By: Grace Thomas, M.Agr.Sc. P.A.S. In order to understand the importance of milk urea nitrogen, we first need to understand how it is formed. When the cow consumes protein, it is broken down in the rumen by the rumen microbes to ammonia. This ammonia is then converted to microbial protein by the rumen microbes. The […]
By: Dr. Aimee N. Hafla, Ph.D., P.A.S The winter months are a good time to consider feedstuff production and management plans for the upcoming year to ensure your livestock have proper diets. Cattle feeders with integrated crop-livestock systems have the flexibility to produce the feeds that best fit their operation. Questions to ask yourself during […]
By: Dr. James C. Coomer, Ph.D., P.A.S Hypocalcemia, or “milk fever” as it is commonly called, is the result of low blood calcium (Ca). Severe milk fever impairs muscle and nerve function to such a degree that the cow is unable to rise. Hypocalcemia also increases the chances of cows experiencing other disorders such as […]
By: Dr. Gene P. Gengelbach, Ph.D., P.A.S Commodity prices have been on a wild ride so far in 2021. Besides all of the chaos that COVID-19 has thrown at us, other factors such as record grain exports, uncertain ethanol markets, and serious weather events (both drought and flooding) have led to dramatic increases in grain […]
It’s no secret that the weather in the Midwest has been high in precipitation this year. All of this rain and extra moisture can cause feed and pastures to become moldy. Storage units, bales, and land have all been flooded for months and it doesn’t take much for that water to ruin your livestock’s feed. […]
By Dr. K.E. Lanka, Ph.D., P.A.S. Smut describes several diseases in grains such as corn, sorghum and small grains that are caused by fungi. In this article, only smut diseases in corn will be discussed. The most prevalent type of smut in corn is “common smut,” known as Ustilago maydis or the older name Ustilago […]
By Drs. Pat Brown, Ph.D., and Dave Jones, Ph.D. The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) marks the physical boundary between an animal and the contents of its intestines. This boundary allows direct contact between the immense surface area of the GI tract and the intestinal contents (digesta). The contents include a far-ranging mixture of undigested feed […]