Real Science Exchange-Dairy

This episode was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during the 2025 Tri-State Dairy Conference.Dr. Boerman notes we know cows experience a negative metabolizable protein balance in early lactation, which means they’re mobilizing skeletal muscle to make up for that. Dr. Boerman and her group have been interested in strategies to measure how much muscle they’re mobilizing, when they’re losing it and when they gain it back.  (3:51)Cows are ultrasounded during the dry period to determine longissimus dorsi muscle reserves, then divided into low vs high muscle groups. Weekly ultrasounds follow them through lactation.  Animals with high muscle reserves during the dry period mobilized muscle before calving, which resulted in increased calf birth weights. Animals with less muscle during the dry period can gain muscle during that time and have more muscle reserves at calving than they had in the middle of the dry period. Dr. Boerman discusses possible nutrition interventions to manage muscle depletion and accretion, as well as timing of muscle loss and gain.  (5:14)The panel discusses how cows were assigned to high- and low-muscle groups and how representative those groups might be to the general population of dairy cows. Dr. Boerman mentions they’ve recently started evaluating primiparous cows as well to see if they perform differently than multiparous cows. (10:33)Dr. Boerman notes that cows are mobilizing between 30 and 35% of their longissimus dorsi depth during lactation and muscle biopsies have shown a reduction in muscle fiber size. They also measure 3-methyl histidine and creatinine as biomarkers of muscle loss and gain. The panel discusses increased calf birth weights and impacts on colostrum for high-muscle groups. Body condition score is not a good predictor of muscle depth. (16:52)The group discusses how parity might impact protein loss and gain, the influence of genetics on these muscle measurements, how health events might affect muscle mobilization and what kind of hormonal regulation might be occurring to control muscle losses and gains. (23:41)Dr. Weiss shares about a project from his group where muscle and fat losses were measured by dilution. They fed 20% protein diets using soy alone or with supplementation of rumen-protected amino acids. He emphasized the differences between heifers and cows, similar to what Dr. Boerman’s group has observed as well. (29:54)Dr. Boerman shares some ideas of what kind of experiments she’d like to conduct next to continue this line of research. (33:42)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (35:29)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

Balchem’s Bourbon & Brainiacs event took place at the Frazier History Museum during the 2025 ADSA annual meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. After introductions, Dr. Lucy shares about the ADSA monthly podcast, Dairy Digressions, which he hosts. He discusses listener demographics, the diverse paths to becoming a dairy scientist and inspiring young people to pursue a career in dairy science. The panel goes on to discuss the camaraderie and friendships developed and nurtured at ADSA meetings. (2:44)Dr. Kononoff asks the panel their thoughts on how to protect students, given the current and potential future funding concerns for science. Dr. Lucy notes he believes science will prevail. Dr. St-Pierre comments we have portrayed science as infallible, when it’s really self-correcting, and the machine of a university is faculty and students. Dr. Kononoff, originally from Canada, discusses the uniqueness of the land-grant system in the US. (8:31)Dr. Lucy shares some of his favorite parts of being an ADSA member. (17:44)Dr. Williamson, a neuroscientist, suggests the dairy industry could learn from human behaviorists regarding marketing their products. Dr. Ordway agrees, as someone who did not grow up in the agriculture industry. (20:42)Dr. St-Pierre talks about presenting at his very first ADSA meeting when he was still learning to speak English. He goes on to discuss how meetings and students have evolved over the years. (23:03)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt. 

This episode was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during the 2025 Tri-State Dairy Conference.Dr. Carpenter gives an overview of her presentation. She summarizes an Extension risk management project regarding heifer development, assisting dairies in benchmarking their heifer growth and development. Key focus points include reducing morbidity and mortality and timely breeding to achieve goals for age at first calving. Dr. Carpenter also emphasized heat detection and conception, as well as recordkeeping as important considerations for success. (4:10)Dr. Carpenter shares findings from a beef-on-dairy feeding experiment where any calf that had two or more lifetime respiratory events had lower carcass weight and lower return on investment. The panel discusses industry uptake of using lung ultrasounds to evaluate respiratory events. (11:53)Guests talk about different feeding concepts in heifer development and trends in age at first calving over time. (14:31)The panel dives into home-raising versus custom-developing heifers. Dr. Carpenter notes Penn State has great resources regarding custom rearing of dairy heifers. Pros and cons of both systems are discussed, and the panel also touches on rearing of beef-on-dairy calves as well. (19:17)The group returns to the topic of age at first calving. Reducing variation at age at breeding is important, and producers should consult with their nutritionists and veterinarians for a team approach to success. (24:44)Dr. Carpenter and Dr. Tebbe talk about how producers are dealing with replacement heifer shortages. (27:24)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (31:48)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

Guests: Dr. José Santos, University of Florida; Dr. Jeff Firkins, The Ohio State University; Dr. Bill Weiss, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University; Dr. Jimena Laporta, University of Wisconsin; Dr. Jim Aldrich, CSA Animal Nutrition; Dr. Tom Overton, Cornell University; Dr. Mark Hanigan, Virginia Tech University; Martin Bengtsson, Balchem; Dr. Barry Bradford, Michigan State University; Dr. Turner Swartz, South Dakota State University; Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University; Dr. Goeff Dahl, University of FloridaBalchem’s Bourbon & Brainiacs event took place at the Frazier History Museum during the 2025 ADSA annual meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. This bonus episode features a rotating slate of guests throughout the entirety of the episode. The episode begins with guests talking about how many ADSA meetings they’ve attended and some of their favorite locations. Quebec City travel nightmares, side trips to the Grand Canyon, and university host sites with dorms featuring no air conditioning were highlighted. (0:08)The group talks about the impact scientific meetings have on graduate students and how important the social and networking aspects are in the development of students’ careers. (9:44)Formative moments in your career can be forged at ADSA meetings. Learning to step back and talk about the big picture of your work can be pivotal. Other panelists share their experiences in making the final decision on where to attend graduate school based on their experiences at ADSA meetings. (19:48)Martin Bengtsson, Balchem’s Executive Vice President,  CFO and Animal Nutrition and Health General Manager joins the panel. He talks about his background and Balchem’s investment in animal nutrition research. He asks the panel what they’d like to see a company like Balchem do more of to have a bigger impact and be more helpful to the industry. (22:49)A new wave of guests arrive. Topics include coaching quiz bowl and dairy challenge teams, softball games, rooftop lawn bowling and how one can go from being an up-and-comer to being one of the big names at ADSA to being a retiree. (36:24)Panelists share some of the events at this year’s ADSA meeting they’re excited to attend, including a symposium about feed additives for methane inhibition in conjunction with the Journal of Dairy Science and an applied nutrition series geared toward field nutritionists. (42:06)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during the 2025 Tri-State Dairy Conference.Dr. Jaborek gives an overview of his presentation including sire selection, how beef on dairy crosses compare, feedlot performance, liver abscesses and red meat yield. (6:21)Beef sire availability and quality have changed over time with the development of selection indexes and selection criteria. Calving ease, growth, ribeye area,and quality grade are important traits. (10:03)The panel discusses if milk replacer feeding protocols differ for beef on dairy calves. More research in this area is needed. The group then talks about liver abscesses, including etiology, prevalence, and animal welfare and performance impacts. Dr. Jaborek notes calves with liver abscesses gain about 0.2 pounds per day less, on average. The panel believes understanding the impacts of diet differences (beef calves vs. the dairy model) in early life on rumen development would be a fruitful area of research.  (16:00)Dr. Jaborek talks about some of the differences in growth and performance among beef calves raised on their dam, beef embryos from Holstein recips raised in the dairy system, and beef-sired calves from Holstein and Jersey dams raised in the dairy system. The panel talks about why beef calves in the beef system are outperforming those raised in the dairy system, including milk composition differences between beef and dairy cows and milk quantity and availability. Free-choice robot milk replacer feeding systems might better mimic the beef system environment. (26:21)The panel then explores how beef on dairy calves are fed post-weaning. Dr. Jaborek notes they generally continue to be fed a high concentrate diet which may contribute to the liver abscess and digestive issues given the long timeframe of exposure to concentrates. The panel ponders if backgrounding calves on pasture for some length of time after weaning would be beneficial. The group also delves into how maintenance requirements might differ for beef on dairy crosses and if feedlot nutritionists are making adjustments for these calves. (30:45)Given the price of beef calves, would it be more profitable to put beef embryos into dairy cows instead of using beef semen to create a beef-dairy crossbred? Matt then asks if any dairy producers are retaining ownership of these calves past 1-3 days of age. The panel discusses risks and rewards of both questions. (34:29)The panel talks about corn processing and potential impacts on rumen health and liver abscesses. Dr. Jaborek cites a study where feeding more fiber in the form of corn silage did not increase cost of gain, but improved liver abscess reduction by 30 percentage points. (38:47)Dr. Jaborek talks about yield and quality differences in dairy-influenced carcasses and talks about his top priorities for research in the beef on dairy sector moving forward. (42:21)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (46:26)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt. 

Balchem’s Bourbon & Brainiacs event took place at the Frazier History Museum during the 2025 ADSA annual meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. This bonus episode takes a deep dive into bourbon tasting!After introductions, Steve leads off in his role as the bourbon steward and describes the two bourbons and a rye whiskey for the tasting. (2:14)Steve gives some instructions on the best way to taste bourbon like an expert, including determining your dominant nostril, the “Kentucky Chew,” the “Kentucky Hug,” and moving from lowest to highest proof. (4:48)Steve leads the guests through tasting Buffalo Trace and Maker’s Mark 46 bourbons and Angel’s Envy rye whiskey. The panel discusses their impressions and talks about mash bills, crop variation and the health of the bourbon business.  (7:00)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

In the Real Science Exchange Legacy Series, we celebrate the pioneers who have shaped the dairy industry. In this episode, we honor Dr. Charlie Staples, a distinguished professor at the University of Florida, whose groundbreaking work in dairy nutrition and mentorship touched countless lives. From his 35 years of research mentoring 23 graduate students to earning the American Dairy Science Association's Fellow Award, Dr. Staple's legacy continues to inspire. Join us as we explore his contributions and enduring impact on our industry.Guests introduce themselves and how they knew Dr. Staples. (1:05)Dr. Grummer shares when he and Dr. Staples were applying and interviewing for university jobs in the same pool, and how they eventually landed jobs at universities where the other was not in the pool. (7:22)Drs. Santos, Grummer and Zenobi share about Dr. Staples’ early life, his undergraduate and graduate career, and his family and faith. (10:42)Dr. Staples took a sabbatical at the University of Wisconsin in Dr. Grummer’s lab. He shares a story about taking Charlie smelt fishing, where the tradition is the newbie has to bite the head off a smelt. (18:04)Dr. Zenobi and Dr. Santos talk about Dr. Staples as a teacher and mentor, giving examples of his caring nature and thorough teaching style. (22:30)Dr. Grummer and Dr. Santos give a broad overview of Dr. Staples’ research career, including pioneering work in nutrition-reproduction interactions, fat supplementation and the separation of the energy effect and the fatty acid effect on reproductive performance, heat stress and choline supplementation. All panelists emphasized the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of Dr. Staples’ work. (27:52)Dr. Grummer shares about the fatty acid research he and Dr. Staples collaborated on during Charlie’s sabbatical, as well as the choline research he worked on with Dr. Staples when Dr. Grummer worked for Balchem. The panelists talk about how Dr. Staples was not afraid to reach out to experts in other areas of expertise to ask questions and how thorough he was in literature searches. They talk about a symposium paper he presented summarizing 30-plus years of choline research. (36:12)The panelists talk more about the legacy Dr. Staples left behind - he was unassuming, humble, kind, collaborative and a man of principles. (44:14)Panelists share their take-home thoughts about Dr. Staples’ dedication to dairy science, mentorship and innovation. (54:51)The University of Florida established the Charles R. Staples Lecture Endowment to support the Charles R. Staples Lectureship Series. Each year, an invited speaker gives a seminar and meets with graduate students. If you'd like to support the endowment, you can do so by visiting the UF/IFAS Animal Sciences giving web page: https://give.ifas.ufl.edu/animal-sciences-giving/Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

Dr. Hristov gave a webinar titled “Histidine: a limiting amino acid for dairy cows” on March 4, 2025, and joins the podcast in this episode for a deeper dive into the topic. Panelists introduce themselves and give some background on their interest in histidine (00:52)Dr. Hristov gives an overview of his webinar presentation, touching on some of the first research projects that showed lower protein diets resulted in no change in plasma methionine, but a decrease in plasma histidine. When dietary protein decreases, the cow relies more on microbial protein to meet her needs. Histidine content is about 20% less than methionine content in microbial protein. He also notes there are some short-term reserves of histidine in the body, so short-term studies may not show a histidine deficiency when indeed there is one. (7:08)Matt gives some perspective as a consulting nutritionist about the importance of histidine in diet formulation for his clientele. He agrees with Dr. Hristov about the higher requirement for histidine compared to methionine, and he generally formulates diets with 1.1 times more histidine than methionine. (12:38)The panelists share their experiences with the responses observed from providing additional histidine to lactating cows, including milk and component yields and changes in dry matter intake and body condition. They also talk about how muscle loss can mask a histidine deficiency in the short term. (15:43)The panelists discuss the challenges in determining histidine requirements and finding reliable sources of highly bioavailable histidine. (24:04)Why is rumen-protected histidine not commercially available? Clay explains it is due to the high cost of histidine. There are no feed-grade sources, and using human-grade sources is cost-prohibitive. Dr. Hristov notes swine nutritionists are starting to pay more attention to histidine, which might bring the cost down if demand increases. Matt notes aquaculture is also interested in histidine. (33:58)Matt comments that increasing fat content can be problematic for cheese plants. He sees increasing milk protein yield may be the next frontier of dairy nutrition and histidine might play an important role. The panel discusses the role milk pricing has played in the increased fat content. (37:32)The panel discusses what other amino acids might be important in dairy nutrition as research continues. They also touch on methane mitigation and reducing methane intensity per unit of milk. (43:45)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (54:31)View Dr. Hristov’s webinar on this subject by visiting https://balchem.com/anh/podcasts-webinars/histidine-a-limiting-amino-acid-for-dairy-cows-2/Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Dr. Cantor gives an overview of her presentation at the conference, focusing on data from accelerometers and robotic feeders to predict calf sickness. While the correlations are there and we know calves change activity, behavior and feeding behavior before they get sick, there is more work to be done before the technology is ready for wide implementation. When data from both accelerometers and robotic feeders were used, Dr. Cantor’s group was able to find respiratory disease with a 96% accuracy six days before clinical symptoms. (2:36)Dr. James and Dr. Cantor discuss the use of robotic feeders in the industry and the under-utilization of data collected by the feeders. Dr. James shares observations from a farm he works with about heifers coming in to the milking herd who were raised on robotic feeders compared to those raised in calf hutches. (6:15)The panel discusses the accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the predictions from monitoring technologies. They also touch on challenges around deciding what parameters to use to classify an animal experiencing the onset of clinical disease and how that will vary depending on the disease. They go on to share their experiences with training algorithms and how computer scientists have different goals than animal scientists with this type of technology. (11:17)Dr. James talks about how data collection and using data can be a hard sell on some calf ranches. The panel talks about some of the challenges they have seen with adoption of technology and recordkeeping on dairies of various sizes. (28:30)Dr. Giordano gives an overview of his presentation on using monitoring technology in fresh cows to predict disease. His group has worked with wearable sensors that monitor rumination time and physical activity. More recently, sensor companies have added eating behavior and body temperature. Variations in these parameters create a health alert to check on that particular animal. (39:08)He goes on to describe two extremes in dairy farms. One spends little time and effort on looking for sick cows, while the other puts a lot of time and effort into this task. He discusses how bringing technology to these two types of farms benefits them and what drawbacks there are, along with an economic analysis for each. (43:14)The panel discusses how implementing monitoring technologies require a change in management. Allowing animals the opportunity to express their natural behavior is critical to success. They also talk about how veterinarians view this technology and the target age for calves to best learn how to use a robotic feeder. (48:54)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (57:11)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

Earlier this year, Balchem and Progressive Dairy Magazine partnered to create a new webinar series, The Real Producer Exchange. In this podcast episode, Scott and Walt reflect on the first webinar in the series, where Clare Alderink from Brian Ryzebol Dairy was the featured producer. Walt gives an overview of the premise and setup of the webinar series along with a brief overview of Clare’s background and current operation. Walt and Scott go on to share some excerpts from the webinar. (0:33)Clare talks about the dairy’s experience incorporating high oleic soybeans into their rations, including pitfalls, growing pains and successes. (2:56)Ryzebol Dairy uses the AfiCollar feed efficiency tool. Clare talks about how they’re using the data from the collars to make culling and breeding decisions, with an eye toward selecting more efficient cows to produce replacement heifers over time. (9:35)Clare also shares about things the dairy has tried that didn’t work out so well, including the installation of solar. He notes that more research and discussion should have taken place among the dairy, the developer and the utility.  (16:28)Scott and Walt invite listeners to the next Real Producer Exchange on Tuesday, August 26 at 11 am EST, featuring Rob Diepersloot, a seventh generation dairy farmer and founder of WonderCow Nutrition, a colostrum-based wellness company. Topics will include how the family started and manages a consumer colostrum product, and how it impacts the dairy; the many differences in management needs across three locations – two in California and one in Colorado; and the vital role sustainability plays in all aspects of both businesses. (19:57)To register for the Real Producer Exchange webinar on August 26, visit balchem.com/realsciencePlease subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Stan begins with an overview of the dairy checkoff since its inception in 1983. At that time, dairy farmers were producing 139 billion pounds of milk, but only 122 million pounds were being consumed. Dairy promotion has evolved to focus on research and education about nutrition, crisis management and even partnerships with Domino’s, Taco Bell and McDonald’s. (3:02)Stan and Marty detail some of the national and regional partnerships around dairy menu options. Walt notes that the grilled cheese burrito from Taco Bell is one of his son’s favorite fast food meals. The panel discusses some of the strategy behind the Taco Bell partnership as well as marketing to Gen Z consumers about how dairy fits into mind and body wellness. (6:39)Walt comments the checkoff has done and is continuing to do a great job of being future-ready. He remembers a few years ago hearing about the gaming generation and partnerships with Mr. Beast and YouTube and embedding cows in Minecraft, and now his sons are playing Minecraft and gaming and are on YouTube. (13:43)Stan notes in 1995, exports were at 3%. That has now increased to 16-17%. Marty gives some examples of partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys and HEB stores in Mexico to promote dairy. (16:09)The panel discusses the US investments in processing, the “Dairy Renaissance”, research into dairy-as-medicine, and continued product innovations to meet consumer demands. (23:24)Marty and Stan detail the agreement between the Dairy Checkoff and Mayo Clinic investigating the role of whole milk foods in treating and preventing cardiovascular and metabolic disease. (34:04)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (37:51)You can find more information about the dairy checkoff at https://www.dairycheckoff.com/Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Mike gives an overview of his three presentations at the conference regarding heifer supply. The panel discusses how the industry went from too many heifers to not enough heifers. (3:46)Clay asks Dan about his breeding philosophy from a semen standpoint right now as a purebred Holstein breeder. He suggests skating to where the puck’s going versus where it’s been, and focusing on yield and protein after such a large emphasis on fat. He also emphasizes health traits, particularly because the industry needs cows to last longer due to low heifer supply. Mike notes that this can have negative impacts, including lower milk yield, more chronic mastitis, and perhaps elongating the generation interval of genetic gain. He shares that while huge strides have been made in genetic improvement for yield and components, we have gone backwards a bit on disease resistance and fertility in the last five years or so. Tom suggests that it just ups the ante on management, especially with an older milking herd. (10:55)The panel talks about sexed semen (beef and dairy both) and IVF/embryo transfer. (14:49)Mike details some research in Holstein herds that decreased their replacement rate and number of heifers calving from 2020-2022 (surplus herds) compared to 2023-2024 (short herds). Short herds kept cows 25 days longer in milk, but the net impact was an average of seven pounds less milk per day over the last 30 days prior to culling. He also noted an increase in chronic mastitis in the short herds.  (20:18)Mike describes his presentation regarding the heifer completion rate: once a heifer is born alive, what’s the expected percent of heifers remaining at first calving? Many producers have a false high assumption of this number, around 90%. In 65 herds Mike analyzed in the last year, the median completion rate was 76%. He details the different life stages during which losses occurred, along with management considerations to reduce these impacts. Dan shares his perspectives on the heifer completion rate. (24:11)The panel discusses a variety of topics around heifer supply, including whether heifers are entering the herd at a younger age to compensate for low inventories, appropriate heifer size at calving, optimal age at first calving, and just how short the supply of heifers is.  (29:01)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (38:35)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Dr. Lock begins with an overview of his presentation, discussing nutrition and genomics impacts on the speed of progress in milk fat production. He also talks about historic differences in milk fat production in Europe compared to the US. With the reduction in generation interval that genomics provides, a more complete understanding of rumen and mammary metabolism will continue to be imperative. How do we supply the nutrients she needs to meet her genetic potential? (3:34)Can we feed too much 16:0? The panel discusses how palmitic and other fatty acids are incorporated into milk fat. They emphasize that no matter what, milk fat will remain a liquid at body temperature, so that does provide some limitations. Processors can alter their protocols to account for increased palmitic acid in milk fat and for increased milk fat in milk overall. (8:35)There is a gene called DGAT that can explain about 50% of the variation in milk fat content. Dr. Lock discusses some research looking at more vs less favorable DGAT profiles and how feeding palmitic acid interacted with those profiles in milk fat production. (13:04)The panel discusses whether there is a physiological limit for how much milk fat a cow can produce. Traditionally, when milk yield increased, fat yield decreased, but that is not the current case. We are learning more all the time about altering rations and using new oilseed ingredients like whole cottonseed and high-oleic soybeans. Dr. De Souza emphasizes that understanding de novo fatty acid synthesis is really important to keep pace with genomic progress. (16:08)Amino acid supplementation has recently been linked with milk fat production, with the assumed mechanism of action being increased mammary gland enzyme synthesis and activity. Dr. Lock describes a study assessing amino acid-fatty acid interactions in fresh cows. The amino acid (metabolizable protein) effect was greater for fat yield than feeding fatty acids, which was interesting. But perhaps more exciting was the effects were additive. Feeding both high metabolizable protein and 2% palmitic:oleic acid blend resulted in 9.5 kg more energy-corrected milk and a carryover effect after supplementation ceased. (22:41)Dr. Lock summarizes some of his group’s work on using oilseeds in dairy diets.(28:24)Dr. De Souza and Dr. Lock give some perspective on just how much we have learned about milk components over the last several years. (34:38)Panelists share their take-home thoughts, including practical advice on increasing milk fat production and what’s on the horizon for fatty acid nutrition research. (37:15)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Dr. Kononoff begins with some renewable fuels history. Since the renewable fuels standard in 2007, corn production for ethanol has increased to around 50% of the crop going to ethanol production. With the subsequent increase in fuel has come an increase in distillers grains and the industry has learned how to use them to feed cattle better. Later, the government created additional policy for next-stage renewable fuels, which has spurred biodiesel production. Currently, just under 50% of the soybean crop goes to fuel production. Soybean meal availability has increased and costs have decreased over the past few years. Most of the soybean oil is solvent-extracted.   (5:57)Dr. Lock talks about increased acres of high-oleic soybeans in dairy-soybean crossover states. He summarizes some of the work his group has done on feeding high-oleic roasted whole soybeans as a replacement for soybean meal in the diet, citing the benefits of the oil in the diet as well as increased bypass protein. (15:41)The panel discusses whether canola meal, which is fairly high in oleic acid, would show similar benefits to feeding whole roasted soybeans. They also talk about how tariffs may or may not impact canola meal and canola oil prices. (24:26)Over time, the dairy industry has moved away from alfalfa as a protein source and toward soybean meal. The panel discusses the pros and cons of this change. (26:46)Dr. Kononoff gives his perspective on just how much soybean meal can be fed in dairy cow diets. Nitrogen excretion is an important consideration. He reminds the audience that renewable fuels policy is the reason behind many of the feed ingredient changes we’ve observed in the past 15-20 years, and that policy can change very rapidly. He emphasizes the industry needs to remain nimble and prepared to adapt. The panel also touches on pricing of feed ingredients in different parts of the country and how distillers grains are currently used in dairy diets. (31:08)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (40:49)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada.Dr. DeVries gives an overview of his presentation on the economics of feeding more than one ration to lactating cows, with special consideration for additional costs (beyond increased feed costs) such as delivering additional loads of TMR, labor cost and mixing errors. He notes that producer surveys indicate that simplicity and not making mistakes are reasons given for not feeding an increased number of different rations. The surveys suggest there is some real money to be made if appropriate rations are used. Diminishing marginal returns should also be considered: going from one ration to two will yield the largest gain in income over feed costs, with each additional ration yielding smaller gains. (1:52) Dr. Burhans and Dr. Overton discuss some considerations for feeding multiple rations, including environmental impacts, herd size, pen availability, feed costs and milk production impacts. Dr. DeVries emphasizes the costs of feed delivery are a big part of this as well. (9:20)The panel discusses a spreadsheet that Dr. DeVries presented during his presentation to calculate delivery costs. Dr. Burhans mentions some of the on-farm software gives an assessment of how close the actual ration was to the formulated ration, allowing for adjustments if needed. (16:28)The panel considers the importance of body condition scores and recording actual data during nutritionist walk-throughs of dairy herds. They also delve into feeding frequency and optimal feed refusals levels. (27:45)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (43:08)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.  Austin begins with an overview of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Their membership consists of all government officials in the US and other countries who are charged by law to regulate animal feed, including pet food, in their jurisdictions. Canada, Costa Rica, and the US all participate in AAFCO. In the US, animal feed regulation is an integrated food safety system with a partnership between state and federal regulators as well as FDA. AAFCO’s ultimate goal is to harmonize animal feed regulation across all states and provide a level playing field for the industry. (8:14)He goes on to explain that AAFCO and FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine had a long-standing MOU in place that outlined an ingredient approval pathway that ended on October 1, 2024. FDA chose not to renew that MOU to focus on improving their other regulatory pathways, the Food Additive Petition Process and the Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) Notice Program. The FDA also has a new Animal Food Ingredient Consultation Process for ingredient approval. AAFCO has partnered with Kansas State University’s Olathe Innovation Campus to scientifically review new ingredients, then bring them back through the AAFCO process to get formal approval. Ingredient companies can choose one of these four pathways for new ingredient approval. (10:05) Dr. Starkey notes that the process a company chooses will depend on the ingredient. If it’s similar to ingredients proven safe on the market already, the KSU-AAFCO system would be a good route. If it’s something a little more sophisticated or a new chemical, that may be more appropriate for a food additive petition, where toxicology studies would be conducted. (12:49)The panel discusses how scrutiny of GRAS rules might impact the pet food industry. Dr. Larson explains the scientific rigor involved in evaluating new ingredients. Dr. Starkey notes that there are different levels of GRAS, one of which is self-affirmed, which might be the one under the most scrutiny at this point. The panel agrees that transparency is critical for consumer confidence and ensuring health and safety of pets. (15:47)Austin talks about some of the ripple effects of the federal reduction in force in the regulatory arena. He and Dr. Larson talk about how the AAFCO-K-State partnership came to be, how K-State is ramping up to manage this project, and future plans for the partnership. (19:52)Dr. Starkey underlines the importance of timely ingredient approvals and how the new AAFCO-K-State partnership allows for companies to be more competitive due to the speed of approvals. Austin notes that an ideal submission with no follow-up questions or back-and-forth would have taken about 18 months to get approval under the old MOU between AAFCO and FDA, and a very small percentage of applications would be considered ideal. With the new AAFCO-K-State process, an expert panel reviews the submission in 60-90 days and the entire approval process is cut roughly in half, to about nine months. (25:55)Scott and the panel discuss how approval pathways differ for ingredient approval based on the claim being made. For example, is it a nutrient or is there some sort of pharmaceutical claim? (28:36)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (37:19)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium.  Dr. Baumgard begins with an overview of his presentation, “Importance of gut health to drive animal performance and health.” He notes the metabolic and inflammatory fingerprint of all stressors is essentially the same, indicating they likely all emanate from the gut. Overall, we’re gaining a better understanding of how typical on-farm stressors negatively influence gut barrier function. He thinks the most likely mechanism of leaky gut is the immune cell known as a mast cell. When an animal or human is stressed, the enteric nervous system releases corticotropin-releasing factor, which binds to the mast cell, the mast cell degranulates, and the former contents of the mast cell (TNF-alpha, proteases, histamine, etc.) causes the gut to become leaky. (4:20)Once the GI tract barrier becomes compromised, antigens like lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can infiltrate, stimulating the immune system. Immune activation causes loss of appetite much like any other infection. The gut heals fairly quickly upon removal of the stressor(s), and the gut can also acclimate to stress such that the early stages of a stress event are more severe than later stages. Strategies to combat leaky gut remain scarce, and there is no silver bullet. There are a variety of dietary strategies to target the gut permeability issue itself. Another approach would be to bind pathogens or curb their proliferation at the membrane of the small intestine. (7:06)Dr. Neiehues asks if an antihistamine would work on gut mast cells the way it does in other body systems. Dr. Baumgard isn’t sure that’s ever been looked at, although there have been some studies in pigs using a product targeted to prevent mast cell degranulation. Dr. Nelson wonders if we should interfere in some of these processes because they’re obviously there for a reason. Panelists discuss stress events related to parturition and transition, particularly for first-calf heifers. Dr. Baumgard notes that stacking stressors on top of one another compromises an animal’s ability to tolerate stress. (9:28)We know stress can cause ulcers in humans and horses - what about ruminants? Dr. Baumgard thinks it is likely that it’s happening, but we aren’t looking for it. Few animals who die on-farm do receive a thorough postmortem exam. It could also be that these types of insults to the gut are not visible to the naked eye. (19:11)Dr. Nelson asks what makes some cows, despite all the challenges, able to be up and milking 150 pounds a day in no time after calving. What makes them unique? Dr. Baumgard lists some possibilities, including lower pathogenic inflammation than other cows, less tissue trauma damage to the uterus during calving, and lower sensitivity to immune activation. The panel disagrees with the notion that high-producing cows are stressed. (23:16)Dr. Niehues and Dr. Baumgard trade stories of experiments where cows maintained production even with high stress and inflammatory markers. The panel goes on to discuss subclinical infections and their impact on transition cows. Dr. Nelson notes there are retrospective datasets where cows who had metritis showed decreased feed intake even before calving. Dr. Baumgard feels that the decrease in intake has been incorrectly assumed to be the cause of the metritis. He says the decrease in intake is often around two weeks before calving and he doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that at the same time, the mammary gland is initiating lactogenesis. He hypothesizes the mammary gland is causing an immune response, resulting in a decrease in intake. Dr. Nelson wonders if measuring somatic cell counts of colostrum would show any differences in mammary gland inflammation during this prepartum period. (29:18)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (42:02)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt. 

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Dr. Bach gives an overview of his presentation, highlighting that buffers make the rumen resistant to a decrease in pH while alkalizers immediately increase rumen pH. He prefers magnesium oxide, an alkalizer, over sodium bicarbonate, a buffer. Both are effective, but sodium bicarbonate requires a larger amount, thus taking up more room in the diet. The magnesium oxide must be of high quality and soluble in the rumen. (3:40)Dr. Richards asks if we should use magnesium oxide more as a first line of defense against acidosis. Dr. Bach notes that the very best strategy is to avoid using either additive by making a proper ration balanced in terms of amount and rate of degradation of starch. But there are many constraints in the field, so he recommends using magnesium oxide before sodium bicarbonate. For the magnesium oxide to be effective, it must be solubilized in the rumen to magnesium hydroxide, and solubility can be tested in a variety of ways to determine quality. (7:35)The panel discusses the impact of magnesium oxide in place of sodium bicarbonate on DCAD and which DCAD equation(s) should be used for calculations. Dr. Bach recommends removing sodium bicarbonate from rations containing less than 1% of the ingredient. It will have little effect on the rumen, but make room in the ration. The panel explores how this can impact farm-level economics. (12:39)Dr. Bach also mentions probiotics and their impact on rumen function. In vitro studies have shown a wide variety of modes of action and positive results. Extrapolating in vitro doses to the cow often results in unsustainable amounts of the additive needing to be fed. Applied studies at the cow level have yielded inconsistent results. (23:29)Scott asks how long Dr. Bach has been making the case for pulling sodium bicarbonate out and putting magnesium oxide in, and what kind of pushback he has received. Dr. Bach gives some of the reasons farmers have given for not wanting to make this management change. He also notes that farmers who do make the switch do not tend to go back to sodium bicarbonate. (25:18)Dr. Bach and Maimie discuss grass silage diets and grazing diets with high amounts of moisture and how best to combat acidosis symptoms with those. In diets like this, where you’re not trying to make room for energy, sodium bicarbonate can be a good choice. Dr. Richards chimes in with questions about the ratio of the two ingredients; Dr. Bach indicates the ratio doesn’t mean much to him. (26:16)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (33:27)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded at the 2025 Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium. Microbial protein has always been Dr. Frikins’ main interest. It’s the most important and consistent source of protein for the cow, with a very high amino acid content. Histidine is the only exception, but bypass protein sources high in histidine complement microbial protein well. Our assessment of microbial protein is all based on prediction models. In his presentation, Dr. Firkins talked about what we can do to have consistently high microbial protein production and how to make the best use of the models. He touched on starch and fat content as two areas of focus, emphasizing a balanced diet to achieve a balanced supply of microbial protein. (5:36)Dr. Firkins notes that about 90% of the bacteria in the rumen can’t be cultured, and there is great diversity in the rumen. There’s a core group of bacteria that almost every cow has that are really good at their job because they’ve been co-selected along with the cow for fiber digestion. The panel discusses how much the microbiome changes over time, host interactions with the microbial population, and inoculation of calves at birth and weaning. (8:47)Dr. De Souza and Dr. Faciola talk about starch associative effects and their impacts on fiber digestibility, how sugars impact the rumen and butyrate production, and the importance of butyrate in de novo milk fat synthesis. Dr. Frikins hypothesizes that when sugars improve fiber digestibility, the sugar stimulates how fiber digesters do their job. Some studies have shown an increase in rumen pH when sugars are supplemented, which may be part of the mechanism of improved fiber digestibility. However, he doesn’t recommend using sugars when there is a lot of starch in the diet. (13:38)Dr. Faciola and Dr. Firkins discuss some of the finer points of the dietary starch and fiber digestibility relationship. What are you replacing when you add more starch? What is the proper amount of effective fiber in higher-starch diets? On the other hand, if you decrease starch a little bit, there might be more room for fat. Well-managed cows with adequate effective fiber can probably handle more starch. Dr. Firkins underlines that starch is more digestible than fiber and thus supports microbial protein, but an optimum level is desirable, perhaps 28-20%. (20:37)The panel talks about microbial growth efficiency and the energy-spilling mechanisms some bacteria have. Some models suggest that starch-digesting bacteria have higher maintenance energy requirements. The group then pivots to methane production and available feed additives marketed to reduce methane. Dr. Firkins notes that there is quite a bit of variability in the additives. He emphasizes that if we’re using these products, we need to know and measure what’s in them and have them be consistent. This is challenging due not only to variability in product, but also rumen adaptation. Dr. Firkins also reminds the audience that improving the cow’s efficiency in general in a variety of ways will lead to a smaller environmental footprint. This can range from improving reproductive efficiency to understanding differences in the microbiome of cows who emit more or less methane and trying to shift microbial populations to those with lower emissions. (23:12)Dr. De Souza and Dr. Firkins discuss fatty acid supplementation and fiber digestion relationships. Dr. Firkins explains that in the microbiology literature, it's common to culture bacteria in a simple or complex medium, then add yeast culture. Interestingly, the yeast culture contains a lot of palmitic acid, which has been shown to improve fiber digestibility. He suggests the cell membrane of the bacteria is very critical. When fat supplementation depresses fiber digestibility, he suspects it’s disrupting the bacterial membrane. Dr. De Souza recommends 1-2% palmitic acid in the diet for optimal results. (33:58)The panel touches on the importance and relevance of in vitro fermentation work, why histidine is the limiting amino acid in microbial protein, and Dr. Firkins’ passion for protozoa. (43:08)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (53:40)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.

This episode was recorded in Reno, Nevada, during the 2025 Western Dairy Management Conference. Dr. Hemme begins with a demonstration of three different-sized glasses of milk representing the daily average dairy consumption in China, Europe, and the world as a whole. He explains that when you make predictions, it’s good to identify the two main drivers of uncertainty in your industry. In the case of dairy, he cites whether or not people like dairy and whether or not they can afford it. He goes on to describe the four scenarios that can be created from those main drivers: people like dairy and can afford it, people don’t like dairy but could afford it, people like dairy but can’t afford it, and people don’t like dairy and can’t afford it.  (4:05)Walt asks Dr. Hemme to give some perspective on what makes a country a reliable exporter built for the global economy. He gives a unique example of how American football versus soccer compares to exporting dairy from the US to the global market. Matt chimes in with his perspective on how DFA is positioning the industry for exports. He notes that we live in the world of VUCA - volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity - and that we have a lot of VUCA happening in the US right now. In general, he’s very bullish on our natural resources, management skills, and technical capability in the US dairy industry.  (10:17)The panel discusses who in the world is going to be able to meet the building demand for dairy products, and what the US might need to do to be a major player - in essence, moving from playing football to playing soccer. Dr. Hemme gives culture, policy, and relationship building as potential challenges for the US. (16:37)Matt is encouraged by the new investments in processing plants in the US and looks for a “build it and we will grow into it” scenario as we move forward. Dr. Hemme agrees that the processors are on board. But he wonders about the dairy farm side - no growth in cow numbers, not much growth in production, and breeding so many cows with beef semen makes him think the US is not believing in a growing dairy industry. He also talks about changing interest rates over time and impact on capital management. (25:50)The panel discusses the US milk price compared to the world milk price, the cost of production, and exchange rates. (29:45)Matt gives some perspective on beef-on-dairy. As the beef cycle levels back out and more beef heifers are retained, he forecasts fewer dairy cows being bred to beef semen and an increase in the supply and retention of dairy heifers. (34:31)Dr. Hemme talks about dairy demand and global population growth trends and predictions. (39:38)Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (42:02)Please subscribe and share with your industry friends to invite more people to join us at the Real Science Exchange virtual pub table.  If you want one of our Real Science Exchange t-shirts, screenshot your rating, review, or subscription, and email a picture to anh.marketing@balchem.com. Include your size and mailing address, and we’ll mail you a shirt.