World Dairy Expo 2025 Technical recap

Perhaps best known as an exposition for dairy show cows and dairy equipment, there are also many other dairy technologies that are often introduced or energized through marketing at the show.  This Expo was one of the warmest on record with some days reaching 90 degrees, making this Expo a good opportunity to showcase technologies that help improve cows health and environment.  For those of us working in the nutrition and feed ingredients space, the show probably shrinks by maybe 5% each year.  That said, the quality of nutrition-based exhibits has probably increased steadily.  Here’s a recap of what we saw:

Fly Control in Dairy Farms

There were numerous technologies on display for this area.  There was an interesting presentation on the evolution of resistance by house flies to common insecticides in dairy farms across the United States. Practical strategies to manage resistance were a key part of that discussion. 

Probiotics in Dairy Nutrition

Research studies in both calves and cows show that probiotic supplementation can reduce the incidence of mastitis, foot warts, and respiratory disease while also improving milk yield and feed efficiency.  There are many tried and true probiotic products plus some new entries.  Education presentations showed how yeast and other probiotic organisms produce bioactive compounds that help support the gut microbiome, improve gut health, and enhance immune function.  Some of the presentations drilled down into using encapsulated probiotics to enhance rumen microbiota and fiber degradability.  Clearly probiotics are a tool that can reduce diet cost through enhanced digestibility.  These products will continue to be key tools although producers should understand that ROI calculations will never be completely straightforward.

Cow monitoring and AI as dairy solutions

Every year, we make several strides forward in electronic cow monitoring.  As these tools proliferate, the ability to use AI to transform management will grow.  There were education forums explaining in plain English what AI is, how it works, and how farms can use it.   Aside from cow monitoring, veterinary treatment of the herd can be vastly improved with AI.  AI is really a tool to accelerate practical experience to make better and more timely treatment decisions on the farm.  There were also educational presentations on managing workflows with mobile devices and other real-time methods.  A key application of this technology is managing feed mixing and delivery and sharing information about those processes.  There was also a session of using in-rumen sensor technology for continuous pH monitoring to improve rumen health and feeding management.  This technology clearly has a place in feed monitoring software and AI decision making networks. 

Magnesium, calcium, and other minerals with enhanced bioavailability

One area that has continued to advance in the area of dairy nutrition is mineral availability.  For the last 30 years, perhaps more of the focus has been on the bioavailability of microminerals.  In recent years, increasing focus has turned to the availability of macro-minerals such as calcium and magnesium sources.  Obviously, available calcium is closely tied to the use of anionic salt products, such as MegAnion, that help improve overall calcium uptake in the cow.  At the Expo this year, there were a number of increasingly targeted calcium products from drenches, to boluses, to enhanced feed additive products.  One education presentation focused on the bioavailability of various magnesium sources and practical strategies to enhance your herd’s mineral status.   As many magnesium sources are imported from mining areas around the world, it will become increasingly important to raise awareness of potential variability of different magnesium products in the market.