Dr. Derek Nolan: Somatic Cell Count Management | Ep. 34

In order to ensure profitability on our farms while producing top-quality milk, we must carefully consider both technical and economic factors when solving problems and managing our cows, since this approach leads to more precise and profitable results. In that sense, managing somatic cell count and heat stress is no exception. To stay up to date with the latest knowledge in this area, we discuss somatic cell premium programs, somatic cell count reduction for economic viability, the daily impacts of early heat stress, and winter-to-summer ratios with Dr. Derek Nolan. In this episode, we also cover other important topics, such as the economic impact of cover crops, the use of big data on farms, and the role of technology in improving economics.

“I hadn’t realized how important the economic side was till I started graduate school’’ - Dr. Derek Nolan

What you’ll learn:

• (0:00) Highlight
• (1:38) Introduction 
• (5:16) The role of somatic cell count in farm economics 
• (11:40) The threshold for lowering somatic cell count 
• (15:17) Heat stress abatement 
• (21:48) Activity monitoring to detect heat stress 
• (25:54) Big data management for farm profitability 
• (31:09) The final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Derek Nolan

Experience:

• Current: Teaching Assistant Professor and Dairy Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois

Background:

• Ph.D., Animal Science (University of Kentucky)
• M.Sc., Animal Science (University of Kentucky)
• B.Sc., Dairy Science (Iowa State University)

Connect with the guest!

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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