Badger Dairy Insight
Badger Dairy Insight is a webinar series to provide the latest research-based dairy information to improve animal welfare, breeding and genetic selection, automation and modernization, and nutritional decisions for producers, dairy workers and managers, ag professionals, and educators.
Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison – Division of Extension’s Dairy Program on the third Tuesday of each month from 11am-12pm CST for the Badger Dairy Insight webinar series.
New for 2024, we are switching our webinars to a monthly platform. We are featuring your local Extension Dairy Program Educators and UW Specialists as they present on current dairy topics. Take the opportunity to learn from and discuss with experts on the dates below.
Webinars are free, however pre-registration is required to gain access.
Join the discussion
Badger Dairy Insight takes place on the 3rd Tuesday, each month (11am-12pm CST).
Upcoming Webinars
October 15, 2024
▶️ Watch: Grazing and Virtual Fencing on Dairy Farms
TOPIC: Nutrition
Speakers
Stephanie Bowers– Virtual Fencing: A Precision Technology for Dairies if needed
David Jaramillo– How can grazing fit into the modern dairy
November 19, 2024
▶️ Watch: Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions in US Holstein Cows
TOPIC: Emerging Technologies
Speaker
In this video, Matheus Pupo, a passionate PhD student at UW-Madison, dives into innovative nutritional strategies to cut down methane emissions in lactating cows.
Stay tuned as Chuck Nicholson, an agricultural economist from UW-Madison, breaks down the financial impact of feeding 3-NOP on income over feed costs in the U.S.
December 17, 2024
▶️ Watch: Nutritional Strategies to Reduce Methane Emissions in Lactating Cows
TOPIC: Nutrition
Speakers
Chuck Nicholson
Matheus Pupo
January 21, 2025
Fit for Transport
TOPIC: Herd Health and Welfare
Speakers
Catie Cramer
January – March 2024 Topics
January 16, 2024
▶ Watch: Selection of dairy cows for consistent performance under unpredictable conditions
Kent Weigel is Professor and Chair of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at UW-Madison. He holds research, extension and teaching appointments and serves as a technical consultant for numerous companies and organizations in the dairy genetics industry. In this session, Dr. Weigel will present current research on the day-to-day consistency of dry matter intake, milk yield, and the genetics behind it.
February 20, 2024
▶ Watch: Balancing diets for energy and amino acids to maximize milk components
In this presentation, Sebastian I Arriola Apelo, Assistant Professor of Metabolism at UW-Madison in the Animal & Dairy Sciences Department, will discuss amino acid balancing when feeding different energy sources to maximize milk protein and fat. Discussion will include various scenarios, including consideration of an induced milk fat depression. Amino acid balancing strategies will be focused on commercially available rumen protected amino acids and bypass proteins.
March 19, 2024
▶ Watch: Strategies for improving reproduction in dairy herds
Drs. Fricke and Martins will discuss their new latest research on optimizing use of sexed and beef semen in dairy herds, managing heifer growth and reproduction, and optimizing re-synchronization programs in lactating dairy cows.
April – June 2024 Topics
April 16, 2024
▶ Watch: Grazing your way to reduced heifer cost and better sustainability
Back to our roots with grazing dairy heifers with Jason Cavadini, Extension Grazing Outreach Specialist
Just a few generations ago nearly all dairy heifers spent part of the year on pasture. Today, most dairy farmers choose not to implement grazing. But there’s good reason for dairy farms to consider going Back to Our Roots with grazing of dairy heifers. It’s important to understand the distinctions between managed grazing and other types of grazing management. The three foundational principles – the Three R’s – are what make managed grazing different. This presentation will discuss how Rotation, Rest, and Residual influence forage production, animal performance, and cost savings for heifer raising programs.
Advancing sustainable grazing: quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from pastures using a “flying” air analyzer with Nesli Akdeniz, Livestock Controlled Environments Extension Specialist
The Rotational Grazing Handbook (A3529) recommends that all pastures with less than 40% legume content require N fertilization for optimal growth. Fertilizer application not only contributes to additional forage growth, allowing for a longer grazing period but also enhances pasture yields leading to increased carbon sequestration. However, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied in a way that minimizes the emissions of greenhouse gases and their precursors. In this presentation, we will discuss the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from dairy pastures using a “flying” air analyzer. We will also explore the effects of split N application and drought conditions on these emissions.
May 21, 2024
Heat Stress in Calves
▶ Watch: Understanding the carryover effects of early life heat stress on dairy calves
In this episode of Badger Dairy Insight, we hear from Dr. Jimena Laporta, Assistant Professor – Lactation Physiology for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.
Heat stress, a prevalent challenge in modern dairy farming, has been shown to have far-reaching consequences on young calves’ health, well-being, and productivity; even before they are born. This presentation will explore how heat stress affects the physiological, behavioral, and developmental aspects of calves during their critical early stages of life and highlight the long-lasting implications that persist into adulthood. Additionally, this presentation will discuss potential strategies to alleviate the detrimental impacts of heat stress on dairy calves, including housing management interventions.
▶ Watch: Strategies for keeping calves cool in hutches
In this brief presentation, Jennifer Van Os will continue some of the themes from Dr. Laporta’s presentation, specifically discussing collaborative work at UW-Madison to identify practical strategies for alleviating heat stress in hutch-housed dairy calves.
June 18, 2024
▶ Watch: Updating our thinking about corn silage and alternative forages
MILK 2024 – what’s new?
Differences in nutrient composition and digestibility among corn hybrids have the potential to impact energy content of corn silage and ultimately influence dairy cow production. From the perspective of maximizing nutritive value, energy predictions of corn silage can be useful to aid producers in selecting hybrids. The MILK index was developed to predict the energy content (milk/ton) and energy yield (milk/acre) of forages. This presentation will discuss the novel aspects of the newest iteration of the MILK model.
Cover crops, alternative crops- how well do they feed?
Extension gathered samples of forages at harvest and after fermentation and visited with producers about their experiences with some of the forages that today are being used in addition to corn silage and alfalfa. These feeds included winter cereals such as rye and triticale, warm season grasses such as sorghum-sudangrass and annuals including Italian ryegrass and mixtures with legumes. These crops fill many agronomic and conservation niches, but how well can they be utilized to feed lactating dairy cows. Results are variable but many opportunities exist.
July – August 2024 Topics
July 16, 2024
▶ Watch: Leveraging digital technologies to improve management decisions in dairy farms
Dr. João Dórea is an assistant professor in Precision Agriculture and Data Analytics in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at UW–Madison. Dr. Dorea develops research focused on digital technology and predictive analytics to optimize farm management decisions. Dr. Dórea’s research group is interested in large-scale implementation of computer vision systems, wearable sensors, infrared spectroscopy, and other sensors to monitor animals in livestock farms. Examples of application include the use of digital technologies to monitor animal behavior, growth development, social interaction, and early detection of diseases or animal welfare concerns.
August 20, 2024
▶ Watch: Cows need fiber too! Storage and feeding tips to minimize nutrient losses
Cows need fiber too! Storage and feeding tips to minimize nutrient losses.
Minimizing dry matter and nutrient losses during silage storage
Luiz Ferraretto will discuss the potential costs of DM and nutrient losses occurring during silage preservation and strategies to mitigate this issue.
Risks of inadequate fiber in diets
Jackie McCarville will discuss the potential limitation of low fiber diets to animal health.
September 2024 Topics
September 17, 2024
▶ Watch: New Concepts in Colostrum Feeding for Dairy Calves
Dairy producers should consider feeding a smaller volume of colostrum to newborn calves. Delivering the correct mass of immunoglobulin in a smaller volume ensures the successful transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is preferable to current colostrum feeding guidelines. Feeding too large a volume of colostrum can cause serious complications that affect the health and well-being of newborn calves.
Dr. Donald C. Sockett D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D., Diplomate ACVIM is a diagnostic case and outreach coordinator at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is recognized internationally for his work on infectious diseases of livestock, particularly dairy cattle. At the WVDL, he is responsible for diagnostic cases that are submitted to the laboratory by practicing veterinarians and livestock producers. He also conducts outreach education for the WVDL. Don is a native of Southern Ontario, Canada, and holds degrees from the University of Guelph, Colorado State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He came to the diagnostic laboratory in 1995 after spending four years in the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health.
Dr. Ryan Breuer holds a dual appointment as a Diagnostic Case & Outreach Coordinator at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL) as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine (UW-SVM). He is from a diversified, rural farming community in southeast Wisconsin with a background rich in agricultural experiences. He completed his DVM degree in 2012 from the UW-SVM. Breuer practiced large animal medicine in general practice in Wisconsin prior to completing a residency training program in Food Animal Internal Medicine at Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. At the UW-SVM and WVDL Breuer has a focus in consulting with veterinarians as well as teaching veterinary students. Breuer’s areas of interest include large animal internal medicine, concepts of AVMA approved humane euthanasia for large animal species, herd health and calf welfare investigations as well as diagnostic and infectious disease consultation.
Recordings
Fall 2023 Topics
September 19, 2023
Fresh cows: fetching the cow and blood money
Ryan Pralle, Assistant Professor in the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will talk about two projects he is currently working on. The first topic will be on a novel blood panel developed that will predict high liver triglyceride status in multiparous cows as a proxy for fatty liver. His second topic will be on the impact of early lactation milking frequency (3x vs 6x) on multiparous dairy cow production and health from cows at the UW-Platteville farm utilizing Lely robotic milkers. He will discuss the differences in productivity, possibly nutrient partitioning, and surprising lack of habituation/training on the high frequency cows to high voluntary visits after they stopped fetching intensively.
October 17, 2023
Manure Processing Systems
Rebecca Larson, Professor and Extension Specialist in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will talk about manure processing systems. The information will cover a wide variety of research trials and extension information on the types of manure processing systems available including their benefits and limitations. She will cover composting, anaerobic digestion, solid liquid separation, sand separation, struvite recovery, pelleting/granulation, drying, pyrolysis (biochar), membrane treatment, and treatment to clean water. The presentation will include the basic system components, current status of the technology, future direction of the technology, products and nutrient values they each produce, and general limitations and operating requirements. A recently published manure processing series of fact sheets can also be found at UW-Extension learning store that has more detail on each system, https://learningstore.extension.wisc.edu/collections/animals (please scroll down to find the newest manure processing series).
November 21, 2023
Moving cows without the cows: new options for interactive employee training
Handling cows is necessary to harvest milk and provide animal care, but these interactions also present a risk of injury to personnel. Inappropriate cow handling threatens animal welfare, milk production, and public trust in dairy farming. But how can the industry best teach these skills? Interactive learning experiences can help build confidence by allowing dairy workers to actively participate in their own training.
Interactive training methods, such as group activities, simulations, games or other hands-on methods, keep employees engaged in the learning process and create a safe space for questions. In collaboration with Wisconsin dairy stakeholders, Extension Dairy Welfare Specialist & UW Madison Department of Animal & Dairy Science Assistant Professor, Jennifer Van Os, created an innovative learning tool for people to practice the appropriate handling of dairy cows.
Join Jennifer Van Os and Extension Farm Management Specialist Jim Versweyveld as they discuss interactive learning and the Mooving Cows(TM) digital educational game in which learners practice moving cows in simulated dairy farm environments. The game, like a flight simulator, is a way for participants to “learn by doing.” The learning objectives in the game are to understand how human actions affect cow behavior, stress, productivity, and worker safety.
December 19, 2023
Udderly efficient: management strategies for optimal performance
Faith Reyes and Carolina Pinzón, newly appointed statewide Dairy Outreach Specialists at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension, will be presenting this webinar to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of effective dairy animal handling, grouping strategies and their impact on efficiency in the parlor and beyond.
