In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kirby Krogstad from The Ohio State University discusses the complexity of rumen health and its relationship to dairy cow performance and systemic inflammation. He outlines the current research on rumen tissue and immune cell behavior and shares practical strategies for evaluating gut health on-farm. Listen now on all major platforms!

"A healthy rumen is effectively and efficiently digesting feed, producing VFA and microbial protein while maintaining its protective barrier function."

Meet the guest: Dr. Kirby Krogstad is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Nutrition at The Ohio State University. He holds degrees from South Dakota State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Michigan State University. His research explores dairy cattle nutrition, ruminant gut health, and systemic inflammation. Focused on improving dairy sustainability and efficiency, he brings practical and research-based insights to the field.

Click here to read the full research articles:

Associations of body condition score, body condition score change, and hyperketonemia with mastitis, reproduction, and milk production

Investigating ruminal resident immune cells in dairy cattle before and after a subacute ruminal acidosis challenge

On-farm supplementation of rumen-protected niacin: A randomized clinical trial

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:36) Introduction
• (01:56) Defining rumen health
• (02:66) On-farm assessments
• (05:03) Health and nutrition link
• (06:63) Latest research topics
• (09:36) Final recommendations
• (10:12) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this special episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating National Cow Appreciation Day, Dr. Theresa Casey from Purdue University explores how circadian rhythms influence dairy cow physiology. She discusses how disrupted light cycles impact glucose production, reproduction, and metabolic efficiency in dairy cattle. The episode highlights low-cost, practical steps to enhance cow well-being and productivity by aligning dairy management with natural rhythms. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Disrupting circadian rhythms decreases glucose homeostasis, impacting dairy cows' ability to produce milk efficiently."

Meet the guest: Dr. Theresa Casey received her B.S. from the University of Connecticut and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Vermont. She is a Research Associate Professor at Purdue University, where she studies mammary gland development, lactation physiology, and circadian rhythms in dairy cows.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:39) Introduction
• (02:33) Circadian rhythm basics
• (04:40) Light-dark disruptions
• (05:26) Chronic jetlag model
• (08:07) Glucose and lactation
• (09:59) Practical takeaways
• (13:06) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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I'm Dr. Luciano Caixeta, and I’m thrilled to kick off my first episode as cohost on The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast! Very excited to embark on this journey with you. In this episode, our guest, Dr. Bart Pardon from Ghent University, shares groundbreaking insights on the quick thoracic ultrasound technique for diagnosing calves with Bovine Respiratory Disease. He explains how quadrant-based scanning can lead to more efficient diagnostics and improved antimicrobial stewardship. Learn how to implement ultrasound scoring systems and interpret cure outcomes based on consolidation depth. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The main characteristics of the Quick Thoracic Ultrasound (qTUS) technique are that it goes really fast, requiring only one movement and small scanning cuffs on each side of the calf."

Meet the guest: Dr. Bart Pardon earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD from Ghent University, where he currently serves as a Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine. His research with the calf health group focuses on improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficiency for respiratory diseases in calves.

Click here to read the full research article!

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:40) Introduction
• (01:20) Quick thoracic ultrasound
• (04:54) Consolidation depth impact
• (06:20) Quadrant evaluation logic
• (08:48) Defining clinical cure
• (11:08) Treatment by severity
• (14:09) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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LinkedIn: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast