The Rumen Simulation Technique, known as RUSITEC, is a continuous in vitro system designed to simulate the rumen fermentation processes that occur in ruminants. The system uses fermentation vessels maintained at rumen-like conditions (temperature, anaerobic environment, and continuous buffer infusion).

This past January I had the opportunity to attend the GPS Dairy Consulting Bootcamp in Minneapolis, MN. During this program we were exposed to ration formulation software, consultative selling techniques, reviewed our own personality profiles and explored several topics relevant to a career in dairy nutrition consulting.

On many dairies, fiber adequacy is judged by the NDF percentage on the ration sheet. A diet containing 28-32% NDF may appear to be adequate, but some farms experience milk fat depression, declining rumination, intake variability, and signs of subacute ruminal acidosis even when total NDF appears adequate. Often the issue isn’t how much fiber is in the ration, but whether that fiber is physically effective in the rumen. Physically effective fiber, commonly referred to as peNDF

In June 2024, Dr. Heather Dann shared the Spirit of Heart’s Delight Farm with Farm Report readers. William Miner displayed the core values he expected from employees of his farm in the early 1900’s through a sign that hung outside the Storehouse No.1 building that read: The Spirit of Heart’s Delight Farm Do right because it is the right thing to do. Be courteous: you thereby honor yourself. Be industrious: otherwise you cannot respect yourself. Be efficient thus gaining the r

GMOs have always been a controversial topic. While they have had widespread use on North American dairy farms for decades, a significant portion of the general population has been uneasy about them throughout that time period. For that reason, starting in the spring of 2016 Vermont decided to lead the nation by mandating that foods be labeled if they contained bioengineered ingredients. I remember this causing quite a stir at the time with many in the ag sector lobbying agai

White line disease (WLD) continues to be one of the more frequent and costly hoof problems on our dairy as well as many other dairies. It involves separation of the hoof wall from the sole, which can lead to a lesion, hemorrhage or abscess often in the outer rear claw. It has traditionally been viewed as a mechanical lesion caused by shearing forces when turning, poor flooring, or excessive wear or trimming. Last year, we placed heavy, grooved rubber belting on our flooring g

Here in Upstate New York the effects of mid-winter are being felt across the farm. With the holiday season behind us, the dairy team is back in full operation and focused on managing the remainder of the winter months. Short days and long nights present ongoing challenges, but we are fortunate to have a committed staff prepared to work through the season.

Subacute ruminal acidosis, often called SARA, is a common herd-level issue on commercial dairies and is most often triggered by ration changes that increase fermentability. In simple terms, SARA occurs when the rumen spends too much time being more acidic than it should be — not enough to cause obvious sickness, but enough to disrupt normal rumen function.

Choosing a milk replacer is one of the earliest and most important nutritional decisions made on a dairy farm. Because pre-weaned calves have an immature digestive system and limited immune defenses, both the type of protein and how that protein functions in the gut can influence calf health, treatment rates, and overall program success.

For three straight years we have run an experiment looking at the effect of dairy manure on a corn silage field here at Miner Institute. The study was done in collaboration with the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program and has received funding from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. We started by applying 30 tons/acre of composted cow manure in strips slightly wider than our corn chopper head. From there, we split each strip into six different sectio