In our recent Balchem‑hosted webinar, Dr. Mary Beth Hall shared practical insights. Her discussion on manure evaluation offered understanding of cow rations today as a daily report card on rumen health and ration effectiveness.
From simple visual scoring to washing and sieving samples, manure offers early clues about:
✅ Feed passage rate
✅ Fiber and starch digestion
✅ Protein utilization
✅ Potential metabolic challenges like sub‑acute ruminal acidosis (SARA).
One key takeaway: manure evaluation is necessary for today’s cow rations understanding and is a low‑cost, high‑value management tool. Tracking consistency across the herd—not just averages—can also highlight issues such as TMR sorting, hydration, or cow comfort before performance is impacted.
The session wrapped with a great Q&A on important topics. These included manure scoring frequency, environmental influences, and how to translate these observations into actionable ration adjustments with your nutritionist.
If you missed the webinar, it’s worth a watch. And if manure scoring isn’t already part of your routine, manure evaluation is a great start for understanding cow rations today. The Cows Are Always Right!
#DairyNutrition #CowHealth #RumenHealth #FeedEfficiency #DairyManagement #WebinarRecap
