Recent research from multiple labs suggests some of the most expensive stressors cows experience are the ones we don’t see.

We often don’t realize that like the football team, the microbes in the rumen have their own “positions” and responsibilities. The success of the ruminant digestive system is dependent on each microbial team member performing its function.

With heat stress comes lameness and negative impacts on hoof health. In fact, heat stress is one of the biggest factors contributing to dairy cow lameness.

There are many nutrition and management factors, such as social dominance behaviors and feeding patterns, that can impact rumen pH, both positively and negatively.