Across the U.S. dairy industry and around the world, fermented and ensiled forages and grains have become popular feedstuffs in dairy herd diets. Fermentation and ensiling allows dairy farms to preserve forages that cannot be dried properly for baling and would otherwise decay before they could be fed out.

Mike Larson, general manager of Larson Acres, says they were surprised to learn just how many of the cows in their herd had subclinical ketosis. Since there were no symptoms, the condition went undetected and untreated.

Tony Louters invested in rumination monitoring technology because he wanted to make sure there were no gaps in his transition and close-up cows, and along the way, he made a discovery that has changed his dry cow management practices.

Nutrition is always of paramount importance to dairy producers. But during the transition period, one particular nutrient becomes a central focus: calcium.