At Phoenix Feeds & Nutrition, our team of dairy nutritionists partner with farmers every day to help their herds thrive and farms succeed. We recently spoke to Gabby Domagala, one of our experienced nutritionists. Gabby’s expertise is in calf and heifer nutrition and management, and she has a track record of building the next generation of high-producing dairy cows.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a dairy nutritionist?
A: Growing up on a small dairy, I remember looking at the list my father made of how much of each ingredient— forages, soy, corn, minerals—needed to go into our large stationary mixer. I asked him how these numbers came to be, and he said our nutritionist calculated them. That moment sparked my curiosity and interest in nutrition.
Q: What’s a typical day like for you?
A: Most of my days are on-farm. I start with check-ins on how things are going, which often leads into technical support and troubleshooting. I like to connect with the farmer, herd manager, or employee first, walk the barns, and then give a final report. Even if it’s just a small tip or trick, I want to bring something beneficial to the farm during my visits.
Q: What trends should farmers pay attention to in dairy nutrition?
A: Forage quality. It’s not new, but over the last 5–10 years it’s become a stronger focus. High-quality forage makes the best diets for cattle. Nutritionists are now more involved in helping farms improve forage practices because we see how cows and heifers perform on top-quality feed. We’ve done diagnostic testing for mold, yeast, and mycotoxins to ensure good forage hygiene. Implementing inoculants is also critical to stabilize feed and control outside factors that limit performance.
Q: Do you recommend seasonal feeding strategies?
A: Yes. In summer, I’ve seen great success with feeding electrolytes in the middle of the day. It helps calves stay hydrated, and when paired with free-choice water, it boosts grain intake too.
In winter, keeping water available is just as important but more difficult. In the Northeast, freezing is a big challenge. The farms that feed water multiple times a day see real benefits: better grain intake and hydration.
Q: What new technology could make a difference on farms?
A: I’ve seen farms start using monitoring tools like activity and suckling ear tags or thermometer boluses. They help catch calves early, before obvious signs of illness show up.
But these aren’t meant to replace people. They’re not a hands-off solution—someone still needs to walk the calf pens and interact daily.
Q: Can you share a recent challenge you’ve helped solve?
A: Right now, calf and heifer values are high, so most farms are at max capacity. That means calves are being pushed through the wet calf phase quickly to make room for younger groups.
I’ve worked with farms to maximize nutrition during this time while minimizing stress at weaning. Limiting changes during weaning is key. It helps calves continue their gains post-weaning instead of losing what they built up on milk.
Q: What advice do you give to dairy producers?
A: There’s always new research, technology, or products being promoted to farms. My advice is to make sure it’s practical to implement. Not every research finding works in real-world conditions. If it fits into the farm’s plan without compromising core tasks, then it’s worth trying.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: On-farm recommendations need to be simple, clear, and practical. A lot of times it’s just about going back to the basics and checking how core tasks are being done. There are so many variables on a farm—some controllable, some not. The key is controlling what you can and doing the basics the best you can.