Dairy Nutrition Technology
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
Just like elite athletes, dairy cows are fed a specialized diet to ensure they stay healthy and reach their potential. Technology is improving the process of finding the right balance between feed rations and milk output, says dairy nutritionist Megan Taylor.
Taylor… “It’s so wonderful for our industry to adapt and learn and utilize new technology. The more information I can get about the animal, about the feed that we’re feeding, about how they’re processing the feed, about the milk that’s being produced, all of those things make my job easier at the end of the day.”
Among the clients Taylor works with is Western Kentucky University, which houses the “Smart Holstein Lab” – a collaborative effort between the university and Holstein Association USA.
Taylor… “Being able to be part of that and kind of watch how the technology will unfold and how it’s going to be utilized by more and more farms – it’s a really neat thing to have here in Kentucky.”
The “Smart Holstein Lab” is where companies determine which types of operations are best suited for their products.
Taylor… “Some of them may be very rural, and not have any Wi-Fi connectivity. That’s just a small example, but they’re just all over the place and there’s a broad spectrum. So, with all these different companies and devices, it’s awesome to be aware of them and see how we can utilize them at different farms.”
Taylor speculates that dairy operations of all types and sizes need to adapt and rely on technology, especially in the next five-to-ten years.
