THE DFD (Dairy Farmer’s Digest) Podcast

Bustin myths and talkin hooves!

On this week's episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD), I talk to Dr. Gerard Cramer.  Gerard has a DVM, DVSc from Ontario Veterinary College and is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the department of Veterinary Population Medicine.
Lameness is the most costly disease on modern dairy farms, Gerard and I discuss some of the science behind foot bath, the challenges that heat stress present and we bust some common myths around foot health.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer

60% of the time...It works every time

On this week's episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD), I talk to Mark Gerber.  Mark is an account manager and Technical Specialist with Zinpro. We cover a plethora of topics relating to hoof health, hoof trimming and lameness prevention and treatment.
Lameness is the most costly disease on modern dairy farms, it's impact can be felt through production, reproduction and overall herd performance.  Talking about, monitoring and measuring the lameness prevalence on your farm can have long lasting and beneficial impacts to your economic returns and bottom line performance.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer

Oh, the times they are a changin

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Andrea DeGroot from Farm Credit Canada.  Andrea is a Business Advisor who specializes in farm transitions.
Transitioning a multi-million dollar farm business is a daunting task, Andrea and I discuss where to start, what resources you may need and how producers can navigate this crucial decision making process.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer

It’s CORN ... I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing!

On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Bill Mahanna.  Bill is the Global Nutritional Services Manager with Pioneer, he is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University.
Bill and I cover all things corn silage, we touch on plant health, starch deposition and how to cut, pack and store the most critical forage for this years winter feeding.
He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to making high quality forages, especially corn silage.  He has worked for Pioneer for over 30 years and he has travelled all over the world educating dairy, beef and small ruminant producers and industry professionals. 
If you have questions, you can reach him at bill.mahanna@pioneer.com or on Twitter @billmahanna
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on your favourite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer

Colostrum is cool!

On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Sarah Parsons, she is the Colostrum Technical Specialist with Alta Genetics.  Sarah provides technical support for clients right across North America.
Dr. Parsons graduated from the  University of Guelph with a BSc in Animal Biology and a PhD in Dairy calf management where she specialized in calf weaning management.
Colostrum is the one of the first steps in ensuring that your future milking herd gets off to the best start to their life, it factors into and influences almost every aspect of that calves early life.  We have a great talk about why it's so important.  If you have any questions and would like to reach out to Dr. Parsons, you can contact her by email sarah.parsons@altagenetics.com 
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

It’s COW CHOW time!

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Bill Woodley.  Bill is the owner of Woodley Dairy Direction, a consulting company that specializing in training nutritionists on the key concepts of dairy nutrition, Bill has spoken to, and consulted with Dairy producers all over the world.
With hay and winter forage crops quickly reaching their harvest windows, Bill and I tackle the topic of forage quality and how it affects feed cost.  We also talk about the physiology of the plant and how the cow utilizes the fiber to make milk,  as well as how different crops feed, and why we may want to consider growing them in the future. 
With protein and grain prices at or near all-time highs, controlling the narrative when it comes to making high quality forages is the first step in offsetting these high feed prices.  Bill can be reached at woodleydairy@gmail.com 
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Fatty Acids, not the kind your parents think of!

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I have a great discussion with Dr. Stirling Dorrance, DVM from Nova Scotia, Canada.  Along with being a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Dorrance works with Lactanet in Eastern Canada where he works with producers understanding and interpreting Profilab, the milk fatty acid report from Lactanet.
 
Milk has a multitude of different fatty acids in it, Dr. Dorrance helps me understand what the three main groups are, and how we can influence them through feeding and management.  We also talk about how this tool can be utilized on the farm to help your bottom line.  If you have any further questions, you can reach out to him through email at sdorrance@lactanet.ca 
 
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Transition shouldn’t be a bad word!

On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. José Santos, a Professor in the department of Animal Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville.  Dr. Santos and I explore the world of DCAD diets for transition dairy cows and how it can work on your operation to help keep cows healthier and more productive.  
Dr. Santos conducts applied and basic research in dairy cattle nutrition and reproductive biology.  In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Santos also teaches several course at the Univ. Florida in both the Post and Undergrad programs, and works with dairy producers throughout the Southeast United States through the University of Florida's extension service.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ!

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Tony Hall, Technical Services support from Lallemand Animal Nutrition.  Tony and I drill down on the difference between forage samples when it all looks good on paper, and how CP isn't always the best indicator of quality.
Tony has extensive experience when it comes too making high quality forages and how fiber quality affects milk production. Tony is a world renowned speaker, he has consulted on farms all over the world in his career and has been an incredible resource for me over the years.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Calves, calves, calves ... some are good, some are bad

On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. David Renaud.  Dave is a veterinary epidemiologist in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph.  His research focuses on the health and welfare of dairy calves, Dave teaches in both the veterinary and undergraduate curriculum.
As one producer put it to me, "raising calves can be the most rewarding or the most soul sucking endeavor on the farm".  This producer wasn't wrong.  Dave and my discussion helps shed some light on how to make it the most rewarding job on the farm. 
In this episode we cover colostrum, nutrition and management considerations. If you have any questions regarding the podcast, or any of the projects his team is working on, you can reach out to Dave by emailing him at renaudd@uoguelph.ca and you can follow him on Twitter @DavRenaud
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer