The Rumen Room Podcasts

6. “Feed Test Lab Reports: Just what on earth do all those numbers mean” - Part One

How many of you routinely collect feed samples and send them away for feed testing? Ever wondered what all those numbers mean? No worries – you are most certainly not alone! Listen in to this, the first in a two part series all about interpreting feed test results for a sample of pasture silage.
New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Charlotte Westwood will step you through the various feed test results and explain what each number means. To make this more interesting, you’ll get to play detective as part of the process. This particular silage sample was collected because cattle refused to eat the silage. Why might these cattle not be so keen? Might the lab test numbers show us some clues?
This, part one of a two part series, explores the first batch of numbers as typically reported for a full silage/baleage feed test by Hill Laboratories in New Zealand. In this episode, we’ll discuss the various macro and trace minerals for this particular sample of silage. We’ll compare the reported result against the “Medium range” or expected range, as reported by Hill Laboratories, that we’d normally expect to see for a pasture baleage or silage sample. (Thanks to Hill Laboratories for their permission for us to discuss these feed test results!)
Tune in and see how your detective work goes assessing these results.
The full table of these results are posted in the Facebook Group “The Rumen Room” that you can join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/376802106011728 for more info about all things ruminant.
Part Two of this feed test series (posted shortly) will explore the second half of a typical Hill Laboratories report for a sample of baleage or silage including the crude protein, fibre, energy, ash etc content as well as the various silage acids reported in the Hill Laboratories full silage test results.

5. Nitrate toxicity in ruminants

Nitrate toxicity - the most commonly encountered toxicity challenge in New Zealand ruminants. This podcast breaks nitrate toxicity down into seven "bite sized", easy to understand sections. By stepping through, step-by-step, the various things that we need to know about nitrate toxicity, you'll be set up well to understand how to deal with this challenging problem.
Topics covered include how to assess risk of nitrate toxicity in your forage crops and pastures, understanding how and why nitrate toxicity occurs in ruminants, what to do if you suspect cases of nitrate toxicity in your animals, and how to reduce the risk of future toxicity cases. As with any cases of clinical or sub-clinical disease in animals, your own veterinarian remains your first person to urgently contact if you are dealing with suspected cases of nitrate toxicity. 
Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and ruminant nutritionist Charlotte Westwood, we hope you can join us for this informative podcast. 

4. Checklist for success - wintering sheep and cattle on winter crops and pastures

Are you looking after pregnant cows or ewes through the winter months? Then this podcast is designed for you. With an emphasis on looking after cows and ewes really well, on outdoor winter forage crops particularly, this podcast steps us through some of the planning processes required before animals transition off pasture-based diets onto winter feeds.
Topics covered include the basics of feed budgeting, demands of animals for feed and water, types of supplementary feeds and looking after animals during winter weather events. There's something here for for everyone involved in wintering animals  – including those of you who feed pasture and supplementary feeds to your animals.
Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Dr Charlotte Westwood, we welcome you to listen in and compare your winter wellbeing checklist with ours. 

3. The basics of ruminant nutrition - with a difference! Part Two

Assuming you've survived the dizzying journey of a ryegrass leaf from the front (biting) part of a cow to the back (emptying) end of a cow in Part One of this two part series - you'll now be ready for the other part of Basic Ruminant Nutrition. 
In this episode, we'll explore how the broken down various bits of pieces of feeds, such as ryegrass, get turned into useful things that the ruminant animal can use. The basics of volatile fatty acids (VFAs are explored) as well as how dietary protein gets turned into useful things a ruminant can use to make milk protein, or protein to help a young ruminant grow. 
Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Dr Charlotte Westwood, we welcome you to listen in to Part Two of this two part episode. 

2. The basics of ruminant nutrition - with a difference! Part One

Many of us have suffered the rather dry and boring nature of ruminant nutrition lectures at school, college or university. Fear no more, The Rumen Room Podcasts are delighted to bring to you a new, down to earth and practical approach to the basics of ruminant nutrition. 
In this episode, you, a leaf from a ryegrass plant are about to head off on an adventure as you're consumed by a large dairy cow and encounter all parts of the digestive tract. A humorous and light hearted approach to what otherwise can be a bland subject for some! 
Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist, Dr Charlotte Westwood we welcome you to listen in to Part One of this two part episode. 

1. Welcome to The Rumen Room Podcasts

A brief welcome to introduce ourselves before we head off on a journey of exploration and discovery about all things ruminant.