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PODCAST

The Moos Room™

University of Minnesota Extension

Hosted by members of the University of Minnesota Extension Beef and Dairy Teams, The Moos Room discusses relevant topics to help beef and dairy producers be more successful. The information is evidence-based and presented as an informal conversation between the hosts and guests.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

21:10

Episode 319 - Inbreeding: Is It An Impending Doom? -...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/11/03

In this episode, Brad is back from Europe—jetlagged but full of insights from farms and conferences in Germany and the Netherlands. He dives into one of the biggest topics he heard about abroad and at home: Inbreeding in dairy cattle.Brad explains how inbreeding occurs, what it costs farmers economically, and how inbreeding levels have climbed across all major dairy breeds—especially Holsteins and Jerseys. Drawing on recent research from Italy and data from the U.S. Council on Dairy Cattle

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58:58

Episode 318 - Cattle, Shade & Solar: What...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/10/27

Brad kicks off a solo episode (recorded before a trip to Germany) and turns the mic to rangeland scientist Anna Clare for a deep dive into “the solar savanna”—treating solar arrays on grasslands as functioning grazing ecosystems. She shares early results from Silicon Ranch’s Cattle Tracker research on integrating cattle (not just sheep) with PV systems. Brad follows with University of Minnesota’s on-farm demos: panel heights that work for cattle, heat-stress reductions, forage performance

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36:38

Episode 317 - Emily’s Back! Farm Emergency Planning...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/10/20

Emily is back from medical leave (hooray!) and she and Brad dig into an essential topic for every operation: emergency planning. You can’t predict every detail, but you can make the first decisions easier when seconds count.What we cover:What an emergency plan is (and isn’t): a concise, written set of steps and key info you can default to under pressure.Start with a farm map: access routes, gates/fences, livestock locations, hazardous/flammable materials, and utility shutoffs.Make the red

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24:28

Episode 316 - Genomic Testing: Is It Worth It and How...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/10/13

In this episode, Brad shares his fall updates from western Minnesota before diving into a detailed discussion on genomic testing in dairy herds. Drawing on his experiences from recent farm visits in South Dakota and ongoing University of Minnesota research projects, he explores how producers are using genomics and whether the investment pays off.Brad explains that while some herds use genomic testing solely to decide which animals to breed to beef, he believes the technology’s value lies

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28:04

Episode 315 - How Genetics Drive Dairy Profitability:...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/10/06

Host Brad Heins welcomes Becca Weir, a Minnesota native and newly appointed assistant professor of agricultural economics at Penn State. Growing up on a dairy farm near Sauk Centre, Rebecca developed a passion for applying economics to dairy management decisions.In this episode, she shares findings from her University of Minnesota research with Jolene Hadrich, which connected genetic selection (sire Net Merit) with farm-level profitability using data from 2012–2018 Minnesota dairy herds.Key

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24:39

Episode 314 -The Future of Grazing? Brad Tests...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/09/29

In this episode, Brad shares his firsthand experience with virtual fencing on the University of Minnesota’s Morris dairy herd. After a long grazing season, he dives into the reasons he began experimenting with NoFence collars, the training process for heifers, and what he learned about costs, labor savings, and animal behavior.Brad walks listeners through the setup, the challenges of training, and the variation he saw among animals in how quickly they adapted. He highlights both the

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32:08

Episode 313 -Robots, Rotaries, or Both? Jim Salfer on...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/09/22

Today, Brad brings on University of Minnesota Extension colleague Jim Salfer to talk through the state of dairy automation. Robots are still going in across the Upper Midwest, but they’re also coming out—and the “why” depends on farm goals, labor, barn design, and cash flow.HighlightsAdoption reality: Robots are spreading, yet many farms are re-evaluating fit. Large herds often lean toward automated rotaries (pre- and post-sprays) for sheer throughput; small to mid-size herds may benefit

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26:22

Episode 312 - Managing the Stress of Weaning:...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/09/15

This week on The Moos Room, Brad shares updates from the University of Minnesota’s dairy research center, where staff have been on strike and he’s been back in the barn doing chores, milking, feeding, and even pulling calves late at night. With calving season underway, Brad shifts the focus to a new review article on weaning practices in young ruminants, authored by Heather Nave at Purdue University.The discussion explores the stress calves, lambs, goat kids, and beef calves experience when

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22:08

Episode 311 - Milk Fatty Acids: The Next Frontier in...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/09/08

In this episode, Brad dives into the growing interest in milk fatty acid profiles and what they can tell us about cow health, nutrition, and management.Brad explains the three main groups of milk fatty acids—de novo, mixed, and preformed—and how they are shaped by diet, stage of lactation, seasonality, and even genetics. He highlights how monitoring these fatty acid trends through routine milk testing can help farmers fine-tune rations, detect health challenges like subclinical ketosis or

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9:22

Episode 310 -Faster Cows, Faster Parlors: New Genetic...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/09/01

In this Labor Day episode, Brad highlights the history of the holiday in the U.S. and Canada before diving into a brand-new genetic evaluation for Holstein dairy cattle: milking speed. Released in August 2025, this trait provides an objective way to measure how quickly cows milk—expressed in pounds of milk per minute—with the Holstein breed average set at 7 lbs/min.Brad explains how this evaluation was developed using parlor sensor data (not robot milking systems) from over 165 herds and

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21:31

Episode 309 - From the Fair to the Farm: Dairy...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/08/25

In this episode of The Moos Room, Brad shares updates from a busy summer and fall kickoff at the Minnesota State Fair, where his kids showed cows and he helped with 4-H dairy programming. After reflecting on the fair, he dives into the latest research and extension projects happening at the University of Minnesota’s West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris.Brad covers a wide range of studies, including:Virtual fencing trials with heifers, lessons learned from training, and future

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19:26

Episode 308 - Battling BLV – Updates on Bovine...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/08/18

In this episode of The Moos Room, Brad shares updates on the University of Minnesota’s ongoing work with bovine leukosis virus (BLV), a retrovirus that weakens the immune system, reduces production, and costs dairy farmers hundreds of dollars per cow each year.Brad walks through the latest herd testing results, where prevalence has held steady at around 30%, but with new infections continuing to appear—especially in older cows. He digs into the role of biting flies in BLV transmission,

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20:11

Episode 307 - What is Causing All of Our Cow...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/08/11

Brad records solo during a busy fair season. But behind the scenes at the research center, a troubling issue emerged this summer: a cluster of abortions isolated to a 50–60 cow organic herd.After ruling out other groups, Brad suspected moldy feed. Testing revealed high mold counts—especially Fusarium, which produces mycotoxins linked to infertility and abortions. The herd had been eating first-crop hay baled a bit too wet, later found to be heating and moldy.Aborted fetuses sent to

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26:46

Episode 306 - Sun Safety and Heat Illness: What You...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/08/04

In this special episode of The Moos Room, Emily and Brad record in person for the first time in ages! While together in Rochester, they dive into their favorite annual topic: sun safety and preventing heat illness in humans.After a lighthearted reminder that Brad still doesn’t wear sunscreen enough, the duo discusses practical strategies to stay safe in the sun. Topics include:Why UV protection matters year-round (not just when it’s hot)Sunscreen, clothing, and hats as protective

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35:20

Episode 305 - Heat Stress in Calves and Cows: A Hot...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/07/28

In this episode, Brad and Emily dive into one of the most pressing summertime challenges in cattle care: heat stress. As county fairs, field days, and Farmfest approach, the co-hosts reflect on their busy schedules and upcoming plans to finally record in person. The main discussion covers how heat affects both calves and adult cattle, including signs of stress, management strategies, and the role of hydration, nutrition, and cleanliness.They share practical tips for reducing heat stress,

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20:11

Episode 304 - Is It Feasible to Pay Top Dollar for...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/07/21

In this episode, Emily and Brad reunite to dive into a hot topic on the beef-on-dairy circuit: Are today’s sky-high calf prices economically sustainable? After crisscrossing the country speaking with farmers and cattle buyers, Brad shares firsthand insights and jaw-dropping market figures — with beef-on-dairy calves selling for up to $1,600.The duo discusses whether investing in calves at these prices can truly yield profit when factoring in feed, labor, and marketing constraints. Brad

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20:50

Episode 303 - Improving Calf Health: What Total...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/07/14

In this episode, Brad shares insights from recent dairy science meetings and dives deep into total serum protein (TSP) levels in calves—a key indicator of successful colostrum management and passive transfer of immunity. He reviews data from multiple studies, including work by Dave Casper in Illinois and a Midwest study on beef-on-dairy cross calves. The results show improvements in TSP levels over time, but highlight that a significant number of calves—especially male and crossbred

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24:35

Episode 302 - Fly Frenzy: Understanding and...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/07/07

Brad flies solo in this episode—literally and figuratively—to tackle a problem buzzing on every farmer’s mind around the 4th of July: flies. With heavy rains in the Upper Midwest fueling major fly outbreaks, Brad dives deep into why managing flies is essential for livestock health, productivity, and human comfort.He covers the four main types of flies affecting livestock—stable flies, house flies, horn flies, and face flies—including their behaviors, lifecycles, preferred habitats, and the

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13:28

Episode 301 - Biosecurity Reminders for Fair and Show...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/06/30

In this solo episode, Emily shares timely reminders about biosecurity as county fair and livestock show season ramps up across Minnesota. Drawing on her own experience showing dairy cattle in 4-H, she discusses the importance of protecting animals from disease before, during, and after exhibitions. Topics include bringing only healthy animals to shows, cleaning equipment beforehand, being mindful of potential disease exposure at the fairgrounds, and the value of quarantining animals upon

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32:40

Episode 300 - Celebrating Five Years of The Moos Room...

The Moos Room™ ·

2025/06/23

🎉 Episode 300: Celebrating Five Years of The Moos Room 🎉In this milestone episode, Emily and Brad reflect on five years and 300 episodes of The Moos Room, a podcast that began as a small idea in late 2019 and launched in April 2020. Born in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show quickly became a weekly staple—covering everything from beef and dairy production to farm safety and mental health.The hosts celebrate:A loyal and growing global audience in 89 countries, including the

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321 results

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