Breaking free from the chains of the past Where
truth moves faster than a Holstein calf No law
waiting on some printed page We're charting new
ground in the digital age From genomic codes
to robot facts We cut through the noise, no hold
them back not your daddy's dairy news tonight
we're sparking Welcome back to the Bullvine Podcast,
where we cut through dairy industry noise to
get you the insights that actually matter for
your operation. And today, well, we're diving
deep into a feature piece that's been generating
some serious buzz really in the calf rearing
world. This one's got layers. And Sarah, there
are some surprises here that I think are going
to make producers rethink how they've been approaching
calf nutrition for, well, decades. And the central
contradiction really jumps out, doesn't it? big
bold protein number on the feed bag 18 20 22
it might actually be well misleading you exactly
misleading you about the true nutritional value
that calf is actually absorbing that's right
so our mission today is to deliver those actionable
insights on calf health to force you the producer
listening to look past the large print on that
feed tag you know the protein the fat and really
zero in on the fine print because that fine print
specifically on micronutrient forms it can literally
cost or maybe save you 20 % in lost performance
and treatment costs. Yeah, we're talking about
these hidden deficiencies, the kind that sabotage
even, you know, the best management programs
out there. It doesn't matter about your genetics.
It doesn't matter about your housing setup sometimes.
And this deep dive, it really matters right now
because we're talking about more than just a
temporary slowdown in growth. This isn't just
a blip. No. We're discussing deficiencies that
drain profit. Even when operations think they're
ticking all the boxes, technically meeting those
textbook nutrient requirements. The stakes are
just incredibly high when we talk about young
stock, aren't they? These calves are, I mean,
they're literally the future of the herd. Absolutely.
And when a calf gets sick, especially in those
first, say, 60 days, the immediate impact is
obvious, right? You see the vet bill. You feel
the labor involved. pulling and treating that
calf the cost of meds right but the long -term
cost right that's what should truly well it should
terrify producers that lost growth potential
it just never comes back yeah ever you're setting
a lower ceiling essentially a lower ceiling for
that heifer's lifetime milk production her durability
in the herd all because she struggled through
a really critical period where maybe Cheap, poorly
absorbed minerals, just let her down. And that's
precisely why we need to challenge the conventional
wisdom. The stuff that's dominated the industry
for so long. For too long, the narrative's been
really simplistic. Hit your 18 % to 22 % crude
protein target and your calves will grow. Just
like that. Yeah, tick the box. But the sources
we reviewed, they confirmed that the real efficiency
lever. You know, the true secret to unlocking
growth and really maximizing that immune response.
It's not the gross inclusion rate of the macronutrients.
No. It is entirely about the forms and the bioavailability
of the micronutrients, the vitamins, the trace
minerals. We've been focusing on the weight,
right? The weight of the feed, not the actual
biological activity of what's inside. And that's
a costly mistake, a really costly mistake. OK,
so let's unpack this problem then. We've established
that many operations are struggling, right? Struggling
with calf health metrics, even when they think
they're using premium feed, they've got excellent
management. Our sorts material laid out five
pretty major warning signs, the red flags, that
signal these pervasive hidden nutritional gaps.
And the first one is a big one. It's based on
USDA NAHMS data. And it says, if you are seeing
over 15 % of your calves needing scours treatments,
you are officially in the danger zone. 15%. That
number should be like a screaming alarm bell
going off in the calf barn. Wait, wait, 15%.
Hold on, because I've heard so many producers
say, you know, oh, 20%. That's just normal calf
rearing attrition, especially if you get a patch
of bad weather. Right. Cost of doing business.
Yeah. Are you telling us that number has been
kind of falsely normalized across the industry,
that 15 % is actually an indicator of a systemic
failure happening? That is exactly what the data
suggests. 15 % isn't just normal. It's a serious
warning sign that those foundational immune defenses
are collapsing way too often. Okay, so for the
farmer listening right now, let's translate that.
Let's put it into time and money. If you have
100 calves born this season, right, and 16 of
them, 16, need intensive scours treatment. That's
a lot. You are burning up massive amounts of
labor hours. You're constantly fighting fires
instead of actually focusing on growth and prevention.
Daily cumulative frustration. That is a huge
hidden cost right there. And the other four red
flags, they just reinforce that something deeper
is going on. Something beyond just, you know,
housing or sanitation must be wrong. Like what?
Well, we're seeing pneumonia clusters, even in
groups that are properly vaccinated against respiratory
disease. Pneumonia, it's supposed to be a vaccine
preventable disease, right? It's supposed to
be. So if it's showing up despite your best efforts,
despite the vaccination program, that tells us
the calf's immune system isn't properly primed
to respond to that vaccine. And nutrition. Nutrition
is the co -pilot of that immune system. It has
to be firing right. Okay, that makes sense. Then
there's that other one, that really frustrating
post -weaning growth slump. You know, you get
them through the milk phase, they transition,
you hit weaning, and suddenly they just stall
out. Or worse, they even lose weight for a week
or two. Classic sign. It's a classic sign that
the calf's gut integrity or its ability to absorb
nutrients during that stress period is fundamentally
compromised. So they're relying on... Stored
reserves, basically, to power through that transition.
Exactly. And if those reserves are already depleted
because they've been fed poorly absorbed mineral
forms, well, they crash. They just don't have
the fuel in the tank. Right. And what about the
nonspecific signs? Those are maybe the most insidious
because they don't always register on the vet's
emergency list, do they? No, exactly. It's the
dull calves, the rough -coated ones. They just
look off. They aren't necessarily spiking a fever,
but they aren't thriving either. They look like
they're perpetually playing catch -up, you know?
never quite reaching that genetic potential you
paid for. Yeah, you see them in the pen, and
you just know something's not quite right. And
the last one, slow recovery. Slow recovery from
illness, yeah. Despite using standard, maybe
even high -quality treatment protocols, if that
casts tissue reserves of crucial immune -supporting
nutrients, think organic selenium, think natural
vitamin E, if those reserves are already depleted
when the challenge hits. then the antibiotic
or the supportive therapy can only do so much
precisely the biological repair mechanisms the
cellular rebuilding process they just aren't
firing optimally because the fundamental building
blocks they simply aren't there in sufficient
usable form What's fascinating here is thinking
about how these issues impact operations of different
scales. You know, for the massive operations,
15 % scours, that translates to geometrically
higher expenses. Medication, labor, maybe higher
mortality rates even. Huge numbers, yeah. But
for the smaller family farm dealing with these
persistently sick calves, it's just a massive
labor drain. It sucks time away from everything
else. Parlor efficiency, focusing on genetics
work, getting field work done. It's a foundational
inefficiency, isn't it? It prevents management
from ever really being proactive, always stuck
in reaction mode. It's all about focus. When
you're constantly treating scours and pneumonia,
you're stuck reacting. These five red flags,
what they're really telling you is that your
nutritional foundation is structurally weak.
And the core problem, as we're going to keep
digging into, is often the mineral delivery system
itself. The form, not just the amount. This is
where, you know, the bullvine needs to step in
and really challenge that conventional wisdom.
Because everyone knows good calf management is
key, right? Yeah. Clean bedding, good ventilation,
adequate space. We all know that. Standard practice.
But our sources, what they're revealing is that
localized environmental factors, things in your
soil, things in your water, these antagonists,
they are actively sabotaging even the best programs,
especially those relying on standard, you know,
one size fits all. Feed formulations. Exactly.
You could be buying the most expensive, highly
fortified feed on the market thinking you're
doing everything right. But if your farm's well
water is running high in sulfur, for instance.
Which happens a lot in certain areas. Or your
soil is naturally rich in iron or maybe molybdenum.
Those environmental elements are acting like
nutritional thieves. They literally. chemically
bind up the very minerals, the copper, the zinc,
the manganese that you just paid a premium for.
Rendering them useless. preventing absorption
before the calf even gets a chance. That's totally
useless. Let's break down those major antagonists
detailed in the source material because this
is highly regional and people need to think about
their specific location. Okay. We see widespread
issues like selenium -poor soils. That covers
huge swaths of the U .S. and Canada. If your
crop is grown there, guess what? Your forages
are going to be deficient from the start. Right
off the bat. Then you have the risk of iron -rich...
dirt contaminating silage during harvest, especially
if equipment scrapes a bit too low, gets some
soil mixed in. This iron contamination, it acts
as a really powerful blocker for the uptake of
other key trace minerals. And regionally, that
high sulfur presence in well water, that's a
massive issue for a lot of farms. It often converts
essential minerals into indigestible compounds
right there in the rumen. Before they even have
a chance to be absorbed lower down. But perhaps
the worst antagonist? just in terms of mineral
specificity, is molybdenum. Molybdenum in forages,
it specifically forms this tight, irreversible
chemical bond that effectively ties up... copper.
And copper is a mineral desperately needed for
immune function, for blood health. And that explains
so much. I love that producer quote that was
cited in the source material because it just
sums up this whole realization perfectly. Which
one was that? He said, I used to wonder why my
neighbor's calves always looked healthier, even
though we bought the same feed. Yeah, same brand,
same tech. Turns out it wasn't about the protein.
It was about getting minerals that could actually
work with our local high sulfur water conditions.
That flips the script entirely, doesn't it? It
moves the whole conversation from what protein
level am I feeding to... What mineral level is
my calf actually absorbing given my specific
farm's environment? It forces customization.
It really does. And you can often see the evidence
of this mineral theft right there on the calf,
especially with copper deficiency. There's a
distinct visual cue we should mention. Ah, the
glasses look? Exactly. Those pale rings around
the calf's eyes, what some farmers call the glasses
look. The sources confirm chronic copper deficiency
is a widespread problem in the U .S. and Canada.
You can't just throw copper, any old copper.
in the feed and assume it gets used if your environment
is actively fighting against it. Yeah, to feed
it in a form that can fight back. Right. A bioavailable
form that can actually bypass that antagonist
in the gut or in the water. Precisely. Which
brings us perfectly to the core of the solution.
These seven game changers. thesis here, and it
seems really undeniable based on the research
coming out of places like Penn State and Wisconsin,
is that bioavailability absolutely beats quantity,
especially when those environmental antagonists
are in play. So it's not just about shoveling
more in, it's about making sure what goes in
actually works. Exactly. Let's start with the
first three key nutrients. These are essential
for immediate immunity and that critical gut
health. First up, vitamin E. It's the primary
antioxidant shield for the cells. Okay. Now,
if you're just hitting the basic minimum requirement
listed on a standard feed tag, the research shows
you're probably not achieving optimal performance,
especially during stress. The minimum isn't the
optimum. Not for real. High performance immune
benefits, especially during stress like cold
weather snaps, vaccination time, transport. Calves
need a much higher level, somewhere in the range
of 220 to 440 IU per kilogram of starter feed.
Wow. That's often double or triple the basic
maintenance level you see on some tags. It absolutely
is. And here is where the form is the crucial
catch. This is where the cost justification really
starts to emerge. You absolutely must seek out
natural vitamin E. The D -alpha -tocopherol form.
That's the one. The source material is crystal
clear on this. Synthetic forms are just poorly
utilized by the cast body. The natural form gets
absorbed with something like two to three times
greater bioactivity. Why is that? Because the
calf's body actually has preferential transport
proteins, they're specifically designed, like
little taxis, to carry that natural form across
the gut lining and into the tissues where it's
needed. Okay, but hold on. If it's, say, three
times the price for the natural form compared
to the synthetic, how do I justify that premium
to my accountant or just to myself when I'm looking
at the feed bill? You justify it because the
synthetic form is largely just being passed through
without full utilization. You're paying for inclusion
on the tag, not actual absorption and biological
activity. So you're paying for something the
calf isn't really using effectively. Right. If
you're aiming for, say, 300 IU per kilogram on
the tag, but only maybe 30 % of your synthetic
form is actually being used biologically, you've
effectively wasted the majority of that input
cost. The natural form ensures that investment
actually reaches the immune cells where the work
needs to be done. It's about value, not just
cost per ton. Okay, that makes economic sense
when you put it that way. What's next? Selenium.
Selenium, yeah. The missing piece, especially
in those regions with selenium -poor soils we
talked about, you absolutely need to hit that
legal maximum, which is 8 .3 ppm. But again,
say it with me. The form matters more than the
number. Exactly. We have to understand the difference
between inorganic and organic selenium here.
inorganic selenium like the cheap sodium selenite
you often see yeah that's common it's quickly
absorbed sure but it's also immediately flushed
out by the body if it's not used right away it
offers basically zero long -term storage or defense
capability so it's there for a moment Pretty
much. Whereas organic selenium, which is typically
selenium yeast, it does something fundamentally
different. It builds those critical tissue reserves.
It gets incorporated directly into the muscle
tissue and into the immune cells themselves.
So when the calf hits a stressful event, a sudden
temperature drop, a sickness challenge like scours
or pneumonia, those tissue reserves can be mobilized.
they're called upon. Ah, like having a battery
backup for the immune system. Yeah, that's a
great analogy. It prevents that devastating immune
crash. That's the difference between a calf maybe
powering through a minor challenge on its own
versus one that ends up needing five days of
intensive care and falling way behind. Okay,
selenium's critical. What's the third one for
this segment? Zinc, the gut guardian. We know
strong gut integrity is absolutely essential
for keeping pathogens out of the bloodstream,
preventing things like leaky gut. Leaky gut is
a huge issue post weaning. Huge. For stressed
calves, the new NASEM guidance suggests targeting
75 to 100 ppm of zinc. And again, we need highly
bioavailable forms. Look for chelated or hydroxy
sources on the tag. And the major red flag here
is? Zinc oxide. Just like with copper later,
zinc oxide is cheap, but its molecular structure
is so tightly bound that it just can't easily
dissolve and cross the gut lining to be absorbed
effectively. So it just passes right through.
Passes right through the calf's digestive tract
and out the other side in the manure. You pay
for it. The calf excretes it. It's incredibly
inefficient. And producers who switch away from
oxide. Consistently report major improvements.
Better overall animal performance. Better gut
health. Fewer issues around weaning. It's noticeable.
It's incredible how many times you still see
the word oxide on a feed tag for these key minerals.
It is. It's basically the nutritional equivalent
of throwing money down the drain during the most
critical first few months of that animal's life.
Yet it's included because, well, it helps hit
that minimum inclusion number on the tag cheaply
for the manufacturer. But it doesn't deliver
the performance. Not when it really counts. Okay,
let's move on to the next set of these game changers
then. We covered vitamin E, selenium, zinc for
immunity, and gut. What's next? Let's start with
copper. We touched on it with the antagonists,
but it deserves its own focus. Easy to lose,
expensive to replace. As we discussed, if your
environment is throwing those sulfur or molybdenum
curveballs at you, which many are, you need copper
that can actually fight back and win that absorption
battle. Right. So the required level is, what,
10 to 15 ppm? That's the target range, yes. 10
to 15 ppm. And to be truly effective against
those antagonists, it must be from chelated or
hydroxy copper sources. Again, the source material
couldn't be clearer on this point. Let me guess.
Copper oxide. Copper oxide is biologically unavailable,
functionally worthless in this context. Feeding
it is like, as the source implied, feeding the
calf a copper penny. It just sits there. Its
inclusion on a feed tag should be a massive,
immediate red flag for any producer paying attention.
You're paying for a mineral that simply won't
get utilized, leaving your calf vulnerable to
deficiency signs like that. glasses look, and
more importantly, compromised immunity. Okay,
message received on oxides. What about manganese?
That one feels a bit quieter. It is the quiet
builder, you're right. This mineral might not
get the spotlight like copper or selenium, but
it is absolutely critical for bone development
and cartilage formation. Which is huge for growing
heifers, right? They need that strong structural
foundation. Absolutely, especially fast -growing
heifers. We should be targeting around 40 ppm,
and again, from organic or hydroxy sources for
best results. And does this connect back to the
antagonist problem too? It does. Remember the
high iron contamination risk in feeds, especially
silages if soil gets mixed in? Yeah, the dirt
scraping issue. Well, that high iron actively
blocks manganese uptake. So using these bioavailable
forms becomes necessary to overcome that specific
iron interference and ensure the calf can build
a robust skeleton for long -term health and productivity.
Okay, so... Copper and manganese need protection
too. Now, what about these stress combatants
you mentioned, the amino acids? Right. These
are really interesting because they provide immediate
targeted fuel during those high stress periods
like transition and weaning. First one is glutamine.
Think of it as the stress buster for the gut.
How does it work? This amino acid directly fuels
the enterocytes. Those are the cells lining the
gut wall. When the calf is under duress, you
know, from weaning, transport, maybe a mild illness
challenge, those gut cells are often starved
for energy. They're turning over rapidly. They
need fuel. And glutamine provides that fuel directly.
Exactly. The target is around 1 to 2 % of the
total dry matter intake. But here is the absolutely
crucial point. The detail that separates just
okay feed from truly optimized feed. Let me guess.
It has to be protected. It must be rumen protected.
If you just feed free glutamine, it degrades
quickly and almost completely in the rumen environment.
So the rumen bugs get it, not the calf's gut
lining. Precisely. And if it doesn't survive
to reach the small intestine where those rapidly
dividing gut lining cells desperately need it
for fuel during stress, it does zero good. You've
wasted your money feeding the rumen microbes
instead of the calf itself. Hold on, why can't
we just feed more then? If it degrades, why not
just like overdose it so at least some makes
it through? Is that feasible? Because that's
incredibly inefficient and would be prohibitively
costly. The whole point is targeted delivery.
The calf's gut lining needs this specific fuel
during stress to maintain its integrity to prevent
that leaky gut syndrome we talked about. Rumin
protection provides a sort of... wrapper. It
resists the neutral pH rumen environment, but
then breaks down in the acidic conditions of
the abomasum or the enzymatic environment of
the small intestine. This ensures targeted delivery
right where those gut cells are fighting to survive
the transition of stress. Got it. Protection
equals targeted delivery equals efficiency. What's
the other amino acid? Arginine. Think of this
one as the circulation enhancer. Circulation?
How does that help a calf? It supports nitric
oxide production in the body, and nitric oxide
helps relax blood vessels, which aids blood flow.
Good blood flow is vital because it helps immune
cells and necessary nutrients reach infection
sites much more quickly and efficiently. Ah,
so it helps the internal first responders get
to the scene faster. That's a good way to think
about it. The target here is lower, maybe 0 .25
to 0 .5 % of dry matter intake. But again, it
also requires those rumen -protected forms to
be effective. So these two amino acids, glutamine
and arginine, delivered strategically in protected
forms, they're like a nutritional insurance policy
against those inevitable high -stress events
in a calf's life. Exactly. It's about building
resilience from the inside out. We talked a lot
about the science, the why behind these forms.
Now let's really follow the money. Let's talk
economics, because this is where the skeptical
farmer listening starts doing the math in their
head. If a producer is spending slightly more
per ton on a feed that contains these bioavailable
forms, you know, the proteinate zinc, the selenium
yeast, the amino acid copper, what is the actual
quantifiable payoff? Does it pencil out? The
economic impact is substantial, and crucially,
it is quantifiable. Those organic or hydroxy
forms, studies show they deliver somewhere between
15 -30 % better biological absorption compared
to the cheaper sulfate, or especially the oxide
forms. 15 -30 % better absorption, that's...
That's huge. It's massive, especially when those
environmental antagonists we keep mentioning,
the sulfur, the molybdenum, the iron, are present
and actively working against mineral uptake.
You are literally getting up to a third more
biological bang for every buck you spend on that
specific mineral input. Okay, 15 -30 % better
absorption is great. But do we have hard numbers
connecting that directly to reduced expenses
on the farm? Like fewer vet calls? We do. Our
sources cited a pretty compelling statistic.
Producers located in those known high sulfur
or high iron regions when they switch to using
organic copper sources. Instead of the standard
cheap stuff. They often see a staggering 20 %
reduction in scours treatments needed. 20%. Okay,
let's put that in dollars and cents for a minute
just to make it real. If a typical scour treatment
you factory in the medication, the syringes,
your labor time pulling and treating, maybe some
lost growth potential. Let's say it costs an
operation maybe 50. per sick calf, conservatively.
Sounds reasonable. If you have a 100 -calf group
and you reduce the incidence of scours needing
treatment from 16 calves, the danger zone 15
-16 % rate we talk about, down to maybe 12 or
13 calves, that's a 20 % reduction right there.
For fewer calves needing treatment. You're saving
$150 to $200 per 100 calves. Immediately, just
on medication and labor alone. That's before
you even start trying to factor in the lifetime
milk benefit of having a healthier calf that
didn't get set back. So yes, the feed with the
bioavailable minerals might cost, say, $50 more
per ton. But the ROI, the return on that investment,
it can be almost instantaneous and clearly measurable,
especially in challenging environments. And we
absolutely need to tie this back to that critical
vulnerability period we mentioned earlier, the
immunity gap. Right, between two and three weeks
of age. Typically. This is when the protection
the calf got from mom's colostrum, those maternal
antibodies, it starts to drop off pretty sharply.
But the calf's own active immune system is still
kind of slow and immature. It hasn't fully ramped
up yet to close that defense gap. It's a real
double whammy of vulnerability, a dangerous window.
And this is the perfect moment to strategically
hit them with those optimal levels of key nutrients
we discussed. Meaning that higher level, 220
to 440 IU per kilogram. of natural vitamin e
and that legal maximum 0 .3 ppm of organic selenium
from yeast this strategic timing hitting them
hard during this specific vulnerable period it
strengthens their own developing immune response
and critically it maximizes the efficacy of any
vaccinations you administer around that time
so you're essentially using nutrition to make
your vaccines work better getting more value
out of your vaccine program that's exactly it
it's about proactive investment versus reactive
expense build the foundation strong before the
challenge hits And the sources had a great case
study example of this, didn't they? They did.
A producer in a known high iron region who made
the switch went entirely to a calf starter formulated
with a full organic mineral package that chelated
in hydroxy forms plus those higher natural vitamin
E levels. And the result? Two years later, they
reported having the healthiest heifer crop yet,
far fewer vet calls, minimal pneumonia issues,
and significantly better average daily gains
right through the stressful weaning period. That
result isn't just a coincidence, is it? It sounds
like the direct payoff of prioritizing bioavailability
over just looking at the cheapest inclusion rates
on the tag. It's a complete and measurable shift
in profitability, driven by understanding the
fine print. Which brings us right to the fundamental
challenge here. After hearing all this. I'm just
not buying the old industry advice anymore. I
can't. It feels outdated, doesn't it? Completely.
Everyone's still selling based on the idea of
just hit 18 % protein, maybe 20 % you're covered.
But if the form of the nutrient delivers up to
30 % better absorption, if it actively reduces
the impact of environmental antagonists, and
if that leads to maybe a 20 % drop in scours
treatments. The nutrient form is the true efficiency
lever, not just that headline protein number.
We absolutely need to shift the focus of the
conversation, both with ourselves and with our
nutritionists and feed suppliers. So what we're
really seeing is maybe decades of accepted wisdom
being tossed out the window simply because we
finally started looking closely at the fine print
on the tag and asking the harder questions about
actual utilization in the animal. Yeah, the what
happens after they eat it question. The hard
truth, it seems, is that traditional strategies
focus purely on meeting minimum nutritional requirements.
are fundamentally leaving money and growth potential
on the table, especially during this most critical,
high growth, high vulnerability period of a dairy
animal's entire life. The future of profitable
calf rearing, it really has to be about tailoring
the nutritional approach to defeat your specific
local environmental conditions. One size definitely
does not fit all anymore. So we need a new managed
and playbook then, particularly when it comes
to feed procurement. When we talk to our feed
representatives, we just can't ask about protein
percentage and fat anymore and stop there. No
way. We need like a feed tag cheat sheet of new
questions to ensure we're actually buying performance,
not just buying weight in a bag. We absolutely
do. And the first question a modern informed
farmer needs to ask right out of the gate based
on the source material is, what specific chemical
forms of trace minerals are you using in this
formulation? And be ready for the answer. Be
ready. And if that answer includes the word oxide,
zinc oxide, copper oxide, without a very heavy
emphasis on predominantly using chelated or hydroxy
forms alongside it. That's a massive red flag.
Huge red flag. And you should seriously consider
rejecting that feed, or at the very least, demanding
a custom blend that prioritizes bioavailability.
Okay, question one. What are the forms? What's
number two? The second question, and this one
might be more challenging to get a straight answer
on, but you have to ask it. How do you specifically
account for regional mineral antagonists in your
standard formulation for this area? Ooh, that
challenges the standard bag mix they sell everywhere,
doesn't it? It does. You need to force them to
acknowledge your specific local variations, like
maybe high sulfur in your well water, or high
molybdenum showing up in your hay analysis, and
then explain how their mineral package is designed
to overcome that specific interference. You're
asking them to prove? their formulation is right
for your farm, not just generically okay. Exactly.
And while it's not directly nutritional, pellet
durability score is also a relevant question
to ask. Good durability ensures the feed stays
palatable, reduces dust and fines. Which encourages
higher dry feed intake, right? And that's essential
for getting that rumen developed properly before
weaning. Absolutely. And finally, always, always
ask, can you provide performance data, ideally
from farms in my specific area, showing reduced
treatment rates or better ADG after switching
to this formulation? Put up or shut up, basically.
Pretty much. If they are truly tailoring their
approach to global conditions like they might
claim, they should have local results, local
proof to back it up. This completely changes
the entire procurement conversation, doesn't
it? It moves it away from just a price negotiation.
Who could offer me 18 % protein for $5 less per
ton paco? To a performance specification discussion.
You stop buying a commodity feed based on headline
numbers, and you start investing in a tailored,
potentially high ROI nutritional solution that
is specifically designed to fight your farm's
unique regional challenges. Okay. The farmer
listening, they've maybe just finished analyzing
their own treatment records. After hearing this,
they've pulled out their feed tags. They might
be seeing some of those red flags we talked about.
They're ready for the what now phase. Right,
the action plan. Let's structure the advice into
three clear steps they can think about implementing.
Something immediate for this week, a medium -term
strategy for the next few months, and a longer
-term positioning goal. Okay, let's lay it out.
What's step one, immediate action? Step one.
Audit your feed tag and records. Right now, this
week, pull those current treatment records. If
you are seeing scours patterns consistently over
that 15 % mark, acknowledge you have a problem
that needs addressing. Then grab your feed tags,
look closely for the mineral sources. Are they
listing oxide forms prominently? And if they
are, call your nutritionist or feed rep immediately
with these new specific questions we just discussed.
What are the exact forms? Are the amino acids
rumen protected? How are you accounting for my
regional antagonists? Start the conversation.
Okay, that's dual this week. Audit and ask cover
questions. What's the medium -term strategy say
for the next three to six months? Step two, define
your regional battleground. This means getting
proactive. Test your farm's water, especially
if it's well water, and maybe your soil or forages
for those problematic antagonists. High sulfur,
high iron, high molybdenum. Know your enemy.
Use that data then to negotiate a customized
formulation if needed, right? Exactly. And during
this period, get really serious about closely
tracking starter intake and average daily gain,
ADG, for your calves. You need to establish a
firm, reliable baseline for performance before
you make changes so you can measure the improvement
later. Know where you stand now so you can see
the difference later. Makes sense. Okay, what's
the long -term positioning, step three, looking
out over the next year or two? Step three, invest
in bioavailability and track the ROI. Based on
your findings from steps one and two, seriously
consider upgrading your calf feeds to formulations
with proven hydroxy or chelated mineral packages.
Aim for those optimal levels we discussed. 220
plus IUKG of natural vitamin E and hitting that
0 .3 ppm of organic selenium. And the key is
tracking right. Rigorously track the results.
Don't just switch and hope. Monitor those key
metrics, especially weaning transitions, treatment
rates for scours and pneumonia, maybe even first
lactation performance down the road. Quantify
the competitive edge you gain to justify that
potentially increased input cost. Prove the ROI
to yourself. That step one really is the easiest,
cheapest, and most immediate thing anyone listening
can do right now, isn't it? Absolutely. Just
look at your own records. If you're over 15 %
scours consistently, you have a problem that
simply cannot be ignored anymore. And then look
at the feed tag. If you see zinc oxide or copper
oxide listed high up without mention of better
forms, you know exactly where a major efficiency
leak likely is. You have the right, and now the
knowledge, to demand to know the specific bioavailable
forms being used in the feed your future herd
is consuming. And that medium term step two,
defining the battleground, that's just essential
for customization, isn't it? You can't effectively
fight the enemy if you don't even know its name
or where it's coming from. Exactly. Testing your
water and soil for sulfur, iron, molybdenum that
gives you the specific ammunition you need to
demand a feed formulation that actively overcomes
your local mineral curveballs. It transforms
a generic feed bag into a precision tool for
your farm. And then step three, the long -term
positioning. That's where you really find your
sustainable competitive edge in this business.
Investing in those bioavailable mineral packages,
it isn't just another expense line item. It's
truly an investment. An investment that pays
you back potentially many times over in lower
vet bills, less labor spent treating sick calves,
and most importantly, in better growth potential
that carries right through to first lactation
performance and beyond. But you have to track
it. Rigorously track those results, monitor treatment
rates, watch those weaning transitions closely
to prove to yourself and maybe to your lender
that the investment is delivering that reported
20 % reduction in scours or better growth and
securing the healthiest, most profitable heifer
crops possible for your operation's future. This
has been another deep dive from the Bullvine
podcast. The core takeaway here is really simple,
isn't it? Yeah, don't let hidden deficiencies
steal your profits any longer. Properly sourced.
Bioavailable minerals are not just some nice
-to -have addition. They are the fundamental
competitive edge that separates the thriving
operations from those constantly fighting preventable
calf health battles day in and day out. Use this
analysis. Use these questions to fundamentally
improve your procurement strategy, challenge
the status quo, and secure your bottom line for
the long haul. And for more in -depth articles
just like this, the kind that tell you what's
really happening in the dairy industry beyond
the headlines, head over to www .thebullvine
.com. We're releasing deep dives like this twice
weekly now, so there's always fresh analysis
coming your way. And trust me, you definitely
don't want to miss what we've got coming next
week. We're going beyond basic genetics and diving
into a really provocative topic. Oh, yeah. What
is it? Beyond genomics. Is gene editing the next
great leap for dairy cattle? Wow. Okay. That's
going to be interesting. It sure is. So subscribe
wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss
out. We'll see you next time.