How Good's Nutrition | Shaun Balemi, myCOW

Feed is the biggest controllable cost on most New Zealand dairy farms, and it's the easiest place to quietly lose money. In this episode George Dodson and Conan Moynihan sit down with dairy nutritionist Shaun Balemi to work out what feeding efficiency actually means on a pasture system — and how to get more milk out of the grass you're already growing. Shaun has given close to 30 years to New Zealand dairy, has a Master's in animal science, and spends his days turning research into things farmers can actually use. He's also the bloke farmers ring when they've spent good money on technology and can't work out what to do with the data. In this episode: • Why a hungry cow is an expensive cow — and why you always want a full cow, whatever you're feeding • Filler feeds vs concentrates, NDF in plain English, and when each one earns its keep • Early lactation vs late lactation, and why the same feed does two completely different jobs • Matching what comes out of the shed to what's happening in the paddock • Palm kernel, protein and where milk urea commonly gets misread • Collars, rumination data and the three-legged stool — why one data point on its own tells you very little • What nutrition actually does to in-calf rates • Minerals, selenium, B12, and why the transition window is worth the spend • Pasture harvested per hectare, and silage quality as New Zealand's blind spot George also puts his own farm on the table and gets some free consulting out of it. CHAPTERS 00:00 A hungry cow is a stressed cow 00:32 How good's dairy? 01:11 Thirty years in, and what farmers taught him 03:08 Three big opportunities for New Zealand dairy 05:01 Drowning in data: which numbers actually matter 06:46 George on farm: stock sense vs the computer 10:06 Collars, rumination and reading the paddock 11:32 Feeding efficiency without breaking the bank 14:30 What counts as a starchy feed 15:23 Pasture-only vs a complete diet, and the digestion army 17:23 Fillers vs concentrates, and what NDF means 19:25 When early lactation becomes late lactation 20:07 Palm kernel, DDG and getting the protein right 22:53 Can you actually measure the payback? 25:08 Pasture harvested per hectare: the number that pays 27:29 Silage quality: New Zealand's blind spot 29:13 Nutrition and reproduction: consistency is the lever 31:53 Minerals, selenium, B12 and the transition window 35:06 Soil, nutrient density and where this is heading 36:58 Shaun's one piece of advice 39:46 Where to find Shaun and myCOW 41:02 Takeaways and wrap FIND SHAUN myCOW — @ The myCOW Podcast — @/ Shaun on LinkedIn — @n-balemi-21aa03116 THE HOSTS George Dodson — Canterbury dairy farmer, Young Farmer of the Year winner Conan Moynihan — co-founder of Groundshift — @ How Good's Dairy celebrates dairy farming and the people behind it. One topic at a time, unpacked with farmers and experts, with practical advice you can take back to the farm. Subscribe wherever you listen, and follow along on [INSERT SOCIAL HANDLES]. Dairy's good — how good? Let's find out.