Expert opinion

There continues to be a primary interest in furthering knowledge and understanding on the use and effects of palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1) and blends of these when included in dairy diets. Photo: Canva

27-09 | Expert opinion

Fat in dairy diets: New in research

A simple way to monitor height of heifers is to either know the height of the inventory or simply paint a line on the inventory for required height for insemination. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

05-09 | Expert opinion

Are your heifers growing fast enough?

The thing is that you can not only use the temperature as an indicator for risk of heat stress in cows because it also truly matters how humid or dry the air is. Photo: Canva

06-07 | Expert opinion

Are you sure your cows are not experiencing heat stress?

Rumen-protected fat supplements offer a largely unique approach to methane mitigation efforts. As established ingredients for improving production and fertility aspects in dairy and other ruminant diets, a beneficial effect on methane reduction is achieved more as a ‘side-effect’ in addition to the performance gains for which these supplements are typically used for economic return. Photo: Canva

05-06 | Expert opinion

Methane production and rumen-protected fats

SOP for milking routine. How we treat cows at milking, how we identify cows that are slow milkers or long to let down milk, how we clean teats and teat ends, how long stimulation time is, how we treat teats after milking etc. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

11-05 | Expert opinion

Management: if it’s boring for us, it’s better for the cows

Type of fat supplement included in dairy rations should be considered to help ensure that the most-appropriate functional and physical properties of milk fat are achieved as required by a particular milk processor. Photo: Canva

06-03 | Expert opinion

Fat nutrition in dairy diets – what are the latest findings?

Many farms in China have big milking parlours and often those have so many employees that the efficiency drops dramatically. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

28-02 | Expert opinion

Is it better to have many employees on a dairy farm?

Provide shade for cows or youngstock to help combat heat stress. Seeking shade is a clear sign that they are trying to avoid the sun. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

19-12-2022 | Expert opinion

Cooling dairy cows in Africa does not have to be complicated

Failing to meet nutrient requirements of the cow may have both a direct impact on immune function to prevent mastitis as well as increasing the cow’s susceptibility to mastitis. Photo: Canva

07-12-2022 | Expert opinion

Dairy cow nutrition and mastitis

Farmers bring their milk to special milk collection sites like this one. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

17-10-2022 | Expert opinion

Improving milk quality in Nigeria is a marathon not a sprint

The White Fulani cows have today an average yield of 1.5-2 kg per day, less than the Sana goat breed that is widely used in Europe. Photo: Barbara Fouchet

08-09-2022 | Expert opinion

African dairy farmers should take bigger steps

Pellets minimises feed waste, prevent behavioural feed sorting and because of their concentrated form, animals tend to perform well because of evenly receive nutrients per individual meal. Photo: Mark Pasveer

06-07-2022 | Expert opinion

The plus side of pelleting in dairy nutrition

Specialised milk can cooling unit powered by the sun. Photo: Serap

20-06-2022 | Expert opinion

Nigeria: Using the sun to cool milk

Research has indicated that NSAIDs do play an important role in the treatment of digital dermatitis resulting in reduced pain, improved mobility scores and increased milk yields. Photo: Mark Pasveer

25-05-2022 | Expert opinion

NSAIDs – a solution to treating digital dermatitis?

Some are farmers because their ancestors were farmers and the environment expects them to be farmers. This is the case with many pastoralist farmers here in Nigeria. Photo: Snorri Sigurdsson

21-04-2022 | Expert opinion

Dairy farmers need different advice for the same issues

Ingesting rumen with high levels of numerous different moulds and mycotoxins depresses rumen fermentability and NDF degradability. Photo: Maryin Sandburg

07-04-2022 | Expert opinion

Effective control of aflatoxins in dairy cows