Latest / The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast / Dr. Michael Hutjens: Buffer Benefits for Dairy Cows | Ep. 90

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Dr. Michael Hutjens: Buffer Benefits for Dairy Cows | Ep. 90 · The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: we're trying to optimize room and fermentation.
• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's the beauty of our dairy cow.
• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we know buffers can actually energize and stabilize the environment, realizing that seventy to eighty percent of the energy comes involved with fatty acids, that's your microbial drive.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we can have over sixty percent of the amino acids that are being synthesized by the room microbes as well.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: So if we can keep the we call healthy room and then we usually have the healthy cows far as that goes and buffers really trying to maintain an optimal room in pH.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: in the room in itself.
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We want to thank the innovative companies and products who support and trust make this podcast possible.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, hello, everyone.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is Luis Ferretto, one of the host of their Nutrition Black Belt podcast.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And today, we have a opportunity to discuss with Dr. Mike Hutchins, Professor Emeritus of University of Illinois.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mike, thank you so much for joining us today.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a privilege being able to interact and discuss with you.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, could you please give us a brief background about yourself?
• 1:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: You bet Louise, very good.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: First of all, thanks very much for the opportunity to be on the black belt podcast.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm monitoring him there.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're done very, very well.
• 1:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: I grew up on a dairy farm near Green Bay, Wisconsin, and got all my degrees at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and then spent eight years at the University of Minnesota as an extension dairy specialist and also coach of the dairy judging team.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: and then came after eight years to University of Illinois on an extension appointment to head off the dairy extension program and then due to the retirement's, I also start teaching the freshman sophomore and the capstone management courses.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: So in a nutshell, that's pretty much my background.
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, that's a great background.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, every time we interview someone that has universal Wisconsin Madison degrees, we are always very proud and happy with that.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But jokes aside, today we have a very important topic to discuss, which is about the use of buffers in dairy diets.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I know that you have some very interesting data about what is the use of buffers in the United States?
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Luis went on an interesting way of monitoring is the Hortz Derby market survey, and that comes out every year.
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And in twenty twenty four results, thirty eight percent, it's the most popular feed additive of all the feed additives.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And typically stays right around that forty percent level as far as use on dairy farms here in the United States.
• 2:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: If, forty percent is a great adoption, and obviously as you said, it's probably the most utilized additive in the dairy industry, why there is so much interest in using buffers for dairy cows.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I think the excitement is that we're trying to optimize room and fermentation.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's the beauty of our dairy cow.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we know buffers can actually energize and stabilize the environment, realizing that seventy to eighty percent of the energy comes involved with fatty acids, that's your microbial drive.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we can have over sixty percent of the amino acids that are being synthesized by the root of microbes as well.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we can keep the we call healthy room and then we usually have the healthy cows far as that goes and buffers really trying to maintain an optimal room and pH in the adjuster in the room and itself.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, absolutely.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I certainly agree that the room is the key part for us their nutritionist said that are there different sources of buffers that nutritionists have to pay attention to.
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, certainly, Louie, let's talk about the two possible roles.
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Some are true buffers.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Sorting by carbon would be a good example.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: It has a PKA and this is a constant around six point two five.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's exactly where you want that room to be operated.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we have that where we call buffers.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: Then we also have alcoholizers and these are neutralized acids in the room.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: So they have a different role.
• 3:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so generally, Louise, there's about five different ones that we can quickly talk about that nutritionist, dairy farmers, consultants, veterinarians will look at.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: The most common one, of course, is sodium bicarb.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: That has been the power one as far as that goes.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: A sodium bicarb typically will maintain that pH rate close around six, six point two, five, which should be optimal for fiber digesting bacteria.
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: The level is point seven five percent of total ration dry matter.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it means it's quality more dry matter.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: We have to put more of the sodium bicarbonate into the feeding program there.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: And of course it's very effective from that fact from that aspect as well.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, certainly that is probably the most common one that you will run across, and that is a true buffer.
• 4:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: Another one you'll find is sodium cesca carbonate, and that basically is about roughly fifty percent by-carb, and sixty percent of fifty percent sodium carbonate.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: So now we have a buffer and an alcoholizer in that product there.
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: And basically, all the guidelines developed at the University of Wisconsin says you can substitute it for sodium by-carb.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And generally, why some companies will do that is it usually is priced slightly lower per ton or per hundred pounds compared to Saudi buy car, but the levels will stay the same in the research and looks really quite good.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: The third buffer will be one that perhaps may of us don't think much about and that's potassium carbonate.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Tasting carbonate is as a buffer and used primarily on decad equations more than anything else because it is twice as expensive as sodium bicarb but certainly it is a buffer.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: There are work out of self-care liners shows is a very effective
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: buffer, but they compared by-carb to a taxing chloride and obviously the taxing carbonate was the real winner.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: And there are several different commercial companies that marketed on the marketplace right now.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that's kind of your third buffer.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: Then let's look at two of what I call alkalizers.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: The most common one in your listeners would be aware is Magox.
• 5:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: And in Magox, of course, isn't alcoholizer.
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: And typically, where we're feeding summers on fifty to sixty grams per day.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: And in most cases, it's combined with bicarb.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: So therefore, you kind of have the buffer and the alcoholizer there at the same time.
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: And of course, the Magox ultra-brings magnesium to the diet as well.
• 5:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it has a dual role.
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: Meg-Ox is not Meg-Ox, depending on particle size, heat treatment, solubility, all those things come into play.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: So a lot of different sources of the Meg-Ox, some different countries, so eyes wide open on that one as well.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And certainly it can be very effective.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: There is a new commercial company that is making maggots.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's coming from France.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so be aware of that one.
• 6:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's got some heat treatment with it.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: So they claim theirs as a much more stable and a long lasting quick and long lasting type product in the marketplace as well.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: The last one that maybe you wouldn't even think about, Luis, and that's calcium carbonate.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: Notice I didn't say limestone.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's calcium carbonate, because limestone is just one form of calcium carbonate.
• 6:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Of course, what it tends to be more of a buffer in the lower part of the GI tract of the research at Illinois says that does do much in the room in itself.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: there and certainly that's another role that can go with as besides as a source of calcium in the feeding program and again right now there's a new product that's coming on the marketplace as being actually extracted from the water off the Irish coast and it's a very high in and degree in solubility it contains about thirty percent calcium and six percent magnesium both of them are very biologically available
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And of course, it's available on the marketplace at this point as well.
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: The beauty of that one would be for our listeners is that it can also be used in the closer dry cause because it will not change the decad which courts the bike carbs will do that as well.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: So basically there are a lot of options there, probably a lot of those to have to be fit together, not necessarily individually.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So what are some of the key reasons why so important to fit those buffers?
• 7:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I think there's I got three, I think I call them the big three.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Number one, we already talked about and that is to stabilize or optimize the room and environment for the microbes.
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we get optimal growth production of VFA's and amino acids as far as that goes.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I got a lot of the buffers will increase dry matter intake.
• 8:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And of course, once we increase dry matter intake, that means you should get more milk.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: And some of the buffers will also enhance components.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to give you the nervous that we use a buffer to raise butter fat test because usually there's bigger problems in the ration that should be addressed besides just putting a buffer into the feeding program.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And of course, the big one, which is increasing in popularity is the decad.
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: Some are heat stress.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we're looking typically at trying to get our decads up to a plus, three hundred million equivalents per kilogram.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: of dry matter.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: And usually that's a combination of sodium, bicarbonate, potassium, carbonate, the ratios just depend on how much sodium you have in the diet and how much potassium you want to have in the diet and then you can work those ratios.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: Typically about two to one or three to one in that area.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely all three very important reasons to feed buffers and even hit stress, right, that we tend to think, oh, there's no hit stress here in the upper Midwest.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right, but that's not true at all, right?
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because more and more of those high-producing cows, they actually require lower and lower temperatures, so it's something that is very, very key.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you discuss a lot of good things, a lot of important concepts associated with the use of buffers, but you made a clear case when you're talking about calcium carbonate and limestone, right?
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: So why is so important for farmers to know what they are feeding in terms of buffers?
• 9:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I think Luis, most farmers are probably going to be going with a commercial product coming from a feed co-op or company or consulting group as far as that goes.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the question is, what is in your buffer path?
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you may be feeding two hundred grams or half a pound of buffer path in the question as well.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: What is in that buffer path?
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: is that all I'm stone, which you make it very economical, but probably not very efficient, we could put testing.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: We could put in sodium bicarb, which would be more expensive or potassium carbonated, and that's the most expensive one, typically about twice the price of sodium bicarb.
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you need to ask what buffers you have,
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And what levels are in the product, are you feeding the correct level?
• 9:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because we know on bike art, you've got to put enough in to have the impact in the room.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then you may all type of carry your feed, you may also have yeast product in there as well.
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: So ask yourself or ask your supplier, what is in my buffer pack?
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then that calculate, are you getting enough to your cow to have the impact you want to have?
• 10:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely, and you know, a proper diet formulation requires that you know exactly what is getting into the cow.
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I highly agree with you.
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: So today we had a opportunity to discuss with Dr. Mike Hutchins, a lot of great advice about
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: how to better utilize buffers in dairy diets.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you Dr. Hutchins for joining us today.
• 10:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, it was a pleasure discussing with you.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you at home for joining us for the podcast and I hope to see you soon.