In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Pedro Melendez from City University of Hong Kong discusses the genetic and nutritional factors behind abdominal adiposity and hypocalcemia in dairy cows. He shares research findings on metabolic health risks, prevention strategies, and the importance of monitoring nutritional management. Listen now on all major platforms! "Abdominal adiposity significantly increases the risk of developing metabolic disorders such as mastitis, ketosis,...
Jul 03, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 89
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Chris Chase, Professor Emeritus at South Dakota State University, breaks down the critical link between gut health and immune function in dairy cattle. He covers how diet, water quality, and stress impact gut integrity and the pro-inflammatory response, plus practical strategies to support a healthy microbiome. Listen now on all major platforms! "The gut microbiome and immune system are deeply connected. Maintaining this balance throu...
Jun 26, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 88
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Duarte Diaz from the University of Arizona tackles the complex issue of mycotoxins in dairy feeds. He explores how mycotoxin contamination levels vary by region, season, and climate and how different feedstuffs, besides corn silage, are at high risk. Dr. Diaz also shared insights on testing frequency for mycotoxins and strategies for preventing contamination and growth in stored feed. Additionally, he discusses the role of feed additi...
Jun 19, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 87
In this second part of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast episode with Dr. Claira Seely, from the University of New Hampshire, she discusses identifying metabolic disorders and diagnosing subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows. She also highlights effective prevention strategies, focusing on key nutritional approaches like negative DCAD rations and the use of calcium binders. Listen now on all major platforms! "Low blood calcium at four days in milk will give you a better idea of what percent...
Jun 12, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 86
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Claira Seely, from the University of New Hampshire, sheds light on the evolving understanding of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cattle. Dr. Seely explains how the understanding of this condition has evolved over time, especially in diagnosing it at the right moment. Learn how the timing of calcium monitoring can impact milk production, reproduction, and overall cow health. Listen now on all major platforms! "Cows with low blood cal...
Jun 05, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 85
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Michael VandeHaar from Michigan State University shares insights on bridging nutrition and genetics to breed more efficient dairy cows. He also discusses the upcoming ADSA meeting, highlighting sessions on applied nutrition, feed efficiency, and milk fat optimization. Listen now on all major platforms! "Some cows eat less than expected for whatever reason, and those are the cows we want in the future." Meet the guest: Dr. Michael Vand...
May 29, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 84
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Jacob Copelin, a ruminant nutritionist, discusses strategies to mitigate milk fat depression in dairy cattle. He breaks down how oils, fatty acids, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) affect milk fat production and rumen health. Jacob also explores how the new CNCPS model and branched-chain volatile fatty acids relate to balancing BCAAs for optimal milk production. Tune in now on all major platforms! "Increasing acetate production mean...
May 22, 2025•17 min
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Marcos Marcondes from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute breaks down the science behind milk replacer fat levels for calves and why fat content matters. He explains how milk replacers differ from raw milk in fat concentration, compares the effectiveness of lactose versus fat as energy sources, and highlights the key benefits of high-fat milk replacers for calf health and development. Listen now on all major platforms...
May 15, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 82
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Antonio Gallo, Full Professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy, discusses mycotoxin contamination in dairy feed, its effects on cow health, and strategies for mitigation. Learn how to detect and manage mycotoxins to protect your herd and milk production. Tune in now on all major platforms! "Contamination can come from multiple sources, even forages, making it essential to monitor quality regularly." Meet the gue...
May 08, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 81
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Mutian Niu, Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich, explains exhalomics, an approach for assessing rumen fermentation by analyzing volatile organic compounds in cattle breath. He discusses how this technique can provide valuable insights into rumen function and help improve cattle health monitoring, with potential applications in managing methane emissions and optimizing dairy production. Listen now on all major platforms! "We’re using exh...
May 01, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 80
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Andrew LaPierre, Dairy Technical Specialist at Zinpro Corporation, discusses the role of isoacids in improving dairy cattle nutrition. He explores how supplementing isoacids can boost fiber digestibility, enhance dry matter intake, and optimize energy balance, leading to improved lactation performance. Dr. LaPierre also highlights the potential economic benefits for dairy farmers. Listen now on all major platforms! “Isoacids are prere...
Apr 24, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 79
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann from Cornell University discusses the importance of protein feeding during the transition period for dairy cows. She shares new insights on protein metabolism and how it affects postpartum milk production and overall cow health. Learn how diet strategies during this time can improve productivity and resilience in dairy herds. Tune in now on all major platforms! "In the postpartum diet, cows used the extra protein for milk ...
Apr 17, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 78
As we celebrate Earth Day this month, we’re bringing a special rerun episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast. In this conversation with Dr. Robin White from Virginia Tech, she explores the complex intersection of dairy cattle production and climate change. Dr. White discusses the industry's contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, strategies to reduce environmental impact, and the irreplaceable nutrients provided by dairy products, exploring both challenges and opportunities. Tune in ...
Apr 10, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 77
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Elliot Neto from Kemin Industries, discusses the critical role of amino acids in dairy nutrition, emphasizing the importance of optimizing amino acid balancing and rumen-protected amino acids through advanced product technology. He explains how particle size, nutrient delivery, and bioavailability impact milk production, feed efficiency, and sustainability. Learn how innovative solutions can fine-tune amino acid delivery for maximum s...
Apr 03, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 76
In this second part of our special Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast episode celebrating International Women’s Day, Dr. Jennifer Van Os from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discusses the impact of air speeds on dairy cow welfare. She shares groundbreaking research on how different air speeds influence cow behavior, milk production, and overall comfort, especially in heat-stress conditions. Learn how optimizing barn ventilation can enhance dairy cattle well-being and productivity. Listen now ...
Mar 27, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In this special episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating International Women’s Day, Dr. Jennifer Van Os from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discusses the critical role of heat abatement in dairy cattle welfare and production. She explains how thermal discomfort affects cows, emphasizing early physiological indicators like respiration rate. Learn about the best cooling strategies for different climates and production systems. Tune in now on all major platforms! "We need ...
Mar 20, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 74
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating National Ag Day, Dr. William Brown, Assistant Professor at Kansas State University, explores the use of high-protein corn co-products in dairy calf starters. He discusses the challenges and potential benefits of incorporating these ingredients, including improved calf growth, digestibility, and cost efficiency. Tune in now on all major platforms! "We saw that calves on the high-protein corn product grew more and had greater av...
Mar 13, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Firkins from The Ohio State University continues his conversation, sharing innovative strategies for dairy cattle nutrition. He explores topics like the interaction between fatty acids and fiber, as well as the use of byproducts such as citrus pulp, offering practical insights for enhancing milk production and sustainability. Catch the episode now on your favorite platform! " Feeding too much fat can interrupt rumen function, ...
Mar 06, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 72
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Firkins from The Ohio State University breaks down the science behind optimizing fiber digestibility, managing rumen pH, and balancing starch and fiber in dairy diets. He also explores the role of feed additives like yeast in enhancing rumen health. Tune in for practical, research-based strategies to boost herd performance—available now on all major platforms! "Positive associative effects on fiber degradation are often linked...
Feb 27, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 71
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Tales Lelis from Evonik shares insights into using protected amino acids and managing heat stress—key factors in boosting dairy production. He discusses significant changes in dairy farming across Latin America and the growing role of technology in enhancing efficiency. Tune in to discover the latest dairy market trends and practical strategies to improve nutrition management. Listen now! "Protected amino acids aren’t additives; they’re n...
Feb 20, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 70
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Maurice Eastridge, from The Ohio State University, explores strategies for optimizing dairy cow health during the postpartum period. He shares insights on balancing carbohydrates, protein, and minerals to prevent metabolic disorders like ketosis and hypocalcemia. Dr. Eastridge discusses how feed efficiency and other metrics can guide better nutritional strategies. Tune in for practical takeaways on improving herd health and maximizing...
Feb 13, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 69
In this special rerun episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, we revisit our conversation with Dr. Jim Drackley, professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, who approaches the nuances of controlled energy diets versus higher energy diets, discussing their effects on liver inflammation, rumen health, and overall post-partum performance. Listen now on your favorite platform! "Higher energy diets seem to upregulate inflammation-related genes in the liver, which can affect ...
Feb 06, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 68
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Cainan Florentino, a veterinarian and also a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota, shares insights on managing ketosis in dairy cows. He explains its impact on herd health, production, and reproductive success and discusses the effects of acidogenic boluses administered at dry-off. Don’t miss this conversation—tune in on all major platforms! "Cows with ketosis often face challenges like delayed pregnancies and lower production, ...
Jan 30, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 67
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Alexandre Pedroso, a dairy specialist, explores the critical link between animal welfare and the nutritional status of dairy herds. He highlights how factors like heat stress and inadequate bedding can directly affect cow performance, feed intake, and overall health. Tune in for practical advice on optimizing welfare conditions to boost milk production and efficiency on dairy farms! "If a dairy cow doesn't have enough time to rest bec...
Jan 23, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 66
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Addison Carroll, Research Coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses the critical role of maintenance energy requirements in dairy cattle. Dr. Carroll breaks down how changes in maintenance energy requirements are influencing diet formulation and feed efficiency strategies. Tune in now—available on all major platforms! "What we've seen now is that previously we used .08 make cows per unit of metabolic body weight, no...
Jan 16, 2025•7 min•Season 1Ep. 65
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Addison Carroll from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shares insights from her research on among-animal variation in energy utilization in dairy cattle. She discusses how factors like genetics and nutrition influence energy efficiency in lactating cows and the impact on overall farm productivity and sustainability. Listen now! "Methane energy at first was high among animal variance by itself, but then it became even higher when we r...
Jan 09, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 64
In this holiday episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Heather Dann from William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute shares valuable insights on managing dairy herds during the winter months. Discover practical strategies for optimizing diets, minimizing cold stress, and protecting calf health to maintain a productive herd throughout the season. Don’t miss these helpful tips to keep your herd thriving during the holidays—listen now on all major platforms! "Any time our cows a...
Jan 02, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 63
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Lucas Rebelo from Adisseo shares key research on how corn with high alpha-amylase expression affects dairy cattle nutrition. He discusses the trial results, highlighting improvements in dry matter intake, increased milk production, and the nuanced impacts on microbial protein synthesis. Tune in now on all major platforms! "We found that the energy in corn silage treatment increased dry matter intake by about 1.6 kilos and milk yield b...
Dec 26, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 62
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Melissa Cantor from Penn State University breaks down nutrition strategies to boost calf health and performance. She explores the impact of early life management practices, including pair housing, colostrum feeding for older calves, and effective weaning strategies to help calves stay healthy. If you want practical advice for healthier, more productive dairy calves, tune in now on all major platforms! "Pairing calves early in life lea...
Dec 19, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 61
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kirby Krogstad, from The Ohio State University, examines the role of niacin in dairy cow health and performance. Highlighting niacin's impact on immune regulation, rumen functionality, and lactation outcomes, Dr. Krogstad unpacks recent research findings and their practical applications in dairy nutrition. Listen now on all major platforms! "When we provided niacin to those cows, the acute phase proteins that would suggest a general s...
Dec 12, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 60
