So how do you see that playing into uterine infections and what are some of those long-term implications?

Well, I think it's all very interrelated.

And let me give a quote, and I wrote this down so I get it right, from Caldera et al.

2025, in which they said, future studies and therapeutic treatments related to uterine health should consider uterine involution as a process of wound repair.

So think of it right there.

We've got to repair this wound.

The uterus is going to be shrinking in size dramatically.

With first lactation heifers and the greater risk associated with first lactation heifers, how can we help mitigate some of those issues so we don't see that future cascade in second or third lactation that we can make it to a third and fourth lactation with these high value animals?

So how do you see that playing into uterine infections and what are some of those long-term implications?

Well, I think it's all very interrelated.

And let me give a quote, and I wrote this down so I get it right, from Caldera et al., 2025, in which they said, "...future studies and therapeutic treatments related to uterine health should consider uterine involution as a process of wound repair." so think of it right there we've got to repair this wound the uterus is going to be shrinking in size dramatically that requires the function of the immune system so we're having nutrients that we want to go elsewhere to perhaps more profitable uh functions such as helping the follicles to develop and oh yeah produce milk instead it's going to wound repair And then back to our quote, tissue regeneration in the face of bacterial infection.

So not just tissue regeneration, not just shrinking the uterus in size, but the bacteria infection.

And so that's where I come with inflammation as being right there at the root of that.

So with that infection, we've got some short term consequences like elevated acute phase proteins and oh yeah, go back to reduced feed intake.

So if you're starting to think I have a hang up about reduced feed intake, you're probably right.

So when we're thinking... with first lactation heifers and the greater risk associated with first lactation heifers, how can we help mitigate some of those issues so we don't see that future cascade in second or third lactation, that we can make it to a third and fourth lactation with these high value animals?

How so?

So let's work with the i- idea that we're putting in some hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate.

That's a l- long series of words, but it, it, it's kind of a refined bentonite.

Let's, let- let's go with that, okay? So why would we, um, see things getting better? I'm l- I'm gonna term things getting better from two standpoints.

One, what you were just referring to, the manure is a little bit stiffer.

Well, these aluminosilicates will bind water.

Sometimes we use them in different situations to soak up water, s- soak up oil on the shop floor.

What is the net result of that happening?

So I'll let you kind of take it from here as far as your thoughts on that.

Wow.

Fantastic, Scott.

Yep.

So we think of shrink, could be the interest that we're paying, could be just lost feed, lost opportunity.

Asset is gone.

We could look at a 20,000 ton bunker that would be worth, what, $1.2 million? And if we had $1.2 million out there in dollar bills, we would at least put a rock on it so it doesn't blow away in the wind.

One, what are the things that we should be tracking? What are the metrics we should look at in a corn silage pile to help us determine if we're doing a good job or not?

excellent.

So in a previous session, we had called Don the disruptor mycotoxin.

And I think that's a good lead in here.

So Don alters the rumen microbial population.

So if you don't have bacteria who are fermenting the diet, creating energy, making nitrogen available, to be converted into microbial protein, which is the ideal amino acid balance for the cow.

You don't have the ideal amino acid balance being absorbed.

I think that's one place.

or longer but on this platform but

So, Dr. Roth, the stage is yours.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you, Todd.

So let's have a conversation about the interaction of mycotoxins and dairy reproductive success.

In a subsequent slide, I'm gonna define mycotoxins.

So let's start by what do I mean by reproductive success, getting the cow pregnant and staying pregnant.

Well, we had another question that popped up on if you would briefly talk about whether cows respond differently to mycochall- mycotoxin challenges depending on lactation stage.