News August/September, 2021
New tools create healthier, more profitable cows
S
electing the tools that best match your genetic targets is key. To help in your efforts, Select Sires recently introduced two new science-based tools, Mastitis ResistantPROTM and Herd Health Profit DollarsTM (HHP$TM). Health traits continue to prove their worth in our industry. Not only can we see this in the recent validation study with Dairy Wellness Profit Dollars® (DWP$®) but you see the influence of these traits and indexes with fewer problem cows, vacant sick pens and lower antibiotic use. Mastitis ResistantPRO The Mastitis ResistantPRO designation is the industry’s first of-its-kind, complete genetic tool to combat mastitis. Select Sires professionals have analyzed the economic impact of mastitis resistance traits in dairy herds. Genetic audits of CDCB Mastitis Resistance and CDCB Somatic Cell Score (SCS) reveal significant savings for higher genetic merit animals, translating to more profit for you. This designation identifies sires that excel in multiple indicators of mastitis resistance, including CDCB MAST, SCS and Zoetis Mastitis Resistance. Mastitis is reported as the third most common reason for culling in commercial dairy herds and a case of clinical mastitis in the first 30 days of lactation results in an economic loss of $4441. This cost includes treatment expenses and the subsequent effects of milk loss, premature culling, replacement loss and future reproductive challenges. Industry reports show the incidence rate for mastitis is 24.82 percent and most cows with a mastitis event are treated with antibiotics. Improving genetic merit for mastitis resistance will reduce the use of antimicrobials, which translates to both on-farm savings and consumer approval.
Holstein sires that carry the Mastitis ResistantPRO designation will reduce mastitis cases by 2.3 percent. In a 1,000-cow herd, the savings are greater than $10,000 per year. Herd Health Profit Dollars While Mastitis ResistantPRO hones in on the specific challenges of mastitis, HHP$ offers you a broader, yet robust index to build healthy herds. If you strategically use beef semen, you are raising fewer replacement heifers and experiencing lower herd turnover rates. With more older cows in the herd, treatment costs are an initial concern and the need for healthy cows pays off. HHP$ is engineered to create healthy, trouble-free, efficient and fertile cows that return more dollars for your rearing investment. What sets HHP$ apart from other health-focused indexes? There are several features that differentiate this index from others, including a balance of improvement in both fat and protein yields as well as emphasis on mastitis resistance, udder conformation traits and CDCB’s new evaluation for feed efficiency. HHP$ can be used to rank heifers in herds that perform genomic testing but don’t test with Zoetis or don’t have CLARIFIED® Plus results. HHP$ can also be used for A.I. sire selection and provides a health-focused index that can be used across the industry to rank bulls on the future profitability of their daughters. Having the right selection tools in your toolbox is a must to achieve your herd’s genetic goals. Talk to your CentralStar team to learn more about including Mastitis ResistantPRO and HHP$ in your genetic selection to improve the health and profitability of your herd. Preventative Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 122, Issue 3, 12/2015, Pages 257-264. 2 National Animal Health Monitoring System, 2014.
1
IT’S TIME... to know she’s still pregnant
Request the milk pregnancy test DHI samples before dry off! • Least invasive method, promotes resting time which is associated with improved production. • Eliminates time and labor to sort, restrain and sample animals when requested on DHI samples. • At 98% accurate, the milk pregnancy test efficiently identifies pregnancy status before dry off. Tell your DHI Specialist pregnancy test cows at dry off!
Diagnostic Test Options Diagnostic Test
Sample Type
Turnaround
PCR
Milk, Whole Blood, Tissue
10 days
PCR
Whole Blood
10 days
ELISA
Serum, Milk
5 days
ELISA
Milk, Serum, Tissue
5 days
PCR
Milk, Tissue, Whole Blood
10 days
Pooled PCR (Min 10/Max 20)
Tissue, Whole Blood
10 days
Pooled PCR (Min 20/Max 250)
Milk
10 days
ELISA
Milk, Serum
5 days
PCR
Fecal
10 days
Pooled PCR (Min 3/Max 5)
Fecal
10 days
PCR
Milk
10 days
A1/A2 BLV
BVD
Johne’s
Mastitis PCR Complete 16
Milk
2 days
Pooled Complete 16 (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
Contagious 4
Milk
2 days
Pooled Contagious 4 (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
Single Mastitis (Staph aureus OR M. bovis)
Milk
2 days
Pooled Single Mastitis (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
ELISA
Serum
3 days
ELISA
Serum, Milk
5 days
ELISA
Serum
1 day
ELISA
Milk
1 day
NEFA Neospora Pregnancy
Ask your CentralStar DHI Specialist for more information.
SPECIAL
BUY 5 • GET 1
FREE
JULY 1 TO AUGUST 31, 2021
Kills 99.9% of E. coli & Staph. aureus in 15 seconds. Dip, spray or foam + Pre / Post Dip
Order your FREE 30 day trial today! 800.631.3510 • www.freeteatdip.com
BioFresh Bolus Give Two BioFresh Boluses And Check Her Tomorrow
Ideal for fresh cows, BioFresh Bolus supplies critical vitamins and minerals to supplement a cow’s variable intake, and aids in immune function by providing L-form Lactobacillus, microbial sugars, and specialized proteins. The BioFresh Bolus will also help retain more milk and reduce Somatic Cell Counts (SCC). BioFresh Bolus is an eight times concentrated form of Select BioCycle with added vitamins and minerals.
™BioFresh Bolus is a trademark of Select Sires Inc. and is manufactured by Agrarian Solutions® All claims, representation and warranties, expressed or implied, are made only by Agrarian Solutions and not by Select Sires Inc.
800.631.3510 • mycentralstar.com