FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Speakers at this year’s Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference will focus on past and future research; calf and heifer development; and optimizing cow performance and the management system. The conference, in its 33rd year, is April 14-16 at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

The goal of the conference is to share current information on the feeding of dairy cattle, primarily to those who provide nutritional advice to dairy farmers, according to organizers. The intended audience includes feed industry personnel, nutrition consultants, dairy producers and veterinarians.

Last year, 372 people attended, said Maurice Eastridge, a professor of animal sciences at Ohio State University. Ohio State, Purdue University and Michigan State University are among the organizers.

During the conference’s first full day on the 15th, a presentation will look at the impacts of changes in milk component pricing on dairy farm revenue. So far, Eastridge noted, those price changes have not been a big burden, “but some influence will occur. A greater concern at the moment within the dairy industry is the tariffs being placed on dairy products in the trade war underway.”

On the 16th, a discussion will cover the impacts of heat stress on the dry cow and her fetus.

“Mitigation of heat stress is very important for dry and lactating cows and calves,” he explained. “Ventilation in barns is key to this and misters in conjunction with fans are placed in barns to cool cows. They are commonly placed over the feed alley and then additional fans over the freestalls where the cows are lying.”

Another presentation on the 16th will look at feeding in automatic milking systems.

“Automatic milking systems are increasing in use, especially in response to the labor shortage on dairy farms,” Eastridge pointed out. “Our speakers will be focusing on the feeding systems within these facilities and how animal behavior has to be taken into consideration.”

Other topics include the impacts of genetics on methane production in dairy cattle, practical steps to improve diet digestibility, and feeding corn distillers grains to lactating cows.

Feedworks USA will host a mini-symposium on the evening of the 14th on aiming for success in the calf raising program. On the morning of the 15th, Kemin will present a pre-conference program on improving performance among the challenges through transition cow management. Elanco will offer a program the next morning titled Bovaer: What is it and what have we learned?

The conference includes a daily undergraduate program. It offers opportunities for students to network with students from other universities and professional members of the dairy industry, according to organizers. Program events include an undergraduate ice cream social and get together on the 14th and an industry and producer round table session on the 15th. Undergraduates are also welcome to attend the conference.

“I think it’s always important to acknowledge the number of undergraduate and graduate students from several states that participate in this conference every year,” Eastridge said. “Training the next generation for pursuing careers that support the dairy industry is one of our key objectives, whether that career is in research, teaching, providing goods and services to dairy farms, or working on dairy farms.”

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to attend a minor league baseball game featuring the Fort Wayne TinCaps on the 15th, and a networking session later that evening.

The cost for the conference is $225 per person until April 1; it will be $255 after. Undergraduate and graduate students may attend for free. For more information, including a complete agenda and registration form, visit http://tristatedairy.org.