The physiological control of feed intake is complex with signaling pathways to ensure that adequate nutrients are supplied while, at the same time, overconsumption is prevented, according to Dr. Mike Allen at Michigan State University in a presentation at the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting American Dairy Science Assn. and American Society of Animal Science. 

Looking at ruminants and especially focusing on dairy cattle, Allen noted that intake is a function of meal size and meal frequency and a number of factors are involved in the regulation of both. For example, rumen distension - i.e., rumen fill - can dominate the control of feed intake because there are physical limits to the capacity of the rumen. Other factors include endocrine effects of gut peptides, osmality of rumen contents and the energetic status of the cow.

Also at the "Understanding Feeding Behaviour to Improve Animal Well-Being & Productivity" symposium sponsored by the Canadian Society of Animal Science and the European Association of Animal Production, Juan Villalba of Utah State University explored the psychology and sociology of animal feeding.

Villalba noted that behavior serves the same end as physiological regulation of feed intake. He said the cognitive system of the brain integrates food preferences and food selection. 

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The U.S. beef industry is confronted with a significant long-term decline in cattle numbers driven in part by record input costs and severe drought conditions in many major cattle-producing states. These recent challenges only add to the long-term issues the industry has faced, which include an aging producer population, increased global competition, increased competition from other meat proteins, weak domestic demand for beef, and a perceived lack of economic incentives to expand the cattle herd. 

By Derek Nolan

Agriculture Extension programs have come under the knife in recent years but as speakers explained here at the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Dairy Science and the American Society of Animal Science there are a number of reasons why Extension remains important to the nation's agriculture industry.

With technology becoming a major part of today's world, Extension has a role to play in the development of tools that help producers make management decisions.

Extension also has a part in traditional education programs for producers. Agents at the Kansas State University indicated that they have held calving management programs in nine different counties throughout Kansas. By providing education on how to aid a cow while calving, they said, they have helped lower the number of stillborn calves.

Extension agents at the University of Kentucky have developed the Master Stocker Program to help beef producers improve their management practices. This program has encouraged 2/3 of the producers that attended to alter management practices and has made beef producers more aware of their effect on the environment.

Extension specialists in North Dakota have shown that Extension agents strive to help the producers they work with. They conducted a survey of beef producers in the state to find out what current management practices work for them, to get opinions on management practices such as expanding, what management practices they believe have made them more profitable, and what type of consulting would help them in the future.

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Derek Nolan, graduate student at the University of Kentucky, researching the economics of mastitis. 

By Adam Geiger

The second installment of lactation biology followed the strong stage set by the first with a total of 5 different countries presenting their work during Tuesday session at the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science and American Society of Animal Science in Kansas City.

Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium attempted to uncover the link between a coagulase-negative staphylococci mammary infection and increased milk production seen in previous studies. It was thought that increased prolactin levels might explain this increase in production. After experimentally inducing cows with the infection, an increase in prolactin was observed. However, an increase in milk production was not observed in this study. Future opportunities may exist to determine the mode of action that correlates a coagulase-negative staphylococci infection to milk yield differences.

Other results from the University of Guelph assessed the addition of glycerol to lactating cow diets. Adding glycerol to a base diet stimulated dry matter intake and increase milk protein by 66.5 g/day compared to the controls. Lactose was also increased. However, cows fed glycerol in their diet milk fat compared to the controls. Overall, the lactation biology sessions this year provided attendees with data that will spark future research projects and directions. This was the last lactation biology session held at this years joint annual meeting.

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Adam Geiger is a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech studying Dairy Science and specializing in lactation physiology.  His primary research focus is on the pre-weaned dairy calf with an emphasis on the effects of plane of nutrition on pre-pubertal mammary development.

By Karmella Dolecheck

Although titled Animal Health: A Retrospective Look, the Tuesday afternoon session at the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Assn. and the American Society of Animal Science offered insight into past, present, and future work surrounding animal health:

Researchers from the Expertise Centre for Farm Management and Knowledge Transfer and Livestock Research Wageningen UR reported on antibiotic use on dairies in the Netherlands.  Their study of 94 farms found that antibiotic use has decreases 20% between 2005 and 2012.  The majority of this reduction occurred due to reduced mastitis and "other" disease treatment, while dry cow therapy has not changed (currently around 44% of antibiotics used).  The study also found that increased use of antibiotics was associated with greater farmer education, younger farmer age, increased herd milk yield, decreased herd SCC, and increased herd heath status overall. 

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Karmella Dolecheck is originally from Twin Falls, Idaho.  She graduated from Utah State University with her BS in Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences in 2012 and is currently finishing her MS degree in Dairy Systems Management at the University of Kentucky.  

Last night's ADSA Awards programs recognized individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the dairy industry and to ADSA.  Both recent accomplishments and career contributions were recognized.  The following winners were recognized.  Information on each of the individuals is available at: http://www.adsa.org/Membership/Awards/Awards/AwardWinnerPressReleases.aspx

ADSA Award of Honor

Phillip S. Tong

ADSA Distinguished Service Award

Donald Palmquist

ADSA Fellows

Bill Aimutis

Tom Jenkins

Ellen Jordan

Nagendra Shah

Alltech Inc. Graduate Student Paper Publication Award

Rachel Campbell Mertz

American Feed Industry Association Award

Randy Shaver

Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award

Heather Dann

DeLaval Dairy Extension Award

Normand St-Pierre

Elanco Award for Excellence in Dairy Science

Joseph S. Hogan

Hoard's Dairyman Youth Development Award

William M. Graves

International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in Dairy Foods Processing

Kayanush (Kai) Aryana

J. L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding

Les Hansen

Lallemand Animal Nutrition Award for Scientific Excellence in Dairy Nutrition

Trevor DeVries

Purina Animal Nutrition Teaching Award in Dairy Production

Amin Ahmadzadeh

National Milk Producers Federation Richard M. Hoyt Award

Eduardo de Souza Ribeiro

Nutrition Professionals Inc. Applied Dairy Nutrition Award

Bill Mahanna

Zoetis Physiology Award

Juan Loor

Dupont Pioneer Forage Award

David Combs

West Agro Inc. Award

Geoff Dahl

Genevieve Christen Distinguished Undergraduate Student Award

Jessica Hammerand

ADSA Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production

Todd R. Bilby

Journal of Dairy Science� Most-Cited Awards

     Dairy Foods

Aziz Homayouni

     Physiology and Management

Kristen Reyher

     Nutrition, Feeding and Calves

Alexander Hristov

     Genetics and Breeding

George Wiggans

Thanks to the many donors whose generous support makes the 2014 ADSA Awards Program possible.