The holiday season is upon us once again, and it is both a magical and stressful time of year. While I look forward to Christmas traditions and creating new memories with loved ones, I also know there is a lot of work associated with the closing year transitioning to the next one.

Dairy farms across the U.S. have been breeding a portion of their cows to beef sires since 2018. The resultant crossbred progeny, known as beef-on-dairy, has provided challenges and opportunities for both the beef and dairy industries. Penn State collected data over four years to evaluate the impact of beef-on-dairy progeny on these industries.

It’s been said that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses. But I think there’s more to it than that. In my decades of experience, both in the office and on countless farms, people do leave bad jobs. They also leave bad environments, situations with high expectations and little guidance, and meager growth opportunity. This is true for all types of businesses, including agriculture.

Dr. Jill Soderstrom, milk replacer solutions specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition, joins us today to share why maintaining a healthy gut and microbiome in calves is vital for the growth, health and performance of your herd.