Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Extension Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University
The 19th annual Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference was held on April 20-21 in Ft. Wayne, IN. Despite the economy, the attendance was up about 1% (440 in attendance) and the number of exhibitors was up by 26% (53 exhibitors). Zinpro sponsored the pre-conference program, and it too went very well. Although the Tri-State’s speaker from Spain was not able to make the Conference because of a cancelled fight due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland, his presentation with audio was sent electronically and then he was live via the internet to answer questions. The average attendance at the Conference is about 8 years, with about 65% of the attendees from the feed industry, 24% university personnel (faculty, staff, and students), 9% veterinarians, and 2% dairy farmers. About 29% of the attendees were from OH, 21% from MI, 12% from IN, and the remaining attendees were from 18 other states, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. The attendees were asked “During the economic crisis for the dairy industry, what changes have you observed in feeding and management?” The two major responses were: Calves and heifers: 1) Fed cheaper or less starter/grain mix, and 2) feed additives removed; Lactating and dry cows: 1) Less use of feed additives, and 2) More use of home grown feeds/forages. Additional results of the survey and the articles from the Proceedings are available at: http://tristatedairy.osu.edu/proceedings.htm. The Conference will be held April 19-20, 2011 – the 20th year with special features!