In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Tasia Kendrick, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, explains why bovine leukemia virus remains a major but often overlooked challenge in US dairy herds. She outlines prevalence levels, transmission routes, impacts on immunity and longevity, and practical management strategies to reduce spread. Dr. Kendrick highlights proactive approaches that protect animal welfare and herd performance. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Animals with bovine leukemia virus often show reduced milk production, shorter herd life, and weaker immune responses that affect overall dairy herd performance.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Tasia Kendrick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. Trained as a geneticist, her research focuses on bovine leukemia virus prevalence, transmission, and management in dairy and beef herds, alongside innovative diagnostic approaches. Her work supports evidence-based decision-making to improve dairy health and longevity.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:40) Introduction
• (01:53) Health impacts
• (02:52) Herd prevalence
• (04:40) Transmission routes
• (07:21) Research updates
• (08:03) Diagnostics advances
• (09:46) Final Questions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann, Associate Professor at Cornell University, continues the discussion, now focusing on cow calf separation and the physiology behind delayed separation strategies. She explains current research on transition milk, calf health, and cow outcomes, while addressing common assumptions and management concerns. Listen now on all major platforms!

“One major goal of this cow calf separation research was to separate nutritional effects from social contact effects, allowing a clearer understanding of how transition milk alone influences calf physiology.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Sabine Mann is an Associate Professor of Ambulatory and Production Medicine at Cornell University. Her research focuses on the intersection of metabolism, nutrition, and immunology, with emphasis on transition cows and newborn calf resilience. Her work connects physiology with practical dairy health decisions.

Click here to read the full research article!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:40) Introduction
• (02:05) Separation rationale
• (04:15) Delayed separation
• (05:00) Transition milk
• (07:07) Facility challenges
• (09:51) Calf health
• (13:52) Final Questions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann, Associate Professor at Cornell University, explains how colostrum volume influences passive immunity, digestion, and calf comfort. She discusses body weight-based feeding strategies, absorption efficiency, and behavioral responses linked to excessive volumes. Practical insights help refine colostrum programs for modern dairy systems. Strengthen your evidence-based colostrum management decisions for calves. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Calves range in size and weight, and that variation raises important questions about whether one standard colostrum volume fits every newborn calf.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Sabine Mann is an Associate Professor of Ambulatory and Production Medicine at Cornell University. Her research focuses on the intersection of metabolism, nutrition, and immunology, with emphasis on transition cows and newborn calf resilience. Her work connects physiology with practical dairy health decisions.

Click here to read the full research article!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:42) Introduction
• (01:52) Colostrum questions
• (03:08) Body weight feeding
• (05:04) Absorption physiology
• (07:05) Volume responses
• (09:00) Calf behavior
• (10:44) Final Questions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Stephen LeBlanc, Professor and Director of Dairy at the University of Guelph, explains why longevity should not be used as a simple indicator of dairy cow health, welfare, or profitability. He challenges common assumptions around culling rates, survivorship bias, and replacement economics, emphasizing data-driven, cow-specific decisions. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Longevity should be a consequence of good decisions, not the objective guiding herd management strategies.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Stephen LeBlanc is a Professor at the University of Guelph and Director of Dairy at the Centre for Dairy Research and Innovation. His research focuses on dairy cattle reproduction, transition cow health, and metabolic disease prevention, integrating epidemiology, physiology, nutrition, and management. His work supports applied, data-driven strategies that improve dairy health, productivity, and welfare.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:56) Introduction
• (02:31) Longevity debate
• (03:51) Culling metrics
• (05:18) Heifer availability
• (07:19) Survivorship bias
• (10:09) Replacement costs
• (12:05) Final Questions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Osvaldo Pascottini from University College Dublin shares his ongoing research on alternative approaches to supporting uterine health and fertility in dairy cows. He explains how studying the microbiome, metabolic pathways, and host interactions can help identify new ways to maintain reproductive efficiency after calving. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We’re focusing on unraveling the composition of the healthy uterine microbiome in cows that get pregnant at first insemination."

Meet the guest: Dr. Osvaldo Pascottini serves as an Astra Assistant Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin. His research focuses on inflammation, immune response, and the role of the microbiome in uterine health and fertility of dairy cows. He is currently studying microbiome-based strategies that may complement traditional treatments.

Click here to learn more!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:39) Introduction
• (01:55) Uterine diseases focus
• (03:23) Microbiome composition
• (07:19) Multi-omics approach
• (08:39) Microbiome project
• (09:52) Antibiotic considerations
• (11:50) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Daryl Nydam from Cornell University explains how real-world herd dynamics drive semen decisions and long-term replacement planning on today’s dairies. He walks through the economic trade-offs between sexed and beef semen, how these choices influence milk flow, and why keeping the right number of heifers is key for a sustainable herd. Get practical insights to fine-tune herd structure and performance. Listen now on all major platforms.

"Milk production remains the most important factor to consider when balancing replacement strategies and guiding efficient herd decisions."

Meet the guest: Dr. Daryl Nydam is a Professor of Dairy Health and Production at Cornell University, where his work centers on transition cow health, infectious diseases, and the population-level factors shaping dairy system performance. His research helps producers refine herd strategies that strengthen productivity, efficiency, and sustainability across the dairy industry.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:59) Introduction
• (01:44) Semen selection choices
• (02:45) Replacement rate balance
• (03:55) Milk production impact
• (05:42) Long-term profitability
• (09:06) Sustainability strategies
• (10:02) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Christine Baes from the University of Guelph explores how genomic innovation is transforming dairy cattle breeding. She discusses the Resilient Dairy Genome and Net-Zero Dairy Genome Projects, highlighting new genetic traits improving efficiency, animal health, and environmental sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We’re using genomic tools to identify animals that are naturally more resilient, so farmers can breed cows that stay healthy and productive."

Meet the guest: Dr. Christine Baes is a quantitative geneticist and the Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics at the University of Guelph, where she also serves as Acting Associate Dean of External Relations at the Ontario Agricultural College. Her work focuses on genetic strategies that improve sustainability, animal health, and production efficiency.

Click here to learn more:

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project—A general overview of methods and objectives related to feed efficiency and methane emissions

Review: Opportunities and challenges for the genetic selection of dairy calf disease traits

Estimation of genetic parameters and genome-wide association study for enzootic bovine leukosis resistance in Canadian Holstein cattle

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:47) Introduction
• (02:23) Genomic resilience
• (04:31) Resilient cow
• (06:23) Feed efficiency traits
• (08:59) Excitement for dairy’s future
• (10:17) Industry collaboration
• (12:11) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ronaldo Cerri from the University of British Columbia joins us again to continue our conversation on dairy cow reproduction. He shares insights into understanding and reducing embryonic and fetal losses in dairy herds, explaining how better nutrition, management, and genetics work together to support healthier pregnancies and more efficient reproduction. Learn how small, consistent improvements can make a big difference in herd fertility. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Know the demographics of your herd before comparing reproduction numbers; it completely changes what’s considered good performance."

Meet the guest: Dr. Ronaldo Luis Aoki Cerri is a Professor of Animal Reproduction at the University of British Columbia, where he leads research in the Applied Biology Program. He earned his DVM in Brazil and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Animal Biology at the University of California, Davis, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Florida. His work focuses on improving reproductive efficiency in dairy and beef cattle by linking health, inflammation, and fertility.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:55) Introduction
• (02:03) Nutritional influence
• (04:25) Herd management
• (05:25) Reproduction dynamics
• (08:45) Reproductive technologies
• (12:18) Genetic selection
• (13:50) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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