Wellness Wednesdays
Ask The Vet
Heard on Dairy Radio the first Wednesday of every month. Dr. Ryan Leiterman is Director of Technical Services for Crystal Creek®. Ryan is a dairy veterinarian experienced in calf barn ventilation design and analysis. He holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.
EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: AskTheVet@CrystalCreekNatural.com
Ask The Vet: Feeding Young Calves
Dr. Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services with Crystal Creek, answers a question from the “Ask the Vet” mailbag on what is the best approach to feeding young calves. Listen to his answer below and email your question to Dr. Leiterman here: askthevet@crystalcreeknatural.com
A Breath of Fresh Air with Dr. Ryan Leiterman
Winter Barn Ventilation Tips
Dr. Ryan Leiterman is a dairy veterinarian experienced in calf barn air circulation design and analysis. He shares how one system can optimize calf barn air circulation for every season.
Don’t Limit Winter Barn Circulation
The Crystal Creek® approach to calf barn air circulation challenges the long standing belief that calf barns should limit ventilation in the winter to 4 air exchanges per hour. Dr. Ryan Leiterman explains in this month’s installment of “A Breath of Fresh Air” on Dairy Radio.
‘Tis The Season To Control Air Flow
Fall is an excellent time to review how your calf barn is properly ventilated, especially with colder temperatures upon us. Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek reminds us that shutting everything down is not the answer, but rather controlling the barn’s air flow based on seasonal needs.
Beat The Heat With Proper Ventilation
Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek discusses how managed air flow is the best way to keep calves cool and comfortable:
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Dairying in Russia
The Russian dairy industry proved to be a stark contrast to three other countries recently visited by Dr. Ryan Leiterman. He shares his observations and why he’s thankful to be back home!
Observations From Europe
Dr. Ryan Leiterman tells us what dairy practices he observed from his recent trip to the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Russia:
Germans Love Their Cows and Beer
Dr. Ryan Leiterman visited Germany recently and shares with us some of the similarities and differences regarding farming practices and social events:
Spring Has Sprung
Spring is an excellent time to plan your upcoming construction projects. Some of the more common calf barn designs incorporate naturally ventilated, curtain sidewall barns. Dr. Ryan Leiterman reminds us how to properly use curtains, eves and ridge vents as we ease out of the colder months.
Don’t Cut Costs With Fans
During challenging times there are places to cut costs but not when investing in fans to power your ventilation tube system. Dr. Ryan Leiterman from Crystal Creek tells us more:
Consistency and Cleanliness Are Keys To Quality Milk
Keith Engel, dairy farm hygiene & supplies specialist at GEA Farm Technologies joined us on today’s Wellness Wednesday to discuss the importance of consistency and cleanliness when producing high quality milk.
Leave The Fans On
It is human nature to turn the fans off during the cold winter months, but Dr. Ryan Leiterman says, “What’s the harm? ” He explains in this month’s installment of “A Breath of Fresh Air.”
Storing ‘Bug Free’ Grains
Warren McDougal, regional sales manager with Central Life Sciences, joined us on today’s Dairy Radio Now to share tips on how to prevent stored grains from costly insect infestations.
Build Ventilation Around Penning
Ventilation options vary according to the calf housing style. Group-housed and individually-penned calf barns face different limitations when it comes to providing good air quality. Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek tells us more on this month’s installment of A Breath of Fresh Air:
Comfort Designed For Today’s Cow
Kevin Martin, a sales specialist in barn equipment with GEA joined us on today’s Wellness Wednesday to discuss how dairies are yielding cleaner stalls as cows lay straighter living in the Single Beam Freestall Mounting System. He also tells Dairy Radio Now listeners about GEA’s automated robotic feed pusher, FRone, it moves feed towards the feed fence at the times you define and according to the routes you set:
Winter Housing: Focus On Air Volume Not Speed
Cold temperatures are here and winter is quickly approaching. As the temperatures drop, calf barns are closed up and the ventilation rates are turned down. As an industry we do this reflexively, but is it what’s best for the calves? If it’s not ‘drafty,’ can a calf have too much fresh air? Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek tells us more on this month’s A Breath of Fresh Air on Dairy Radio Now:
Investing In Cow Comfort During Low Milk Prices
Kevin Dole of FutureCow joined us on our Wellness Wednesday to discuss an economical way to keep cows comfortable with the new Stationary Brush – an ideal brush for barns or lots with no electrical access. Dole explains the Stationary Brush is just like a rotation option, it is perfect for keeping your cows clean and happy. Listen here:
Consider Probiotics For Calf Efficiency
Whether you’re having a specific calf challenge or are looking for a consistent way to support immune function and digestive health, probiotics can be a great solution. Dr. Troy Wistuba, Director of Technical Innovation with Land O’ Lakes Animal Milk Products joined us at the recent NAFB Trade Talk to discuss:
Plan For Calf Comfort During Transition
Starting from the first day of a calves life there are a lot of stress events that can happen. Brandon Sowder, director or sales with Calf-Tel, joined us on today’s Wellness Wednesday to share some insights on two key areas, calf health, and labor efficiency.
