Hello Folks,
My name is Niall Brennan. I have been recently selected onto the Alltech Dairy Career Development Programme. This is a stage in my life that has taken a lot of hard work and involved making some very serious decisions. Five years ago I made up my mind in the final year of secondary school that I wanted a career in the agriculture sector, having got the interest from the family dairy farm in county Louth. I completed Ag Science outside of school to ensure I would have the science subject I needed to get into my course, Dairy Business. I have to say I loved my time in Dublin; I met some great people and learned a massive amount. In 2012 I had the chance to travel to New Zealand where I worked with 550 and 800 cow herds.

Having talked to Alltech representatives at a career fair in UCD in February I was automatically drawn to the company. I was notified about the Dairy Programme and quickly saw this as a great opportunity for me to get involved in something that I had a genuine excitement for. Luckily I was accepted and began training on Monday the 15th of September.

This week I was introduced to the Alltech team in Dunboyne. I was immediately drawn to the level of professionalism of the company, be it the people or the culture within it. The company gives off a real message that if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing right. People in Alltech also come across as genuine and I feel I could approach anyone here.

So far I am delighted with the programme and the other three members, Joe, April and Han. I will continue to train until mid November when I will be deployed out to Turkey. I will be working as a dairy nutritionist on a farm there. I have heard only positive things about the farm from people who have visited it or knew about it. The farm is home to 14,000 cows with an emphasis on high intakes and utilisation. It is located 15 minutes away from Kusadasi, so I should be able to have some fun at the weekends. So there you have it, that’s my first blog.

Have a question or comment?

As a young man leaving the Irish education system my goal in life was not yet clear to me. Up to that point I had worked in the family business but I broke away from tradition to join an agricultural course in DKIT who had partnered with Ballyhaise Agricultural College. I soon fell in love with Agriculture and quickly set my goals with what I wanted to achieve during my time at college. Graduating from UCD was a very proud day for both myself and my family, it was sad saying goodbye to all the friends I had made but it was made easier knowing I was selected to join the Alltech family on the Dairy Career Development Programme.

I gathered on-farm skills from managing a 200 cow beef herd in the Loire valley in France and travelled to South Dakota in the summer of 2013 to broaden my knowledge of the dairy industry on a bigger scale. This experience was priceless and will stand to me for the challenges that lie ahead. From the moment I applied for the programme with Alltech I had no doubt what I wanted to do and as the saying goes, "what’s for you won’t pass you." Getting to join Alltech is a dream come true and I know for sure tough and busy times lie ahead.

My first week consisted of meeting all the Alltech family of workers in Dunboyne, the Irish headquarters. From the outset people were introducing themselves and everyone was extremely supportive. I know for sure that even if I’m in the countryside of Vietnam there will be someone with a listening ear just a phone call away. We had various different speakers in this week and I can see already that the level of training we are receiving is second to none.

There is a lot of information to take on board in a short space of time but nobody said the real world was going to be easy. I know with my fellow graduates, Niall, April and Han and all the Alltech team we will get through it together and I’m sure we will have a lot of fun along the way. So until next week it’s over and out from the Alltech DCDP crew.

Have a question or comment?

We are very excited to welcome the first ever members of our new Alltech Dairy Career Development Programme - Niall Brennan and Joseph Butler from Co. Louth, Ireland, April Higgins from Co. Mayo, Ireland and Han Longfei from Henan Province, China.

Each member will be based in Alltech European Headquarters, Dunboyne, Ireland for the next ten weeks before taking their on-farm positions in November as part of the 40 week programme. Members will be based on farms in Turkey, Vietnam, US and China.

Here is a brief bio on each of our new team members:

Niall Brennan is from county Louth, Ireland. His passion for the dairy industry came at a young age while growing up on the family farm. Brennan recently graduated from University College Dublin with an honours degree in Agricultural Science, where he specialized in Dairy Business. In 2012, Niall received a scholarship to travel to New Zealand where he spent six months working on a dairy farm in Canterbury. He will be working in Turkey.

Joseph Butler grew up in a small village in county Monaghan, Ireland. He attended Ballyhaise Agricultural College and University College Dublin where he earned an honours degree in Animal and Crop Production. Butler has a strong beef farming background, as he hails from a progressive suckler family farm. He has also previously managed a large beef farm in Loire valley, France and a large dairy farm in South Dakota, USA in 2013. Additionally he has worked with the local feed mill in Monaghan giving his additional expertise in the area of animal nutrition. He will be working in Vietnam.

April Higgins is from county Mayo, in the west of Ireland and has been very involved in the Irish agricultural industry from a young age through showing and breeding cattle. Higgins recently graduated from University College Dublin with an honours degree in Agricultural Science where she specialised in Animal Science. As part of her degree, Higgins completed a two month work experience on a large dairy farm in South Dakota, USA. She also spent four months reporting for Ireland’s leading agricultural publication, The Irish Farmer Journal. She will be working in the US.

Han Longfei grew up in Luoyang, Henan province, China. He was awarded a BSc in Animal Science and an MSc in Animal Genetics in Huazhong Agricultural University. Longfei spent the last two years of his MSc travelling around China visiting farms, talking to farmers, speaking with scientists and technicians in China and around the world. He will be working in China.

We’ve just finished a rewarding and exhausting four-year project, our sponsorship of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games^™ 2014 in Normandy. The Games are unlike any other global sporting event and our sponsorship is unlike any other sports sponsorship. Event sponsorship is commonly used as a way to advertise retail products to a mass audience yet Alltech does not produce retail products.  

So, what then are the objectives and benefits of a sporting event sponsorship for a B2B agricultural biotechnology company like Alltech? Catherine Keogh, Alltech's CMO, and Aidan Connolly, Alltech's VP of Corporate Accounts, set out to answer that question in a paper entitled Using Event Sponsorship to Cross the Chasm between Consumer Perceptions of Agriculture and On-farm Realities published in the International Food and Agribusiness Management (IFAMA) Review.   

Keogh and Connolly take you through the how and why of the sponsorship, laying out the objectives, methods and metrics. More importantly, they provide an excellent and succinct overview of a very serious challenge facing farmers and the agriculture industry as a whole. Agriculture finds itself confronted with a wave of negativity even as innovative technologies are allowing farmers to feed more people using fewer resources. It is very important that agriculture meet this discussion head on and work to dispel myths, encourage open conversations and build trust.

To find out how we used our sponsorship of the Alltech Games as a step toward building that trust, read the article at IFAMA.org.

The Games just flew by. It was an incredible experience for all of us at Alltech who traveled to Normandy to take part in the event. We were able to capture a few of the sights and sounds and we would like to share them with you. Here are links to our photos, videos and blog posts. We hope you enjoy them and share some of your memories with us as well via our Facebook page. 

• Games Videos 
• Games Photos 
• Games Blog Posts 
• Summer in Normandy
  A fun Facebook photo album from our team in France 

We caught up with German eventing rider Peter Thomsen, after his cross-country round at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games^™ 2014 in Normandy. Peter told us about his preparation for the Games, his mount, Horseware Barney and his experience at Normandy so far. To ensure his horse is in top condition and fit to compete on the world stage, Peter uses a range of feed from Marstall, Alltech's official German partner for the Games. 

Congratulations to Peter who went on to finish in 7th place individually in eventing after the show jumping phase the following day. Although Peter rode as an individual, the German team went on to claim gold and Sandra Auffarth (GER) won double gold by finishing top of the individual ranks! 

Most people associate anchovies and sardines with their salads or pizza toppings, but in fact these small and mighty fish are a crucial part of modern aquaculture. Oily fish, such as anchovies and sardines are currently being over-fished. These fish are processed and turned into pellets to feed larger farmed fish, which are being sold to the human health market to make fish oil supplements, functional foods and pharma applications. These practices are not sustainable and without increased aquaculture production, the world will face a seafood shortage of 50 to 80 million tons by 2030¹.

Fish contribute to 16% of the world’s protein, but with land and fresh water in short supply the aquaculture industry is facing a huge crisis on whether or not the industry can grow at a sustainable rate. Researchers have predicted that if fishing rates continue apace, all of the world’s fisheries will collapse by the year 2048².

Global concerns on sustainable fishing practices are due to the growing demand. It takes approximately 1.5 kg of small wild fish, like anchovies, sardines and salmons being caught in the ocean to produce ½ kg of farmed salmon. Alternative sources are required to ensure the sustained production and nutritional quality of farmed fish.

Fish oil derived from fisheries, is the most common source of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil is typically extracted from oily cold-water fish such as cod, halibut and tuna. Traditionally, fish oil was used in animal feeds to support the wellness of the animal and ensure a healthier final product for the consumer. However, the fish oil industry has gone through a dramatic transformation due to the limited availability, prices have gone through the roof and quality has gone through the floor. Some farmers are opting to use cheaper alternatives high in omega-6, like vegetable oil and sunflower oil. These alternatives often lack beneficial DHA omega-3, limiting their health benefits and creating the need for sustainable sources needed for optimal animal nutrition.

To avoid overfishing, alternative sources are being examined to provide nutrients formerly supplied by fish and fish oil to feed the growing population. Algae are gaining attention for their application in the feed and food industries as a highly sustainable source of protein and DHA omega-3. Moreover, the omega-3 content in fish originates from their consuming the algae directly or other creatures that feed on algae.

Sustainable aquaculture practices using algae have the potential to minimize the impact from overfishing, while providing a nutritious protein source of DHA omega-3.

This solution comes at a critical time as the growing human population will be too great for the seafood industry to sustain environmental and economic demands. In America alone, 7,000,000 tons of fish are consumed per year and to meet that demand, 91% of the fish were imported, resulting in a $12,000,000,000 trade deficit³.

The ocean can no longer be treated as an unlimited source of protein. The industry must make a change and algae provide a unique opportunity to replace nutrients formerly supplied by fish and fish oil to meet the current consumption trends.

1. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
2. National Geographic
3. FAO, USDA, NOAA

I want to learn more about aquaculture nutrition.

Agriculture and nutrition aren’t often thought of synonymously. Traditionally, human nutrition has been placed in the territory of health care professionals. However, farmers and producers play an integral role in providing access to diverse, nutritious foods – the foundation of good health. With a growing world population, nutrition-focused agriculture strategies are becoming increasingly important.

How can we position agriculture to improve nutrition and health worldwide?

Nutrition-focused agriculture strategies, including more sustainable approaches towards food production, dietary diversification and food enrichment can improve diet quality, combat nutrient deficiencies and boost overall nutrition. By applying a nutrition lens to agriculture, researchers, farmers, producers, agronomists and animal nutritionists have the potential to help close the “nutrition gap” – the gap between what foods are available and what foods need to be available for good nutrition worldwide.

Nutrient deficiency in plants, soil and livestock is a global issue that largely contributes to the deficiencies found in humans. The opportunity exists to address these deficiencies via nutrition interventions delivered by the agricultural sector. Improved agronomic practices and more nutritious animal and aquaculture feed have the potential to maximize the health and production of both plants and animals, while increasing the nutritional content of food and reducing health risks for consumers.

The role of biotechnology in improving health and wellness through the food chain is expanding.

Micronutrient-enriched fertilizers improve soil fertility and the plant’s ability to utilize nutrients, helping to support higher yields of more nutritious food. Correcting nutrient deficiencies in crops is a step towards correcting deficiencies of the same nutrients in humans.

Probiotic crop applications create a healthier environment for plants to grow. Probiotics assist in the uptake of nutrients by the plant to produce a more abundant nutrient-dense crop.

Enriched animal and aquaculture feed return essential nutrients back into the diet of livestock and fish. Enriched feed not only improves the health of the animal, it also naturally increases the nutritive value of the food product for consumers.

Improving global access to naturally occurring macro and micronutrients in whole, unprocessed foods will be a key contributor to success in improving human nutrition through agricultural investments.

As we look to the future, agriculture must be prioritized in human nutrition. By improving the health of animals, land and plants, we can provide higher quality, more nutritious food to nourish the world.

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most popular topics in health and nutrition today, and for good reason – this family of essential fatty acids provides a host of health benefits. Three fatty acids make up the omega-3 family: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Each of these omega-3 fatty acids is considered essential, meaning that they cannot be synthesized by the human body. However, not all omega-3 fatty acids are created equal. DHA is the most important of the omega-3 fatty acids, and is primarily responsible for the benefits commonly associated with omega-3 foods and supplements.

A common misconception is that our body’s need for DHA can be met by consuming flaxseed, nuts and other ALA sources, which our bodies would then convert to DHA. Yet studies have shown that ALA supplements are unable to raise blood DHA levels¹. Humans do have limited ability to convert dietary ALA to EPA and crucial DHA, however the efficiency of the conversion is very low (less than 1 percent)², and dietary intake of EPA and especially DHA is necessary to maintain sufficient amounts in the body.

DHA is essential for proper human development and health. Unfortunately, many diets are deficient in this vital nutrient. Alltech’s Algae Opportunity is working to mitigate this nutrient deficiency with naturally DHA-enriched functional foods by simply returning DHA-rich microalgae back into the diets of animals that produce meat, milk and eggs. By incorporating algae in the diets of livestock, both the animal and the consumer receive the expansive health benefits of DHA, improving health from feed to food.

1. Brenna JT, Salem N, Sinclair AJ, Cunnane SC. α-Linolenic acid supplementation and conversion to n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in humans. PLEFA. 2009 Feb-Mar; 80(2-3):85-91.
2. Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Bio Pharm. 2002; 56(8):365-79.

Full Graphic and Citations [+]

Jumping

For the ‘Final 4’ in Jumping, the four best placed competitors must jump the course with each of the four horses qualified for the final, starting with his/her own horse. Riders have the opportunity to school each of the horses for three minutes over two obstacles at a maximum height of 1.30m. Riders can change the saddle but the horse must remain in its own bridle, bit and boots. The rider with the lowest total penalties over all of the rounds of the final will be declared World Champion! In the event of equal penalties for first, second and/or third place there will be a jump-off against the clock over the same course but each competitor gets to ride their own horse.

Dressage

Classical dressage first came to prominence during the Renaissance as it was developed for the Cavalry. There is even some evidence that some of the manoeuvres used in dressage were developed by the ancient Greeks.

Eventing

The 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne. However, due to Australia’s strict laws, horses entering the country would have had to endure a lengthy quarantine. As a result, the equestrian events were held in Stockholm, Sweden!

Although Eventing became an Olympic sport in 1912 only male military officers were allowed to compete. It wasn’t until 1964 in Tokyo that the first woman took part in an Eventing competition.

Driving

Driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport. Evidence suggests that horses were driven long before they were ridden. The discovery of the Sintashta chariot burials in the southern Urals show driving dates all the way back to 2000BC.

Para-Dressage

In the 1952 Olympic Games before Para-dressage was an official discipline itself, Danish rider Lisa Hartel, who was paralysed from the knees down, won a silver medal in Dressage!

Endurance

Organised endurance riding as a formal sport began in 1955, when Wendell Robie and a group of equestrians rode from the Lake Tahoe area across the Sierra Nevada Range to Auburn, in under 24 hours. They followed the historic Western States Trail. This ride soon became known as the Tevis Cup and it remains one of the most difficult of any 100-mile rides in the world because of the severe terrain, high altitude and high temperatures.

Vaulting

The youngest competitor at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games^™ 2014 in Normandy is 8-year-old vaulter, Ksenia Ermolaeva from Russia.

Reining

 Reining is often described as the western form of dressage. It originated from the herding of cattle in Mexico and south-western states like Texas and California. The horses needed to be able to move in certain ways for the rider to remain in control of the cattle, movements not unlike those performed in dressage.

When you hear the word audit you automatically think of revenue or taxation auditors, but did you know that Alltech runs farm audits to help improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of your farm?

Alltech believes the key to unlocking greater profitability in a sustainable fashion is by increasing efficiency of production. This is the driving principle behind the Alltech E=P+S programme. Alltech can predict the probable outcome in economic value and also highlight the expected reduction in carbon emission from the added efficiencies projected. The programme helps to predict and monitor the benefits on-farm, as well as clearly demonstrating the advantages through Alltech’s unique “What if?” tool.

It’s simple, according to Kevin Dardis, global dairy marketing manager, “farmers look to the opportunities that abound in dairy and beef production, Alltech is uniquely positioned to help resolve inefficiencies and boost profitability in a more sustainable way.”

So how does it work? Alltech’s E=P+S programme is comprised of a number of components which when taken together provide farmers with a complete audit and recommendation package for any farm unit.

The first component is silage production and quality. This is combined with advice on feed formulation and mineral specifications. Then our technicians audit the management of the herd using the Alltech programme. And we carry out manure sieving to help identify the amount of undigested feed passing through the rumen in a wasteful manner.

“As farmers look to the opportunities that abound in dairy and beef production, Alltech is uniquely positioned to help resolve inefficiencies and boost profitability in a more sustainable way,” says Kevin.

Our technicians are fully trained in feed formulation using Plurimix, a dedicated formulations program. Plurimix models the existing diet and allows for a comparison of the potential benefits of alternative diets. All diets can be compared nutritionally, by cost and by carbon output of the herd’s diet. This information can then be transferred, along with the basic operating performance indicators of the farm, into the unique Alltech “What if?“ tool. Calculations indicate the degree of cost benefit from the resolved inefficiencies to the farmer with the added bonus of reduced herd carbon footprint, which is great news for the consumer who is more concerned than ever with how their food is produced.

All of these components are pulled together into a comprehensive recommendation for diet, mineral specification, alternative protein sources and if required, mycotoxin control. Following implementation, the results and performance are regularly monitored by technicians to ensure the predicted improvements are achieved or bettered. Sounds simple right? If you are interested in seeing if Alltech can help you today contact your local Alltech representative.

The next stop on Norman’s global trot was Croatia, with its calming coastal landscape, misty mountains and various valleys, Norman knew he was in for a great day! There are numerous national parks in Croatia such as the Plitvice National Park were Norman paid a visit. This is the largest national park in Croatia and the oldest in all of Southeast Europe. The lakes were an astounding aqua blue and are one of the most incredible things Norman has ever seen. After buying a postcard to send his family, Norman left this wonderful place to visit Kušić Promet Ltd.

Norman takes a trip to Kušić Promet Ltd.

Kušić Promet Ltd. is a long serving customer of Alltech and an Alltech Official Partner of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, for the second year running. So Norman was quite excited to reunite with his friends and hear their news. Mr. Kušić explained to Norman that he has successfully been using Alltech solutions for his cattle and so it was only natural for him to include Alltech solutions in his new line of Centaur® brand horse feeds.

Mr. Kušić´s knew that Norman loved show jumping, so as a nice end to an already brilliant day Norman was brought to the stables to greet Mr. Kušić´s show jumping mare, Lady Kracher. Norman neighed a lot with Lady Kracher and got some tips on how to become a leading show jumper. But all too soon it was time for Norman to leave and race off to his next stop.

Norman neighed hello to the Dominican Republic and was excited to learn more about its history and culture. Norman recalled that during Christopher Columbus’ second voyage in 1493, Columbus returned to the Dominican Republic bringing oranges, limes, citron, olive and walnut trees, wheat, rice, cinnamon, cloves, peaches, apricots, sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and of course horses!

Settlers used these horses in farming, gold mining and mercantile enterprises. Their descendents are today’s Paso Fino, a clever and planned mix of several Spanish breeds. It is the oldest native breed in the Western Hemisphere. Paso Fino translates as “fine step” in English. Its premier characteristics are a smooth and even gate and it’s known for its hardiness and natural presence. Norman noted how remarkably versatile the Paso Fino horse is. He was hoping to meet some Paso Fino horses on his journey but first he had to meet with Carolina Orizondo, a competitor in this year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.

Norman meets with an Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy competitor

Norman was delighted to hear that Carolina Orizondo discovered her passion for horses when she was only five years old. Carolina told Norman that she has spent her whole life surrounded by both the equestrian and farming world. Her father introduced reining as a discipline in the Dominican Republic, where he trained his daughters in the sport. One of Carolina’s sisters participated in the World Equestrian Games some years back and that encouraged her to compete this year. The national qualifying rounds were among 12 horse riders and Faunty Garrido and Carolina Orizondo were selected to compete at this year’s Games in Normandy.

Before leaving, Carolina brought Norman to meet some Paso Fino horses in a nearby stable. Here Norman swapped tips on health and nutrition. The Paso Fino horses told Norman he must eat well and get plenty of rest during his journey around the world.

As Norman left the Dominican Republic he already looked forward to catching up with Carolina at the Games and he thought of all the other competitors he would meet on his global trot. 

As the Arctic blast wreaks havoc across many parts of the United States, regions are seeing record low temperatures and record highs of weather-related stress on livestock. Plummeting winter temperatures are making many dairy operations reconsider their winter survival tactics and preparation for disease challenges that can come with the change of the seasons.

One challenge that can often show up in dairy herds during this time is winter dysentery. Occurring from early fall through late spring, winter dysentery is characterized by the sudden onset of diarrhea and can affect 15 percent or more of the herd.  Fresh blood in the feces may be present, as well as, dehydration, loss in body condition, respiratory issues like coughing and nasal discharge, and a varying decline in milk production of 10 percent or greater, are also noted.  Winter dysentery has a high rate of morbidity, but a low rate of mortality.  Twenty to 50 percent of animals in the herd will exhibit clinical symptoms within the first few days and the rest of the herd within a week to 10 days.

The causative agent in winter dysentery is still unclear.  However, Bovine coronavirus (BCV) has been cultured from the feces of affected animals, which is also a culprit in bouts of diarrhea and respiratory disease in young calves.  Additionally, elevated BCV titers have been measured in afflicted herds. Ingestion of contaminated feed or water is the most common route of infection.  Viral particles in the respiratory secretions of affected animals can also exacerbate transmission. 

Clinical symptoms of winter dysentery typically subside within two weeks of onset.  However, the time to recover the loss in body condition and milk production can take months.  Thus, financial ramifications of an outbreak of winter dysentery can be severe.  Recovered animals appear to be immune from the disease from one to five years, but carrier animals can be a source of repeated outbreaks.

The first step in managing the disease is to stop the cycle. It is also recommended to caution access to outside visitors during an outbreak of winter dysentery.  Controlling the movement patterns of cattle and people on the farm can be beneficial, as well as having farm employees working with cattle change out of soiled clothes and sanitize boots as often as necessary for their particular job. Eliminating manure contamination in water, feed, feed bunks, and feeding equipment is also critical in avoiding transmission of this virus.

Besides management practices, producers may also want to consider their nutritional programs in assisting the herd to get through an outbreak with less stress. Alternative non-antimicrobial products such as direct-fed microbials and/or mannan oligosaccharides (Bio-Mos®) have shown some benefits in improving the animal’s balance of intestinal bacteria (International Dairy Topics Vol. 4 No. 3, 2005).Direct-fed microbials and mannan oligosaccharides can help to maintain healthy immune systems in dairy and efficient nutrient transfer from cow to calf. Palatable feed and fresh water should be available at all times, and in severely affected cattle, fluid therapy should be administered.  Currently, there are no vaccines for BCV.

In most cases, affected cattle recover spontaneously. However, measures such as proper hygiene, constant awareness, quarantining of new animals, and certified testing remain important and should continue to be used on the farm to help in preventing and treating potential outbreaks.