March 2022 January 2021
The POINT With the acquisition of DLS, CentralStar will be one of the largest DHI organizations in the country, working with more than 1,900 producers and 642,000 cows across the Midwest.
Photo: Dairy Lab Services Board of Directors. Front Row, L to R: Ron Snodgrass, Don Graybill, Scott Cannon, Matt Fordyce, Mary Goebel. Back Row, L to R: Matt Berning, Terry Hopper, General Manager, Frank Doll, Pat Reisinger, Scott Bohnert, Trent Henkes.
CentralStar acquires Dairy Lab Services
F
or 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 milktesting 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.” 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 (SCC), solids-non-fat, milk urea nitrogen, Johne’s, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), bovine leukosis virus (BLV) 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 SCC 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 BLV, A2, and mastitis organisms.
IT’S TIME...
to know she’s still pregnant with routine milk pregnancy testing before dry off.
Time to Rest
• Least invasive method to confirm pregnancy. • Promotes resting time which is associated with improved production. Research shows one hour of lost resting time leads to approximately 3.5 lbs. less milk/ cow/day.
Saves Time
• Conduct through routine DHI samples or send samples direct. • Eliminates time and labor to sort, restrain and palpate animals.
Now is the Time • 98% accurate.
• Identifies pregnancy status as early as 28-days post breeding.
Learn more from your CentralStar team.
Fertility MATTERS
As herds continue to fine tune heifer-replacement populations, the average age of the milking herd continues to rise. As you know, it takes three years before the pregnancies made today are in the milking herd, therefore precision-selection indexes are a critical component to the success of your breeding programs. Here we will hone in on one area of those indexes, fertility, as it is among the most important components. To get a sense of where we are, let’s look at the historical genotypic and phenotypic trends as reported by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). In the chart below, you can see Holstein genetic trends for Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) have slowed the decrease in DPR and now are maintaining, while Jersey genetic trends show a continued decline. The phenotypic trend for both breeds show an increase, resulting from the combined impact of genetic and management improvements. Practices, such as synchronization and activitymonitoring systems, are key factors in improving phenotypic measures of fertility; the industry has seen a dramatic, positive increase in pregnancy rates. Historical (2000 – 2018) Cow Conception Rate (CCR) phenotypic and genetic trends indicate an ongoing slight improvement for Holsteins. Jerseys show an increase for the phenotypic trend, and they are maintaining that trend. Once again, we can assume better management practices are contributors to the improvement. The CDCB data suggests Holsteins have better fertility than Jerseys, but keep in mind breeding-value data is not apples to apples for the two breeds. That said, Jerseys currently continue to be more fertile than Holsteins.
Susie Martin
Records Analysis & Genetic Consultant
While many composite indexes include fertility, Herd Health Profit Dollars™(HHP$™) places a stronger emphasis on fertility. Developed by Select Sires, HHP$ is designed to create cows that are productive and trouble-free. This present-day index focuses on areas that most frequently cause cows to leave the herd, such as failure to get pregnant, mastitis, low production, or lameness. Another excellent selection index is Dairy Wellness Profit Index™ (DWP$™). DWP$ is a multi-trait selection index that includes cow and calf wellness, production, fertility, functional type, longevity, livability, calving ability, and milk-quality traits. (See page 5 for a breakdown of the traits included in HHP$ and DWP$.) Selection indexes are a critical component of breeding programs. If you would like assistance in determining which index and genetic plan meets your herds long-term goals, ask your CentralStar team for help.
As an industry, we should continue to focus on improving fertility traits. Reproduction is one of the primary reasons cows are culled, and consumer demands may decrease the use of synchronization procedures. Fertility traits included in key genetic indexes include DPR, CCR, and Heifer Conception Rate (HCR).
Enhancing producer profitability through integrated services.
3
Eeny, meeny, m
How understanding indexes can take the gue
A
side from the obvious goal of generating a pregnancy, what else do you want from the genetics you buy? Are you looking to increase milk production, improve solids, reduce mastitis, better calving ease or fertility, make smaller cows, etc? Since you seldom select genetics to accomplish a single goal, using a genetic index can be a great option. But even indexes can be a bit confusing as the number available continues to grow, as well as what they focus on. So, where should you start to determine the best index to improve the long-term profitability of your herd? I’d suggest starting with a key question: What causes cows to leave your herd? While the answer will likely vary from herd to herd, in most cases
it boils down to reproductive failure, mastitis, low production, and lameness. Realize that low production is often caused by one of the other reasons or a different health challenge. For which reasons do animals most often leave your herd? Once you know that, it’s easier to understand which index is best for your herd. Keep in mind, though, that for genetics to reach their full potential, a good environment for cows and calves to thrive on is mandatory. Consensus on what is most important in selection indexes remains elusive, but they do allow information on many different traits to be combined into one index for genetic ranking. Over the years, much of the emphasis in indexes has changed from yield traits to fertility, health, and fitness traits. This has been brought about by the change in production economics and a shift to keeping more older cows in
Which index(s) work best when you say ... SCC is high, we're treating too many cows for mastitis.
The indexes that emphasize mastitis resistance the most are DWP$ and Select Sires proprietary HHP$ index. Along with mastitis resistance, HHP$ places some selection on udders, specifically udder depth and teat size and rear placement, which should help prevent mastitis.
We lose too many cows from reproductive failure.
TPI, DWP$, and HHP$ offer the highest emphasis for fertility. These indexes will allow you to breed for more fertile cows and cutdown the number of cows leaving for reproductive failure in the future.
Our herd has more lame cows than we should.
Lameness would fall under the category of “other cow health.” The hands-down winners on that would be NM$, CM$, DWP$, and HHP$. Lameness is lumped in with other health traits (also important), so it is more difficult to see the emphasis it receives.
Big cows don’t fit well in our facilities.
The indexes that put the greatest negative weight on large cows would be NM$, CM$, and DWP$.
I want more total pounds of fat and protein.
The indexes that put the most emphasis on combined fat and protein would be TPI, NM$, and CM$. The most emphasis that any of the indexes put on milk is 1-2 percent. Over the years, less emphasis has been placed on the production of pounds of milk, because across the country, we are sending less fluid and more solids off the farm.
M
I want cows that calve easily and unassisted.
All indexes put some emphasis on calving ability to the tune of 1-3 percent.
Type is still important to me.
Oth
Ca
TPI wins the race here.
Calf health is a challenge.
DWP$ is the only index that places significant emphasis on calf health and would be the go-to index to improve calf immunity.
C
miny, moe
Get more for your beef x dairy calves!
esswork out of genetic selection the herd, allowing fewer heifers to be raised. Genetics typically account for only 1 percent of farm expenses, but dramatically influence your herd’s future through longevity and production. Using genetic indexes can help you get the most bang for your buck and simplify your genetic-selection process. However, to make it even easier and more effective, ask us for help. Based on your milk market and future plans, CentralStar Consultants can develop mating recommendations to meet inventory needs and achieve your genetic goals.
Julie Ainsworth Dairy Records & Consulting Coordinator julie.ainsworth@mycentralstar.com
ProfitSOURCE beef sires are specifically selected for use on dairy cows with a focus on traits needed to earn top dollar for your beef x dairy calves. ProfitSOURCE Partners, TD Beef and Power Genetics, offer improved, secure pricing for qualifying calves.
Industry Index Comparison TPI
®
NM$
CM$
DWP$
HHP$
Milk
0%
1%
-2%
1%
0%
CFP
44%
48%
48%
34%
37%
Mastitis, SCS
5%
3%
4%
13%
19%
Fertility
13%
6%
5%
12%
11%
her Cow Health
9%
21%
20%
21%
17%
alving Ability
2%
3%
3%
2%
1%
Calf Health
0%
1%
1%
7%
0%
Conformation
25%
4%
4%
0%
8%
Size/RFI
-2%
-13%
-13%
-10%
-7%
ProfitSOURCE connects packer interest with improved uniformity and cutability along with age, sire and source traceability through RFID. ProfitSOURCE calf care guidelines ensure feeding and carcass performance, adding value along the supply chain.
CentralStar consultants can help you determine the best breeding plan to ensure the highest profitability for your herd. Ask your CentralStar team for a ProfitSOURCE sire list and how to put a plan in place for your dairy!
Resolving inflammation saves nutrients enabling cows to reach their genetic potentials
I
nflammation and its effects on dairy-cow Effect of Removing Select DTX™ on Conception and Pregnancy Rates (%) productivity and reproduction has become a frequent research topic and popular press subject, and rightly so. Inflammation is Before Removal - 90 Days With DTX in Feed - 34 PREa normal and necessary process for the 90 DAY Before Removal - 90 Days With DTX in Feed - 21 body’s immune system to assist in healing After removal - 90 Days Without DTX in Feed - 31 and recovery, such as resolving a bacterial 90 DAY After removal - 90 Days Without DTX in Feed - 19 infection in the cow’s mammary gland. After removal - 180 Days Without DTX in Feed - 28 Calving and subsequent body healing are 180 DAY After removal - 180 Days Without DTX in Feed - 16 major inflammation periods in the cow’s year. Unfortunately, ruminal changes, heat stress, 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 comfort challenges, and mycotoxins are extra inflammation loads that may go unresolved with disastrous consequences. The end result is nutrients are diverted from production and reproduction, draining intestinal lining to protect the body and reduce the inflammation dollars from financial goals. load. Recent studies also suggest the cell-wall-deficient bacteria enhance immune function to protect the cow against other The dry period is often considered a rest and relaxation period for challenges besides mycotoxins. This finding is important for those cows. Instead, this is a challenging time with the greatest fetal situations when mycotoxin levels are low. growth, colostrum quality and quantity being determined, and the mammary gland being prepared to launch into milk production. Numerous case studies have demonstrated that supplementing Unintended bodily challenges from moldy feeds, heat stress, and Select DTX during confirmed mycotoxin challenges, as well as overcrowding can result in continual and unresolved nutrient drains periods of variable toxin levels, improves pregnancy rates, reduces to weaken the unborn calf, reduce colostrum production, and abortions, and increases milk production. In one case study, a reduce the ability of the mammary gland to prepare for lactation. 4,200-cow herd removed Select DTX from the ration during low and variable mycotoxin levels. Within 90 days, the herd experienced a 3 Then, the cow experiences her most disruptive day of the year: the percent reduction in conception rate and a 5 pounds/cow/day milk day she calves. Inflammation opportunities abound ... decrease. The enhanced production and reproduction observed in the case studies was likely the result of resolving inflammation, • Body-fat breakdown to meet energy needs sends signals to allowing nutrients to be available for cows to more successfully activate the immune system. achieve their genetic potentials. • Failure to shed the placenta and adequately shrink the uterus Select DTX has the potential to protect the cow from excessive can result in major uterine infection and metritis. inflammation due to mycotoxins, as well as support immune • Changes in mammary tissue and a weakened immune system function via other modes of action. To learn more about how can quickly result in mastitis. reducing inflammation can direct nutrients to positive purposes, in turn influencing your bottom line contact me at lroth@agrsol.com. • Mycotoxins can compromise the intestinal barrier, reducing its ability to protect the body from a multitude of pathogens. The unique L-form-bacteria technology, also known as cell-walldeficient bacteria found in Select DTX™, actively works at the
Larry Roth, Ph.D., PAS, is the Associate Vice President, Science and Technology for Agrarian Solutions. Dr. Roth’s education includes the University of Wyoming (B.S.), Texas A&M University. (M.S.), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Ph.D.). His career as a dairy and beef nutritionist has focused on direct-fed microbials; forage inoculants and utilization systems; wild yeast, mold and mycotoxin mitigation; and optimizing ruminal fermentation. His international experience includes 27 countries, professionally, and involvement with Christian Veterinary Mission in numerous other countries. Larry is a member of ARPAS, ADSA, and ASAS. Larry can be reached at lroth@agrsol.com.
6
www.mycentralstar.com • 800.631.3510
Sire
NM$
CFP
DWP$
7HO15167 GAMEDAY
+1,055
+160
+1,068 +3033
7HO15465 CRUSHER
+975
+177
+933 +2989
7HO15518 WESTON
+986
+135
+1013 +2938
7HO15583 KASHTON
+1,106
+153
+1,136 +2980
+997
+132
+998 +2868
+1,069
+168
+1,026 +3016
BIG AL x Blowtorch x YODER
CALVARY x LEGENDARY x Josuper MAXIMUS x MOOLA x DUKE
MAXIMUS x FRAZZLED x Silver
7HO15592 SENSATIONAL
REVELATION x RENEGADE x FRAZZLED
7HO15778 BEETHOVEN TAOS x LEGACY x Delta-Worth
7HO15821 FROST BITE
®
GTPI
®
+164
+1,232 +3013
7HO15825 REBEL-RED
+706
+117
+724 +2790
14HO15289 BEDROCK-PP
+808
+126
+791 +2774
14HO15582 MASHAK
+1,029
+145
+978 +2983
14HO15865 PERLE NEW
+1,022
+142
+1,142 +2954
14HO15929 CIRRUS-P NEW
+877
+136
+851 +2906
250HO15513 ELON
+972
+145
+803 +2983
250HO15662 RIX
+972
+134
+1,000 +2883
Rubels Red X Seasaw X Gatedancer
LIMELIGHT-P x FRAZZLED x MONTROSS MAXIMUS x TAHITI x JEDI
MOONSHINER x LIONEL x Achiever PARFECT x Kenobi x Delta
SPARTACUS x MOOLA x LOPEZ REVELATION x Medley x Delta
Sire
NM$
CFP
DWP$
GTPI
7HO15695 ONO
+959
+155
+1,105
+2947
7HO15977 HAYK
+1,002
+148
+961
+3030
14HO15971 MOONWALKER
+1,107
+141
+1,063
+2997
ROSCOE x RENEGADE x FRAZZLED TAOS x TAHITI x Superhero MOONSHINER x LEGACY x JEDI
®
®
Insights
Brian Kelroy, Director of Consulting and Profit Strategies
+1,191
GRANADA x LIONEL x SAMURI
Potential March Release Sires
7HO15778 BEETHOVEN ranks high in all major selection indexes, making him a favorite for many. With extreme combined fat and protein and desirable health traits, BEETHOVEN is sure to make healthy, profitable, problem-free cows that will last for many lactations. His daughters will be moderate in size and frame, with ideal set to their leg. 14HO15865 PERLE debuts in the program as one of the highest bulls in the world for DWP$, making him a must have in your program! PERLE will sire daughters that are extreme for components (both fat and protein), while making cows that are strong in their udder attachments.
Enhancing producer profitability through integrated services.
7
Unlock the Value
of your milk samples Pregnancy
Presorted First Class U.S. Postage PAID Lansing, MI Permit #505
P.O. Box 23157, Lansing, MI 48909-3157 800.631.3510 • mycentralstar.com Return Service Requested
Johne’s A1/A2 BVD Leukosis Neospora Mastitis PCR
Testing milk samples is easier on you and your cows. Send samples direct or through routine DHI testing. Ask your CentralStar team to learn more. CentralStar, its agents or employees cannot and do not guarantee the conception rate, gender, quality or productivity to be obtained in connection with the use of its products or recommended techniques. It makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever, expressed or implied, which extend beyond the description of its products and hereby disclaims all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In the unlikely event that any of our products shall be proven to be defective, damages resulting from their use shall exclude consequential damages and be limited to the purchase price of the product. Find complete trademark and warranty statement at mycentralstar.com/production-information. All gender SELECTed semen is processed using SexedULTRA technology. ™SexedULTRA and SexedULTRA 4M are trademarks of Inguran LLC.™gender SELECTed semen is a trademark of Select Sires Inc. ™NxGEN is a trademark of Select Sires. Dairy Wellness Profit Index and DWP$ are trademarks of Zoetis Inc. its affiliates and/or its licensors. ®TPI is a registred trademark of Holstein Association USA. NxGEN® is a registered trademark of Select Sire. ™Herd Health Profit Dollars and HHP$ are trademarks of Select Sires. Select DTX is a trademark of Select Sires and manufactured by Agrarian Solutions, Middlebury, Indiana. ProfitSOURCE™ is a trademark of Select Sires.
Connect with us at:
Avoid the Performance
Roller Coaster...
Low Production • Poor Reproduction • Poor Feed Conversion • Abortions • Ketosis
Feed your herd DTX™
DTX™ Keeps them consistent by: • Helping modulate the immune system • Providing insurance against environmental stressors • Providing broad spectrum protection
DON’T LET YOUR HERD HAVE A BAD DAY!
SPECIAL
BUY 5 • GET 1
FREE
Ask your CentralStar team for more information. 800.631.3510 www.mycentralstar.com
MARCH 1 THRU APRIL 30, 2022