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By Dr. James C. Coomer, Ph.D., P.A.S. The word mycotoxin appears to have been first used in a publication by Forgacs and Carll (1955) where they are describing diseases of animals caused by toxins produced by fungi (microbial toxins = mycotoxin). The word usually refers to a structurally diverse family of naturally occurring, fungal-elaborated toxins. […]
By Dr. Gene P. Gengelbach, Ph.D., P.A.S. Fall is the time of year many people associate with colorful foliage and football. For the livestock producer, this is the time of year they must evaluate their forages and devise a feeding strategy for the upcoming winter months. Many parts of the country experienced drought conditions for […]
By Lucas A. Krueger Why does dry matter loss matter? With summer forage harvests behind us and fall crop silage in full focus, evaluating dry matter loss from harvested forages is never more important. From a practical standpoint, dry matter loss equates to wasted fuel consumption; seed, fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide use; and acreage. Dry […]
By Dr. David Jones, Ph.D., P.A.S. Along with amino acids and peptides, ammonia is part of the soluble protein (or ‘A’ fraction) of routine protein analysis. It is generated by the deamination (removal of nitrogen-containing amino groups) of proteins, which reduces the overall quality of the protein. Ammonia is a source of nitrogen for rumen […]
By Dr. Dan Schauff, Ph.D., P.A.S.; Dave Spangler; and Lucas Krueger The cost of milk production has increased dramatically in the past year due to various factors such as money supply in excess of economic expansion, higher energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty in world wheat/grain markets due to the war in Ukraine. On […]
By Dr. Louisa E. Koch, Ph.D., P.A.S. You have likely heard a thing or two about the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. Did you know, however, that the water-soluble B-vitamins play essential roles in the cow, as well? The B-vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that have key roles as enzymatic cofactors or […]
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 […]
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