Posted: October 14, 2010 at 7:40 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The oxidative balance of a dairy cow is one of the many factors that can limit milk production and a producer’s bottom line. That’s why Novus International places a lot of emphasis on helping dairy producers control or eliminate oxidative stress in their animals.
Diet plays a key role in oxidative balance since vitamin and mineral imbalances can be linked to oxidative stress. There is a natural balance between free-radical formation and the defense system and for a dairy cow to stay healthy, the systems should stay in balance. But when the body is under stress, free radicals can get out of balance. When this system is out of balance, the body initiates an oxidative chain reaction, resulting in oxidative stress. The nutrition program can benefit from the proper balance of antioxidants, minerals and amino acids.
At World Dairy Expo, I sat down with Dr. Dennis Nuzback, Technical Services Manager for Novus, and got a lesson in oxidative balance. “Novus’ oxidative balance program is basically designed around three products,” Dennis explains. “First is the anti-oxidant package called Agrado-Plus, and the minute that gets mixed with the TMR that product can begin to scavenge free radicals in the diet, decreasing the free radical load to the cow.”
Next is an amino acid product like Alimet or MFP, “that has both a ruminal effect and a metobolizable or bypass methionine effect.” The methionine can be converted into the amino acid cysteine, which is used extensively by the immune system. Finally, trace mineral supplements such as Mintrex and Zorien SeY provide key components of antioxidant enzymes.
It’s all pretty technical stuff, but a dairy producer doesn’t need a degree in chemistry or biology to understand the bottom line. “Through a variety of field trials we try to present the results of our products in something the dairyman can understand,” he said. “If for a 15 cent investment in those different products, you can get three more pounds of milk, which hit 16 bucks in Iowa last month – 48 cents for a 15 cent investment, that’s a very reasonable return on investment.”
Posted: October 10, 2010 at 7:08 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
A simple, inexpensive instrument that is routinely used to measure liquids like wine or orange juice to determine the amount of soluble solids in solution can also be used to quickly measure the quality of colostrum for newborn calves.
Research published in the August Journal of Dairy Science showed how Brix refractometer instruments can be used effectively for the measurement of Ig concentration of colostrum and at World Dairy Expo, APC, Inc. was giving away four of the refractometers every day during the trade show. The instruments are available on-line for about $50-60.
I talked with Jim Quigley, director of calf operations for APC, about how the refractometer can help producers better manage their colostrum program. “If the producer mismanages the first 24 hours of a calf’s life, it can really affect the calf for the rest of it’s life and impair its ability to milk when she grows up,” Jim told me.
The refractometer is easy to use and gives a reading within seconds of the quality of colostrum. “This brix refractometer can be a pretty good tool to help the producer, very quickly at cow-side, to identify the colostrum that’s good quality from the colostrum that’s poor quality,” he explained. “They’re very simple and easy to use and quite handy on the farm, since with feeding colostrum, time is of the essence.” APC offers products that are used to replace or supplement colostrum if a producer finds that necessary.
Posted: October 10, 2010 at 3:05 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
We all know that proper nutrition is an essential key to health, whether it’s humans or dairy cattle, but the exact benefit of adding a certain ingredient to the diet may be difficult to quantify. That’s why Novus International puts a great deal of time and effort into performing field trials in real world situations to prove the efficacy of their animal nutrition products.
I talked with Novus’ sales manager for the northeast United States Suzy Demeester about the importance of their field trials. “It allows us to work with nutritionists to show them the monetary and economic value of our products, as well as get the customer to feel comfortable using our product on the farm,” Suzy says. “Most of the time, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Suzy used Novus’ Agrado-Plus antioxidant as an example of a product that they need to show producers how it works for them. “It is a product that does so many things in the cow that often times you can’t measure exactly where it is affecting because it works in the gut, it works in the rumen, it works on the feed,” she said. “So if you have a specific objective and you’re measuring specific things in the end, you can show the value that way.”
A recent field trial that Novus performed was to show the effectiveness of their products in mycotoxin mitigation. According to Ruminant Account Manager Bob Myers, the trial was done on the farm where both aflatoxin and zearalenone in the TMR were affecting a herd. “Because he had such a broad spectrum of problems going on, we attacked it with a broad spectrum approach,” Bob said. That included using Solis, ZORIEN® MOS, and Agrado-Plus.
“We tested the herd’s vitamins A and E prior to the trial and then we tested the vitamin levels in the herd 60 days later,” he explained. Both were improved and they also saw an increase in milk production.
Posted: October 10, 2010 at 1:52 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Representatives from Novartis Animal Health were talking total herd health with dairy producers at World Dairy Expo this year, something that includes an effective vaccine protocol.
Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Doug Scholz says a good vaccine program helps manage the animals better. “Obviously, if animals are ill, they are not producing to their maximum potential and if we have diseases like respiratory diseases or scours in young calves, that’s an economic drain on the dairy,” he told me. “If we can put programs in place to prevent disease, it’s beneficial from the standpoint that we have lower treatment costs in those animals and they’ll perform better.”
Novartis’ Vira Shield is a vaccine that prevents a broad spectrum of respiratory and reproductive diseases of beef and dairy cattle that has been on the market for several years, but continually is being updated, according to Dr. Scholz. “Within the last 3-4 years, we’ve updated it with another BVD strain, with Lepto hardjo-bovis, and if we look 4 or 5 years down the road, we’ll make sure we keep that product current because the disease organisms we are fighting do change over time.”
Despite the economic situation that dairy producers have been facing the past couple of years, Dr. Scholz says producers are not trying to save money by cutting back on their animal health programs. “Most of the producers have really stayed current on their vaccine programs and realize that’s a cost that’s very difficult to cut because leaving their herd unprotected can have some pretty dire consequences.”
Posted: October 5, 2010 at 11:53 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Oakridge-Bahler Farm is one of the top-producing and most successful dairies in the Eastern U.S. The third-generation dairy owned by Vern, Dave and Dan Bahler has earned numerous awards for its progressive practices, including Connecticut’s ‘Dairy of Distinction’ award and the New England Green Pastures Award.
Under the direction of Dave Hartford, dairy operations manager, Oakridge-Bahler Farm has doubled in size over the last ten years. The herd currently stands at 1,875 cows with 1,600 in the milking string. Hartford attributes much of the dairy’s success to its colostrum harvest management program designed to reduce calf scours. “We’ve been involved for a number of years with a product called Scour Bos, marketed through Novartis, we’ve been using it about 12 years,” Dave said during an interview at World Dairy Expo. “We vaccinate the mothers before they calve and the immunity for scours comes through their colostrum.”
They harvest the colostrum, refrigerate it within ten minutes, and throw it out if it is not used within three days. “We just have general commonsense animal husbandry, things that work good for us,” Dave says. He adds that Oakridge-Bahler is up to 800 female calves a year and last year they only lost five.
Posted: September 11, 2010 at 12:16 pm
By News Editor
INFORCE™ 3, a new three-way respiratory cattle vaccine, is now available from Pfizer Animal Health. The intranasal vaccine offers unprecedented respiratory protection with the highest level of disease prevention available against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). INFORCE 3 also is labeled to aid in the prevention of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and parainfluenza type 3 (PI3).
In Pfizer Animal Health efficacy studies, all calves vaccinated with INFORCE 3 survived a severe BRSV challenge in which 95 percent of unvaccinated controls died.1,2 The studies also demonstrated that those calves vaccinated with INFORCE 3 showed fewer lung lesions and reduced viral shedding, indicating vaccinated calves are less likely to suffer from chronic BRSV disease and to transmit disease. Additionally, INFORCE 3 was shown to help prevent respiratory disease caused by IBR and PI3, and reduce IBR and PI3 viral shedding.3,4,5
“It is important to help get dairy and beef calves off to a healthy start and bolster their immune systems early to fight against costly and deadly respiratory diseases,” says Victor Cortese, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ABVP, director, Veterinary Specialties Group, Pfizer Animal Health. “BRSV is a major cause of viral pneumonia in young cattle.6 INFORCE™ 3 has demonstrated unmatched efficacy against BRSV. It is approved for use in cattle of all ages, so it also fits vaccination protocols for incoming stocker and feedlot cattle, and transition dairy cattle.”
In addition to unmatched efficacy and demonstrated safety, INFORCE 3 comes in a new user-friendly package design. Multilingual icons developed specifically for the package allow for quick visual identification of approved uses and handling instructions. The package also offers a tear-off, pressure-sensitive label that includes lot information to assist in inventory control and record-keeping.
INFORCE 3 is available in four vial sizes: 1-dose, 10-dose, 25-dose and 50-dose. It is safe for beef and dairy cattle of all ages, including pregnant females and newborn calves.
Do you have Spanish speaking employees on your dairy farm? You can now help them with animal care with Spanish resources from National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM).
Created by National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), with support from Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy FARM Program is a voluntary, nationwide program designed to bring consistency and uniformity to animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party verification.
“Since U.S. dairy production involves a number of native Spanish speakers who are responsible for animal care on a day-to-day-basis, the National Dairy FARM Program recognized the need for animal care materials to be available in Spanish,” said Betsy Flores, NMPF Director of Regulatory Affairs.
The materials now available in Spanish are the Animal Care Manual (Manual de Cuidado Animal) and Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide (Cuidado Animal Guía de Referencia Rápida para el Usuario).
The National Dairy FARM Program Animal Care Manual details best management practices for a variety of issues, including animal health, environment and facilities, animal nutrition, and transportation and handling. The content of the manual is consistent with the principles and guidelines of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, which was introduced in 2008.
The companion Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide is a condensed version of the manual for on-farm use and implementation. These materials will be supplemented with an animal care video and other educational resources. An on-farm instructor may be available from a producer’s cooperative or other source.
Posted: June 4, 2010 at 9:31 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Take note, animal activists – most dairy producers know that happy cows are more productive, so they do everything they can to make them comfortable.
Dr. Brian Miller, professional service veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., says that includes managing and controlling ectoparasites like mange and lice.
“Even in dairy herds where cows do not have access to grass, a well thought out program is important to controlling external parasites and keeping cows comfortable and productive,” says Miller. “Chorioptes bovis, the parasite that causes chorioptic mange in dairy cattle, lives at the base of a cow’s hair and tends to be concentrated around the tail head, escutcheon, udder and thighs. These parasites are spread by direct contact, and because of close confinement, they spread very quickly and easily within a dairy herd.”
Miller offers a few tips to help control irritating mange mites and keep your dairy herd more profitable:
• Do not abandon deworming or parasite control programs in difficult economic times. Keeping animals healthy and comfortable also keeps them productive.
• Regardless of cold or warm weather climates, implement a whole herd deworming or parasite control program in the late fall.
• Remember to pour any new animals entering the herd on arrival, including dry cows, first calf heifers and newly purchased additions as an important element in the biosecurity program.
• Pouring first lactation cows is important for protecting them in the last 10-15% of their growth and maximizing the first lactation.
As reports of internal parasite resistance to deworming treatments are on the upswing, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) is urging herd managers to test first, then treat, to avoid both the overuse and underuse of anthelmintics that can lead to a resistance problem.
Overuse is the result of producers deworming too often, and underuse occurs when too little product is administered, according to Dr. Mac Devin, professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. “In a closed population, if you treat too frequently, the remaining worms are the only ones left to breed,” he says. “Resistance increases with each generation. And if less than the labeled dose is given, again, this leaves too many survivors to pass on their resistant genes to the next generation.”
To establish a resistance management program in your herd, Devin recommends, with the help of your herd veterinarian, first conducting a fecal egg count reduction test to detect if you have parasite resistance in your herd. Two tests are taken; after the first test, treat the entire herd, then come back in 14 days to take another count and then calculate the loss. “Do this test on 20 percent of your herd, or 20 animals, whichever is less,” he says. “We want to see a 90 percent fecal egg production reduction.” Less than that would suggest a resistant population is present.
Secondly, herd managers should do a coproculture. Samples are incubated and then evaluated by a parasitologist to determine the composition of the nematode population.
With this information, cattle producers can determine the most effective program that will minimize the risk of resistance.
Posted: April 27, 2010 at 9:27 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
About a dozen students along with some of their advisors toured the Novus International headquarters in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles and the company’s research farm last week as part of Novus’ 2nd annual “Science: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers” days, where students who have received Missouri Colleges Fund scholarships (funded, in part, by Novus) get to see firsthand how they might be able to apply their science degrees in the future.
“Our hope is really for them to get a glimpse of what a science and math degree can do for them out in the ‘quote-unquote’ real world,” said Dr. Joyce Cacho, Chief Sustainability Officer for Novus, during an interview with Agwired’s John Davis who covered the event.
Dr. Cacho says Novus supports these students through the Missouri Colleges Fund because of the nature of the students’ degrees.
“The largest plank in our relationship with the Missouri Colleges Fund is Novus’ commitment to encouraging a pipeline of young people to innovate in science and mathematics as it relates to health and nutrition for livestock, as well as the human area. [The] fund offers us a structure to reach out to young people to attract them to our industry and to attract them to our mission and vision of feeding the world sustainable food and improving the quality of life.”
She adds, however, Novus welcomes more than just people with math and science degrees. Dr. Cacho points out there are lots of employees who come from marketing, business, and even physical training backgrounds who have found homes at Novus. The key is to find people who want to innovate.
Listen to or download John’s interview with Dr. Cacho in the player below.
Robbie Dingeman with USA Today recently reported on a dairy farm that is pampering their cows with water beds. Water beds? Is this for real? In an attempt to treat their cattle better and promote increased milk production, a Hawaiian-based dairy farm is testing out their theory of water beds for their cows and are discovering amazing results. Read the excerpt below and tell me your thoughts. Water beds for cows? Ridiculous or smart?
Water beds for cows. That may sound like a fanciful title for a novel but it describes the latest investment of a Hawaii farm pumping out fresh locally produced milk. Island Dairy owner Bahman Sadeghi explains it this way: “Happy, healthy cows produce more milk.”
So, “a cow that is not at peak health and is in stress is not going to produce as much milk as a comfortable relaxed cow.”
And that’s where the plan for a new 320-cow barn full of waterbeds comes in. The company said the pampered cow approach has produced measurable results.They cited reports that cows with waterbeds installed in their barns are producing 10% to 20% more milk.
It sure sounds like Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica did very well in the cattle market with their acquisition of a portion of Ft. Dodge Animal Health. To tell us about is Tim Bettington, Director Livestock Marketing. I spoke with him at their recent media day in St. Joseph, MO. He says that although BIVI has been a long standing player in the cattle business it has only been in certain segments like the stocker and feedlot sector. But now he says they have great opportunities in the cow/calf and dairy sectors.
According to Tim, the stand out products will be Cydectin, Today and Tomorrow Mastitis Tubes and newer vaccines like Triangle. He says that although there is an integration of staff, customers will see the same look and feel of the products and deal with the same representatives they were dealing with.
With the acquisition of Ft. Dodge Animal Health products and facilities, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has really expanded their business in the dairy industry. The head of the U.S. cattle business is Colin Meyers. He spoke at the media event I attended in St. Joseph, MO.
Colin says the main thing the acquisition of Ft. Dodge Animal Health means to the company is that they now have a much broader range of products to offer. For the dairy sector they now offer Pyramid, Triangle, Presponse, Today and Tomorrow mastitis therapy, Cydectin and more.
Colin says they’ll have a larger sales and veterinarian force to reach out to customers and a bigger distribution network. They’ve spent the last three weeks bringing in new staff, distributors and others to help enable a smooth transition for customers.
“Neonatal diarrhea is the No. 1 killer of beef and dairy calves less than 60 days old, costing producers an estimated $100 million in annual losses each year,” says Kevin Hill, Technical Services veterinarian for Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health1. “The economic impact is even greater when one considers the effect this disease complex has on infected calves that survive, causing increased treatment costs, increased labor and care for sick calves, decreased performance, and the potential for a lifetime of production losses.”
Beef and dairy producers, as well as veterinarians, can direct their Web browsers to www.guardianvaccine.com for comprehensive information on the cause of calf scours, how best to manage the problem, and the economic benefits of vaccinating cows and heifers with Guardian prior to calving. Visitors to the Web site can utilize the online calculator to determine the cost savings that can be achieved by vaccinating with Guardian each year. The interactive tool, which includes beef and dairy adaptations, allows users to apply specific herd information to determine the return on investment Guardian vaccine can provide.
Visitors to the Web site also can submit questions to animal-health specialists about calf-scours management. In addition, they can watch video clips from recent RFD-TV LIVE episodes and learn about preventing and managing neonatal diarrhea. (more…)
Posted: October 27, 2009 at 10:24 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) has closed a deal with Pfizer to acquire a significant portion of the Fort Dodge Animal Health business. The acquisition, which includes products in the U.S., Australia, Canada and South Africa, as well as two manufacturing and research facilities located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, significantly increases the size of Boehringer Ingelheim’s companion animal and cattle portfolios and strengthens the company’s position as a leading vaccine supplier.
“We’ll be expanding our business significantly, in fact, doubling our sales in the United States,” said BIVI president George Heidgerken. “The product assets we’ve acquired from Fort Dodge are a broad range of strong brands in the cattle vaccine business. This is part of our long term strategy to improve our product offerings and our capabilities for the U.S. cattle producers and the U.S. cattle market.”
The cattle vaccines included in the acquisition include the Triangle®, Pyramid®, and Presponse® vaccine lines. Pharmaceutical products being acquired include Cydectin® (moxidectin) for cattle and sheep as well as Polyflex® (ampicillin sodium). The dairy portfolio includes the key brands Today® and Tomorrow®.
Listen to or download an interview with George Heidgerken here:
Posted: October 26, 2009 at 4:55 am
By News Editor
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), with support from Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI), formally launched the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management at a news conference during the 2009 World Dairy Expo, unveiling key components of the voluntary, nationwide program designed to bring consistency and uniformity to animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party verification.
“Dairy farmers are passionate about the care they provide to their animals. The National Dairy FARM Program takes that producer passion and quantifies it to tell the story of dairy animal care to our customers and consumers,” said Jamie Jonker, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at NMPF. “This is a very thorough program that was created with input from all sectors of the dairy industry, including producers, veterinarians and other animal care experts. It includes current best practices, innovations and advances in technology.”
The dairy industry has an excellent track record of responsible management practices, said Jonker. “This program simply offers producers an avenue to demonstrate and validate their commitment to doing what’s right,” he said.
Posted: October 21, 2009 at 7:59 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
A new Pfizer Animal Health was unveiled last week as Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth, including its subsidiary Fort Dodge Animal Health, was completed.
The acquisition of many of Fort Dodge’s U.S. products allows Pfizer Animal Health to greatly diversify its U.S. portfolio, as well as broaden its offering in all animal health segments. Pfizer Animal Health now offers an enhanced portfolio in beef, dairy, and companion animals, as well as a redefined product line for swine, equine and poultry.
In the beef and dairy animal category, Pfizer is adding FACTREL® (gonadorelin hydrochloride) and the pioneer line of SYNOVEX® implants to its current cattle portfolio that includes DRAXXIN® (tulathromycin), DECTOMAX®, EXCEDE® (ceftiofur crystalline free acid), EXCENEL® (ceftiofur hydrochloride), BOVI-SHIELD ® GOLD, LUTALYSE® (dinoprost tromethamine), ORBESEAL®, and SPECTRAMAST® (ceftiofur hydrochloride). Pfizer Animal Genetics also continues to explore opportunities to apply genomics technology to livestock health and management solutions.
With today’s economic situation in the dairy industry, it is very wise for producers to do all they can to protect the investment they have made in their animals.
At World Dairy Expo, I talked with Lance Fox of Alpharma about maximizing disease protection in the first critical weeks of a calf’s life.
“AS700, or Aureo S 700®, is a management tool, a medication that goes in the feed,” Lance told me. “Transitioning calves, weaning calves, can be a very tough time in their lives, lot of stress going on. It’s a tool to use to help those calves get through that transition a little smoother, maintain their weight gains and ultimately their performance.”
Aureo S 700® is a combination of Aureomycin® (chlortetracycline) and sulfamethazine. Lance says this product has been on the market for 35 years, and Aureo itself is about 58 years old. “So the products have been around a long time and they work just as well today as they did when they were first released.”
What about return on investment? “If you look at the cost of feeding the product for a 28-day feeding period, it’s about $2.50 per head for the entire period,” Lance said. Keeping the calves healthy, preventing disease is the key and that helps the animals perform better and make more milk for the dairyman.
Listen to an interview with Lance below or watch this YouTube interview from World Dairy Expo:
Going back to basics and taking care of the “walking fermenter” was the subject of Juan Tricarico’s presentation at the Global Dairy 500 Conference. I just love that term and Juan explains it in my interview with him.
Looking into the future for the dairy farmer Juan says dairy farmers need to be efficient with nutrient use. He believes there needs to be a change in the way we feed dairy cows and that includes better use of forage. He says that a lot of producers are already feeding healthier diets that sustain reasonable milk levels. He does recommend that the forages farmers are working with are the best they can possibly have.
To tell dairy farmers attending the Global Dairy 500 Conference what to “leave in and what to take out” was Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois. Mike is very passionate about the diary business and so enthusiastic that our translators had to get him to slow down so they could translate for our international audience.
Hutjens addressed feed questions and says he boiled the answers down to a few main points or suggestions. To start with he suggests looking at forages and forage quality. Then he suggests maintaining milk production and not giving up milk production. He says to look at feed additives since many are very cheap right now. He says the price of milk may come back short term and it’s important to have the right team on the field using a football analogy. When it comes to nutrition he says that when you go with the premise that you can’t give up milk, then you have to look at substitute feed choices that may be more economical.
When it comes to questions from the attendees here he says he gets asked a lot about new corn varieties and chopping the silage and how long to store it. He says producers are asking how to make things work more efficiently for them where they are. Looking ahead he still sees some tough times but with some bright spots like reasonable feed costs.
Diet plays a key role in oxidative balance since vitamin and mineral imbalances can be linked to oxidative stress. There is a natural balance between free-radical formation and the defense system and for a dairy cow to stay healthy, the systems should stay in balance. But when the body is under stress, free radicals can get out of balance. When this system is out of balance, the body initiates an oxidative chain reaction, resulting in oxidative stress. The nutrition program can benefit from the proper balance of antioxidants, minerals and amino acids.
At World Dairy Expo, I sat down with Dr. Dennis Nuzback, Technical Services Manager for Novus, and got a lesson in oxidative balance. “Novus’ oxidative balance program is basically designed around three products,” Dennis explains. “First is the anti-oxidant package called Agrado-Plus, and the minute that gets mixed with the TMR that product can begin to scavenge free radicals in the diet, decreasing the free radical load to the cow.”
I talked with Novus’ sales manager for the northeast United States Suzy Demeester about the importance of their field trials. “It allows us to work with nutritionists to show them the monetary and economic value of our products, as well as get the customer to feel comfortable using our product on the farm,” Suzy says. “Most of the time, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
A recent field trial that Novus performed was to show the effectiveness of their products in mycotoxin mitigation. According to Ruminant Account Manager Bob Myers, the trial was done on the farm where both aflatoxin and zearalenone in the TMR were affecting a herd. “Because he had such a broad spectrum of problems going on, we attacked it with a broad spectrum approach,” Bob said. That included using Solis, 
Representatives from 
Dr. Brian Miller, professional service veterinarian with 
Robbie Dingeman with 
It sure sounds like 
With the acquisition of Ft. Dodge Animal Health products and facilities, 
The acquisition of many of Fort Dodge’s U.S. products allows Pfizer Animal Health to greatly diversify its U.S. portfolio, as well as broaden its offering in all animal health segments. Pfizer Animal Health now offers an enhanced portfolio in beef, dairy, and companion animals, as well as a redefined product line for swine, equine and poultry.
At World Dairy Expo, I talked with Lance Fox of 
Going back to basics and taking care of the “walking fermenter” was the subject of Juan Tricarico’s presentation at the Global Dairy 500 Conference. I just love that term and Juan explains it in my interview with him.
To tell dairy farmers attending the Global Dairy 500 Conference what to “leave in and what to take out” was Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois. Mike is very passionate about the diary business and so enthusiastic that our translators had to get him to slow down so they could translate for our international audience.