Beef and Dairy Cattle Nutrition

4 Questions to Ask Before Investing in a Feed Additive

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:43:59 GMT

The feed additive market continues to grow, with products promising improvements in gut health, immunity, growth and overall calf performance. Yet with dozens of options available, deciding which products deserve a place in a nutrition program can be challenging.

During a recent webinar, Tana Dennis , senior director of innovation at Actus Nutrition, outlined a simple framework she uses when evaluating additives. Rather than focusing on marketing claims, Dennis encourages producers to start with four practical questions.

1. What Problem are You Trying to Solve?

The first step is identifying a specific and measurable objective.

“First and foremost, what is the problem that additive is supposed to solve in the context of your operation?” Dennis asks.

That may sound obvious, but it’s common to evaluate additives before clearly defining the challenge to be addressed. An operation struggling with calf scours may need a different solution than one focused on improving average daily gain or reducing respiratory disease treatments.

Dennis recommends establishing measurable benchmarks before considering any product.

“Do you have specific measurable outcomes you want to solve for?” she asks. “Is it gut health related? Are you trying to push growth rates? Are you trying to reduce treatment rates?”

Without a clearly defined target, it becomes difficult to determine whether an additive is delivering value.

“You have to identify what that is in order to make sure that what you’re evaluating actually fits the job that you’re trying to hire it to do,” Dennis says.

2. How is the Additive Supposed to Work?

Once a problem has been identified, the next question is understanding the additive’s mode of action.

“When a supplier is coming to you with an additive to try to implement, you need to ask for clarity on how it works,” Dennis says.

That information helps producers, nutritionists and veterinarians determine where the product fits within the broader feeding program and whether it addresses the desired outcome.

For example, some additives are intended to support gut integrity, while others target immune function, nutrient digestion or microbial populations. Even effective products may produce disappointing results if they are used in situations where their biological mechanism does not match the challenge being addressed.

Dennis notes that understanding how an additive works also helps determine when it should be used and whether nutrition or management changes should be prioritized first. In fact, she cautions producers to ensure the nutritional foundation of the animal is correct before looking for additives to compensate for shortcomings elsewhere in the program.

3. Has it Been Proven Under Real-World Conditions?

“I will always, always ask for data, data, data,” Dennis says.

Not all research is created equal, but you should seek evidence that demonstrates the additive can consistently deliver results. Dennis recommends asking whether the product has been evaluated in university trials, large-scale commercial field studies or internal company research.

Peer-reviewed research remains an important benchmark because it provides independent evaluation of the results. However, field trials conducted under commercial conditions can also offer valuable insight into how products perform outside of highly controlled research settings.

“It doesn’t mean that one set of data is better than the others,” Dennis explains. “But I would lean toward having more control or having more animals as being a way to quickly evaluate what those results look like.”

Ultimately, you should look beyond testimonials and seek evidence that demonstrates a measurable benefit in situations similar to their own operation.

4. If It Works, Does It Pay Off?

Even if an additive addresses a specific problem and has supporting data, the final question is whether the economics make sense.

The answer depends on the problem being addressed. In some cases, reducing treatment rates, mortality or labor requirements can generate a clear financial return. In others, the value may come from improving long-term performance or protecting animal health.

Dennis emphasizes the goal is not necessarily achieving a dramatic return on investment. Some additives may justify their cost simply by preventing losses or helping maintain performance during challenging periods.

“The ROI could be that you’re just breaking even because it really depends on the problem that you’re trying to solve,” she says.

However, the product must still create biologically meaningful results.

“The bottom line is it has to solve the problem that you’re hiring for and it has to be biologically relevant to why you’re trying to solve it,” Dennis says.

A Checklist That Starts With Questions

As feed additive options continue to expand, avoid costly mistakes by approaching new products with a healthy degree of curiosity.

Rather than asking whether an additive is popular or heavily marketed, ask four simple questions: What problem am I solving? How does the product work? What evidence supports it? And does it generate a meaningful return?

Those answers provide a much stronger foundation for decision-making than any marketing brochure ever could.

When a Sunken Flank Signals More Than Hunger in Young Calves

Thu, 28 May 2026 17:11:38 GMT

A calf with a visibly hollow or sunken flank is more than just a sign of an empty stomach. It can also be a practical visual indicator the calf is at greater risk of disease, poor performance, and even death.

The area in question is the paralumbar fossa, the triangular region between the last rib and the thigh. In a healthy, well-fed calf, that triangle is difficult to distinguish because the abdomen appears full. When the flank is noticeably hollow, however, it usually means the calf has gone too long without adequate nutrition.

Newborn Calves Lack Critical Energy Reserves

Newborn calves do not have much energy reserve to begin with. Calves are born with only about 2% brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, leaving very little stored energy available during periods without feeding.

Once those reserves are depleted, calves begin pulling energy from their own body tissues. This reduced energy availability likely contributes to poorer disease resistance, particularly during transport and the early receiving period.

The Link Between Sunken Flanks and Calf Mortality Risk

(Veal Farmers of Ontario)

Research from the University of Guelph evaluating nearly 5,000 veal calves found about 20% arrived at the veal facility with a sunken flank. Calves showing flank hollowing had a fourfold greater risk of dying within the first 21 days after arrival compared to calves without a sunken flank. They identified sunken flank as one of several arrival findings associated with early mortality, alongside dehydration and abnormal navels.

Researchers suggested a sunken flank may reflect long periods between milk feedings and depleted energy reserves before arrival at the veal facility. The effect may be especially important in calves exposed to longer transport times, where energy demands increase while nutrient intake remains limited.

A hollow flank is not simply a sign a calf missed one feeding. It may be an indicator of prolonged nutritional stress and reduced ability to cope with disease challenges during one of the most vulnerable periods of the calf’s life.

Signs a Calf May Be at Higher Risk

A sunken flank is often one of several indicators a calf may already be struggling. Watch for:

A visibly hollow paralumbar fossa
Reduced alertness or a weak suckle reflex
Signs of dehydration
Delayed feeding after transport
Cold stress or poor thermoregulation
Reluctance to stand or move
Calves arriving after prolonged transport times

A sunken flank alone does not diagnose disease, but it can act as an early warning sign that a calf has depleted energy reserves and may require prompt nutritional support and closer monitoring.

Transport Stress Accelerates Calf Energy Depletion

Transportation is one of the major periods where these issues can develop quickly. Calves may spend many hours moving through marketing channels, and the timing of the next feeding is often uncertain. Sunken flanks develop over time when there are long gaps between milk meals.

At the same time, calves are adapting to transport, new environments, social mixing and pathogen exposure. Long transport periods may further worsen energy depletion because calves expend additional energy trying to move and maintain body temperature, particularly during colder weather.

By the time the calf reaches its destination, the hollow appearance of the flank may reflect much more than temporary hunger.

Milk Feeding Protocols Before and After Calf Transport

Feed calves as close to transport as possible. Current calf care recommendations encourage feeding calves within one hour before leaving the dairy farm. Work evaluating feed management before and after veal calf transport has shown that calves fed two 3L milk feeds compared with one 2L milk feed before long-distance transport reduced the negative impacts of prolonged fasting, especially regarding energy balance and hydration status. However, even 6L of milk replacer pre-transport did not fulfill the metabolic needs of calves during long-distance transport.

Receiving protocols are also important. Calves with severe flank hollowing may require multiple feedings before the abdomen begins to fill out again. The gradual return of a fuller appearance in the paralumbar fossa can be a useful indicator the calf is recovering nutritionally.

Flank Fill Assessment is a Vital Calf Management Tool

Evaluating flank fill is inexpensive, quick and practical. Farm staff, transporters, and receiving personnel can all be trained to recognize the difference between a well-fed calf and one showing significant hollowing. That makes sunken flank assessment a useful welfare and management tool across the calf supply chain.

A sunken flank should not be dismissed as just a cosmetic observation. In many cases, it is a visible warning sign a calf has entered a higher-risk state. Recognizing that signal early, and responding with prompt nutritional support, may help reduce disease risk and improve calf survival during one of the most vulnerable stages of life.

Practical Nutrition Strategies to Maintain Rumen Health in Weaned Calves

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:00:58 GMT

At weaning, calves are suddenly introduced to new feeds, new environments and new feeding behaviors — all while the rumen microbial population tries to adapt to completely different nutrient sources. Many of the problems that show up after weaning, including inconsistent gains, digestive upset, acidosis and increased disease susceptibility, can often be traced back to instability within the rumen and lower gastrointestinal tract.

Greg Eckerle, technical services manager with Novonesis, says one of the biggest challenges is managing the transition away from forage-heavy diets without overwhelming the rumen too quickly.

“They’ve been on a high-forage diet, and we’re going to start introducing feedstuffs like corn, distillers grain, gluten feeds,” Eckerle explains.

Rapid dietary changes alter fermentation patterns, disrupt microbial populations and create inconsistent feed intake patterns that can become difficult to correct once calves begin cycling through digestive setbacks.

What Early Rumen Dysfunction Looks Like in Weaned Calves

Identifying early signs of digestive instability remains critical during the first weeks after weaning.

Early warning signs of rumen instability may include:

Loose or bubbling manure
Gray-colored feces
Mild bloat
Reduced bunk attendance
Sluggish behavior
Inconsistent intake patterns
Calves isolating themselves from the group

Eckerle notes manure consistency is the first indicator he watches for when evaluating calf gut health during transitions. In some situations, calves may need to be temporarily pulled back onto a higher-forage ration to stabilize rumen function before resuming the transition process.

How Gradual Feed Transitions Support Rumen Adaptation in Weaned Calves

Eckerle emphasizes maintaining high-quality forage early in the weaning period remains one of the best ways to stabilize intake and support rumen adaptation.

“Alfalfa is still probably one of the best weaning forages out there,” he says. Alfalfa offers high protein, vitamins and minerals that support rumen development and growth.

While calves may eventually transition toward more energy-dense rations, gradually introducing those ingredients gives microbial populations time to adapt to increasing starch levels and changing fermentation patterns. According to Eckerle, that process should happen slowly rather than through abrupt ration changes.

“It’s going to be about a 10- to 14-day process where we’re slowly moving those animals forward,” he says.

He also notes the importance of ration consistency. Newly weaned calves are highly capable of sorting feed ingredients, often selecting more palatable concentrates while avoiding longer forage particles. Maintaining appropriate chop length, forage quality and bunk consistency can help reduce slug feeding behavior and support more stable fermentation.

Emerging Understanding of Gut Health and Acidosis in Weaned Calves

When we think about rumen health and weaning, rumen acidosis is often the focus. However, Eckerle says newer research is pointing toward a broader gastrointestinal component.

“A quality direct-fed microbial is going to help keep the gut balanced and keep the rumen in line,” Eckerle says.

Direct-fed microbials and probiotics are increasingly being used during transition periods to help stabilize microbial populations and maintain rumen pH. According to Eckerle, disruptions lower in the gastrointestinal tract may contribute to rumen instability more than previously recognized.

When calves experience digestive upset, the resulting reduction in intake can quickly create a cycle that is hard to break.

“They’ll drop off intake for three days, and then they’ll pick back up and have a rollercoaster of events take place,” Eckerle warns.

This rollercoaster includes repeated setbacks in intake, gain and overall calf performance.

How Microbials May Support Rumen Stability During Weaning

The goal of microbial technologies during weaning is not simply to add bacteria, but to help create a more stable digestive environment during a stressful transition. Eckerle explains that many of the microbial populations needed to digest starch and ferment feed are already present within the rumen. The challenge is supporting the right balance of those organisms as diets change.

Some direct-fed microbials contain both lactic acid-producing and lactic acid-utilizing bacteria designed to help stabilize rumen fermentation and reduce major pH swings during feed transitions. Reducing harmful bacterial activity may also support calf health.

“The bacteria themselves aren’t the problem. It’s their endotoxins that become the problem,” Eckerle says.

Maintaining gut integrity may have impacts beyond digestion alone, especially during stressful post-weaning periods when calves are already immunologically challenged.

As interest in direct-fed microbials continues to grow, Eckerle encourages a focus on products supported by research rather than simply selecting products based on the number of bacterial strains included. Strain selection and compatibility are important, and products should be evaluated based on demonstrated stability, efficacy and supporting research.

Why Hydration Is Critical for Gut Health and Feed Intake

Water management is another frequently overlooked component of rumen health during weaning. Newly weaned calves commonly experience periods of reduced feed intake, making hydration especially important for maintaining rumen function and preventing larger digestive disturbances.

“If we don’t have quality access to water, it generally creates a bigger negative cascade of events,” Eckerle warns.

Tank cleanliness, water availability and easy access become particularly important during periods of stress when calves may already be reluctant to eat or explore unfamiliar environments.

Ultimately, maintaining rumen stability during weaning comes down to creating consistency in intake, hydration, fermentation and microbial balance.

“Having that overall healthier animal is good from a production standpoint, good from a welfare standpoint and good from an overall cost perspective,” Eckerle concludes.

Could Seaweed Work in Cattle Diets?

Fri, 22 May 2026 14:06:57 GMT

Scientists have discovered cattle and other ruminants already harbor gut microbes capable of digesting compounds from seaweed, even when the animals have likely never been exposed to it before. The finding suggests the ruminant microbiome may be far more adaptable to alternative feed ingredients than previously believed, an important insight as the livestock industry explores seaweed-based methane reduction strategies.

The work lead by Wade Abbott , a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and published in Nature Communications , examined how the gut microbiomes of cattle responded to diets containing the red seaweed, Mazzaella japonica. Researchers found the populations of specialized bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract rapidly expanded in response to the seaweed and activated enzyme systems capable of breaking down carrageenan, a complex polysaccharide found in red seaweed.

Researcher Jeff Tingley collecting seaweed samples.

(Canadian Light Source)

The discovery adds a new layer to the growing conversation around seaweed supplementation in cattle diets. While some seaweed species have attracted attention for their potential to reduce enteric methane emissions, questions have remained about how effectively ruminants can digest marine-derived carbohydrates.

Key Findings

Researchers found:

Cattle already harbor gut microbes capable of digesting carrageenan
Seaweed feeding increased populations of carrageenan-degrading Bacteroides
Most carrageenan digestion occured in the lower gut, not the rumen
Similar microbial pathways were identified across multiple ruminant species
Ruminants may adapt more readily to seaweed-based feeds than previously believed

Researchers Identify Carrageenan-Digesting Gut Bacteria in Cattle

The researchers identified specific gut bacteria, particularly members of the Bacteroides genus, that flourished after cattle consumed the red seaweed supplement. These microbes carried clusters of genes known as carrageenan polysaccharide utilization loci, or CarPULs, which encode specialized enzymes capable of degrading carrageenan.

What surprised the team most was how widespread these pathways appeared to be.

After analyzing public microbiome datasets from multiple herbivore species, they identified similar carrageenan-digesting genes in cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, deer, yak, giraffes and several other mammals. Comparable pathways were even detected in humans and great apes.

The findings suggest these seaweed-digesting capabilities may represent an ancient and conserved microbial trait, rather than a recent adaptation to marine feed exposure. This indicates ruminant microbiomes may already possess dormant metabolic pathways capable of responding to entirely new feed ingredients.

Seaweed Digestion Happens Mainly Outside the Rumen

One of the more unexpected findings was where the digestion appeared to occur.

The rumen microbiome showed relatively modest changes following seaweed feeding. In contrast, fecal microbiomes shifted dramatically, with strong enrichment of carrageenan-degrading Bacteroides populations. That observation suggests carrageenan digestion may occur primarily in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

This distinction could become important for future feed formulation work. Many discussions around methane-reducing feed additives focus heavily on rumen interactions, but the study highlights downstream sections of the gut may also play a major role in how alternative ingredients are processed biologically.

The work also reinforces the idea that the ruminant digestive system functions as a highly interconnected microbial ecosystem rather than a rumen-only fermentation chamber.

Why Do We Care About Seaweed?

Interest in seaweed supplementation has expanded rapidly over the past several years because certain marine algae species have demonstrated the ability to suppress methane production during ruminal fermentation.

Methane reduction strategies have become a major research priority globally as livestock industries face increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining productivity. However, introducing seaweed into terrestrial livestock systems presents both practical and biological challenges. Seaweed polysaccharides differ substantially from the plant fibers cattle have evolved to consume, and scientists have questioned whether ruminant microbiomes could adapt efficiently to these novel substrates.

This new study suggests the adaptation hurdle may be lower than expected.

Rather than requiring entirely new microbial communities, cattle may already harbor low-abundance microbes equipped to process seaweed compounds when dietary conditions change.

Scientists Characterize Specialized Seaweed-Digesting Enzymes

Researchers isolated live bacterial strains capable of growing on carrageenan as their sole carbon source and characterized several carrageenase enzymes involved in digestion. Some enzymes targeted specific forms of carrageenan, including κ-carrageenan and ι-carrageenan, while others acted on hybrid structures.

The team also resolved the crystal structure of one enzyme to better understand how it recognizes sulfate-rich polysaccharides. The structural analysis showed the enzyme contains highly specialized binding regions that allow it to distinguish between different carrageenan types based on their sulfate positioning and molecular shape.

“We’re only beginning to understand the genetic mechanisms that allow gut microbes to process these marine sugars,” Abbott said in a press release . “If we can map those pathways fully, the applications go well beyond cattle. We’re talking about a new framework for sustainable agriculture, one that embraces unconventional feed sources and works with the biology that’s already there, waiting to be activated.”

These newly identified enzymes could eventually have applications in:

Feed innovation
Food processing
Biotechnology
Biofuel production
Industrial polysaccharide modification

What This Research Reveals About the Cattle Gut Microbiome

This research highlights a broader concept increasingly shaping microbiome science: many microbial functions may remain effectively hidden until environmental conditions activate them.

The authors describe these pathways as part of the microbiome’s functional “dark matter,” meaning genetic capabilities are present within microbial communities but not always actively expressed.

As feed systems evolve in response to sustainability pressures, climate goals and alternative ingredient development, the adaptability of the gut microbiome may prove to be one of the industry’s most valuable biological assets.

While substantial work remains before seaweed supplementation becomes a standardized commercial feeding strategy, the study provides evidence that the microbial foundation for adaptation may already exist within cattle themselves.

Scientists Uncover a Hidden Methane Engine Inside the Rumen

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:55:25 GMT

Methane emissions from cattle are rooted in normal rumen function. Fermentation produces hydrogen, which methanogenic archaea convert into methane. What has been less clear is how protozoa, long known to be associated with methanogens, amplify that process.

New research published in “Science” provides an answer. The study shows rumen ciliates play a more direct role than previously understood, not just hosting methanogens but actively fueling them.

Rumen ciliates are single-celled protozoa that make up a substantial portion of the rumen microbial biomass. They are characterized by hair-like structures called cilia, which they use for movement and feeding. In the rumen, they contribute to fiber breakdown, starch metabolism and microbial turnover, placing them at a central point in fermentation dynamics.

Discovery of the Hydrogenobody

At the center of the finding is a newly identified organelle, termed the hydrogenobody.

This structure functions as a metabolic engine within ciliate cells. It produces hydrogen, maintains anaerobic conditions and supports methanogens living in close physical association.

By producing hydrogen exactly where it is needed, the hydrogenobody increases methane production efficiency at the cellular level. Imaging and genetic labeling indicate this organelle is widespread among rumen ciliates, although its abundance varies between species.

Linking Ciliate Data to Cattle Outputs

To determine whether this mechanism translates to animal-level outcomes, researchers paired large-scale genomic data with methane measurements from dairy cattle. They assembled a catalog of roughly 450 rumen ciliate genomes and integrated it with nearly 1,900 multi-omics datasets. These data were then linked to measured methane emissions, allowing direct comparisons between microbial profiles and production outcomes.

The analysis identified consistent associations between ciliate abundance, species composition and methane output. Certain ciliate groups, like Isotricha and Dasytricha, were repeatedly linked to higher emissions. Higher hydrogenobody abundance followed the same trend, supporting a functional role rather than a coincidental association.

Isotricha intestinalis

(Sharon Franklin)

Why Does this Matter for Cattle Management?

The implications extend into day-to-day herd management.

Methane mitigation strategies have largely focused on feed additives, broad microbiome suppression or direct inhibition of methanogens. While some approaches show promise, they can be inconsistent under field conditions and may carry trade-offs for rumen function.

Identifying a specific cellular driver shifts the focus upstream. Targeting rumen ciliates — or the hydrogen-producing machinery within them — could allow for more precise methane reduction without broadly disrupting fermentation.

Protozoal removal has already been shown to reduce methane emissions, although it is not widely adopted due to practical and nutritional considerations. This work provides a clearer mechanistic explanation and may help refine more targeted, feasible approaches.

New Methane Mitigation Strategies for Cattle

The hydrogenobody introduces a level of precision that has been largely missing from methane mitigation efforts.

Instead of managing the rumen ecosystem broadly, researchers may now be able to focus on a defined cellular mechanism. This opens the door to more targeted interventions, including precision feed additives, microbiome-directed strategies and potentially selecting for lower-emission microbial profiles within herds.

Key questions remain around how to selectively target specific ciliate populations, how stable these interventions will be under real production conditions and how they may influence digestion and animal performance.

This represents a shift toward more precise, mechanism-driven tools for methane reduction — approaches that could integrate more cleanly into herd health and nutrition programs without compromising rumen function.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition Launches Ruminant Digestive Health Platform

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:13:02 GMT

A newly relaunched educational platform from Lallemand Animal Nutrition, rumantdigestivesystem.com , highlights a growing shift in cattle health management: Focusing only on the rumen is no longer enough to optimize performance, health and efficiency.

What Is a Whole-System Approach to Ruminant Digestive Health?

A whole-system approach evaluates the entire ruminant digestive tract, including both the rumen and lower gut, and how these compartments interact to influence:

Feed efficiency
Microbiome balance
Immune function
Disease risk

This approach reflects emerging research showing postruminal function plays a measurable role in overall herd outcomes.

From Rumen-Centric to Full Digestive Insight

Historically, ration formulation and digestive health strategies have centered on rumen fermentation. However, increasing attention is being placed on the lower gut, particularly its role in inflammation, nutrient absorption and systemic health.

To address this, Lallemand Animal Nutrition has expanded its interactive learning platform to cover the full digestive system, helping veterinarians and advisers connect research with practical management decisions.

The platform combines scientific data with applied insights, supporting a more complete understanding of how digestive function drives productivity and welfare.

Key Topics Covered in the Platform

The platform consolidates core areas of ruminant digestive health into a single resource:

Rumen–lower gut interactions
The ruminant microbiome and its function
Digestive development from calf to mature animal
Common challenges such as SARA, liver abscesses, leaky gut and BRD
The role of probiotics and microbial-based solutions

This structure helps translate complex digestive science into actionable strategies for on-farm use.

Using this Platform in Practice

The updated platform serves as a centralized, science-based tool to strengthen both decision making and communication among nutritionists, veterinarians and producers.

According to Lallemand, it supports a more comprehensive evaluation of digestive health issues by encouraging a broader view of the entire gastrointestinal tract. This allows for stronger integration of nutrition and health strategies, rather than addressing problems in isolation. It also helps veterinarians engage more confidently with emerging research, making it easier to incorporate new insights into practical recommendations. By shifting from a compartment-focused approach to a system-level perspective, veterinarians are better equipped to interpret multifactorial conditions where rumen and lower gut interactions influence outcomes.

The platform also functions as a practical communication tool.

Its interactive, visual format helps explain complex digestive processes in a way that is easier to understand and apply. This supports:

Clearer explanations of digestive function
Reinforcement of nutrition and management strategies
More effective discussions around performance and herd health

This improves the likelihood that recommendations are both understood and implemented on farm.

As ruminant nutrition research advances, translating new findings into daily practice remains a persistent challenge. By combining current science with real-world context, this platform helps bridge that gap, allowing veterinarians to apply emerging insights more effectively during herd visits and consultations.

A whole-tract approach to digestive health is becoming essential, and tools that integrate research with application will be critical in delivering more precise, system-based recommendations.

Fatty Liver in Dairy Cows: The Export Problem You’re Overlooking

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:29:48 GMT

The transition cow is often discussed as having an energy problem. Cows eat less, demand ramps up and they fall into negative energy balance. While true, this is only part of the story. The bigger issue is a logistical bottleneck: What happens to the fat that gets mobilized? If the cow cannot move that fat out of the liver efficiently, metabolic problems stack up quickly.

Why the Liver Gets Overwhelmed

Around calving, a cow’s dry matter intake drops by 30% to 35%, while energy demand increases sharply. To fill this gap, the cow mobilizes body fat and sends it to the liver. Once there, the fat follows three main paths:

Complete Oxidation: It is burned for fuel to generate ATP (energy).
Ketogenesis: It is converted into ketones.
Export: It is packaged and sent back into circulation to be used for milk synthesis.

When the volume of fat exceeds the liver’s capacity to process it, the system breaks down.

“Lipolysis happens, that adipose tissue is breaking down. Part is going to be used for milk synthesis, part is going to go for complete oxidation and generate ATP and part goes to ketogenesis. The third thing that happens is that triglycerides accumulate, and when the liver cannot keep up, fat builds up in the liver and we start to see metabolic problems in cows,” says Fabio Lima, assistant professor at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Choline as the Liver’s “Shipping Crate”

The fundamental struggle for the modern dairy cow is her low capacity to export triglycerides from the liver as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Choline is the key ingredient needed to build the VLDL “package” that carries fat out of the liver cells.

“What we know about our modern dairy cows is that they have a low capacity to export triglycerides from the liver as VLDL. That inability to increase fatty acid oxidation or export is what leads our cows to develop fatty liver. Choline has been shown to be a key ingredient to reverse that,” Lima says.

By supporting the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a specific fat-transporting molecule, choline ensures the liver can keep up with the surge of fat mobilization.

“The modern dairy cow has been selected for high production. That creates a demand that makes nutrients like choline strategically important. It helps support that level of production,” Lima explains. “Choline is critical for VLDL assembly and hepatic fat export. And it’s critical to reduce fatty liver risk and minimize its impact. Phosphatidylcholine seems to depend on adequate choline, especially during the transition period.”

Why Rumen-Protection is Non-Negotiable

While choline is present in common feed ingredients like soybean meal, canola meal and forages, it is almost entirely degraded by rumen microbes before the cow can use it. Because natural feed sources rarely provide enough absorbable choline to meet the high demands of early lactation, rumen-protected choline is added to ensure the nutrient reaches the small intestine for absorption.

Despite the clear biological mechanism, the dairy industry is still refining exactly how much choline a cow needs. Because rumen dynamics are complex and every cow mobilizes fat differently, providing a one-size-fits-all dose remains a challenge.

“There has been 40 years of research, and we think, ‘Well, 40 years is a lot of research, we’re probably going to get some clear guidance.’ But we’re still not sure. There’s still the rumen dynamics and how much is metabolized, where it goes. All those things that make it difficult,” Lima says.

Rethink Transition Management

Success in the transition period requires looking beyond the feed bunk. The critical question is no longer just “Is she eating enough?” but rather: Is the transition cow able to handle the fat she is mobilizing?

Instead of focusing only on energy intake, it is equally important to consider how effectively the cow can process and move that energy. Supporting liver health through fat export is one of the most direct ways to reduce metabolic disorders and improve performance in the modern dairy cow.

Zeolite Strategies Reshape Milk Fever Management on Dairy Farms

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:13:40 GMT

Milk fever remains one of the most well-known metabolic diseases in dairy cattle, yet it is far from solved. While clinical cases still occur on most farms, the larger — and often more costly — challenge lies beneath the surface: subclinical hypocalcemia.

That’s why transition cow management continues to be a critical focus for veterinarians and producers alike.

“If you have transition cow issues, you’re going to have metabolic issues. Cows aren’t going to come in and perform the way you think they should. You’re going to have repro issues. You’re going to see a whole host of effects,” Meghan Connelly says, research and technical director at Protekta and guest on the most recent episode of “The Bovine Vet Podcast” .

Against that backdrop, a growing number of nutritionists and veterinarians are turning to zeolite-based pre-fresh diets, a relatively new approach that is reshaping how the industry manages calcium metabolism during the transition period.

The Hidden Burden of Hypocalcemia in Dairy Cows

On most dairies, clinical milk fever rates fall between 1% and 5%, depending on herd management and nutrition strategies. Subclinical hypocalcemia, however, is far more prevalent, affecting an estimated 25% to 45% of cows in many herds.

Unlike clinical cases, subclinical hypocalcemia is difficult to detect — but no less important.

“Subclinical is where we can’t see it, but it’s happening. The cow has low blood calcium, but we can’t tell that she’s low. But that still has consequences for the cow. There’s all these different systems and calcium is such a critical mineral for all those systems. So many different diseases that are influenced by calcium status,” Connelly says.

Instead of obvious signs, these cows often present as subtle inefficiencies that compound over time. Reduced rumination, lower feed intake and increased rates of retained placenta, metritis and mastitis are all commonly linked to inadequate calcium status. These hidden cases can quietly erode both performance and profitability.

DCAD Diets: The Traditional Approach to Milk Fever Prevention

For decades, the primary strategy for preventing milk fever has been the negative DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) diet, which works by inducing a mild metabolic acidosis that improves the cow’s responsiveness to parathyroid hormone (PTH).

“We feed different feed supplements that contain anions in order to drop urine pH. When urine pH drops, the system is primed for PTH to work and mobilize bone and help support calcium homeostasis when the cow calves,” Connelly says.

This approach is well validated and remains a cornerstone of transition cow nutrition. However, it comes with practical constraints that can limit its use, particularly in larger or more complex feeding systems.

Where DCAD can create friction:

Requires consistent access to low-potassium forages
Can reduce dry matter intake due to metabolic acidification
Depends on monitoring tools such as urine pH
Often still requires post-calving calcium supplementation

As operations scale and feed variability increases, these limitations have driven interest in alternative strategies that can deliver similar or improved outcomes with fewer constraints.

(Meghan Connelly)

How Zeolite Works: A New Strategy for Hypocalcemia Management

Zeolite offers a fundamentally different approach to milk fever prevention, one that targets phosphorus rather than acid-base balance.

“When we feed a zeolite diet pre-fresh, we bind dietary phosphorus. The cow goes, ‘Oh, I better go get more phosphorus.’ The main storage for phosphorus is in the bone. When she mobilizes bone, she brings double the amount of calcium with it,” Connelly says, referencing the P:Ca ratio in bone.

By binding dietary phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract, zeolite creates a mild, controlled drop in blood phosphorus. The cow responds by mobilizing bone reserves to restore balance. Because bone contains both phosphorus and calcium in a fixed ratio, this process results in a simultaneous release of calcium into circulation.

Unlike DCAD diets, which rely on parathyroid hormone sensitivity, zeolite operates through a separate pathway involving fibroblast growth factor-23, a hormone produced in bone cells that acts on the kidneys to regulate phosphate levels, and vitamin D metabolism. The outcome — improved calcium availability at calving — is similar, but the biological mechanism is distinct.

Why Zeolite Adoption Is Increasing on Dairy Farms

Although zeolite has only been available in the U.S. since 2017, adoption has accelerated rapidly, according to Connelly. Much of that momentum is driven by a combination of visible on-farm results and meaningful management advantages.

Producers implementing zeolite programs often report improved calcium status through the first 48 to 72 hours after calving, along with fewer clinical milk fever cases.

“If you go from having 30 down cows a month to four, that’s a pretty big change,” Connelly says, referencing the improvement she has seen on farms changing to zeolite.

Beyond clinical outcomes, zeolite introduces greater flexibility into ration formulation. Because it does not depend on lowering dietary potassium, producers can incorporate a wider range of forages — including haylage, rye and sorghum — that would typically be restricted in DCAD programs. This allows better use of homegrown feeds and can reduce reliance on purchased inputs.

Zeolite programs are also associated with reduced dependence on calcium supplementation after calving. With cows already mobilizing calcium effectively, the need for boluses and intravenous treatments often declines, lowering both labor and treatment costs.

Management simplicity is another advantage. Zeolite eliminates the need for urine pH monitoring and reduces the number of adjustments required in close-up groups. In addition, because it does not induce metabolic acidosis, it avoids the intake suppression sometimes observed with DCAD diets, helping support dry matter intake during a critical window.

Where Zeolite May Not Be the Best Fit

Despite its advantages, zeolite is not universally applicable. Its effectiveness depends heavily on overall diet composition, particularly phosphorus levels.

Situations where DCAD may still be the better fit:

Diets high in phosphorus (e.g., distillers grains, canola meal)
Operations with well-optimized DCAD programs already in place
Systems where tight ration control supports consistent acidification

In high-phosphorus diets, zeolite may become saturated, allowing the absorption of the remaining free phosphorus, reducing its effectiveness and making DCAD the more reliable strategy.

A Technology Still Evolving and the Veterinarian’s Role

Compared to DCAD, which has decades of supporting research, zeolite remains a relatively new tool. Since its introduction in 2017, both research and field experience have rapidly expanded understanding of how best to implement it.

“We didn’t necessarily know everything about it when it came out. I like to say that we continue to learn in real time with this strategy,” Connelly says.

Advances in feeding guidelines, monitoring approaches and troubleshooting frameworks have already improved consistency across farms, and further refinement is expected as adoption continues.

As that evolution continues, veterinarians are playing an increasingly central role. Transition cow programs are becoming more nuanced, and selecting the right strategy requires more than simply choosing between DCAD and zeolite. It involves identifying herd-level challenges, interpreting blood calcium data and aligning protocols with nutrition and management realities on each operation.

Close collaboration between veterinarians, nutritionists and producers remains essential. No single approach fits every farm, and the most successful programs are those tailored to available feed resources, labor capacity and herd goals.

Zeolite is not a replacement for DCAD, it is an expansion of the milk fever management toolbox.

It represents a shift from priming calcium regulation through acidification to directly driving mineral mobilization through phosphorus control. For many dairies, that shift is delivering higher blood calcium, fewer clinical cases and simpler management during one of the most critical periods in the production cycle.

As the industry continues to refine its use, zeolite is quickly moving from a novel concept to a practical, field-proven strategy in transition cow nutrition.

To hear more from Connelly on using zeolite for the management of transition cows to avoid hypocalcemia, listen to the full conversation on the latest episode of “The Bovine Vet Podcast.”

Can Phytogenics Shield Your Herd from Acidosis and Heat Stress?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:27:08 GMT

Heat stress is intensifying, subacute ruminal acidosis remains widespread and dairy producers are under increasing pressure to maintain performance while reducing reliance on medications. Many of these challenges share a common thread: the gut.

From microbial imbalance to compromised intestinal barrier function, disruptions in gut health can trigger inflammation, reduced production and poorer welfare outcomes. Herd health is increasingly approached through the lens of gut integrity and systemic inflammation, and interest in nutritional tools that support digestive stability is growing.

Nicole Reisinger, senior scientist with dsm-Firmenich Animal Health and Nutrition in Austria, studies how feed additives influence gut biology, biomarkers and animal health. In a recent conversation on the “ Dairy Podcast Show ”, she described emerging evidence that plant-derived compounds may help cows cope with physiological stress affecting the digestive tract. Phytogenic feed additives may support gut health by stabilizing rumen microbial populations, strengthening intestinal barrier function and reducing inflammatory responses.

What Are Phytogenic Feed Additives for Cattle?

Phytogenic feed additives are gaining attention as part of this shift toward preventative herd health. Derived from plants, they include essential oils, herbs, spices and plant extracts, often combined into blends designed to produce complementary biological effects.

Reisinger notes part of their appeal lies in the biological roles these compounds already play in nature.

“The nice thing is that they’re kind of designed by nature. Those compounds all have a purpose in nature, so it’s quite logical that they would also have an impact on animals,” Reisinger says.

Rather than relying on a single compound, many phytogenic products combine multiple ingredients designed to influence several physiological pathways.

“It might be that one substance is not enough. You need to combine them in the right way so that you really have the effect you are interested in,” she explains.

These combinations may influence microbial activity, inflammatory pathways and digestive processes simultaneously — an approach that may be useful when addressing multifactorial health challenges in cattle.

Can Phytogenic Feed Additives Improve Rumen Health During Acidosis?

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) remains one of the most common nutritional disorders in high-producing dairy herds. While ration formulation and feed management remain central to prevention, a growing body of research is beginning to show how phytogenic blends may influence rumen function during acidosis challenges.

This includes controlled work from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, where phytogenic blends containing compounds such as menthol, thymol and eugenol have been shown to improve rumen pH, stabilize fermentation patterns and reduce inflammatory markers during SARA challenges.

“For acidosis, there were quite a few positive effects we could see. It really started with feed intake and then also saliva production and buffering the rumen pH. We had an influence on the pH of the saliva, but then also on the microbiome, which is very essential,” Reisinger says.

What recent research suggests:

A recent meta-analysis of essential oils in ruminants found these compounds can shift fermentation pathways, reduce ammonia production and improve efficiency without compromising animal health.

These effects are consistent with observed changes in rumen stability and feed utilization during acidosis challenges, where microbial modulation appears to play a central role in maintaining digestive function.

How Does Heat Stress Affect Gut Health in Cattle?

Beyond rumen acidosis, heat stress presents another major physiological challenge for cattle, particularly as extreme temperatures become more frequent and severe.

Heat stress can affect the digestive system in several ways, including:

Reduced blood flow to the intestinal tract
Increased gut permeability (leaky gut)
Movement of endotoxins into circulation
Activation of systemic inflammatory responses

“Phytogenics are essential for this kind of challenge because they can really impact gut permeability. They can really help to strengthen the gut barrier, and this is one of the major things we see with heat stress,” Reisinger says.

What recent research suggests:

Phytogenic blends can improve feed efficiency and nutrient utilization in lactating dairy cows under summer conditions without negatively affecting milk yield, even when dry matter intake is reduced.

By helping maintain intestinal integrity, phytogenics may improve the animal’s ability to cope with environmental stress.

Where Do Phytogenic Feed Additives Fit in Herd Health Management?

Despite the potential benefits, feed additives alone cannot solve complex herd health problems.

“It’s always a combination of nutrition as well as management. We also need to be honest that it’s not the feed additive alone,” Reisinger says.

Sound ration formulation, transition cow management and environmental controls such as ventilation and cooling remain essential. Phytogenic additives may serve as another tool to help cows remain resilient when stressors arise.

What recent research suggests:

In grazing dairy cows , phytogenic blends can lead to improvements in rumen fermentation and milk production comparable to monensin, supporting their role as a viable alternative.

What Is the Future of Phytogenic Feed Additives in Cattle?

Interest in phytogenic feed additives continues to grow as the dairy industry looks for preventative approaches that support productivity and animal welfare.

“I think phytogenics are a good choice for the future, especially thinking about staying a bit more into the natural support,” Reisinger says. “Consumers are probably interested in us looking more into biological support than giving medication.”

Many of the dairy cow’s most significant health challenges begin in the digestive tract. Supporting gut stability may be central to helping cows remain healthy and resilient in the face of both nutritional and environmental stress.

Does Every Calf Need a Gallon of Colostrum? Not Necessarily

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:04:44 GMT

For years, feeding a gallon of colostrum shortly after birth has been considered the gold standard for calf care. It’s simple, easy to remember and straightforward to train employees to follow. But today’s calves don’t all look the same. With more variation in size, some researchers are asking whether the same volume makes sense for every newborn.

During a recent “Dairy Health Blackbelt” podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann, associate professor at Cornell University, revisited the research behind that long-standing recommendation.

“One of the questions I have gotten frequently is, why are we feeding all calves a gallon of colostrum?” she says. “It’s a pretty widespread management strategy in the U.S. And if you try to dig into the literature of why that came about, there’s actually not that much evidence that that is the best approach for every calf.”

She notes that for an average 85- to 90-pound calf, four liters is probably appropriate. But not every calf falls into that range. When birthweights vary, feeding the same volume across the board may not always match what each individual calf truly needs.

Putting the Gallon Rule to the Test

To take a closer look at the gallon recommendation, Dr. Mann and her team conducted a study on a commercial dairy in collaboration with researchers at the University of Guelph.

They began by pooling colostrum to keep quality consistent across calves. From each pool, four calves were assigned different feeding levels based on a percentage of their body weight.

“We made a big pool of colostrum, and then we assigned four calves to that pool, and one calf got 6% and one calf got 8% and one calf got 10% and one calf got 12% so that was our range, six to 12,” Mann explains.

Rather than giving every calf the same fixed volume, the team adjusted how much colostrum each calf received relative to its size.

The intent was not to create a complicated system requiring producers to weigh every calf and calculate exact doses.

“This is not meant for people to weigh each and every single one of the calves and then figure out the milliliters,” Mann says. “But it’s for us to understand, is there an effect on the calf’s ability to take up IgG into circulation. And if there is, how would we translate this into actionable recommendations on farm.”

Ultimately, the study focused on whether feeding different amounts based on body weight would influence how well calves absorb the antibodies they need early in life.

More Isn’t Always Better

The study looked at how different colostrum volumes (as a percent of body weight) affected IgG in the blood, absorption efficiency, stomach emptying and calf comfort. As expected, bigger feeds gave calves more total IgG

“We found that the more volume they got within a certain quality of colostrum, the more IgG they had in their blood, which makes sense, right? The more you give, the more you get,” Mann says.

But the benefit slowed at the highest volume, 12% of the calf’s body weight.

“There was a declining return on investment, so to say, with increasing volumes,” Mann says. “There was a steep increase from 6% to 8% to 10% of body weight, but only a very small improvement in blood IgG concentration at 12% of body weight.”

This happened because calves absorbed a smaller proportion of the IgG when fed very large amounts.

“The proportion of the IgG in colostrum that actually appears in the blood was declining, meaning that the more volume you put into them, the less proportion the calf can actually take up into that in that window of time.”

When calves get a large meal, their stomach empties more slowly, so less colostrum reaches the intestine while the gut is still “open” to IgG absorption.

“We wanted to see if different volumes affect how the stomach empties colostrum into the intestine, and timing matters because the gut is only open for IgG absorption for a limited period.”

She compared it humans overeating during a holiday meal.

“We do this around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we sit there and our belly hurts, right? Our systems know to slow down the gastric output in those situations, and that’s the same that happens in calves.”

Calf Comfort and Behavior

Dr. Mann’s team also looked at calf behavior, since small calves fed four liters often appear bloated or uncomfortable.

“We were interested in this notion from the field, and we did observe that the more volume we fed, the more we saw behavior associated with colic, like kicking the abdomen,” she says.

While lying time wasn’t significantly affected, higher volumes tended to reduce relaxed resting.

“We didn’t find a statistical effect in lying time, but those calves fed higher volumes tended to lie less in a relaxed position, similar to us at Thanksgiving,” she joked.

The “Goldilocks” Approach

When it comes to determining how much colostrum a calf truly needs, Mann describes the “Goldilocks” approach as the best option.

“I think we’re getting back to a Goldilocks approach where you want to have enough, but you don’t have to give too much,” she says. “Just the right amount is most beneficial to the calf.”

Based on this research, around 10% of a calf’s body weight is a solid target for an initial feeding. That amount provides enough immunoglobulins to support immunity without overwhelming the stomach, and it can be adjusted for smaller or larger calves.

Mann adds that while colostrum is packed with nutrients, extra benefits might be better delivered through multiple feedings rather than one very large meal.

“The nutritive value of colostrum should not be underestimated, but we also have to keep in mind the comfort of the calf,” she says. “Maybe it’s better given in separate feedings. A lot of farms have gone to feeding second feedings or even third feedings of colostrum.”

Practical Takeaways

While colostrum is essential for newborn calf health, Mann emphasizes that the goal isn’t to hit a fixed volume, but to give calves the right start while keeping them comfortable. She provides the following tips to use on the farm:

1. Know your herd’s average birth weight. “A good first step is to know the average birth weight of calves in your herd, since that can vary,” Mann says. “Once you know that, you can adjust the colostrum volume to match your average calf.”

2. Use a couple of standard volumes rather than one fixed size, “Many herds now use two standard volumes, like three liters and four liters. That way, even without a scale, you can look at a calf and decide: this one won’t be over 85 pounds, so it gets the smaller amount,” she says.

3. Consider second or third colostrum feedings. “Instead of giving all the colostrum at once, it can help to split it into two or three feedings if your farm can manage it,” Mann says. “Many people see benefits from this, though we could always use a bit more research to confirm.”

Mycotoxin Risk Holds Steady in 2025

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:49:09 GMT

According to the dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey , which assessed the global mycotoxin threat, 86% of North American samples tested above the recommended threshold for at least one mycotoxin. While mycotoxin levels haven’t necessarily escalated from 2024 to 2025, there was a shift in the distribution, which has some implications for cattle and swine operations.

“The 2025 results show a continued mycotoxin challenge, with contamination rates rising for both aflatoxins and zearalenone and average levels increasing across all major mycotoxins,” said Ursula Hofstetter, head of mycotoxin risk management at dsm-firmenich, in a press release.

The Major Players

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi, most commonly Fusarium, Aspergillus and Claviceps species. They develop in the field and can persist through harvest and storage. Weather stress, hybrid selection and storage management all influence which toxins dominate in a given year.

The primary mycotoxins shaping North American livestock risk in 2025 were:

Deoxynivalenol (DON)
A Type B trichothecene produced by Fusarium species. Commonly found in corn and wheat. Often referred to as ‘vomitoxin’.
Zearalenone (ZEN)
Also a Fusarium toxin. Structurally estrogenic and frequently present alongside DON in corn and small grains.
Fumonisins (FUM)
Produced by Fusarium verticillioides and related species. Predominantly found in corn.
Aflatoxins (AFLA)
Produced by Aspergillus species. More common in drought- or heat-stressed corn.
Ergot alkaloids (ERGOT)
Produced by Claviceps species. Typically associated with small grains.

These toxins rarely occur in isolation. Co-contamination often shapes the reality producers see on the farm.

What Changed from 2024 to 2025

The 2025 North American mycotoxin prevalence in raw materials compared to 2024 shows the following shifts:

DON: 74% → 76%
ZEN: 73% → 78%
FUM: 46% → 55%
AFLA: 15% → 17%
ERGOT: 44% → 9%

Trichothecenes remain deeply entrenched, with DON prevalence increasing slightly. Most of this increase is a result of an increase in wheat (73% → 93%). Meanwhile, fumonisins rose meaningfully and ergots dropped sharply.

Cattle: Rumen Function, Immune Resilience and Production Losses

Cattle historically are considered somewhat more resilient to mycotoxins than monogastrics, owing to partial ruminal detoxification. However, evidence increasingly shows persistent exposure to Fusarium toxins like DON, ZEN and FUM, especially in combination, can exert significant effects on digestion, immunity and metabolic health.

When looking at global finished feed samples for ruminants:

DON was prevalent in 69% of samples and above the risk threshold in 53% of samples.
ZEN was prevalent in 73% of samples and above the risk threshold in 33% of samples.
AFLA was present in 34% of samples and above the risk threshold in 29% of samples.

Studies have demonstrated short-term exposure to Fusarium toxins, including ZEN and FUM, affects fermentation patterns and the microbial community, which in turn can reduce fiber breakdown and volatile fatty acid production — key drivers of energy supply in cattle. Even modest disruptions to the rumen microbiota can reduce feed efficiency and gain over time.

The immune system is also affected by mycotoxins. The immunosuppressive effects of common mycotoxins in ruminants have been documented , including alterations in cytokine gene expression, immunoglobulin production and macrophage function.

Further, individual toxins like AFLA have well-established effects on liver function and general metabolism in cattle. Chronic AFLA exposure has been linked to reduced appetite, lower weight gains and elevated liver enzymes, indicating compromised hepatic function that can impact production and health resilience.

These findings indicate how cattle performance and disease resistance can be eroded by the mycotoxin patterns reported in the 2025 data. Persistent DON and ZEN exposure, combined with higher FUM presence, places additional load on rumen fermentation and immune competence, potentially contributing to subclinical production drift.

Swine: Immune Disruption, Gut Barrier Injury and Performance Drag

In swine, elevated prevalence of DON, ZEN and FUM can exert systemic effects on immune function, gut integrity and reproductive physiology at both clinical and subclinical levels.

When looking at global finished feed samples for swine:

DON was present in 85% of samples and above the risk threshold in 41% of samples.
ZEN was present in 79% of samples and above the risk threshold in 19% of samples.
FUM was present in 44% of samples and above the risk threshold in 8% of samples.

Research has shown DON and FUM alter the gut epithelial barrier, impair immune defenses and increase bacterial translocation from the gut, making pigs more susceptible to infections even when properly vaccinated. In the immune tissues themselves, DON exposure has been linked to changes in the gene expression of key antimicrobial and inflammatory regulators, implying a weakened ability to respond to disease challenge at the cellular level.

ZEN adds another layer of complexity. Beyond its well-known estrogenic effects (i.e., swelling of reproductive tissues and altered estrous cycles), ZEN has been shown to suppress antibody production in porcine immune cells, reducing levels of IgM, IgG and IgA. These immunoglobulins are important for protective vaccine responses. This explains why farms employing what should be effective vaccination programs still report breakthrough disease.

Collectively, these mechanisms mean widespread DON and ZEN exposure is a disease vulnerability issue. When the gut barrier is compromised and immune cell function is suppressed, pigs are less able to defend against respiratory pathogens, enteric bacteria and systemic infections alike, and their response to vaccination may be diminished.

Mycotoxin Co-Contamination Defines 2025

The defining feature of mycotoxins in 2025 is not a single toxin spike, but co-contamination. Feeds routinely contain multiple mycotoxins at once and their effects overlap, creating steady biological pressure.

The result is rarely dramatic toxicosis, but production drift is reflected in reduced gains, narrower reproductive margins, lowered health resilience and increased performance variability.

With persistent DON, rising ZEN and higher FUM prevalence in North America, ingredient-level vigilance and close monitoring of performance trends are important. The mycotoxin burden did not spike, but it did rearrange.

Does Supplementing Bred Heifers Increase Calving Difficulty?

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:27:46 GMT

Producers are often told supplementing bred heifers with protein prior to calving increases calf birth weight and leads to greater calving difficulty.

According to Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist, nutrition of bred heifers during gestation does have lasting consequences for both the calf and the future productivity of the cow.

“Decades of research clearly demonstrate that maternal undernutrition during pregnancy negatively influences not only the cow’s reproductive performance, but also immune transfer, calf survival, weaning weight and post-weaning performance,” he says.

Research conducted in the 1970s at OSU compared productivity of heifers managed to achieve either adequate or obese body condition from 12 months through 5 years of age. At first calving, 58% of the obese heifers required calving assistance, compared with only 8% of heifers at adequate body condition. These data are the basis for current recommendations that heifers calve at a body condition score (BCS) of approximately 6, but not reach a fleshy (BCS 7) or obese (BCS 8) condition.

Energy and protein supply during late gestation can influence calf birth weight, Beck summarizes. Research by Corah and colleagues published in 1975 demonstrated heifers restricted to 65% of energy requirements during the final 100 days of gestation produced calves approximately 4.4 lb. lighter at birth. However, these calves experienced greater neonatal mortality and reduced weaning rates compared with calves from adequately fed dams. Importantly, lighter birth weight was not associated with reduced calving difficulty, illustrating how undernutrition compromises calf viability rather than preventing dystocia.

“Restricting nutrients prior to calving weakens both the cow and the calf, increasing calving difficulty and reducing calf survival,” Beck summarizes.

Kansas State University’s Jaymelynn Farney says restricting heifer diet in the last trimester can result in potentially lower quality and quantity of colostrum , reduced absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum potentially driven by weaker calves that were slower to nurse, an increase in calf scours and a reduction in overall weaning weights.

Birth weight responses to precalving supplementation are highly variable. Beck evaluated changes in calf birth weight reported from 24 studies evaluating late-gestation supplementation.

“The average increase in calf birth weight was only 3 lb., with responses ranging from a 3 lb. decrease to a 10 lb. increase,” he reports. “The largest increases occurred when high levels (approximately 5 lb. per day) of energy-dense supplements were fed.”

Fifteen of these studies also reported subsequent pregnancy rates. Although variable, the average pregnancy rate of unsupplemented cows was 86%, compared with 92% for cows supplemented during late gestation, with the greatest response observed in first-calf heifers.

Excessive energy intake during late gestation partitions more nutrients toward fetal growth, resulting in larger calves. When coupled with excess fat deposition in the pelvic region, this increases the risk of dystocia. Thus, excessive energy, rather than protein supplementation alone, is the primary contributor to increased calving difficulty in many heifer programs.

Ensuring bred heifers meet — rather than greatly exceed — energy and protein requirements, promoting moderate BCS gain during mid and late gestation and strategically supplementing key nutrients improves calf survival, preweaning growth, immune function and long-term reproductive performance without increasing calving difficulty.

“Avoiding maternal undernutrition remains one of the most consistent strategies for improving whole-herd productivity and profitability,” Beck summarizes.

What Causes Calving Difficulty?

Farney says there are multiple reasons calving difficulty can occur, which may include the calf being too big, pelvis too small, abnormal presentation, lack of uterine contractions, fatigue or twins.

“Abnormal presentations cannot be eliminated by genetic selection or nutritional management, so be prepared for these scenarios a minimum of three weeks before your first calf is expected,” says Farney, a beef systems specialist.

Calf birth weight is often blamed as the sole culprit of calving issues.

“Calf birth weight can be affected by several factors — genetics, gestation length and, to an extent, dam nutrition,” Farney summarizes. “High calving ease sires typically have a shortened gestation length, hence the reason that most of those calves are a bit lighter in weight.”

She says on average, calves will gain between 1.5 lb. to 2 lb. of body weight in late gestation. For example, if the average gestation length is 283 days and a calf is born a week early, it will often weigh 10 lb. to 14 lb. less.

She adds dams that experience cold stress in the last trimester may have calves that are heavier in weight.

“Typically birth weights are greater for calves born in the spring or winter as compared to fall-born counterparts,” she says. “A Nebraska study that evaluated six years of data found for each 1° F lower than the average winter temperature (December through February) calf birth weight increased 1 lb.”

The increase in birth weight is most likely due to the needed increase in nutrient flux through supplementation to offset cold stress events.

“Now you might think, it is a cold winter and I do not want to deal with calving problems, so I will just make that cow survive on the same diet she has been on and not account for added maintenance requirements due to cold stress,” Farney says. “That thought will lead to a plethora of other issues that can extend through that calf’s entire productive life.”

She stresses it is important to appropriately balance a diet for first-calf heifers.

“Don’t starve the calving difficulty out of your heifers,” Farney summarizes. “These heifers need appropriate energy to help with the birthing process or they will quit on you as they just run out of steam going through parturition. Additionally, the calves need enough energy to quickly get up and nurse, and if dam energy is restricted, calves will be lethargic. Proteins are essential for colostrum quality, which has major lifetime effects on that calf.”

Your Next Read: Feeding at Dusk: How Does This Affect Calving Times?

Vitamin E Deserves a Second Look in Beef Herds

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:02:03 GMT

Vitamin E is one of those nutrients that doesn’t get a lot of attention until something goes wrong, but it plays a steady, year-round role in keeping cattle healthy. It is a small inclusion in the ration that supports several big-ticket items: immunity, muscle integrity, calf health and resilience during stressful periods. While vitamin E is often discussed in relation to meat color, the health and production benefits matter just as much.

“When we talk about vitamin E nutrition specifically, it really is such an exciting nutrient because not only does it impact the animal from an immune response perspective, but we have the opportunity to make real incremental improvements on the productivity of that animal”, says Zeno Hubbert, Ruminant technical expert at dsm-firmenich.

Why Vitamin E Matters for Cattle Health

Vitamin E acts as a major antioxidant in the body. Its job is to protect cells from oxidative stress — something cattle deal with daily through normal metabolism, immune challenges and environmental stressors. When vitamin E levels are low, tissues are more vulnerable to damage and immune responses don’t fire as cleanly.

Severe deficiency is rare in feedlot cattle, but when it does occur, it can show up as white muscle disease, weak calves, or general muscle and nerve problems. But the real story isn’t about preventing dramatic deficiencies. It’s about making sure cattle have enough vitamin E to stay healthy during high-stress stages such as processing, shipping, early feedlot adaptation, late gestation and early calfhood.

Feedlot Cattle: Support During Stress & Recovery

In feedlots, vitamin E is well-known for how it affects meat quality, but its impact on health shouldn’t be overlooked.

“When we talk about feedlot cattle, we’re not aiming to just keep that animal out of a state of deficiency. For me, that’s almost a no-brainer. It’s non-negotiable,” Hubbert says. “We’re aiming for optimization of productivity.”

Research has shown vitamin E supplementation to beef steers before or after transit may not affect growth performance, but can lower the stress response of these animals. Further, vitamin E supplementation has been shown to increase antibody titers of newly received steers after vaccination for bovine viral diarrhea virus.

When vitamin E is supplemented for meat quality, the standard is to feed at increased levels for at least 100 days to see results in the muscle tissue. This is the time period required to equilibrate the liver and tissue soluble levels with the intake amount. There are very few studies on vitamin E spanning this duration with beef cattle in an effort to observe growth performance or immune response. This is an area requiring further attention.

Cow-Calf Operations: Where Vitamin E Really Shows Its Value

Vitamin E can pay off meaningfully in the cow-calf world. Late gestation is an especially important time because the cow’s vitamin E status directly influences the calf.

“If we look at the vitamin E level in milk, it’s only supplying about 16% of the requirement of that newborn calf,” Hubbert explains. “So we definitely have a requirement for vitamin E supplementation in that newborn calf. We can definitely affect the health of that calf by supplementation of the late gestation cow.”

Research has shown that vitamin E supplementation to late gestation beef cattle can benefit both the dam and the calf, especially with the added environmental stress of winter calving and the consumption of stored forages. In one study , winter born calves from vitamin E supplemented dams had higher weaning weights. Additionally, calves born to vitamin E supplemented heifers have been shown to have increased antibody titers at birth, pasture turn out, and weaning in response to routine vaccines.

Is Vitamin E Supplementation Right for Your Herd?

While vitamin E is essential for cattle, whether it is worth adding or increasing in the ration of a herd comes down to the cattle’s stress load, forage quality and production stage.

“We need to be strategic,” Hubbert says. “It’s very much dependent on the range conditions, whether we have drought conditions — how much access to forage those cows have. It’s a conversation to be had with the nutritionist and not just a blanket recommendation across the board.”

Cow-calf herds often see the biggest return, but feedlot cattle under heavy stress during receiving or diet changes may also benefit from increased vitamin E levels to support antioxidant defense or recovery. A quick review of the mineral program and forage conditions can reveal whether adjusting vitamin E could be beneficial.

“I think that vitamin nutrition is generally something that, due to the small level addition to the ration, goes by unchecked,” Hubbert says. “The impact that a vitamin deficiency can have on that animal in terms of productivity is significant. It’s such a small addition to a ration from a cost perspective, it’s almost as if it’s an investment in the health and productivity of that animal.”

Biotics in Bovines: Postbiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:27:28 GMT

Beef production involves dramatic changes in environment, nutrition and social structure, creating repeated stress points that challenge both the rumen and the immune system. Calves face the shock of weaning and comingling, and feedlot cattle undergo abrupt dietary transitions and frequent handling.

Postbiotics, beneficial microbial products, provide a non-living, heat-stable option that can help buffer these disruptions by influencing rumen stability and immune activity. Because the microbial metabolites are delivered directly, rather than relying on live microbe survival, postbiotics can be easier to implement in beef production settings where feed delivery, pen competition and weather conditions can vary widely.

This is the sixth and final installment of the Biotics in Bovines series, where we have explored the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment has examined a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

For applications in beef, yeast fermentation products have been most commonly explored. These products are largely derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, containing inanimate microorganisms and/or their components. Additionally, lactic acid bacteria fermentation products may hold postbiotic promise for beef cattle.

The incorporation of these compounds may support enhanced gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and microbial adaptation to dietary changes, especially those related to fiber digestion. In turn, these effects can help improve rumen fermentation, feed efficiency and animal performance.

Evidence in Beef Systems

In beef heifers fed high grain rations, supplementation with a yeast fermentation product resulted in improved rumen fermentation profiles. This was evidenced by increased organic matter and fiber digestibility, along with enhanced rumen buffering. This has also been seen in calves where a starter containing yeast postbiotics promoted microbial stability while mitigating subacute ruminal acidosis.

In Angus steers , supplementation with a yeast fermentation product did not affect rumen pH, but did reduce the total concentration of rumen volatile fatty acids and increased total tract dry matter, organic matter and starch digestibility. These results indicate potential improvements in energy efficiency and animal performance with postbiotic supplementation.

In backgrounding steers fed a lactic acid bacteria fermentation product, increased dry matter intake and average daily gain were observed compared to animals supplemented with monensin. In corresponding in vitro digestion trials, decreased propionate and increased butyrate levels were observed. Propionate is known to have an effect on satiety and may have affected intake in these animals. This work also suggests postbiotics may have applications in reducing antibiotic use.

Limitations and Research Gaps

Postbiotics are perhaps the least studied of all current biotics approaches for cattle. Despite some demonstrated benefits, we still lack information on optimal dosing and long term metabolic impacts. There may be potential for postbiotics to help mitigate methane production, but more in vivo research is required for verification.

Practical On-Farm Guidance & Strategies

Target periods of increased stress: Postbiotics can help support cattle through times of rumen instability and immune suppression.
Use probiotics to ease dietary transitions: Postbiotic supplementation at times when rumen dysbiosis is likely could help ease these transitions by maintaining gut equilibrium.
Apply to improve utilization of variable quality diets: During winter feeding and pasture transitions, postbiotics may help stabilize fermentation and fiber digestion, smoothing out any performance dips due to inconsistent forage quality.
Prioritize consistent delivery: Uniform exposure to postbiotic products is key to obtaining results. Avoid inconsistent top-dressing or delivery methods that differ by pen or time of day as these inconsistencies may be reflected in any response.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Postbiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Biotics in Bovines: Postbiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:03:00 GMT

Dairy cattle nutrition is increasingly being designed to shape the microbiome, not just to feed it. Postbiotics represent the third category in that effort. Rather than supplying live microbes (probiotics) or microbial substrates (prebiotics), postbiotics are the beneficial compounds microbes produce, without the organisms themselves.

This matters because high-producing dairy cows operate under tight metabolic margins. Transition stress, rapid shifts in energy demand, and rumen fermentation instability can all disrupt gut integrity and immune balance. Postbiotics offer a way to influence those systems even when microbial populations are stressed, inconsistent or slow to stabilize.

This is the fifth installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

Postbiotics are non-living microbial products that interact with the rumen and immune systems. They commonly include:

Yeast Fermentation Products
Lactic Acid Bacteria Metabolites
Inactivated Bacteria

These compounds can be used to strengthen gut barrier integrity, support immune signaling, encourage resilience in fiber-fermenting microbes and reduce the impact of stress-related dysbiosis. Unlike probiotics, they do not require survival through pelleting, storage or rumen passage, which could be a practical advantage on the farm.

Evidence in Dairy Systems

In dairy calves , yeast fermentation products fed in the milk replacer had greater postweaning average daily gains and body weights with similar feed intake. These calves also had improved rumen absorption (observed as increased plasma volatile fatty acid concentrations) and increased immune response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation at weaning.

During the transition period , postbiotics containing yeast fermentation products have been shown to improve the lactation performance and metabolic status of dairy cows. This supplementation reduced inflammation and enhanced liver metabolic function resulting in greater milk fat and improved energy corrected milk yield.

One study in lactating dairy cattle investigated whether the incorporation of yeast fermentation products had any effect on the prevention and control of digital dermatitis. They found that postbiotic treatment decreased the risk of cattle having ulcerative and active lesions and slowed the negative progression of lesions.

In dairy cattle with mastitis , the administration of a heat-killed Lactococcus lactis postbiotic was as effective in eliciting a localized immune response as the administration of live L. lactis. Postbiotic treated cattle had an equally potent interleukin-8 response and cure rates based on somatic cell counts compared to probiotic treated cattle. These results could have beneficial implications for farmers worried about the shelf-life of live probiotics.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Consider incorporating postbiotics into your milk replacer. Postbiotics can support healthy rumen and hind-gut development jump-starting calves for their postweaning lives.
Use postbiotics to strategically support the immune system. This includes stressful events such as heat stress events, group/pen changes and vaccination periods.
Check the label. Dose and duration guidelines vary by product and production stage.
Postbiotics are less susceptible to environmental conditions than probiotics. This might make them a better fit for your farm.

Limitations and Research Gaps

Postbiotics are relatively new to ruminant nutrition. Extensive research has not yet been completed and the most effective metabolite combinations may remain to be discovered. The long-term effects across multiple lactations remain uncertain; using postbiotics as precision tools rather than as blanket-use additives might be most beneficial.

Actionable Takeaways

Start where the risk is the highest. Prioritize young calves or transition cows where the research shows the clearest and most repeatable benefits.
Choose products with a clearly stated microbial source and processing method. ‘Fermentation product’ tells you very little about what you are feeding. Look for specific strain and process information.
Pair postbiotics with management, not instead of management. Foot baths, milking hygiene, feed access and bunk management still drive outcomes. Postbiotics can support these efforts, but they don’t replace them.
Reassess during quiet periods. Once stressors ease, evaluate whether continued supplementation still provides return on investment.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotis in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Rethink the First Feeding: Calf Health Begins with Smarter Colostrum Strategies

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:16:06 GMT

For decades, dairy producers have fed newborn calves based on standard protocols for first-milking colostrum, but as Dr. Donald Sockett and Dr. Ryan Breuer from the University of Wisconsin noted on a recent Raising Your Best Dairy Heifer webinar, the underlying assumptions might be due for revision.

“The current colostrum feeding guidelines that are considered best practices today were developed a little more than two decades ago,” Breuer says. “So we’ve had some time to observe what’s going on with it and whether we need to make some changes or not.”

Sockett explains that the conventional gold standard of 50 grams of immunoglobulin G (IgG) per liter, which the guidelines are based on, was reasonable back then, but times have changed.

“The average here is 75 g to 95 g per liter,” he says. “Why would we build a program around fair [quality] colostrum?”

Because calves are receiving colostrum of higher quality than what the older guidelines are built around, feeding volumes and methods might need adjustment.

In a recent case report , Sockett and Breuer described a Holstein heifer that received what is considered best practice for colostrum delivery based on 10% body weight: 4 liters of first-milking colostrum 30 minutes after birth and an additional 2 liters six hours after the first feeding. Shortly after the second feeding, the calf developed colic and was in apparent pain. This animal was humanely euthanized less than 24 hours later after a lack of response to on-farm medical care.

According to the attending veterinarian, this was not a one-off case.

“This wasn’t the only calf at this dairy,” Breuer says. “The veterinarian had also seen similar situations at other dairies where these calves, after the recommended colostrum feeding, had distress or colic.”

Upon necropsy, they noticed incidents of aspiration in the lungs. It was concluded aspiration pneumonia killed the calf after some colostrum was regurgitated due to a distended abomasum from colostrum volume.

This report emphasizes the need to reevaluate colostrum feeding standards.

In September, Frederick and colleagues from Cornell University published a study looking into the effects of feeding colostrum at 6%, 8%, 10% or 12% of a calf’s body weight on IgG absorption, gastric emptying and postfeeding behavior.

Gastric emptying is an important factor as no colostrum absorption occurs in the abomasum. Passage to the small intestine in a timely manner before absorption efficiency goes down is key. Calves fed at 10% and 15% of their body weight had significantly lower apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG rates and showed significantly more behavioral signs of discomfort (abdomen kicks) than those fed 6% and 8%.

“So yes, you’re feeding a bigger mass of immunoglobulin when you feed these larger body weight [percentages], but if your efficiency of absorption is going down and you have these health complications, is that really the best thing for the calf?” Sockett says.

A study of 818 calves across 61 Holstein dairy farms by Morin and colleagues at the University of Montreal looked into how colostrum management practices impacted transfer of passive immunity (TPI). They found that the No. 1 factor affecting apparent IgG absorption was the concentration of IgG in the colostrum, or colostrum quality. Calves fed colostrum with a Brix value over 24.5% were almost three times more likely to have received adequate TPI. Additionally, calves fed equal to or greater than 2.5 liters of colostrum at their first meal (notably less than 10% of the calves body weight) within three hours of birth had the highest odds of receiving adequate TPI.

This adds weight to Sockett’s assertion.

“Think about our recommendation standards,” he says. “We haven’t even been talking about the two most important variables of effective efficiency of colostrum absorption. We have to start thinking about the quality of the colostrum and the mass of colostrum being delivered.”

If you’re creating a colostrum feeding program for a dairy operation, Sockett and Breuer recommend collecting a database of information of what’s going on in the herd. Answer the following questions to tailor the program to your farm:

What is the average birth weight of the calves? What are the lightest and heaviest animals?
Are you feeding pooled or individual colostrum?
What is the normal weight of the colostrum?
What is the mean and standard deviation of the Brix scores?
What is the timing of first colostrum delivery?
What are your TPI goals?

The idea is not to abandon colostrum best practices but to update them strategically. By refining colostrum feeding protocols, verifying colostrum quality, aligning volume with body weight and monitoring outcomes, dairy operations can create their own evidence-based practice. The result? Healthier calves, fewer complications and better use of that liquid gold.

Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:27:14 GMT

In beef production systems, every gain in efficiency matters whether that’s stabilizing feed intake, supporting growth through stress events or improving animal health. Probiotics might be a way to facilitate this efficiency through fine-tuned rumen and gut health.

This is the fourth installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

Probiotcs, defined as live microorganisms that confer a health benefit when fed in adequate amounts, aren’t new to the feed industry. However, recent studies in both grazing and finishing systems have clarified when and how they can deliver measurable results. Rather than blanket use, probiotics in beef systems are most effective when used strategically during transitions, stress or high-energy feeding phases.

What Probiotics Do in Beef Systems

Probiotics used in beef production most often include yeasts (Saccharomyces), spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus spp.), and occasionally lactic acid bacteria (Enterococcus and Lactobacillus).

Their effects center on three main functions:

Rumen stabilization: Yeast cultures help moderate rumen pH in high-grain diets promoting fiber-digesting bacterial populations.
Digestive efficiency: Bacillus strains produce enzymes that enhance starch and fiber breakdown, improving feed conversion.
Immune and stress modulation: Some probiotics appear to blunt cortisol response during transport or feedlot induction, supporting intake and weight recovery after arrival.

Emerging research has also linked probiotic use with lower pathogen shedding, creating potential food safety benefits for feedlots and packers.

Evidence in Beef Cattle

For cow-calf systems, probiotics are primarily evaluated for calf vigor, weaning transition and heifer development. A group of Red Angus cows offered a live yeast supplement from 30 days precalving through weaning showed improved body condition scores at weaning, while their calves had higher weaning weights and average daily gains. The growth promoting effects of yeast supplementation to calves preweaning seem highly dependent on strain , but what has been consistently shown is a reduction in diarrhea and pneumonia incidence.

Probiotic supplementation has also been linked to reduced stress responses. In a behavioural study with beef heifers, probiotic supplementation showed fewer signs of distress during chute handling, though serum cortisol levels were unaffected. In feedlot cattle , yeast supplementation could help mitigate the negative effects of heat stress when offered in preparation for exposure to increased temperatures.

Finishing feedlot cattle are often fed high-concentrate diets for extended periods of time making rumen health maintenance imperative. Probiotics are a logical avenue for this maintenance. Cattle fed high-concentrate diets have been shown to benefit from a yeast-Enterococcus probiotic mix affecting rumen digestion resulting in improved average daily gain and feed efficiency.

Probiotic supplementation has also been shown to help high-risk cattle. Steers fed a Bacillus-based probiotic through a three-month grazing period did not show a reduced incidence of bovine respiratory disease, but these animals did have reduced rates of mortality and removal compared to control animals.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Use probiotics during stress or transition phases. These are the times when the rumen can be most dysregulated and need an extra bit of support that probiotics can offer.
Evaluate responses beyond rate of gain. Not all probiotics are tailored for growth performance. Monitor for other positive impacts on morbidity, feed conversion and stress response.
Consider the rest of your nutrition program when choosing a probiotic. Strain choice can be tailored to improve the digestion of a given feedstuff or buffer the rumen with high-concentrate diets.
Ensure consistent delivery and intake. Daily intake is essential; inconsistent feeding undermines benefits. In feedlots, probiotics should be incorporated into the total mixed ration. For grazing herds, probiotics can be offered along with regular mineral supplements.

Limitations and Research Gaps

While evidence for probiotics in beef systems is growing, strain-specific responses have been inconsistent, and data is sparse for extensive cow-calf operations. Controlled studies under feedlot conditions are increasing but vary widely in probiotic formulation and dosage.

Actionable Takeaways

Consider your herd specifically. Probiotics are not a one-size-fits-all solution for beef cattle. Different microbes serve different purposes and should be matched with your production challenges and goals.
Integrate probiotics into herd health protocols, not just nutrition plans. Probiotics can complement disease reduction efforts through rumen health support.
Document outcomes over multiple lots. Track animal performance and health over consecutive groups to give yourself an idea of whether observed benefits are repeatable.
Leverage fecal scoring and rumen pH monitoring as diagnostic tools. Pairing probiotic use with routine rumen fluid or fecal consistency evaluation can offer early indications of effectiveness.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Biotics in Bovines: Probiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:23:30 GMT

As antibiotic stewardship and sustainability become central goals for the dairy sector, probiotics are gaining attention as a way to strengthen cattle health and performance. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host. In dairy cattle, they can stabilize the rumen function, support immune balance, and improve growth and milk performance. Recent work has shown certain bacterial and yeast strains are a promising tool for application in dairy herds.

This is the third installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

You can find links to the first installments at the end of this article.

Probiotics used in dairy cattle include a wide range of bacteria and yeasts, each with distinct mechanisms of action. Common groups include:

Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium): Enhance intestinal barrier function and suppress pathogenic bacteria.
Bacillus species: Spore-forming bacteria that can reduce inflammatory responses.
Yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus): Improve rumen fermentation, fiber digestion and feed efficiency.

These organisms act by stabilizing the rumen and intestinal microbiome, enhancing volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, reducing lactic acid accumulation and strengthening mucosal immunity.

Evidence in Dairy Cattle

Calves and Heifers

A 2025 meta-analysis including 55 studies reported feeding probiotics to dairy calves might be beneficial for enhancing dry-matter intake (DMI), starter intake and average daily gain (ADG). However, results across studies were variable, as were the type of probiotic used. Supplementation with Bacillus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. was found to increase ADG, while Lactobacillus spp. increased starter intake.

Probiotic supplementation has also been used to mitigate calf diarrhea related to Clostridium perfringens. In a challenge study using colostrum-deprived dairy calves, daily feeding of Lactobacillus animalis and Propionibacterium freudenreichii before, during and after an oral challenge of C. perfringens significantly reduced the incidence and severity of diarrhea and improved survival compared to controls.

Lactating and Transition Cows

Both qualitative and quantitative improvements to milk production have been observed with probiotic supplementation. Lactating dairy cows fed S. cerevisiae had increased DMI and milk yield compared to controls. This yield increase was thought to be a consequence of an improved rumen environment (pH, VFA ratios). Yeast supplementation has also been shown to increase milk protein content via enhanced microbial crude protein.

Probiotics have also been shown to support cattle through the transition period when fat stores in the body are being mobilized. A probiotic blend including Bacillus spp. fed in the weeks surrounding calving has been shown to be beneficial for supporting liver function, while a yeast-bacteria mixture fed to transition cows increased DMI and milk fat percentage.

Intravaginal probiotics have also been investigated for transition cows. The application of a freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria culture before and after calving increase milk yield and feed efficiency, with a greater effect on multiparous cows compared to primiparous cows. Intravaginal probiotic application has also been shown to improve uterine involution postpartum, decrease incidence of uterine infection and increase conception rates at first insemination.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Prioritize products with clear strain identification and dosage instructions. The type of probiotic you want to use will change depending on animal age and production stage.
Match product type to production phase.
- Calves: Use lactic acid bacteria in milk replacer or starter feeds to support early gut development and reduce scours.
- Transition cows: Target yeast- or Bacillus-based probiotics to improve rumen stability, feed intake and immune balance. Consider intravaginal applications for reproductive health.
- Lactating cows: Consider Bacillus or yeast strains to support fiber digestion.
Maintain consistent feeding and delivery. Probiotic organisms should be ingested daily to remain effective. Interruptions in feeding can negate benefits.
Monitor outcomes. If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Track performance and health data so you know what is and isn’t working for your herd.

Limitations

While probiotics show broad potential, their efficacy depends heavily on strain, dose and management. The complexity of the rumen environment means that not all strains may be effective and every dose. Results are most reliable when using stage-specific, well-characterized strains with proven viability under farm conditions.

Actionable Takeaways

Start early for best results. Introduce probiotics in milk replacer during the first two weeks of life to reduce diarrhea risk and support rumen development.
Target the transition period. Feeding probiotics from three weeks precalving through 30 days in milk can help stabilize DMI, support liver function and improve reproductive performance.
Feed through stress events. During heat stress, transport or ration changes, probiotic supplementation can help maintain rumen pH stability and DMI.
Evaluate cost-benefit periodically. The economic return depends on herd health status and management; probiotics tend to be most profitable when used strategically.

Your next reads:
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle
Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Beef Cattle

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:29:47 GMT

Interest in microbiome-focused nutrition is growing rapidly in the beef industry. With pressure to reduce antibiotic use and improve feed efficiency, prebiotics — non-digestible feed substrates that selectively nourish beneficial microbes — are gaining traction as practical, evidence-based tools to support health and performance.

This is the second installment of the Biotics in Bovines series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

Check out the first installment here: Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Prebiotics are typically non-digestible carbohydrates, such as mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and beta-glucans sourced from yeast cell walls, yeast culture and agro-industrial wastes. These compounds act as selective fuel sources for beneficial gut microbes but can also support gut barrier integrity, reduce colonization by pathogens and enhance volatile fatty acid production, particularly butyrate, which fuels intestinal cells.

In beef cattle, the primary goals of prebiotic supplementation are to improve growth rates and feed efficiency, allow for better health during periods of stress (weaning, transport, feedlot entry), improve carcass quality and reduce incidence of digestive upsets.

Evidence in Beef Cattle

Recent trials show prebiotics can support growth, gut health and immune development in young beef animals. In a group of grazing beef calves , supplementation with a beta-glucan concentrate increased average daily gain, especially in the first month after weaning. Further, these animals had increased fiber digesting bacteria and decreased methane producing bacteria in the rumen.

In growing beef cattle , hydrolyzed yeast supplementation (containing MOS and beta-glucans) has been linked to improved nutrient digestibility and increased rumen fermentation efficiency, but reports on growth performance are variable.

Prebiotics can play a stabilizing role during diet transitions and periods of stress; however, these are often offered as a prebiotic/probiotic combination. During feedlot adaptation , cattle offered a probiotic-yeast derived prebiotic blend for the first 45 days have been shown to have an improved response to bovine respiratory disease treatment, but no changes in growth performance were observed. The lack of observed growth response in probiotic supplemented cattle is consistent across multiple studies.

In general, the research available on the application of prebiotics alone in beef cattle is slim. However, it’s not unreasonable to think that similar positive growth and development results seen in dairy calves could also be observed in beef calves. A combined synbiotic approach could prove best for beef cattle.

Practical On-Farm Guidance

Choose products with proven data. Select prebiotics backed by published trials in cattle. Look for specific strain or compound data (e.g., MOS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FOS derived from chicory root) so you know what you’re feeding.
Match product type to production phase.
- Cow-calf: MOS and yeast cell wall products in creep feed or milk supplements can enhance calf gut health and reduce pathogen pressure.
- Backgrounding: Prebiotics in growing diets can support cattle through diet transitions.
- Feedlot: Combine prebiotics with probiotics during step-up and finishing phases to maintain feed intake and reduce acidosis risk.
Track measurable outcomes. Evaluate fecal consistency, feed intake, average daily gain and treatment frequency. Measuring inflammatory markers, such as haptoglobin or fecal calprotectin, can also be valuable.
Integrate, don’t isolate. Prebiotics work best as part of a whole-system nutrition plan alongside consistent feeding, low-stress handling and proper bunk management.

Limitations and Research Gaps

While early findings are promising, prebiotic effects in beef cattle remain variable. Many compounds degrade in the rumen, limiting their reach to the hindgut. Responses also depend heavily on diet composition, environmental stress and microbial diversity. Large-scale, multilocation beef trials are still needed to define cost-benefit relationships and standardize effective doses.

Actionable Takeaways

Start with the cow-calf phase. That’s where prebiotics have the strongest evidence base for improving gut health and reducing pathogen load.
Trial prebiotics in controlled groups. Compare average daily gain, fecal health and treatment rates to establish a farm-specific return on investment.
Expect incremental, not dramatic gains. Prebiotics are performance stabilizers and health promoters, not growth promoters.
Monitor consistency. Benefits fade if feed intake or product delivery is erratic.

Biotics in Bovines: Prebiotic Applications for Dairy Cattle

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:37:29 GMT

Dairy industry professionals are increasingly turning attention to the gut microbiome as a tool to reduce disease, improve growth and protect herd productivity without relying on routine antibiotics. Prebiotics — non-digestible feed substrates that selectively feed beneficial microbes — are one practical, low-risk option.

This article kicks off a series where we will explore the role and application of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in dairy and beef cattle nutrition. Each installment will examine a different facet of microbiome-focused nutrition from how these products work to what recent research says about their effectiveness and on-farm value. The goal is to help veterinarians and producers make informed, evidence-based decisions about integrating biotic feed technologies into herd health and performance programs.

The most common prebiotics supplemented to dairy cattle include:

Fructooligosaccharides
Mannanoligosaccharides
Galactooligosaccharides
Inulin
Beta-glucans

These are commonly sourced from yeast cell walls, yeast culture and agro-industrial wastes. While the main goal of prebiotic use is to provide substrate for beneficial gut bacteria, they can also modulate immune response and bind to harmful pathogens. Prebiotics fermented by select gut microbes can lead to the production of short-chain fatty acids, gut pH lowering (which inhibits harmful bacteria), enhanced gut barrier function and immune modulation.

In dairy cattle, the primary goals of prebiotic use are enhanced milk production and quality, to support gut health and immunity (especially high-stress periods), and to improve nutrient absorption. Calves have been shown to respond well to prebiotic supplementation, while results in adult cows are more varied.

Recent calf trials report the clearest, most consistent benefits.

Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation during the nursing period has been shown to support hindgut maturation, increase persistence of beneficial Bifidobacterium, and improve average daily gain in newborn dairy calves. These outcomes make FOS attractive for calf rearing protocols aimed at reducing diarrhea and improving early growth.

Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and inulin have a similarly strong calf focused-evidence base. Experimental work indicates MOS can improve average daily gain and reduce pathogenic Escherichia coli in the feces. In a calf study investigating the effects of inulin supplementation, increased physical rumen development was observed in 3-week-old calves fed for two months.

Trials in adult lactating cows show inconsistent production responses. Some studies have suggested that inulin supplementation can increase milk production, possibly through upregulated rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations , and enhance antioxidant and immune function. Meanwhile, MOS supplementation has been shown to decrease the populations of harmful fungi in the rumen.

Overall, more variable responses should be expected in adult cows because the mature rumen ecosystem buffers dietary changes, reducing the impact of prebiotics.

Practical, On-Farm Guidance

Choose the right target and the right product. Prioritize prebiotics for calves for diarrhea reduction, average daily gain improvement and gut maturation, where evidence is the strongest. For adult cows, focus on well-documented products or use prebiotics as a part of a combined synbiotic strategy.
Match form and timing to the goal. For calves, FOS or MOS in milk replacer is practical and supported by trials. For dry or fresh cows, consider top dressing or inclusion in the TMR for specific use cases.
Start with a controlled trial. Test a product in a defined pen or cohort. Track clear outcomes: fecal scores, average daily gain, time to weaning, medicine use, and for cows somatic cell count, milk yield, and disease treatments. Compare the cost versus the value of reduced disease treatments and labor.
Watch interactions and quality. Prebiotic effects vary with dose, base diet and other additives. Use products with transparent specifications and consult existing trial data.

Limitations and Research Gaps

Ruminant probiotic research is growing, but not uniform: neonates and young calves respond more reliably than adult cows, and product heterogeneity makes generalizations risky. Large on-farm replication trials, and longer-term studies on lifetime productivity and economics are still needed to fully understand the impact prebiotics can have on adult dairy cow performance.

Actionable Takeaways

Use prebiotics first in calf programs where diarrhea and average daily gain are priorities.
Run a small, controlled on-farm trial with clear metrics to determine what works for you.
For lactating cows, use prebiotics as part of multi-modal strategies and set conservative return on investment expectations.

The Impact of Low Trace Minerals in Cattle May Be Bigger Than You Expect

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:12:13 GMT

Trace minerals — including copper, selenium, zinc, manganese and cobalt — are needed in vanishingly small amounts. However, when these nutrients fall even the smallest bit short of a cow’s needs, the consequences can be significant. These results can include slower growth, compromised immunity and poor reproduction.

Although trace minerals make up less than 0.01% of an animal’s body weight, they’re fundamental co-factors in enzymes, antioxidants, metabolic and immune pathways. Subclinical deficiencies may be a more extensive problem as the symptoms are not evident and there is no intervention, leading to economic losses.

David Schaeffer, professor at the University of Illinois, and his colleagues recently published work analyzing trace mineral concentrations from beef and dairy livers submitted to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab System laboratory between 2012 and 2021. The aim of this work was to compare any correlation patterns of copper, selenium, and manganese contents, and incidence of disease.

This work included 1,495 liver samples collected from cattle submitted for diagnostic testing. They were categorized as beef (857) or dairy (638), and further grouped by age (neonates, adolescents and adults).

The study revealed significant differences between deficiencies in beef and cattle. Overall, 73% of beef cattle and 45% of dairy cattle were found to be deficient in at least one trace mineral. In beef cattle, 46% of cattle were deficient in selenium, while 39% were deficient in manganese and 33% were deficient in copper. In dairy cattle, 10% of cattle were deficient in selenium, while 37% were deficient in manganese, and only 5% were deficient in copper.

(Adapted from Schaeffer et al., 2025)

The observed increased incidence of deficiency in beef cattle is likely expected as these animals often rely on free choice minerals, while dairy cattle are fed a total mixed ration including a mineral supplement. Interestingly, Schaeffer also reported a large portion of dairy cattle may have been oversupplemented as they observed above normal copper and selenium levels.

Associations between mineral status and disease occurred across both groups, but were most prevalent in beef cattle.

In beef cattle reported to have bovine respiratory disease (BRD), 68% of animals were deficient in copper, selenium or both minerals. The median age of these animals was 8 months, and most of them had been recently transported and co-mingled with other calves.

One thing the authors noticed was some conditions that are usually subclinical in beef cattle, for example parasites, were fatal in animals that were deficient in copper, selenium, or both.

“Now obviously we don’t know the condition score of those animals,” says co-author David Villar on a recent episode of “Have You Herd?”. “I would imagine it was pretty poor to die from internal parasites.”

As stated above, dairy cattle cases had much lower prevalences of trace mineral deficiency. Along with this, they also had lower incidences of correlation between deficiency and disease.

Of the dairy cattle with only one deficiency, the most frequent diagnoses were BRD (23%), Salmonella (14%), scours (16%), and septicemia (6%). Of all dairy cattle, 11% of those with BRD also had a copper or selenium deficiency.

It’s important to remember these are correlations between mineral status and disease, not causation.

Villar highlights what he hopes producers and veterinarians would take away from this work: “The main conclusion I would make is that beef, but not dairy, are still largely deficient in essential microminerals, copper and selenium. We need to check the herd management to see what’s happening.”

These results present an opportunity for producers and veterinarians to build preventative mineral nutrition programs, especially in beef herds where deficiencies are more prevalent. Proactive monitoring and targeted supplementation could reduce disease, mortality and economic loss in cattle herds.

Every Cycle Counts: Energy, Fertility and Profit in the Beef Herd

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:58:02 GMT

With calf prices sitting around $4 per pound, there has never been a better time for beef producers to prioritize reproductive performance. As Ted Perry, beef cattle technical services with Purina Animal Nutrition, points out, every missed heat cycle isn’t just a lost pregnancy, it’s 50 lb. of lost calf growth.

“When you look at the profitability of cow-calf operations in previous years, if we could make $100 per cow per year, that was a big deal,” Perry says. “Now with these prices, we could potentially lose $200 per heat cycle.”

That kind of economic pressure has many veterinarians and producers re-examining how to tighten up breeding windows, improve conception rates and, ultimately, get more calves on the ground early in the calving season. Even small improvements in conception rates or tighter breeding windows add up quickly across a herd. Shifting just a few calves earlier in the calving window can offset the cost of nutritional interventions many times over.

Why Energy Balance Matters

The foundation of reproductive success in beef cows is energy balance. Cows that enter the breeding season in poor condition often take longer to return to estrus, reducing the likelihood they’ll conceive in the desired breeding window. Negative energy balance is common after calving, particularly in young cows still growing themselves. This can result in delayed estrus, weak heat expression and lower conception rates. Perry emphasizes managing body condition score (BCS) is non-negotiable.

“Make sure the cows are pushing that BCS of 6, and make sure the bulls are pushing that,” he says.

Energy status influences not only whether a cow cycles, but also egg quality and embryo survival. Research consistently shows cows with adequate energy reserves at breeding conceive earlier, stay pregnant more consistently and wean heavier calves. Simply put, managing energy status sets the stage for reproductive success.

Research on Energy Support

Purina has been evaluating nutritional strategies to support reproductive performance under today’s market conditions.

In a two-year study involving 164 beef cows, animals fed a new technology, CX8, beginning 30 days prior to breeding through 90 days after showed higher first service conception rates from artificial insemination compared to controls, with results improving in the second year.

The mechanism?

“There are multiple additives, such as yeast, to support rumen health, increased levels of trace minerals and phytogenic compounds providing antioxidant properties to support performance,” Perry explains. “However, with multiple components, you can override the system. You can end up with the two components canceling each other out. That’s been a huge part of our research: making sure that everything we use is complementary — one plus one should equal two and a half.”

The approach also accounts for rumen efficiency. By balancing rumen function with the right mineral and additive support, cows can extract more energy from their diets, channeling that into reproductive success.

At the same time, bulls also need careful nutritional management. Perry says semen production depends heavily on BCS.

“If [bulls] are too thin, they’re not going to produce enough semen … [If] we get them too fat during the rest period, then we put them out and they’re running and chasing everybody to get bred. What happens to their body condition? They’re dropping. They’re in starvation mode. They’re not going to produce semen,” he says.

Because semen maturation takes about 60 days, Perry recommends ensuring bulls are at BCS 6 approximately 120 days before turnout — essentially by Christmas if breeding starts in May.

Another area of interest is early embryonic loss. While the work is ongoing, Perry notes artificial insemination and embryonic transfer practitioners are reporting potentially lower rates of early embryo death in herds receiving nutritional support during breeding, potentially boosting conception success even further.

Build the Foundation

Still, Perry cautions no supplement can fix a fundamentally weak nutrition program.

“You’ve got to have the building blocks in place to start with,” he says.

Veterinarians and producers can work together on these building blocks to improve reproductive outcomes in a number of ways:

Monitor and manage BCS. Aim for cows to calve at a BCS of 5 to 6. Cows in this range are more likely to cycle and conceive on schedule.
Make a nutrition plan. Design mineral and feeding programs that balance energy needs with reproductive goals.
Prioritize young and thin cows. These groups are most vulnerable to energy shortfalls and reproductive delays.
Align nutrition with breeding seasons. Matching feed quality and supplementation to peak demand periods pays dividends in conception rates.

Once these fundamentals are in place, advanced nutritional strategies — whether CX8Additive Technology or similar products — can provide an extra push in conception rates.

Takeaways

For veterinarians, the message is clear: reproduction is both a biological and an economic conversation. Helping producers link nutrition and reproduction not only improves herd health, but also directly impacts profitability.

For producers, today’s calf market represents both an opportunity and a challenge. As Perry puts it, with calf prices so high “now is the time that you find out what works at your ranch.”

Cost-Effective Supplementation for Growing Calves

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:56:56 GMT

From a moisture standpoint, the summer of 2025 has been good for many cattle producers. As a result, many have ample standing forage.

The Oklahoma Gold and Oklahoma SuperGold supplementation programs were designed to cost effectively improve the growth of calves and stocker cattle grazing pastures in late summer and fall. Both are based on limit-feeding high-protein supplements.

Crude Protein (CP) content and digestibility of warm season grasses declines during mid-summer and fall. No doubt many producers watched green pastures turn brown during August when there was little rain coupled with several weeks of intense heat. This weather pattern corresponds with declining quality of standing forage.

In late spring and early summer calves can gain 2 to 3 lb./day on the same pastures that now may be limiting gains to less than half that amount, even with ample standing forage. Why? Because cattle’s growth performance is based on the most limiting nutrient in their diet.

The same grasses that would have contained more than 10% CP in late spring and early summer are now likely well below that level. Regardless of our warm season forage type, (native grasses, Bermuda, sorghum Sudan or millet), the same maturity pattern holds true. A 500 lb. calf gaining 1.5 lb./day requires a diet containing a minimum of 10% CP.

Bottomline: at this point, CP has become the growth limiting factor in a calf’s diet.

The Cost-Effective Solution

If you have standing forage to be used before wheat pasture comes on, or just wanting to cost effectively add weight to growing calves, the key to improving growth rates is protein supplementation. As opposed to high energy creep feeds, Gold and SuperGold programs are designed to improve growth rate through high protein supplementation when ample standing forage is available.

The Oklahoma Gold program includes a 38% CP supplement at a rate of 1 lb./day and includes an ionophore additive along with vitamins and minerals. The Oklahoma SuperGold program is similar as it includes supplementing a 25% CP at a rate of 2.5 lb./day.

The Oklahoma Gold program is one of the most cost effective and industry proven supplementation programs ever developed.

From early June to October, several trials conducted at OSU, indicate feeding 1 lb./day of Gold can increase gains of stockers grazing summer pastures by up to 0.6 lb./day. Furthermore, the Gold program is based on a low volume of feed and offers the flexibility of feeding every-other-day. In some situations the SuperGold feeding program may offer advantages. Remember, both of these feeding strategies work based on ample standing forage.

Rust in the Ration: How to Combat Southern Rust’s Impact on Corn Silage

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:04:47 GMT

With the warm and wet conditions this season, southern rust is on the rise in Midwest corn crops. It may be time to start considering the impact that could have on corn silage and preparing to adjust rations accordingly. While southern rust is not a direct threat to herd health, it has been shown to lower the nutritional value of silage and can compromise feed quality.

Southern rust, a fast-developing fungal disease caused by Puccinia polysora, does not itself produce toxins, but it weakens the plant and provides the opportunity for other diseases to move in. These opportunists include various Furasium species, which produce mycotoxins (fumonisin and deoxynivalenol) that can be harmful in feed.

Southern Rust and Corn Silage Quality

Southern rust is known to impact corn silage quality. A study from the University of Florida showed increasing rust infestation resulted in increased dry matter and fiber fractions, but that dry matter digestibility decreased by 13%. Further, high rust silages had lower neutral detergent fiber digestibilities than medium and no rust silages. Southern rust also affected the concentrations of lactate and volatile fatty acids, causing both to decrease with increasing infestation. These results indicate decreased nutritive value.

The observed increased dry matter also reduced silo packing effectiveness. If moisture levels are too low at harvest, it is difficult to achieve adequate packing, which leads to poor fermentation and an increased risk of mold growth.

Because southern rust coverage reduces the photosynthetic area of the leaf, grain fill is often hindered, leading to a lower energy and protein content in the silage.

Southern Rust Silage Management

There are a handful of strategies producers can apply to counteract the effects of southern rust:

Adjust harvest time based on moisture content. Southern rust can cause corn to dry down faster than normal. Monitor moisture levels closely to ensure the proper fermentation of silage.
Consider a silage inoculant. Inoculants improve fermentation, and the rapid pH drop can inhibit mold and yeast growth.
Ensure good packing and storage. Pack silage well to limit oxygen exposure and prevent mold growth. Cover bunkers immediately and weigh down coverings thoroughly.

Feeding Southern Rust Silage

To counter the nutritional challenges of feeding southern rust-infected corn silage, dietary supplementation may be necessary.

Prior to inclusion, test all potentially infected silage for mycotoxins. This will allow you to determine the safety of the feed and avoid potential health issues. If mycotoxins are high, the incorporation of a mycotoxin binding agent into the ration will help reduce toxin absorption in the animal’s digestive tract. Additionally, supplementation with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, could help animals by countering oxidative stress caused by mycotoxins and supporting immune function.

If grain fill was affected and starch levels are low, you may need to incorporate an additional energy course to compensate. Further, poor grain fill could reduce the already low protein content of corn silage, and protein supplementation may be required.

When incorporating infected silage, ensure it is thoroughly mixed into the TMR to dilute potential ‘hot spots’. Inclusion levels of contaminated silage in the feed may need to be limited or removed entirely for sensitive animals, including lactating or breeding animals. Livestock should be monitored closely for symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity, such as reduced intake, weight loss, digestive issues or reproductive challenges. Be prepared to respond if issues arise.

When feeding corn silage infected with southern rust, caution is essential to protect livestock health and performance. The thoughtful use of compromised silage can help minimize risk while maintaining efficiency and animal well-being.

Your next read: Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Emphasizing Nutrition in Medical Education is Welcome and Overdue, Meat Institute Says

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:30:20 GMT

The Meat Institute applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement urging leading medical education organizations to provide more comprehensive nutrition education and training.

“Americans trust their doctors for advice, including advice on nutrition,” Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said in a release. “This initiative should make nutrition and medical advice synonymous for the well-being of the patient and the consumer.”

Potts believes this initiative can help counter confusing and misleading information about nutrition, including the vital role of meat and poultry in health dietary patterns.

“Meat and poultry products provide consumers with a convenient, direct and balanced dietary source of all essential amino acids,” the Meat Institute said earlier this year. “Per serving, meat, poultry and fish provide more protein than dairy, eggs, legumes, cereals, vegetables or nuts. Protein is critical for developing, maintaining and repairing strong muscles; is vital for growth and brain development in children; and is essential to prevent muscle loss during aging.”

In February, Meat Institute President Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Susan Backus said a modified Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern risks the potential for unintended consequences for nutrient and energy intakes.

“Americans need to improve their eating patterns to promote health,” Backus pointed out. “Considering dietary choices based on taste and cultural preferences, health and economic status, and food availability will be key to improving the dietary habits of Americans. A recommendation to reduce, limit or avoid nutrient dense products like meat and poultry will have significant unintended nutritional consequences across all life stages.”

Potts said improving nutrition education for medical professionals is “welcome, commonsense and overdue.”

The Next Frontier of Cow Nutrition is Encapsulated

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:06:55 GMT

Consumption trends are driving the milk industry like never before. Weight loss drugs, body building supplements, diets for the elderly and the need to maintain muscle mass in an aging population. A proactively engaged consumer (Prosumer) is demanding a diversity of food options to match environmental concerns, animal welfare, ethnic diets, etc. The influence of social media on consumption is pervasive on the food shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores. Visiting a grocery store in a large city is more like a safari — a mixture of entertainment and storytelling — than about the actual nutritional needs of the consumer.

Milk processors have struggled to keep up, and the milk shelves have never been fuller of a more diverse range of options. The range of cheese, yogurt and ice-cream labels would challenge the average recent graduate of the food science programs of our best Universities.

What can dairy producers do?

1. Genetics: The recent and dramatic advances in reported milk components in the U.S. dairy herd has been nothing short of extraordinary. Cobank reports the 2024 U.S. butterfat levels reached 4.23%, and proteins are now at 3.29% — a record by historical standards. This has been driven by better genetic selection, particularly in Holsteins, and feeding and managing those genetics for optimal performance. It is reasonable to expect further improvements in bovine genetics will continue these trends over the coming decade.

2. Feeding for milk components: Traditionally, nutritionists have used least-cost feed formulation software in order to achieve the most cost-effective milk production. Often decisions were taken based on single ingredient digestibility and not on how a diet affects rumen fermentation, ruminal biomass or the absorption of those nutrients in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The use of bypass proteins and anionic salts have shown what is possible when ingredients can avoid degradation by rumen micro-organisms. The use of yeast cultures is another approach, enhancing rumen fermentation of fibers and acidity (pH) to produce more microbial protein, and eventually increased milk components.

3. Precision feeding for milk components: The last 10 years have seen an explosion in the use of encapsulated ingredients to bypass the rumen, allowing this concept to go from niche to mainstream. The most obvious example of this has been Adisseo’s Smartamine & Meta-Smart, and protected forms of methionine are now said to be used in over 70% of the top-producing dairy herds. As one New York dairy farmer said to me, “When my nutritionist forgets to put it in the feed, I see the changes in the milk tanks within days.”

Globally, another dozen companies have entered the fray. The new leaders are all looking beyond methionine to a range of nutrients that both increase milk production, milk components and intestinal health. Balchem (Lysine, Choline), Jefo (B-Vitamins, essential oils), ADM, Kemin, Alltech (nonprotein nitrogen) are just some of those leading in this field. The excitement of using microencapsulation is that it allows these feed ingredients to bypass rumen degradation, effectively turning the ruminant into a monogastric. In other words, feeding a cow as though she was a pig.

A demonstration of the scale of excitement around how encapsulation is seen as a game changer is that Jefo recently opened a new $100 million factory in Canada just to meet the needs of their North American customers — focused on delivering combinations of ingredients (Matrix technology) to improve cow health, productivity and fertility.

What’s next?

Artificial intelligence will most likely increase the pace of change in our cow’s nutrition. Understanding how to influence the ruminal microbiota through nutrition, more precisely and in real time, will move science forward. Traditional rumen models such as the artificial rumen simulation systems (e.g. Rusitec), predictive models such as the Cornell CPCPS Model and INRA Systali (PDI) in Europe, are being supplanted by AI-based systems. Equally using sensors in the rumen (digital boluses, Smaxtec) and in-line and individual cow milk sensors (Labby, SomaDetect), will give farmers the ability to see the benefits of delivering nutrition in real time. Feeding precisely means in the right place, in the right form, at the right time. Already Canadian farmers have reported dramatic benefits of encapsulating all of the micronutrients fed to their cows in a single delivery, on milk components, somatic cells and fertility. This will undoubtedly be the future: reimagining all aspects of feeding cows.

When it comes to nutrition, it’s like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz: “We aren’t in Kansas, anymore!”

Texas A&M Researchers Study Diet’s Impact On Salmonella Prevalence In Cattle

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:29:16 GMT

Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and can spread to people from a variety of foods, including beef. Understanding how and why cattle become infected with Salmonella is an important part of fighting this major public health concern.

Researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) are addressing this problem from a new angle by studying how diet and feeding schedule impact Salmonella infections in cattle.

Their recent study , published in the American Society for Microbiology’s Microbiology Spectrum journal, found that high-starch diets can potentially lower Salmonella prevalence in cattle, especially within the lymph nodes — organs that are often embedded in fat trims included in ground beef products.

“Lymph nodes may be present in fat trimmings that are used to balance lean-to-fat ratios in ground beef products,” says Yesica Botero, a fourth-year biomedical sciences doctorate student. “This is a food safety concern because Salmonella can hide inside lymph nodes, where surface cleaning or treatments do not reach. As a result, it can still be present in ground beef.”

Feedyard cattle are typically fed a high-energy, grain-based diet designed to promote rapid growth and efficient weight gain.

Understanding the role that a high-starch diet potentially plays in reducing Salmonella prevalence could have major impacts on the beef cattle industry, providing ranchers with new options for controlling the spread of bacteria within their herds.

Taking A New Approach

The Texas A&M project was designed to study feedlot cattle that Dr. Kendall Samuelson, from West Texas A&M University, was examining in a separate project to see whether high-starch diets and feeding schedules impact liver abscess formation.

“We aimed to understand the factors that contribute to the presence and distribution of salmonella in feedlot cattle,” said Dr. Gizem Levent , a VMBS assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences . “There aren’t many studies focusing on understanding how diet and management changes impact Salmonella.”

Botero and Levent took samples of feces, hides, lymph nodes and soil from Samuelson’s cattle pens over a period of more than seven months. They found that while there was little difference in Salmonella populations between cattle with scheduled versus erratic feedings, the level of starch in the diet made a notable impact.

“We saw a reduction in Salmonella, especially in the lymph nodes, when cattle were fed a high-starch diet,” Botero says. “High-starch diets typically cause a lower pH in the rumen, which may be what reduces Salmonella prevalence in the gastrointestinal tract and, subsequently, in lymph nodes.

“Findings from Dr. Samuelson’s original study suggested that high-starch diets may also correlate with a higher incidence of liver abscesses,” she says. “This is something we would like to explore further in upcoming studies by testing different starch concentrations in the diet to find one that does not harm cattle health — such as by increasing the risk of liver abscesses — but still helps lower Salmonella levels.”

Continuing The Investigation

In addition to studying how different levels of starch impact liver abscesses and Salmonella, Levent and Botero are planning to dive even deeper into the data to study the specific serotypes, or genetic profiles of Salmonella, observed in their samples.

“We want to do a follow-up study with more in-depth analysis of the dynamics of the Salmonella population,” Botero says. “By looking at the genetic profiles, we can better understand which serotypes are present, how they might respond to antibiotics, and whether they carry genes that make them more likely to survive or spread in the environment.”

Fortunately, what they have seen so far from the feedlot samples does not indicate a high presence of Salmonella or serotypes resistant to antibiotics.

“The overall Salmonella population found was not resistant to antibiotics of public health concern, which is good news for public health,” Levent said. “But we will definitely keep screening for resistance so that we can better understand what makes resistant populations exist in the environment.”