
Dr. Marcos Marcondes: Growth Models for Dairy Calves | Ep. 122
The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Marcos Marcondes from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute discusses key insights into calf and heifer nutrition. He shares findings on feed intake modeling, pre- and post-weaning transitions, and how feeding strategies influence mammary gland development and long-term milk yield. Listen now on all major platforms!
"Pushing heifers to calve too early reduces milk production, even when body weight is adequate; mammary development needs time."
Meet the guest: Dr. Marcos Marcondes https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcos-marcondes/ is a Dairy Research Scientist at the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Florida. His work focuses on feed evaluation, nutrient requirements, and methane mitigation in dairy cattle.
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What will you learn: (00:00) Highlight (00:40) Introduction (02:16) Model accuracy (04:33) Starter intake bias (06:35) Feeding strategies (09:55) Mammary gland growth (11:40) Weaning transition (15:16) Closing thoughts
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