Author: Elliot Neto, Ph.D., technical services manager with Kemin Dairy producers are always looking for ways to gain efficiency while reducing costs. That’s just good business. But, some budget cuts can cost you more in the long run than what you saved in the first place. And alternatively, some investment in prevention can pay dividends down the line. Take water quality for example. It can be hard to see the value in spending money in this area. If your water supply looks a

Bacterial pathogen challenges are inevitable on dairies. But decreased production isn’t. See how one functional additive helps keep cows on track. Cows are highly effective at converting feed energy into milk and components. But it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it process. When stressors are present this conversion of energy can be disrupted. In the face of challenging situations, cows enter the Stress Response Cascade in which they become systemically inflamed, reduce dry matte

Photo: (from l to r: Mike Parreria, Fernando Valadao and Mike Valadao) Mike Valadao of Valadao Dairy in Hanford, Calif., knew highly pathogenic avian influenza type A H5N1 (more commonly known as bird flu) was coming his way after hearing reports of neighboring dairies experiencing symptoms. He knew it was only a matter of time. Valadao felt confident in his biosecurity measures and management protocols for their 2,200-cow dairy, however he also knew that stopping the spread