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Rumen · Starch load & SARAStarch Rate, Not Starch PercentTwo rations can print the same starch percentage and still ferment at very different speeds. Grain type, processing and time in the silo set that speed, and the fall switch to new-crop corn silage changes it twice: once at the switch and again over the winter.

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Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Starch load & SARAStarch Rate, Not Starch PercentTwo rations can print the same starch percentage and still ferment at very different speeds. Grain type, processing and time in the silo set that speed, and the fall switch to new-crop corn silage changes it twice: once at the switch and again over the winter.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Hoof · Why hoof lesions developDigital Cushion Thickness, Transition, and Sole-Ulcer RiskThe digital cushion helps dissipate load beneath the pedal bone. Thin sole soft tissues have been associated with later claw-horn lesions, but cushion thickness is not simply a reflection of body condition. Stage of lactation, parity, farm conditions, previous lesions, and tissue structure all appear to matter.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Hoof · From lameness to lesionDigital Dermatitis in Heifers: Prevention Before First LactationHeifers that meet endemic digital dermatitis before first calving pay for it in early lactation — prevention in the rearing pen beats chasing first-lactation ulcers after they hit the parlor.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Inside the rumenWhat Leaves the RumenLiquid and solid digesta leave the rumen on different clocks. Fast fluid outflow harvests microbial protein, while fiber particles leave only after they shrink and sink.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Inside the rumenVFAs and AbsorptionVFAs absorbed across the rumen wall supply most of the cow's metabolizable energy: acetate for milk fat and maintenance, propionate for glucose and lactose, butyrate for the wall itself.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Starch load & SARAKernel Processing Unlocks the StarchCorn silage starch is only worth what the rumen can reach. A whole or merely cracked kernel keeps it locked away, and harvest is the only time the processor can still fix that.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Hoof · From lameness to lesionHoof Blocks and Off-Loading: Taking Pressure Off the Painful ClawA hoof block is mechanical off-load for a painful claw-horn lesion — not a spray substitute. Sound-claw selection, placement, and a timed recheck decide whether it helps or harms.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Inside the rumenMicrobes and FermentationFeed the microbes first: fiber + NFC → VFAs for energy; dietary N upgrades to microbial crude protein; biohydrogenation of PUFA is microbial survival, not an MFD deep dive.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Hoof · From lameness to lesionDigital Dermatitis Staging: M0 to M4.1M-stages (M0–M4.1) turn “hairy heel wart” into a herd language for active vs chronic lesions — staging drives treatment urgency, footbath strategy, and whether chronic cows are seeding the pen.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Hoof · From lameness to lesionFootbath Design: Length, Depth, Cow Passes, and CleanlinessA footbath only works if every cow gets enough clean contact — length, depth, and how often the bath is refreshed decide whether heels are treated or just splashed with dirty solution.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Hoof · From lameness to lesionFootbaths: Prevention, Not TreatmentA footbath is a herd prevention tool for digital dermatitis pressure — not a cure for an active painful lesion waiting in the chute. Concentration, cow passes, and cleanliness decide whether the bath reduces new cases or just paints dirty heels.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Rumen · Physically effective fiberChop length is not peNDFChop length is a harvester setting; peNDF is the fiber structure that actually reaches the rumen after moisture, processing, mixing, and sorting.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Hoof · Why hoof lesions developFlooring, Traction, Wear, and Their Effect on Claw HealthFlooring is a daily mechanical dose: traction and abrasive wear shape claw horn faster than most herds measure, and the wrong surface quietly builds the next ulcer cohort.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Physically effective fiberuNDF240 Sets the Fill LimitNDF tells you how much cell wall a forage carries. uNDF240 estimates how much of it the rumen cannot digest, and that fraction takes up space until it is chewed small enough to leave. In high-producing cows, it can cap how much they eat.
Knowledge level in this topic: Advanced. Mechanism and stacked risk in this topic — assumes the first-pass frame.Hoof · Claw-horn lesionsSole Ulcers, Laminitis, and Diet: Separating Evidence from AssumptionSole ulcers get blamed on “too much grain” more often than the evidence supports — separate diet risk from flooring, standing time, and claw mechanics before rewriting the ration.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Inside the rumenThe Rumen ChamberThe rumen is a fluid-filled fermentation vat: carbs often make up 60–70% of dietary DM, and how much concentrate it handles depends on forage, fiber, starch, processing, and the bunk.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Hoof · From lameness to lesionEarly Lameness Detection: Why Treating the First Lame Step MattersCatching the first mild limp beats waiting for an obvious non-weight-bearing cow. Early follow-up shortens lesion progression and protects lying time and milk.
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Hoof · From lameness to lesionCamera scores are screening — not diagnosesComputer-vision gait scores can prioritize cows and track herd trends — useful screening when camera setup is honest, never a veterinary diagnosis on their own.
Knowledge level in this topic: Basic. First-pass in this topic — useful even if you already know another area well.Rumen · Inside the rumenThe Four CompartmentsRuminants run specialized pre-gastric fermentation: four compartments, but field management lives or dies on rumen health (fiber → usable energy).
Knowledge level in this topic: Intermediate. Barn-side working knowledge in this topic: checks, pairing, and what to do next.Rumen · Physically effective fiberNFC Is a RemainderMost carbohydrate lines on a feed report come from a lab assay. NFC does not. It is what is left after NDF, protein, fat and ash are subtracted from 100, so it carries their errors, and it holds a lot more than starch.

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