Diamond V experts took to the stage October 4 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI to explain the proven nutritional health technology that has enabled dairy producers to optimize cow health and performance despite the long slump in milk prices. The producer-expert panel -- "Upping Our Game in a Volatile Market" -- focused on the science and return on investment of NutriTek®, the company’s most advanced product for all dairy animals.
Dr. Bill Stone, Director of Ruminant Technical Services, detailed the results of controlled research on NutriTek. He also noted farm trials with the product that involved more than 100,000 cows on more than 20 commercial dairies.
One of the controlled studies from California used a $13.50 cwt milk price and 12 cents ($0.12) per pound of dry matter feed cost. The study compared NutriTek, Original XPC (XPC), and another commercial immune product.
Comparing NutriTek to the already high performance of XPC, Dr. Stone noted: "We found an overall increase in intake of 1.3 pounds (per day) throughout this three-month study. Milk increased by 3.2 pounds (per day) with a net return on NutriTek of 33 cents ($0.33). As we look across all of these studies, it’s interesting that the increase in profit of NutriTek over XPC is usually in the 35 cents ($0.35) per day range."
Controlled research also shows that NutriTek averages 7 pounds of milk or more per day over control. Dr. Stone also reviewed the results of research on the effect of Diamond V products on pathogens such as Salmonella, which can cause serious challenges to both animal health and food safety.
“We have been seeing fascinating effects of different Diamond V products on pathogens such as Salmonella. For example, in calves challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium, the calves fed SmartCare® and XPC had a marked reduction in fever, less severe diarrhea, a reduction of Salmonella shedding in the feces, and a reduction in the colonization of the intestine by Salmonella.”
Also presenting at World Dairy Expo, Dr. Stuart Reeves, reviewed Diamond V's research and development of multi-species immune support technology, including the human nutritional health product EpiCor®. Dr. Reeves is the Director of Research and Development at Diamond V's human division, Embria Health Sciences at Ankeny, Iowa.
“All Diamond V products are based on very similar fermentation technology," Dr. Reeves said, "and the immune system is highly conserved across species, so I believe that data from a range of species shows that, at the cellular level, there is a universal response. The more you can tune your immune system, the more you will produce… because you’ll use less energy in the immune response.
“What you see is a healthier cow, a more productive cow, a cow that costs you less money in vet visits. And, ultimately, more money per cow.”
The producer-expert panel also included two dairy producers who had put NutriTek to work on their farms and kept it in their total mixed rations throughout the milk price slump: Lambert VanderMade of VanderMade Family Dairies, currently milking 2,000 Holsteins at two locations near Sherwood, OH, and Jim Leick of Night Hawk Dairy, currently milking 850 Holsteins in a closed herd at Stratford, WI.
See excerpts from the full hour news conference in a video clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZYUR0d2NJQ
Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Diamond V is a leading global nutrition and health company, conducting research in numerous species, and manufacturing natural, nutritional health products to improve animal health, animal performance, and food safety worldwide. More than 70 years of science, innovation, technology, and quality have earned Diamond V the reputation of The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®. Contact Diamond V at 800.373.7234 or visit www.DiamondV.com.
10.13.2016
