Wellness Wednesdays
The Heat Is On
As temperature and humidity rise, we need to make sure all of our animals are effectively cooled. A great reminder from Dr. Geoffrey Dahl from the University of Florida, who updated dairy producers on a recent PDPW Dairy Signal webcast:
Tweaking The Dairy Ration
How can a dairy producer get the most out of their dairy ration while still improving their bottomline? Our “Ask The Vet” question this month with Dr. Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services with Crystal Creek. If you have a question for Ryan, email him at: askthevet@crystalcreeknatural.com
Bolsen Safety Foundation Launches Campaign
The Bolsen Safety Foundation, dedicated to educating people involved in forage and grain making on safety, begins a “Keith’s Happy Heavenly Birthday” campaign to gain member donors and sponsors. Learn more at https://www.silagesafety.org/become-a-member-donor.html
Keith Bolsen, who passed away last May, and whose birthday is this week, dedicated his life to the science of silage making. He traveled the world promoting good management practices based on the research he and others conducted. Seeing the tragic loss of life and serious injuries commonly occurring to those he was teaching, he turned his attention to promoting safe practices to go along with better management. As a result, he and his widow, Ruthie, started the foundation that now bears his name.
The Bolsen Safety Foundation is currently run by a board of ten volunteers from across the US, representing academia, farm owners, and agribusinesses. The foundation is developing a Speakers Bureau (meetings, conventions, school lectures, radio, TV, webinar), Written/AV Materials (silage safety guidelines, silage safety employee meeting agendas/kit, high school/college/employer safety book, safety signs for farm posting, safety videos, and Grant Funding (schools, associations for local projects, etc.). Promotion of safe practices is targeted to forage farmers, anyone living near feed storage, animal agriculture students, choppers/harvester operators, pile/storage makers, feeders, and nutritionists.
To learn more and become a member donor to the Bolsen Safety Foundation contact go to www.silagesafety.org.
As The Skin Goes, The Immune System Goes
Why is it important to have good skin? Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek says the easiest way to know how your calves are doing is doing is to look at their skin.
Skin Condition Relates To Immune System
Dr. Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services with Crystal Creek, discusses why it’s important to monitor your cows skin and how it relates to their immune system:
Keeping The Water Clean And Safe
From the water line to the trough, removing biofilm from the water is as important as anything else on the farm. Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek continues his discussion on how to keep the water safe for all.
Fly Season Fast Approaching
Now is the time to start preparing for fly season. Mark Upton with Central Life Sciences joins us again on today’s Dairy Radio with some important tips as we prepare for warmer weather.
Preventing Horn Flies Is A Must
Horn flies alone cost North American cattle producers over $1 billion each year, but as we hear from Mark Upton, director of sales for Central Life Sciences, those costs can be prevented by feeding Altosid IGR:
Biofilm Awareness
Biofilm on the farm can cause a myriad of problems, especially when it contaminates the water supply, according to Dr. Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services with Crystal Creek. He tells us more on this month’s Ask the Vet segment.
Retrofitting Stanchion Barn For Calves
An old stanchion barn is an excellent space for calf housing, according to Dr. Ryan Leiterman from Crystal Creek:
Understanding Winter Ventilation
While it has been a mild winter in some parts of the country, cold temps are upon us as we head into the remaining weeks of January. Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek provides some insight on how to properly ventilate calf barns when the mercury drops:
Ketosis Testing & Treatment Options
Dr Ryan Leiterman from Crystal Creek continues his series on ketosis and offers some recommendations on how to test and treat the disease:
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.
e-mail your questions to: AskTheVet@CrystalCreekNatural.com
Calf Diarrhea is Cause For Concern
Newborn calves face many challenges and one of the more debilitating is diarrhea. Dr. Ryan Leiterman shares two common types in this month’s Ask the Vet segment.
The Heat Is On
This month’s Ask the Vet segment, Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek has some important tips on how to mitigate heat stress. If you have a question for Ryan email: askthevet@crystalcreeknatural.com
Why Vaccines Fail
Vaccination programs are an important part of herd health, but sometimes a vaccine can fail. This month’s “Ask the Vet” segment, Dr Ryan Leiterman explores why this happens and the importance of booster shots, or repeat vaccinations.
The Heat Is On
Dr. Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services with Crystal Creek discusses managing heat stress in calves:
Tips For Feeding Calves
There are several options to feeding the next generation of dairy cows. Dr. Ryan Leiterman of Crystal Creek shares the optimal way of feeding milk replacer in this month’s “Ask the Vet” segment. If you have a question for Dr. Leiterman, email him at: askthevet@crystalcreeknatural.com
Deep Cleaning For Calf Health
People spend a lot of time and elbow grease cleaning their calf facilities and equipment, but how effective is the effort? Dr. Ryan Leiterman from Crystal Creek shares the importance of deep cleaning to reduce pathogen levels that potentially harm calves:
Spring Cleaning With Results
This month it is all about spring cleaning. Dr. Ryan Leiterman from Crystal Creek answers a question from the “Ask the Vet” mailbag on the best way to clean calf facilities and equipment.
You can ask Dr. Leiterman a question at: 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:
.
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.
