News February - March, 2022
CentralStar acquires Dairy Lab Services For the second time in less than 12 months, CentralStar Cooperative is expanding its DHI and milk-analysis services. On Jan. 25, 2022, the board of directors and delegates of Dairy Lab Services (DLS), a national DHI milk-testing association and lab in Dubuque, Iowa, approved merging into CentralStar effective March 1. With this merger, CentralStar will become one of the largest DHI organizations in the country, working with more than 1,900 producers and 642,000 cows across the Midwest. “The merger of DLS into CentralStar is a natural fit for our cooperative, as it aligns with our board of directors’ strategic vision and model of supporting dairy producers with powerful data and diagnostic tools to advance their businesses,” said CentralStar Board President Paul Trierweiler. “We appreciate the trust DLS leadership has placed in us to continue to provide DHI testing and lab services to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and southwest Wisconsin dairy producers.” Both DLS and CentralStar processes records through Dairy Records Management Service (DRMS), so there will be no change in the way producers receive reports or the type of reports they rely on. In time, sample processing will move from the DLS lab to the CentralStar laboratory in Kaukauna, Wis. Built in 2017, the lab uses state-of-the-art techniques including infrared spectroscopy, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and more to process more than 2.3 million samples, annually. Samples can be analyzed for more than a dozen components and characteristics including butterfat, protein, somatic cell
count, solids-non-fat, milk urea nitrogen, Johne’s, bovine viral diarrhea, neospora, mastitis, pregnancy, and others. “As the landscape of the industry continues to change, the board of directors and delegates felt it prudent to merge with CentralStar to take advantage of economies of scale to allow continued access to affordable DHI services,” said DLS General Manager Terry Hopper. “Additionally, this merger provides members access to expanded resources and services, including new diagnostic-=test options, as well as an extensive line of herd-management products, including cow-side tests for somatic cell count and ketosis.” CentralStar began providing DHI Services in 2000 with the mergers of Michigan DHIA and Fox Valley DHI. Since that time, the cooperative has become the fastest-growing national DHI organization and scores among the best for turnaround time of sample results for like-sized laboratories. CentralStar DHI records are processed through DRMS, which processes more herds and cows across the U.S. than any other dairy-records processing center. CentralStar pioneered the development of milk diagnostics on DHI samples. In 2000, CentralStar began providing diagnostic services with the development of the Johne’s milk ELISA. In 2011, CentralStar worked in collaboration with IDEXX to validate the milk-pregnancy test, which is now performed on more than 5 million samples in North America, annually. More recently, CentralStar researchers have developed diagnostic tests for bovine leukosis virus, A2, and mastitis organisms.
IT’S TIME... to know she’s still pregnant Request the milk pregnancy test on DHI samples before dry off! • Least invasive method. • Promotes resting time which is associated with improved production. • 98% accurate.
• Eliminates time and labor to sort, restrain and sample animals when requested on DHI samples.
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
Complete 16
Milk
2 days
Pooled Complete 16 (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
Contagious 4
Milk
2 days
A1/A2
The forecast calls for a Woolover!
BLV
BVD
Protect calves from cold, wet and windy conditions with a Woolover.
Johne’s
Mastitis PCR
Original Woolover
Retail: $42
On Sale: $32
• Breathable blend of 70% wool and 30% polyester, wicks moisture away and protects in warm, cold and wet weather. • Closed front protects the chest, keeping vital organs warm.
Pooled Contagious 4 (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
• University research shows performance gains and reduced sickness in calves that wear a Woolover.
Single Mastitis (Staph aureus OR M. bovis)
Milk
2 days
• Belly strap and rear leg straps for a secure fit.
Pooled Single Mastitis (Min 3/Max 5)
Milk
2 days
• Available in three sizes for the perfect fit: small fits Jersey calves
ELISA
Serum, Milk
5 days
ELISA
Serum
1 day
ELISA
Milk
1 day
Neospora
(77-99 lbs.), medium fits Holstein calves (100-120 lbs.), and large fits calves 3-weeks to 3-months old (121+ lbs.).
Pregnancy
Order online
Ask your CentralStar DHI Specialist for more information.
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