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Milkproduction after calving is a truly athletic performance of dairy cattle and farmers
The onset of lactation is a truly athletic performance of dairy cattle. It is generally known that if one succeeds in coaching the cow through these first weeks of lactation with a good warming-up, the rest of the lactation cycle will be a victory lap.
Still, there is plenty room for improvement in the period around calving, but that’s not an easy task, because various factors are involved in cow health and performance. During the upcoming International Dairy Nutrition Symposium on Thursday 25 October 2012 in Wageningen, the Netherlands, six acknowledged researchers will present and discuss their views on nutritional management in early lactation. Registration for this event is now open.
The program of the symposium starts with a presentation of Dr Björn Kuhla, researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology in Germany. He will discuss factors that regulate feed intake in early lactation. Next, Roselinde Goselink of Wageningen UR Livestock Research, The Netherlands, will continue with the path that feed travels through the digestive system from intake to fermentation and absorption. She will present the latest insights on the regulation of the absorption capacity in the rumen during the transition period. Professor José Santos of the University of Florida, USA, will close the morning session with his work on nutrition and liver fat metabolism in relation to animal health and fertility.
After the lunch break Kees de Koning, manager of Dairy Campus, the Netherlands, will continue with an introduction on this new international dairy cattle innovation centre for research, education and entrepreneurship. The program will then be continued with Saskia van der Drift of Utrecht University, The Netherlands. She will discuss her recent work on individual variation in fat and protein mobilisation in dairy cattle. Next, Dr Stephan Whelan of the University College of Dublin, Ireland, will share his thoughts on the possibilities to regulate energy metabolism in dairy cattle in early lactation by specific protein levels in the diet. The final speaker of the day, Dr Ric Grummer of Balchem Corporation, USA, will close the event with a recent overview of the available options for nutritional support in early lactation. During this one-day symposium there will be plenty opportunity for participants to ask questions and to discuss the presented knowledge.
Representatives from feed and feed additive industry, dairy industry, research institutes, governmental organizations, students and others who are interested are invited to attend the 2012 symposium. For more information and registration, please visit the symposium website (early bird tickets until 1 October!). We are looking forward to welcoming you on 25 October 2012 in Wageningen, the Netherlands!
The International Dairy Nutrition Symposium is organized each year by the Centre for Animal Nutrition of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) and Utrecht University. This year the symposium is co-organized by Balchem Corporation, Dairy Campus and the Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences.