The Rumen Room Podcasts

10. Transition feeding of dairy cows through calving – Keeping cows well, the practicalities!

Keeping our cows happy, healthy and well through the transition period. What are some practical tips and tricks to help make calving a whole lot less stressful for our cows (and us)?  
In this episode, New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Dr Charlotte Westwood is joined by guest podcaster and fellow veterinarian and nutritionist Dr Laura Pattie. Born and bred on a North Island dairy farm, Laura spent 10 years in a predominantly dairy veterinary role before moving into a ruminant nutrition role with PGG Wrightson Ltd.
Laura brings to this podcast a very hands on, down to earth and practical approach to managing metabolic disease challenges in New Zealand dairy cows. Stepping us through the various stages of the transition period as cows move through the springer to colostrum to milking herds, Laura provides us with a wealth of sensible farm-level advice to keep our cows well. There’s something here for everyone as practical takehomes for your calving cows. Tune in when you can!

9. Udder oedema in calving dairy cows

Udder oedema is a condition that sometimes affects our younger dairy cows around calving time. This latest Rumen Room podcast covers off information about udder oedema. Topics discussed include why udder oedema occurs, the range of factors that increase risk of udder oedema and some of the nutritional strategies that may reduce the chances of udder oedema occurring in your cows. 
Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and ruminant nutritionist Charlotte Westwood, we hope that you find some handy tips to help reduce risk of udder oedema. As for any animal health disorder, the content of this podcast is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or qualified ruminant nutritionist. 

8. Magnesium metabolism – the inside story!

Magnificent magnesium – a mineral that all animal species require to keep the body ticking along. And a very relevant mineral given lambing and calving time is just around the corner for New Zealand and Australians. Why the extra interest in magnesium in winter and spring?? 
For pregnant and lactating animals, magnesium is a very important mineral.  If we don’t get the diet just right, and the magnesium status of our animals correctly sorted, our animals can get themselves into all sort of trouble with increased risk of metabolic diseases before, during and after calving or lambing. Risk of magnesium challenges is especially a problem during winter and spring. 
New Zealand veterinarian Dr Charlotte Westwood steps us through everything we need to know about magnesium metabolism in our pregnant and lactating ruminant species. Tune in now and start thinking magnesium just in time for spring!
 

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

Cattle are picky critters and oh such fussy eaters!
The backstory to this Podcast is that our cattle have decided “No thanks”, they’d rather not eat our pasture silage.
Why not? What’s different about this pasture silage that might explain why our cattle won’t touch it?    
In this, part two of a two part series, New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Charlotte Westwood walks us through what the various feed test results might mean for this sample of pasture silage.
This podcast explores, step-by-step, the second section of the feed test results provided to us by Hill Laboratories. (Part one of this podcast series largely explored the mineral test results).
Join us to walk through the various test results including energy, protein and fibre contents of the silage, the pH result and the levels of various fermentation acids in the sample.
Might these results explain why those cattle turned up their noses at our silage? We shall see! Tune in and see how our silage results compare with yours.
A copy of these silage results are posted in the Facebook Group “The Rumen Room” that you can join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/376802106011728 for more information about all things to do with ruminant animals.

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.