Balancing Diets with the CNCPS v6.5 – What’s Changed and Implications for Use

This information was presented at the 2015 Cornell Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers, organized by the Department of Animal Science In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Softcover copies of the entire conference proceedings may be purchased at http://ansci.cals.cornell.edu/extension-outreach/adult-extension/dairy-management/order-proceedings-resources

A Study of Female Representation in American Popular Music Festival Culture

When music festivals featuring both popular artists and more underground genres first appeared in the United States in the mid-twentieth century, they provided individuals with an opportunity to escape from reality and join a community of fellow music enthusiasts and admirers. These events, such as the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 and the original Woodstock Festival in 1969, influenced the entire North American music culture and moved the rock and alternative genres into mainstream attractions (A History of Music Festivals, 2013). American music festival culture has flourished since the millennium, with live concert ticket sales replacing much of the loss recorded music sales have experienced as digital music services gain popularity and dominance in the industry (Parker, 2013). Despite the overall enthusiasm for music festivals in the United States, there has been a rather noticeable concern among the most popular festivals that brings the relevant consciousness of the live event production industry into question: where are all the women?undergraduat

Reduced age at first calving: effects on lifetime production, longevity, and profitability

The primary advantages of reducing age at first calving (AFC) include reducing rearing costs as well as reducing time in which the heifer is only a capital drain on farm resources. The primary disadvantage of reducing AFC is that it is frequently associated with a reduction in first-lactation milk yield. Despite this reduction in first-lactation milk yield, production per year of herd life is typically increased by reduced AFC. Furthermore, although the first lactation yield may be influenced by AFC, future lactations are decidedly not. In addition, stayability and health of cows are not influenced by reduced AFC as long as heifers freshen at an adequate weight. Most analyses indicate that the financial advantage afforded from heifers that freshen at a low AFC seems to at the least offset any milk lost during the first lactation. Furthermore, when the time value of money is considered in this analysis, a reduced AFC (~22 months) seems likely to represent a more fiscally sound management decision. When applying these ideas on the farm, a properly managed feeding and breeding program should permit a firstlactation cow to weigh ~1,210 lb after freshening at 22 months of age. The National Research Council recommends a postpartum weight equal to 82% of her mature body weight. This can be achieved with a maximal prepubertal average daily gain (ADG) of 2 lb/day when a traditional preweaning program is employed or 1.8 lb/day when an intensified preweaning program is employed. Because of the well defined link between inadequate body weight at calving and increased mortality and morbidity in first-lactation cows, achieving this target post-calving body weight is of critical importance.; Dairy Day, 2004, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2004

Preweaning milk replacer intake and effects on long-term productivity of dairy calves

AbstractThe preweaning management of dairy calves over the last 30 yr has focused on mortality, early weaning, and rumen development. Recent studies suggest that nutrient intake from milk or milk replacer during the preweaning period alters the phenotypic expression for milk yield. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between nutrient intake from milk replacer and pre- and postweaning growth rate with lactation performance in the Cornell dairy herd and a commercial dairy farm. The analysis was conducted using traditional 305-d first-lactation milk yield and residual lactation yield estimates from a test-day model (TDM) to analyze the lactation records over multiple lactations. The overall objective of the calf nutrition program in both herds was to double the birth weight of calves by weaning through increased milk replacer and starter intake. First-lactation 305-d milk yield and residuals from the TDM were generated from 1,244 and 624 heifers from the Cornell herd and from the commercial farm, respectively. The TDM was used to generate lactation residuals after accounting for the effects of test day, calving season, days in milk, days pregnant, lactation number, and year. In addition, lactation residuals were generated for cattle with multiple lactations to determine if the effect of preweaning nutrition could be associated with lifetime milk yield. Factors such as preweaning average daily gain (ADG), energy intake from milk replacer as a multiple of maintenance, and other growth outcomes and management variables were regressed on TDM milk yield data. In the Cornell herd, preweaning ADG, ranged from 0.10 to 1.58kg, and was significantly correlated with first-lactation yield; for every 1kg of preweaning ADG, heifers, on average, produced 850kg more milk during their first lactation and 235kg more milk for every Mcal of metabolizable energy intake above maintenance. In the commercial herd, for every 1kg of preweaning ADG, milk yield increased by 1,113kg in the first lactation and further, every 1kg of prepubertal ADG was associated with a 3,281kg increase in first-lactation milk yield. Among the 2 herds, preweaning ADG accounted for 22% of the variation in first-lactation milk yield as analyzed with the TDM. These results indicate that increased growth rate before weaning results in some form of epigenetic programming that is yet to be understood, but has positive effects on lactation milk yield. This analysis identifies nutrition and management of the preweaned calf as major environmental factors influencing the expression of the genetic capacity of the animal for milk yield

Balancing for Intestinal Nitrogen Indigestibility in High Producing Lactating Cattle: One Step Closer to Feeding a Cow Like a Pig?

This information was presented at the 2014 Cornell Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers, organized by the Department of Animal Science In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Softcover copies of the entire conference proceedings may be purchased at http://ansci.cals.cornell.edu/extension-outreach/adult-extension/dairy-management/order-proceedings-resources or by calling (607)255-4285

Effects of Intensified Nutrition on Immune Cell Populations in Milk Replacer-Fed Neonatal Calves

Results from the present study confirm the growthpromoting benefits of feeding an intensified milk replacer to dairy calves. Effects of the elevated plane of nutrition on immune variables examined in the present study were minimal. The number of circulating leukocytes and the composition of the PBMC population as well as this population’s general responsiveness and capacity to secrete IgM were not affected by diet. Relative to responses of calves fed the traditional MR, calves fed the intensified MR demonstrated reduced IFN-γ responses and elevated NO responses during the latter stages of the study. Aberrant NO production, however, can result in undesirable host tissue destruction

New York and Vermont Corn Silage Hybrid Trials

The corn silage hybrid evaluation program expanded to 77 hybrids in 2018. Hybrid evaluation at multiple environments helps in decision making and expands the reach of this type of data to more farmers. With this in mind Cornell, UVM, and seed companies collaborate to bring this robust evaluation. This year, hybrids were either entered into the 80-95 day relative maturity (RM) group (Early-Mid) and were tested at two locations in NY (n = 20; Hu-Lane Farm in Albion and the Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro) and one location in VT (n = 20; Borderview Farm in Alburgh) or were entered into the 96-110 day relative maturity group (Mid-Late) and were tested at two locations in NY (n = 57; Greenwood Farms in Madrid and the Musgrave Research Farm in Aurora) and one location in VT (n = 55; Borderview Farm in Alburgh). The average Growing Degree Days (GDD; 86-50°F system) from May through August for years 2005 to 2018 is 2053 GGD at Albion, 2039 at Willsboro, 1979 at Alburgh, 2078 at Aurora and 1953 at Madrid (Table 1a and 1b)