamins gained about 5% more per day than the control calves. And importantly, we observed this advantage consistently across every batch of calves in the study. Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=366.76&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">06:06</a>) On the research that was done and presented, what does this mean from a producer perspective?Sarah Dean I think every gram of growth matters when developing replacement heifers. And better growth after weaning is going to support that producer's breeding targets, reduce variability among heifers, and contribute to a more productive future herd. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=420.45&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">07:00</a>) Dr. Esselstyn, let's talk about the transition cow study. Why examine B vitamins and choline before calving in that typical transition period? What's the importance of that? And why do we invest time in looking at that?Dr. Victoria Asselstine We know that the transition period is one of the most metabolically demanding stages that dairy cows have. They undergo numerous physiological, metabolic, and immune challenges during those time periods. So, it's important that we're providing them with the right nutrients that kind of feed into the pathways that they need to support all of those different things. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=479.29&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">07:59</a>) How was the study conducted? What was the design? What does it look like?Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study done by our colleagues in Mexico. This was also a commercial study, and this specific one was kind of a year-over-year comparison that we had. […]There were about 400 cows that calved during that time that were included in the study. And then in the treatment period, so when the JEFO Protected B vitamins and choline were supplied, around 330 cows received that in 2024. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=586.74&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">09:46</a>) Tell us more about what you saw. What were the production responses?Dr. Victoria Asselstine Thankfully, we had daily milk yields in this trial, but just based on the enormity of the data that we had to look at, we looked at average milk for 30, 60, and 90 days, comparing those. And we observed that there was a significant improvement in milk production. 3.2 kilograms on average from the 30 to 90 days in milk. Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=625.54&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">10:25</a>) And from the health side?Dr. Victoria Asselstine On the health side, we also had great improvements, and we had numerically lower cases of retained placenta and metritis. So, some key metabolic issues that we see. And there were also significantly lower cows culled in that 10 days in milk and also 30 days in milk. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=741.83&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">12:21</a>) With that in mind, there's probably some practical takeaways for the listening audience, whether veterinarians, nutritionists, producers.Dr. Victoria Asselstine Probably the biggest takeaway is if you're strategic in your prepartum nutrition, you can really set your herd up. You can help the cows enter their lactation in a stronger metabolic position to kind of support all those metabolic things that I mentioned earlier. And then in this study specifically, we saw that improved milk yield as well as early lactation losses. And this is really supporting those key metabolic pathways before calving even begins. Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=783.27&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">13:03</a>) So speaking of metabolic pathways, we're going to switch gears a little bit and focus on the 3rd poster that was presented. And in this case, it was on methionine. […]Tell us a bit more about why methionine as a nutrient is so important in dairy diets.Dr. Victoria Asselstine (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=814.92&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">13:34</a>) The reason that we always want to consider supplementing methionine is because we know that it's often the first limiting amino acid in dairy cow rations. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=844.95&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">14:04</a>) This study compared two rumen-protected methionine products; maybe you could share with the audience a bit more about the study design.Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study that was completed actually in Brazil. We had a very good range of studies this year. The first one Sarah shared was from Hungary. We had Mexico, now Brazil, making sure we're able to kind of showcase all of our colleagues’ excellent work. But this study was a back-to-back design. So, what that meant was one month they received a commercial competitor's product, and then the next month they received our JEFO Protected Methionine. The only thing that was different between those two periods was the protected methionine source. […] Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=933.08&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">15:33</a>) So what did you find in the study?Dr. Victoria Asselstine The cows that actually received that JEFO protected methionine produced over 2 kilograms more milk per day. We also saw they had significant improvements in their milk components, both fat and protein, and this translated to a significant improvement in energy-corrected milk of 2.84 kilograms per day. And as I said, the only thing that changed was the methionine supplementation. So those were quite significant results that we achieved from this study. Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&position=1101.14&utm_source=happyscribe&utm_medium=document_deep_link&utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">18:21</a>) As we begin to wrap up today, Sarah, as you look at these 3 projects together, what does that tell us about the dairy nutrition industry today, or dairy nutrition today and cows' needs?Sarah Dean I think these three studies really reinforce the importance of precision nutrition across the entire life cycle of the animal. […]Together, these three posters and these three trials highlight how nutritional interventions can support performance when animals are facing critical physiological demands, and we're supporting those demands.

Timestamps & Summary Chris Gwyn (02:22) So [Sarah], let's start with looking at the information that you presented on B vitamin supplementation in dairy calves. In the study, you presented data on the post-weaning period. My question for you is: why focus on that time? Sarah Dean We focused on this time because the post-weaning period is one of the most stressful phases of a calf's life. The calf is experiencing nutritional changes, social regrouping, and environmental stressors all at once. […] Chris Gwyn (03:18) Perhaps you could share with us how that study was built and the results from that. Sarah Dean This trial was conducted on a commercial dairy farm in Hungary, and we enrolled 166 female dairy calves, and we alternated consecutive age groups between control and treatment. So this allowed the trial to be a side-by-side study. And calves were enrolled at around 87 days of age, which was about 10 days after they were weaned. […] And then the calves were followed until 180 days of age. […] Chris Gwyn (04:45) Perhaps then you could share some of the key findings in the study. Sarah Dean The results were very encouraging, as the calves that received the protected B vitamins gained about 5% more per day than the control calves. And importantly, we observed this advantage consistently across every batch of calves in the study. Chris Gwyn (06:06) On the research that was done and presented, what does this mean from a producer perspective? Sarah Dean I think every gram of growth matters when developing replacement heifers. And better growth after weaning is going to support that producer's breeding targets, reduce variability among heifers, and contribute to a more productive future herd. […] Chris Gwyn (07:00) Dr. Esselstyn, let's talk about the transition cow study. Why examine B vitamins and choline before calving in that typical transition period? What's the importance of that? And why do we invest time in looking at that? Dr. Victoria Asselstine We know that the transition period is one of the most metabolically demanding stages that dairy cows have. They undergo numerous physiological, metabolic, and immune challenges during those time periods. So, it's important that we're providing them with the right nutrients that kind of feed into the pathways that they need to support all of those different things. […] Chris Gwyn (07:59) How was the study conducted? What was the design? What does it look like? Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study done by our colleagues in Mexico. This was also a commercial study, and this specific one was kind of a year-over-year comparison that we had. […] There were about 400 cows that calved during that time that were included in the study. And then in the treatment period, so when the JEFO Protected B vitamins and choline were supplied, around 330 cows received that in 2024. […] Chris Gwyn (09:46) Tell us more about what you saw. What were the production responses? Dr. Victoria Asselstine Thankfully, we had daily milk yields in this trial, but just based on the enormity of the data that we had to look at, we looked at average milk for 30, 60, and 90 days, comparing those. And we observed that there was a significant improvement in milk production. 3.2 kilograms on average from the 30 to 90 days in milk. Chris Gwyn (10:25) And from the health side? Dr. Victoria Asselstine On the health side, we also had great improvements, and we had numerically lower cases of retained placenta and metritis. So, some key metabolic issues that we see. And there were also significantly lower cows culled in that 10 days in milk and also 30 days in milk. […] Chris Gwyn (12:21) With that in mind, there's probably some practical takeaways for the listening audience, whether veterinarians, nutritionists, producers. Dr. Victoria Asselstine Probably the biggest takeaway is if you're strategic in your prepartum nutrition, you can really set your herd up. You can help the cows enter their lactation in a stronger metabolic position to kind of support all those metabolic things that I mentioned earlier. And then in this study specifically, we saw that improved milk yield as well as early lactation losses. And this is really supporting those key metabolic pathways before calving even begins. Chris Gwyn (13:03) So speaking of metabolic pathways, we're going to switch gears a little bit and focus on the 3rd poster that was presented. And in this case, it was on methionine. […] Tell us a bit more about why methionine as a nutrient is so important in dairy diets. Dr. Victoria Asselstine (13:34) The reason that we always want to consider supplementing methionine is because we know that it's often the first limiting amino acid in dairy cow rations. […] Chris Gwyn (14:04) This study compared two rumen-protected methionine products; maybe you could share with the audience a bit more about the study design. Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study that was completed actually in Brazil. We had a very good range of studies this year. The first one Sarah shared was from Hungary. We had Mexico, now Brazil, making sure we're able to kind of showcase all of our colleagues’ excellent work. But this study was a back-to-back design. So, what that meant was one month they received a commercial competitor's product, and then the next month they received our JEFO Protected Methionine. The only thing that was different between those two periods was the protected methionine source. […] Chris Gwyn (15:33) So what did you find in the study? Dr. Victoria Asselstine The cows that actually received that JEFO protected methionine produced over 2 kilograms more milk per day. We also saw they had significant improvements in their milk components, both fat and protein, and this translated to a significant improvement in energy-corrected milk of 2.84 kilograms per day. And as I said, the only thing that changed was the methionine supplementation. So those were quite significant results that we achieved from this study. Chris Gwyn (18:21) As we begin to wrap up today, Sarah, as you look at these 3 projects together, what does that tell us about the dairy nutrition industry today, or dairy nutrition today and cows' needs? Sarah Dean I think these three studies really reinforce the importance of precision nutrition across the entire life cycle of the animal. […] Together, these three posters and these three trials highlight how nutritional interventions can support performance when animals are facing critical physiological demands, and we're supporting those demands.

Timestamps &amp; Summary&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=142.25&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">02:22</a>) So [Sarah], let's start with looking at the information that you presented on B vitamin supplementation in dairy calves. In the study, you presented data on the post-weaning period. My question for you is: why focus on that time?Sarah Dean We focused on this time because the post-weaning period is one of the most stressful phases of a calf's life. The calf is experiencing nutritional changes, social regrouping, and environmental stressors all at once. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=198.67&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">03:18</a>) Perhaps you could share with us how that study was built and the results from that.Sarah Dean This trial was conducted on a commercial dairy farm in Hungary, and we enrolled 166 female dairy calves, and we alternated consecutive age groups between control and treatment.So this allowed the trial to be a side-by-side study. And calves were enrolled at around 87 days of age, which was about 10 days after they were weaned. […]And then the calves were followed until 180 days of age. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=285.07&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">04:45</a>) Perhaps then you could share some of the key findings in the study.Sarah Dean The results were very encouraging, as the calves that received the protected B vitamins gained about 5% more per day than the control calves. And importantly, we observed this advantage consistently across every batch of calves in the study.&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=366.76&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">06:06</a>) On the research that was done and presented, what does this mean from a producer perspective?Sarah Dean I think every gram of growth matters when developing replacement heifers. And better growth after weaning is going to support that producer's breeding targets, reduce variability among heifers, and contribute to a more productive future herd. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=420.45&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">07:00</a>) Dr. Esselstyn, let's talk about the transition cow study. Why examine B vitamins and choline before calving in that typical transition period? What's the importance of that? And why do we invest time in looking at that?Dr. Victoria Asselstine We know that the transition period is one of the most metabolically demanding stages that dairy cows have. They undergo numerous physiological, metabolic, and immune challenges during those time periods. So, it's important that we're providing them with the right nutrients that kind of feed into the pathways that they need to support all of those different things. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=479.29&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">07:59</a>) How was the study conducted? What was the design? What does it look like?Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study done by our colleagues in Mexico. This was also a commercial study, and this specific one was kind of a year-over-year comparison that we had. […]There were about 400 cows that calved during that time that were included in the study. And then in the treatment period, so when the JEFO Protected B vitamins and choline were supplied, around 330 cows received that in 2024. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=586.74&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">09:46</a>) Tell us more about what you saw. What were the production responses?Dr. Victoria Asselstine Thankfully, we had daily milk yields in this trial, but just based on the enormity of the data that we had to look at, we looked at average milk for 30, 60, and 90 days, comparing those. And we observed that there was a significant improvement in milk production. 3.2 kilograms on average from the 30 to 90 days in milk.&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=625.54&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">10:25</a>) And from the health side?Dr. Victoria Asselstine On the health side, we also had great improvements, and we had numerically lower cases of retained placenta and metritis. So, some key metabolic issues that we see. And there were also significantly lower cows culled in that 10 days in milk and also 30 days in milk. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=741.83&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">12:21</a>) With that in mind, there's probably some practical takeaways for the listening audience, whether veterinarians, nutritionists, producers.Dr. Victoria Asselstine Probably the biggest takeaway is if you're strategic in your prepartum nutrition, you can really set your herd up. You can help the cows enter their lactation in a stronger metabolic position to kind of support all those metabolic things that I mentioned earlier. And then in this study specifically, we saw that improved milk yield as well as early lactation losses. And this is really supporting those key metabolic pathways before calving even begins.&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=783.27&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">13:03</a>) So speaking of metabolic pathways, we're going to switch gears a little bit and focus on the 3rd poster that was presented. And in this case, it was on methionine. […]Tell us a bit more about why methionine as a nutrient is so important in dairy diets.Dr. Victoria Asselstine (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=814.92&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">13:34</a>) The reason that we always want to consider supplementing methionine is because we know that it's often the first limiting amino acid in dairy cow rations. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=844.95&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">14:04</a>) This study compared two rumen-protected methionine products; maybe you could share with the audience a bit more about the study design.Dr. Victoria Asselstine This was a study that was completed actually in Brazil. We had a very good range of studies this year. The first one Sarah shared was from Hungary. We had Mexico, now Brazil, making sure we're able to kind of showcase all of our colleagues’ excellent work. But this study was a back-to-back design. So, what that meant was one month they received a commercial competitor's product, and then the next month they received our JEFO Protected Methionine. The only thing that was different between those two periods was the protected methionine source. […]&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=933.08&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">15:33</a>) So what did you find in the study?Dr. Victoria Asselstine The cows that actually received that JEFO protected methionine produced over 2 kilograms more milk per day. We also saw they had significant improvements in their milk components, both fat and protein, and this translated to a significant improvement in energy-corrected milk of 2.84 kilograms per day. And as I said, the only thing that changed was the methionine supplementation. So those were quite significant results that we achieved from this study.&nbsp;Chris Gwyn (<a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0/edit?organization_id=6509321&amp;back_to=%2Fv2%2F6509321%2Flibrary%2F51078901&amp;position=1101.14&amp;utm_source=happyscribe&amp;utm_medium=document_deep_link&amp;utm_campaign=editor_copy_section&amp;utm_content=d56814d49ecd4b7aa9f5d9a7169b07a0" rel="noopener noreferrer">18:21</a>) As we begin to wrap up today, Sarah, as you look at these 3 projects together, what does that tell us about the dairy nutrition industry today, or dairy nutrition today and cows' needs?Sarah Dean I think these three studies really reinforce the importance of precision nutrition across the entire life cycle of the animal. […]Together, these three posters and these three trials highlight how nutritional interventions can support performance when animals are facing critical physiological demands, and we're supporting those demands.

Practical Research for Better Dairy Performance

How do the dairy cow nutrition and milk production work? How can the cow transform unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fatty acids? What does palmitic acid feeding do to the cow on her production efficiency and on the milk itself? Get answers and learn more about fatty acids, digestion and dairy nutrition with Dr. Adam Lock.

Digging Deeper into Fatty Acid Nutrition – Palmitic Acid

How much is too much feed in a robot? Does it have to be carbohydrates, in a pellet and how much does palatability really matter? Speaking of AMS feed intake, how well can it be measured? And what impact does that have on the cow?

Insight Into Feeding in Automated Milking Systems

How AMS (Automatic Milking System) can predict cow health? Dr Devries work has looked at utilizing AMS metrics to predict disease in particular in early lactation cows.  How has that worked?

How AMS (Automatic Milking System) can predict cow health? Dr Devries work has looked at utilizing AMS metrics to predict disease in particular in early lactation cows. How has that worked?

Fine Tuning forage particle length with Dr Trevor Devries

RumiNation is a series of conversations between Chris Gwyn and different actors of the North American dairy industry. Discussions will revolve around the topics of animal welfare, management, profitability, productivity and longevity.

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RumiNation is a series of conversations with key influencers in the North American dairy and cattle industries. The discussions focus on topics such as animal welfare, management, profitability, productivity, longevity, and sustainability.

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