Two weeks ago, I chatted with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service at BASF Plant Science, about feed efficiency as it relates to poultry. We’re back this week to learn how NutriDense can improve this important factor for poultry producers.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen to all of our feed efficiency podcasts:
Last month, I sat down with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, to talk about feed efficiency and dairy cows, and learn about how NutriDense can help producers improve their bottom lines when it comes to corn silage.
This month, we’re back with two more interviews with Jerry on what feed efficiency means for poultry producers. Listen in to part one below, and check back in two weeks to hear the second installment of our chat.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Back in May, before the weather really heated up, we posted some tips from Western DairyBusiness and our own Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, on preparing your dairy for the hot summer months.
Now that temperatures are reaching triple digits in some parts of the country, Dr. Rick Lundquist, a Minnesota-based nutritionist and management consultant, offers his thoughts on monitoring heat stress in cows. His technology-free method involves counting respiration rates by watching for movement of the flanks or the nostrils, since respiration rates are highly correlated to body temperature:
It’s relatively easy to determine if the body temperature of your cows is in the heat-stress zone. You don’t have to temp cows or use a recording device. Respiration rates are highly correlated to body temperature. Count respiration rate by watching the flanks move or the nostrils. If cows are breathing with an open mouth, observe the movement of the cheeks. Check at least eight to 10 cows in a pen by counting for 20 seconds and multiplying by three to get respirations/minute.
To see all of Dr. Lundquist’s tips, check out his blog post “A Simple Method to Monitor Heat Stress in Your Cows” on the AgWeb.com website.
A few weeks ago, we kicked off a podcast series with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, on feed efficiency. We’re back again with more questions about how this topic relates to dairy cows. Click on the audio player below to listen in.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Be sure to check back in the coming weeks as I talk with Jerry on feed efficiency as it relates to poultry.
NutriDense Silage boosts feed efficiency in cows. What is feed efficiency, and why is it important? I spoke with Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, to get the answers to these questions and more.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Check back in two weeks for our second podcast on feed efficiency and dairy cows, where we will talk more with Jerry about how NutriDense fits into the equation.
The Feed Industry Institute’s annual educational forum kicks off today in St. Louis, Mo. and runs through Thursday. The four-day program’s agenda is packed with topics ranging from food safety and animal proteins to feed processing and international feed markets.
In addition, our own Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, will be presenting on current and future specialty grains on Wednesday, June 16.
The annual World Pork Expo runs June 9 – 11 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Thousands of producers and industry professionals – including our own Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical services, and Dr. Chris Peter, field nutritionist – from all over the world are expected to attend.
Jerry and Chris will be on hand at booth 558 in the Varied Industries Building (VIB), so be sure to stop by and visit.
If you won’t be in Des Moines, the conference has made it easy to follow along online. Check out the @NPPCWPX Twitter account and follow the #wpx10 hashtag for real-time updates, or keep an eye on the World Pork Expo Facebook page for status updates, photos and videos straight from the show floor.
As temperatures start to rise, is your dairy operation ready to take the heat? Western DairyBusiness’ recent article “The heat is on: Dairies need to prepare” has tips from dairy specialists on updating dairy facilities for summer.
It touches on how warmer weather impacts cow diets, which is important to remember. You should definitely be feeding cows different feed formulations in the summer to maintain productivity and reduce heat stress.
Jerry Weigel, our manager of nutrition and technical services, provided some tips on this same topic in August for a podcast about special measures dairy farmers should take to keep profitability up, and they still hold true as we change seasons again.
Listen in to the podcast by clicking on the link below. The audio player will open within this post.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The two-day Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference kicks off Tuesday, April 20, at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. The conference will focus on nutrition and animal health, heifer management and feeding program management.
Revving up on dairy nutrition research and commentary before the conference? Listen in to Jerry Weigel, BASF Plant Science manager of nutrition and technical service, discuss the importance of fiber digestibility in corn silage.
