In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Carla Bittar from the University of São Paulo in Brazil talks about feeding forage to dairy calves. She shares her groundbreaking research on including corn silage in young calf diets and what it means for intake, behavior, and performance in pre-weaning calves. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Feeding corn silage to calves increased total solid feed intake, especially around weaning, with no adverse effects on performance."

Meet the guest: Dr. Carla Bittar earned her M.S. at the University of Arizona and her Ph.D. in Animal Science at ESALQ/USP, where she now serves as an Associate Professor. Her research centers on nutrition and metabolism of dairy calves during the pre-weaning phase, focusing on forage inclusion and rumen development.

Click here to read the full research articles:

Whole-plant flint corn silage inclusion in total mixed rations for pre- and postweaning dairy calves

Forage sources in total mixed rations early in life influence performance, metabolites, and behavior of dairy calves

Forage sources in total mixed rations on rumen fermentation, gut fill, and development of the gastrointestinal tract of dairy calves

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What will you learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:35) Introduction
• (04:28) Corn silage feeding
• (05:45) Fiber requirements
• (07:24) Rumen development
• (09:43) Intake insights
• (12:23) Choosing the right forage
• (13:28) Closing thoughts

The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:

* Adisseo

* Kemin

* Priority IAC

- Virtus Nutrition

- Zinpro

- Afimilk

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this special rerun episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating National Cow Appreciation Day, we revisit our conversation with Dr. Michael Hutjens, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, who provides an update on rumen buffers and key considerations for their optimal use in dairy diets. Dr. Hutjens explains the sources of buffers, their role in rumen health, and practical strategies for effective integration into dairy rations. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Buffers stabilize rumen health and optimize microbial growth."

Meet the guest: Dr. Michael Hutjens, Professor Emeritus of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, grew up on a Holstein dairy farm in Wisconsin and earned his bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With decades of experience as an extension dairy specialist, Dr. Hutjens has delivered expert insights on dairy nutrition worldwide, speaks at numerous conferences, and writes for prominent dairy publications.

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What will you learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:28) Introduction
• (02:35) Buffer usage in dairy diets
• (03:14) Rumen environment optimization
• (03:55) Key buffer sources
• (07:11) Calcium carbonate
• (08:16) Reasons to use buffers
• (11:14) Closing thoughts

The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:

* Priority IAC

* Adisseo

* Kemin

- Zinpro

- Afimilk

- Volac

- Virtus Nutrition

- Zinpro

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Pedro Melendez from City University of Hong Kong discusses the genetic and nutritional factors behind abdominal adiposity and hypocalcemia in dairy cows. He shares research findings on metabolic health risks, prevention strategies, and the importance of monitoring nutritional management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Abdominal adiposity significantly increases the risk of developing metabolic disorders such as mastitis, ketosis, and fatty liver."

Meet the guest: Dr. Pedro Melendez, DVM, MS, PhD, DABVP (Dairy), serves as Clinical Full Professor in Bovine Production Medicine at City University of Hong Kong. With a DVM from the University of Chile and an MS and PhD from the University of Florida, his work focuses on dairy production medicine, nutritional management, and metabolic diseases in dairy cattle.

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What will you learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:26) Introduction
• (01:00) Guest background
• (02:16) Abdominal adiposity risks
• (05:27) Genetic factors role
• (07:00) Preventing hypocalcemia
• (09:26) Calcium bolus use
• (10:50) Closing thoughts

The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:

* Adisseo

* Kemin

* Priority IAC

- Zinpro

- Afimilk

- Volac

- Virtus Nutrition

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

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LinkedIn: The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast