bailey's bit Archives | Midwestern BioAg

Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle

By: Bailey Farrell · Livestock Nutrition

Heat stress can cause many issues for the cows and the farmer. How do we prevent heat stress in cattle? Water consumption and housing ventilation can be great combat methods for heat stress in dairy cattle.

Probiotics for Dairy Cattle | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Livestock Nutrition

A probiotic is defined as “live-organisms which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health effect on the host.” There are two general classes of probiotics: fungi and bacteria. Fungal probiotics are primarily live yeast. Probiotic yeasts work within the rumen to improve fermentation, scavenge oxygen, stabilize rumen pH, improve fiber digestion, and increase microbial growth. Probiotic yeasts remove oxygen (scavenge oxygen) from the rumen and provide a better anaerobic environment for bacterial growth. The anaerobic environment helps in the protection of rumen bacteria from damage …

Pig Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Livestock Nutrition

Pig Nutrition
The most essential items in pig nutrition are energy, protein, and lysine. Pigs need energy to live, grow and reproduce. Pigs need energy just to keep their bodily functions working. The amount of energy needed will vary according to climate, the environment, the age and weight of the pigs, and whether they are breeding or not. For example, during cold weather, pigs use more energy to keep themselves warm. Meaning they have to eat more if they are to keep growing as there is …

Selenium | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Newsletters, Livestock Nutrition

Selenium
Selenium is an essential trace element for ruminants. It is required in cattle for normal growth and fertility and for helping to prevent other health disorders such as mastitis and calf scours. Many pastures are short in natural selenium levels. Therefore, cattle should be supplemented with selenium. The level of selenium in the pasture is dependent on the level of selenium in the soil. Pastures have the lowest levels of selenium occurring in the spring and summer.

Poultry Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Livestock Nutrition

Poultry Nutrition
Poultry diets are made up of a mixture of several different feedstuffs including cereal grains, soybean meal, animal by-product meals, fats, and vitamins and mineral premixes. Together with fresh water, these elements provide the energy and nutrients essential for the bird’s growth, reproduction, and health.
To understand poultry nutrition, first, we need to understand their unique digestive system. First, food is taken in with the beak which is a perfect tool for pecking feed in crumble or pellet form, small grains, grass, or insects.

Pain Management | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Dairy Production, Newsletters, Livestock Nutrition

Pain Management
It is fundamentally important to address pain for the animal’s benefit and production efficiency. Noticing early physiological and behavioral changes can help producers recognize problems before the pain becomes chronic or debilitating. For example, when calves are dehorned and in pain, they will flick their ears and shake their heads repeatedly. Noticing these behavioral changes, along with redness and warmth of horn buds, gives producers the opportunity to manage calf pain and decrease the risk of future health challenges, like scours.

Rotational Grazing | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Livestock Nutrition

Rotational Grazing
More than one-quarter of the Midwest’s agricultural land is in some form of pasture. Rotational grazing is where one part of the pasture is grazed at a time, while the remainder pastures “rest”. Resting grazed paddocks allows forage plants to renew energy reserves, rebuild vigor, deepen their roots system, and give long-term maximum production. Below is the relationship between the number of paddocks and the rest period per acre.For optimum production, pastures should be grazed about a week before the grass heads out (goes …

Hoof Care | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

By: Bailey Farrell · Dairy Production, Newsletters, Livestock Nutrition

It is estimated that approximately 20% of lameness in cattle – dairy and beef is attributed to foot rot. Foot rot is an infectious condition that causes swelling, heat, and inflammation in cattle’s feet, resulting in severe lameness. Bacteria are responsible for causing foot rot. Fusobacterium necrphorum is the main foot rot causing bacterium. All the foot rot-causing microbes are mainly anaerobic, meaning they thrive in an environment without oxygen. Many of these bacteria are found in feces, so even healthy feet are present with bacteria.

From the Ground Up | Summer 2021

By: Christopher.kniffen@midwesternbioag.com · OrganiCal™, Alfalfa, Calcium, Newsletters, Livestock Nutrition

From the Ground Up Newsletter | Summer 2021