The Dairy Podcast Show - #34 - Managing somatic cell count and heat stress: steps towards enhanced dairy farm profitability

In order to ensure profitability on our farms while producing top-quality milk, we must carefully consider both technical and economic factors when solving problems and managing our cows, since this approach leads to more precise and profitable results. In that sense, managing somatic cell count and heat stress is no exception. To stay up to date with the latest knowledge in this area, we discuss somatic cell premium programs, somatic cell count reduction for economic viability, the daily impacts of early heat stress, and winter-to-summer ratios with Dr. Derek Nolan. In this episode, we also cover other important topics, such as the economic impact of cover crops, the use of big data on farms, and the role of technology in improving economics.

What you'll learn:

1. The role of somatic cell count in farm economics

2. The threshold for lowering somatic cell count

3. Heat stress abatement

4. Activity monitoring to detect heat stress

5. Big data management for farm profitability

Meet the guests:

Dr. Derek Nolan

Experience

      ○ Current: Teaching Assistant Professor and Dairy Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois

Background

      ○ Ph.D., Animal Science (University of Kentucky)

      ○ M.Sc., Animal Science (University of Kentucky)

      ○ B.Sc., Dairy Science (Iowa State University)

Hobbies: I love spending time with my family – I have a 1.5-year-old boy named Ames. I enjoy watching sports (football, baseball, hockey, college basketball, and college wrestling). I also love farming and just being around dairy cows.

Favorite book, movie or TV series: My favorite TV series are The Office, Seinfeld, Yellowstone, and Peaky Blinders, my favorite author is James Patterson.

Favorite quote: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky, Micheal Scott

A tip for success: Always stay true to yourself and don't give up on what you are passionate about. It is okay to fail - use failure as a learning experience.

Connect with our guest on Social Media: Facebook