May 9, 2017

The 2017 Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference will be June 14-15 at the Grand River Center in Dubuque. This premier conference will focus on nutrition and management to improve cow performance, foot health and overall cow health, in addition to other topics.
“If you are involved in the dairy industry, we encourage you to attend,” says Jennifer Bentley, Iowa State University Extension dairy field specialist. The conference is a collaborative effort of ISU Extension, University of Illinois Extension, University of Minnesota Extension and University of Wisconsin-Extension.
The program starts June 14 with the preconference symposium on quality liquid feeds. Dave Barbano from Cornell University will cover how short-chain fatty acid content affects milk fat and protein yield. Lance Baumgard, ISU researcher, will discuss the effect of “leaky gut condition” on transition cow health and the use of chromium propionate as a mitigation strategy. Other topics include how supplementing methionine during the transition period can enhance health, milk yield and reproduction. The final topic is feeding and managing herds for more production, with a goal of producing 100 pounds of milk per cow per day.
Emphasis on dairy herd health
Conference speakers include Richard Erdman, University of Maryland dairy specialist, discussing DCAD for lactating cows. Dietary cation-anion difference is a measure that can be used in both dry and lactating cows. In dry cows, a negative DCAD can help prevent metabolic problems, and in lactating cows, a positive DCAD can help increase milk production and components.
Paul Kononoff, University of Nebraska, will talk about the importance of water quality in dairy production. Bill Weiss, Ohio State University, will show his latest research on using TMR sampling to troubleshoot herds.
Nigel Cook, University of Wisconsin, will discuss how to prevent lameness in dairy herds and new ways to effectively ventilate dairy barns. Karl Burgi, Dairyland Hoof Care Institute, will explain the fundamentals for good hoof health. Pamela Ruegg will share results of a survey on bedding choice, udder health and production on Wisconsin farms.
Selected breakout topics include:
• Are all clays equal? Clay utilization in dairy cow diets
• Amino acids: roles beyond being the precursers for protein synthesis
• Feeding strategies and returns for robotic milking systems
• Mycotoxins in dairy cattle: who, what and why
• Producing more milk using more high-quality forages
• Feeding and management on top-producing herds in Minnesota
• Feeding to minimize lameness
• Can we feed byproducts with confidence?
• Incorporating pen and feed variation into diet formulation
A post-conference symposium sponsored by Mycogen seeds will include Barry Bradford of Kansas State, discussing undigested nutrient fiber and the synchrony of intake, rumen health and microbial production. Greg Roth of Penn State will talk about corn silage hybrid selection, and Kathleen Emery of Mycogen seeds will discuss using the “CornPicker” program to economically evaluate silage hybrids.
In addition to the educational program, there is a trade show with 50 companies exhibiting their latest products. There are also evening receptions and plenty of time to network with other participants. American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists credits and veterinary CEU credits are available (contact your state veterinary certifying agency).
For more information and to register, go online or contact Wisconsin Agri-Service Association at 608-223-1111, or Jim Salfer at [email protected] or 320-203-6093. The registration fee is $150 until May 31 and $175 afterward.
For dairy herd management information, visit these ISU resources:
• Extension Dairy Team
• ISU Dairy E-News and Views
• Jenn’s Dairy Resource
You May Also Like