Ruminal acidosis continues to be a common digestive disorder in feedlot cattle and in dairy cows, and it occurs when the rate of acid production is greater than the rate at which acid is neutralized (saliva buffering) and cleared (absorption) from the rumen.

Gut integrity is the unimpaired condition of the gut and maintenance of its essential functions to absorb nutrients and act as a barrier to pathogens. The inside of the gastrointestinal tract is considered to be a part of the external environment because it is a continuous tube connected to the exterior and contains ingested foreign material.

For millions of years, as the result of natural selection, ruminants developed the capability to obtain the greatest part of the energy necessary to reproduce and maintain vital function by ruminal microbial fermentation.

Since 2002, when Dr. David Barker and colleagues proposed the hypothesis of maternal nutrition impacting post-natal characteristics, animal scientists have started to take a closer look into this area.

Low-milk-fat syndrome, commonly known as milk fat depression (MFD), has been studied for approximately 170 years. Many hypotheses have been evaluated in order to explain the biological mechanisms by which nutrition could modulate milk fat percentage.

During the postpartum period, dairy cows enter a period of tissue catabolism called negative energy balance (NEB). Simply put, the amount of energy consumed is less than what’s required; this imbalance causes a cascade of metabolic failures that can be minimized by using a holistic approach.

Currently, the U.S. is the world’s largest beef producer, representing approximately 21 percent of the world’s beef production – but it’s the fourth-leading country in world beef exports, behind Brazil, Australia and India.