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Feed quality and nutrition

Digging into copper & trace minerals - Dr. Mat Faulkner, Vita Plus

Posted on December 18th, 2017 in Dairy Summit

By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman
When it comes to trace minerals like copper, it is possible for a dairy cow to have too much of a good thing, and it can even be deadly sometimes. Dr. Mat Faulkner shared why trace minerals matter, how requirements are determined, where absorption occurs, and how much is too much in a dairy cow diet.

Read more about Digging into copper & trace minerals - Dr. Mat Faulkner, Vita Plus

Getting more milk from forages - Dr. Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Posted on December 18th, 2017 in Dairy Summit

Getting the most value form homegrown forages continues to be a top priority for dairy producers. Dr. Dan Undersander presented the three key factors producers should focus on to have the most impact on alfalfa and hay quality.

Read more about Getting more milk from forages - Dr. Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Optimizing feed behavior of dairy cows - Dr. Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph

Posted on December 18th, 2017 in Dairy Summit

By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman
How cows eat and ruminate is just as important as the nutritional composition of the feed in front of them. Dr. Trevor DeVries shared how dairy producers can make the most of every minute at the feedbunk by understanding dairy cow behavior and incorporating that into daily herd management.

Read more about Optimizing feed behavior of dairy cows - Dr. Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph

Practical Strategies to Alleviate Fat Test Depression - Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University

Posted on December 15th, 2016 in Dairy Summit

Dr. Adam Lock joked that he’s “the fat guy” in the Michigan State University Department of Animal Science . His research focuses on lipids in dairy nutrition and milk production – a topic of conversation for many dairy producers as they’re challenged to find the causes and solutions for milk fat depression (MFD).

Read more about Practical Strategies to Alleviate Fat Test Depression - Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University

Growing & Feeding Low-Lignin Alfalfa - Dr. Dave Combs, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Posted on December 15th, 2016 in Dairy Summit

Low-lignin alfalfa is an emerging technology with the potential to increase yields per cutting or forage quality, but not both. Dr. Dave Combs, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , discussed the technology and research trial results during his presentation at Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2016.

Read more about Growing & Feeding Low-Lignin Alfalfa - Dr. Dave Combs, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Breakout sessions

The Final Step: Covering Your Silage - Dr. Michelle Windle, Vita Plus

Posted on December 11th, 2015 in Dairy Summit

By Jan Shepel
Fermentation and how to manage it are critical to the performance of the dairy farm, especially when it comes to making the most of silage. That point was emphasized by Dr. Michelle Windle , forage researcher and dairy technical services specialist with Vita Plus.

Read more about The Final Step: Covering Your Silage - Dr. Michelle Windle, Vita Plus

New Nutritional Strategies for the Transition Cow - Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Posted on December 11th, 2015 in Dairy Summit

By Karen Lee, Progressive Dairyman
As the transition cow enters negative energy balance, no longer meeting her nutritional requirements, there is a huge demand on the liver to continue to make glucose to drive milk production.

At time of calving, the fresh cow mobilizes fat or “milks off” her back. Fat is mobilized as non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and glycerol, which is not optimal because, while the glycerol can be used to make glucose, the NEFAs can lead to ketosis or fatty liver, said Dr. Heather White from the University of Wisconsin- Madison at the Vita Plus Dairy Summit Dec. 9 in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Read more about New Nutritional Strategies for the Transition Cow - Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nutrition & Animal Health

Dr. Darin Bremmer: Practical Application & Economics of High Corn Silage Diets

Posted on December 16th, 2013 in Dairy Summit

Click to download Bremmer's presentation

By Judy Brown, contributing writer
A double whammy of widespread alfalfa winterkill and drought the past few years is driving more dairy producers to adopt high corn silage diets.

Producers tired of trying to obtain high quality hay and haylage are shifting to high corn silage diets said Dr. Darin Bremmer, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist and technical services advisor, serving Wisconsin producers in central Wisconsin.

When obtaining his doctorate...

Read more about Dr. Darin Bremmer: Practical Application & Economics of High Corn Silage Diets

Nutrition & Herd Management

Dr. Randy Shaver: What's the Latest on Carbohydrates, Starch Digestibility, and More

Posted on December 11th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

;

Click to download presentation

Dairy producers have been experimenting with harvesting corn as Shredlage TM and snaplage. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Randy Shaver has been conducting feeding trials of these feedstuffs to see how they perform in the cow. He shared his results at the Vita Plus Dairy Summit, Dec. 5 in Merrillville, Indiana.

Shredlage
Currently, Shredlage processing rolls are only available on Claas choppers. These provide a longer...

Read more about Dr. Randy Shaver: What's the Latest on Carbohydrates, Starch Digestibility, and More

Dr. Laurie Winkelman: Pathway to Profitability - Monitoring and Measuring Transition Performance

Posted on December 11th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Click to download presentation

The transition period can set you up for either success or failure, according to Dr. Laurie Winkelman, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist. During her Dairy Summit 2012 presentation, Winkelman teamed up with Dr. Neil Michael, Vita Plus director of dairy initiatives, to offer strategies for maximizing cow health, nutrition, and performance during this pivotal time.

The transition period is defined as the three weeks pre-calving and three weeks post-calving. Cows will decrease intakes right before...

Read more about Dr. Laurie Winkelman: Pathway to Profitability - Monitoring and Measuring Transition Performance

Vita Plus Nutritionists: Diet Optimization with High Feed Prices

Posted on December 11th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

2014 Update
Editors note: While today's markets are far different from those in 2012, diet formulation goals remain quite similar. In this update, Stacy Nichols, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist, shares his insights into the design of optimizal feeding programs. Read below for reference to his 2012 recomendations and to see the similarities and differences between the two years.

Today’s dairy feeding programs are somewhat different than they have been the last few years, but in many ways...

Read more about Vita Plus Nutritionists: Diet Optimization with High Feed Prices

E-News Summit 2008 - Thursday, December 4

Factors Relating to Starch Digestibility in Lactating Dairy Cows

Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Pat Hoffman, University of Wisconsin

By Andrea Bloom, Vita Plus

Pat Hoffman works at the UW-Madison Agricultural Research Station in Marshfield, Wis. He said he’ll often be at his office and see dairy nutritionists bringing in forage samples. Recently, he’s also seen a lot of corn samples as well.

What he finds interesting is that even now little is understood about the digestibility of corn and how dairy cattle can best utilize...

Read more about Factors Relating to Starch Digestibility in Lactating Dairy Cows

Nutrition and Feed

Schwab: Why Ship Water When You Get Paid For Solids?

Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Download a printable PDF presentation.

Consumers and processors in the Upper Midwest demand solids to produce high quality dairy products. But how do we produce high solids milk without giving up production? How does it pencil out?

Dr. Eric Schwab, a member of the dairy nutrition and technical services team at Vita Plus, shared his thoughts on changing consumer demands and how those demands can be met through increasing milk fat and protein content on...

Read more about Schwab: Why Ship Water When You Get Paid For Solids?

Kung: What's Up in the World of Forages?

Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Does length of time ensiled enhance forage digestibility? Can enzymes aid in this process? What effects do wild yeasts have on rumen fermentation?

These are the questions Dr. Limin Kung, Jr. at the University of Delaware and his colleagues tried to answer in their research this year. Kung reported the findings at the Vita Plus Dairy Summit on Dec. 7 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

Length of time

Kung’s corn silage study involved using...

Read more about Kung: What's Up in the World of Forages?

E-News Summit 2010 - Wednesday, December 8

Goeser: Does Your Forage Have a Story to Tell?

Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Download a printable PDF presentation.

With dynamic markets as the dairy industry’s new normal, today’s producers need to look beyond getting the highest price for their milk. The new focus is on ensuring good margins between costs and revenue.

Dr. John Goeser, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist and technical services representative, said one of the key strategies for protecting those margins is putting up high quality forages. Doing so can significantly reduce cost and, at the...

Read more about Goeser: Does Your Forage Have a Story to Tell?

E-News Summit 2010 - Thursday, December 9

Greenfield: What Have We Learned with High Corn Silage Diets?

Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Dairy Summit

Download a printable PDF presentation.

“How much corn silage should I feed?” is a common question raised by most dairy producers. The short-term answer is usually found by the amount of existing inventories, but the long-term answer is unique for each dairy. Randall Greenfield, Vita Plus nutritionist and a member of the technical staff, said feeding a high corn silage diet has some distinct advantages and disadvantages.

If you chose a high corn silage diet, that means...

Read more about Greenfield: What Have We Learned with High Corn Silage Diets?

Starting Strong

Dairy Performance

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Feed quality and nutrition

Digging into copper & trace minerals - Dr. Mat Faulkner, Vita Plus

Getting more milk from forages - Dr. Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Optimizing feed behavior of dairy cows - Dr. Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph

Practical Strategies to Alleviate Fat Test Depression - Dr. Adam Lock, Michigan State University

Growing & Feeding Low-Lignin Alfalfa - Dr. Dave Combs, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Breakout sessions

The Final Step: Covering Your Silage - Dr. Michelle Windle, Vita Plus

New Nutritional Strategies for the Transition Cow - Dr. Heather White, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nutrition & Animal Health

Dr. Darin Bremmer: Practical Application & Economics of High Corn Silage Diets

Nutrition & Herd Management

Dr. Randy Shaver: What's the Latest on Carbohydrates, Starch Digestibility, and More

Dr. Laurie Winkelman: Pathway to Profitability - Monitoring and Measuring Transition Performance

Vita Plus Nutritionists: Diet Optimization with High Feed Prices

E-News Summit 2008 - Thursday, December 4

Factors Relating to Starch Digestibility in Lactating Dairy Cows

Nutrition and Feed

Schwab: Why Ship Water When You Get Paid For Solids?

Kung: What's Up in the World of Forages?

E-News Summit 2010 - Wednesday, December 8

Goeser: Does Your Forage Have a Story to Tell?

E-News Summit 2010 - Thursday, December 9

Greenfield: What Have We Learned with High Corn Silage Diets?

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Feed quality and nutrition

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E-News Summit 2008 - Thursday, December 4

Nutrition and Feed

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