CowManagement april/may 2013

ED ITION U .S. V O LU M E 5 NO 2 APR IL 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

M A N A G EM EN T

Record on drug residues in milk continues to improve EN ERG Y

Anaerobic digesters aren’t just for large dairy operations M ILK M A RKET

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CO NTENTS

FEATURES

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Cow talk Beyond the barn Trouw Nutrition news CRV breeding information Lely information Barenbrug news FARM REPORT

12 Dutch Hollow Farm BREEDING

18 Cow family Cosmopolitan MANAGEMENT

24 Grass check 28 Smaller digesters C O W H E A LT H

16 Health monitoring 32 Health importance

Pat Rezin: “Developing a digester system taps renewable energy” 28

Amy Ryan Ready for spring As I write this column, temperatures are rising and spring has arrived. The change of season brings new growth and optimism. It signals the start of busy times on the farm with fieldwork and off the farm attending events.

This issue features cow health and contains articles highlighting ways to optimize it. “A healthy cow is a productive cow” on page 32 discusses the importance and methods of keeping cows healthy to reach their genetic potential. Automatic milking systems (AMS) bring producers information they need to make informed decisions on a daily basis. Turn to page 16 to read how Wagner Dairy in Iowa utilizes the information from their Lely AMS to maintain cow health and productivity.

Nutrition impacts animal health and profitability and two articles are dedicated to this topic. First, researchers have found a new tool to get the most from the forages we feed. Total tract

neutral detergent fiber digestibility (TTNDFD) estimates how much feed fiber is digestible and how fast the fiber complex digests. This tool will help fine-tune diets on high producing cows.

Providing the right nutrients to dairy cattle affects cow health and reproduction. Optimizing dry matter intake during the transition and post calving periods has proven beneficial to keeping cow health. The keys to successful nutrition and its affect on future reproduction are discussed on page 36.

This issue also features articles on methane digesters on smaller dairies and extra-label drug use. The farm report showcases Dutch Hollow Farm, a Jersey herd dedicated to exploring new venues like an Education Center to allow more family members to be involved in their business.

Enjoy this issue of CowManagement and the many activities that this busy spring will bring your way!

Management Milk residues

Management A2 milk

Health Reproduction

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While drug residues in milk are nearly nonexistent, there’s still room for improvement.

Europe starts selling A2 milk – milk for the milk intolerant.

Nutrition and feed intake can have a positive effect on reproductive performance.

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ARS-USDA signs agreement on dairy cattle breeding An agreement has been signed allowing the transition of genetic evaluations from USDA to the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, according to Jay Mattison, Council vice chair.

Called the Non-funded Cooperative Agreement between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of USDA and the Council, it was presented to the industry last summer and has been the subject of ongoing discussion and debate. With the agreement in place, the production of genetic evaluations and management reports will begin to be moved from AIPL (Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory) to the Council.

For its part the Council has retained a small team with long experience, headed by Dr Duane Norman, recently retired as head from AIPL. They will be involved with producing the April genetic evaluations including genomic information.

Beginning with the April evaluations, breeders will be able to obtain genomic evaluations on their own bulls as well

as their females. The Council has announced the fee schedules that will be in place, and the revenue from those fees will be used to offset some of the costs of producing the genetic evaluations going forward.

Fees became effective March 22, 2013.

The U.S. system is recognized as a leading genetic evaluation system and standard around the world. The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) plan is to allow access to the system so that the U.S. genomic evaluations can be incorporated into genetic selection programs worldwide.

In the genomics era, the service required to prepare the dataset, run the genomic evaluations 12 times a year plus 3 official sire summaries in April, August, and December, and distribute these genomic evaluations has increased exponentially. Furthermore, there is a need to grow the database to ensure there is sufficient type, production, health and fitness data to refresh the SNP estimates every generation.

First precision dairy conference Mark your calendars and plan to attend the dairy event held at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN. The main program and trade show will be held June 26 and 27 and the optional farm tour featuring precision dairy technologies will be held June 25.

The program will include national and international speakers who are experts in the field of precision dairy management, including Alex Bach, Jeffrey Bewley, Margit Jensen, Ilan Halachmi, Henk Hogeveen, Ray Nebel, Albert DeVries, Doug Reinemann, Jack Rodenburg and producer Doyle Waybright.

There are three producer panels on the topics of robotic milking, automated calf feeders and sensor technology; and various latest precision dairy research abstracts from the U.S. and around the world.

Check precisiondairy.umn.edu or contact Marcia Endres, Overall Program Chair at miendres@umn.edu

To view the full agreement, visit: http://aipl.arsusda.gov

Mobile apps help farmers compute costs DairyCents, an app available since August 2012 from Penn State University (PSU) Extension, enables dairy farmers to easily calculate their income over feed cost. The app also allows farmers to compare their feed costs with the costs paid by others. It currently has more than 1,000 registered users around the U.S. and is set to expand.

The second-generation DairyCents app will help farmers keep their operations environmentally-friendly. It will include a precision feeding app to track feed efficiency and estimate nutrient excretion. Dairy producers can use this information to alter and monitor diets to decrease the amount of nutrients and solids in manure spread on crop fields. This app is currently being tested and will be released within the next few months.

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While drug residues in milk are nearly non exist

Striving for p It’s a matter of life and death for many people to keep drug residues out of milk. Approximately 5 to 10% of the population is hypersensitive to antibiotics. These people suffer allergic reactions, and may even die, at concentrations as low as 1 ppb penicillin.

by JoDee Sattler

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airy producers are not perfect when it comes to shipping antibiotic-free milk. However, the industry’s record continues to improve and is approaching perfection.

In fiscal year 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested nearly 3.8 million milk samples for drug residues; only 828 tested positive. That works out to just 0.017% (down from 0.021% in 2011), according to FDA’s National Milk Drug Residue Database. Plus, FDA found no positive animal drug residue tests in pasteurized dairy products headed to consumers.

Be careful with beta lactams There’s one primary culprit – beta lactams – causing the drug residues found in raw milk. Beta lactams (for example, penicillin, ceftiofur, cloxacillin, cephapirin, amoxicillin and ampicillin) accounted for 94% of the positive samples found through standard testing procedures.

Michael O’Brien, Foremost Farms USA director of procurement, says ceftiofurs (e.g., *Naxcel, Excenel, Excede and Spectramast) are used in a variety of applications and have different administration routes, including intramammary and intramuscular, and one is injected only at the base of the ear. “As always, it’s important to review and follow directions. Using the wrong administration route may result in residues.” Additionally, keep accurate records of product given, amount and administration route.

Producers can also get into trouble with penicillin (an over-the-counter [OTC] drug), for example, by increasing the dosage, frequency and/or duration of administration, without an extended withdrawal period. The label of Procaine Penicillin G says to give 3,000 units per pound of body weight, intramuscularly. It’s a common practice to give 10,000 to 15,000 units per pound of body weight. This is considered extra-label drug use (ELDU) and thus requires a prescription written by a veterinarian. John Middleton, DVM, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine associate professor

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non existent, there’s still room for improvement

or perfection Common extra-label drug use (ELDU) applications include: • Administration route other than what’s listed on the drug’s label • Dosage not listed on the label • Administration frequency not listed on the label • Different class of animal • Disease being treated is not specified on the label • Altering amount of drug per injection site • Different therapy duration

of food animal medicine, says penicillin’s milk and meat withholding times are too short if Procaine Penicillin G is given at a higher dosage. Residues can also occur if a drug is given via an unapproved route of administration and/or by giving more than 10 cc per injection site.

ELDU needs VCPR What is ELDU? Basically, ELDU refers to using an approved drug in a manner that is not in accordance with its approved label directions. The Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA) allows veterinarians to prescribe extra-label uses of certain approved animal drugs and approved human drugs for animals under certain conditions.

This can be a valuable tool if the veterinarian feels the “best” treatment is not available. The key constraints of AMDUCA are that any ELDU must be by or on the order of a veterinarian within the context of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), and must not result in violative residues (in milk or meat) in food-producing animals. Valid VCPRs must also be in place for all OTC drugs if they are not used according to the manufacturer’s label, says Middleton. ELDU are only for therapeutic purposes, not for enhancing production.

Learning from past mistakes

Just 0.017% of the nearly 3.8 million milk samples tested positive for drug residues

To prevent drug residue violations in milk, researchers investigated how violations may occur. A Canadian study found that 9.4% of antibiotic-tainted milk samples occurred after dairy producers followed the labeled milk withholding time for the drug(s) used. In 10 of the 13 positive samples, antibiotics were administered in an extra-label manner. The other three were used according to label instructions.

In 2011, Minnesota processors identified 88 truckloads of milk as positive for antibiotics. Norbert Nigon, with the

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Minnesota Department of Agriculture Dairy and Food Inspection Division, gathered data from 95 meat and milk violators. In evaluating the results, Nigon made several conclusions. In the category of good practices, 99% of the farms had a valid VCPR. On farms with “OK practices,” 71% tested milk from treated cows before it was added to the tank, 65% said they used drugs according to label directions, and 58% kept permanent treatment records. On farms that needed improvement, 95% of the milk residues resulted from accidentally milking a treated cow, 11% tested the bulk tank prior to loading and still had drug residues in their milk, and only 13% had written treatment protocols from their veterinarian.

Screen bulk milk regularly

Using the wrong administration route may result in residues

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Given these results and the importance of shipping antibiotic-free milk, dairy producers should use a drug residue test on bulk tank milk regularly, says Gerry Jones, professor emeritus and retired Extension dairy scientist, milk quality and milking management, Virginia Tech. Certain situations have greater risks for residues. “Withholding times on the label may have been established with healthy or high producing cows, where the drug retention is less than what occurs in sick or diseased cows.”

“To prevent violative drug residues in milk, the obvious solution would seem to be test milk from individual cows to ensure a completely unadulterated product,” says Gary Neubauer, senior veterinarian with Zoetis. “Rather than helping producers, the practice was unnecessarily costing them money, while providing little scientific value.”

The problem lies in the fact that FDAaccepted assays for screening milk for beta-lactam drugs were evaluated on bulk tank milk samples – not individual cow milk samples. In James Cullor’s (University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Dairy Food Safety Laboratory professor and director) research, no tests produced a negative result on an antibiotic-spiked milk sample containing a violative residue.

However, many produced false positives

and false violative results when used to test milk samples from individual cows.

Consequently, the false positive test results force producers to dump perfectly salable milk.

“Many properties of milk from individual cows, including protein inhibitors, somatic cell count, fat content and viscosity, can cause a false positive,” says Cullor. “These components do not affect the tests in the same way when diluted at the bulk tank or tanker truck level.” Bottom line: test the tank – not the cow.

Cow treatments impact calves To prevent drug residues in dairy beef, do not sell baby calves that have been fed milk from treated cows until the end of the withdrawal time for meat animals. Calves born to cows treated during the dry period may acquire tissue drug residues prior to birth or from drinking colostrum. Tests are available for use on urine or serum samples for certain drugs for young stock and adult cattle.

The Milk and Dairy Residue Avoidance Manual (available at: www.nationaldairyfarm.com/residueprevention.html) provides some warnings and recommendations regarding many livestock drugs.

Additionally, the manual includes residue risk factors, active ingredients, drug types, milk and meat withholding times, product names and manufacturers/marketers.

Drugs Information Online (www. drugs.com/vet) is a complete and concise veterinary product reference, with more than 5,000 pharmaceutical, biological, diagnostic, feed medications and product monographs categorized by species and treatment type. The database contains treatment options for a variety of animals, including livestock, pets and exotic species.

Additionally, the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (www.farad.org) is an excellent resource for drug label claims and residue avoidance data. l *The mention of specific drugs or trade names does not imply an endorsement or condemnation of their use in dairy cattle.

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Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

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Bob Traynor Spring Valley, Wisc.

120 cows, 150 youngstock & 30 beef cows Big base drummer

Traynor: ”I come out of my shell, work the crowd and have a blast!”

Looking to have fun

by Amy Ryan

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he El Paso Marching Band is truly one of a kind and began 25 years ago in the small town of El Paso, Wisc. when a bar owner wanted an event to get the community together and decided a three-day celebration with a parade was in order.

“Many people felt the parade was going to be a joke, so one farm family put together a marching band of drummers as a farce,” says Traynor. “It was a hit and other parade organizers in the area began asking them to join their parades.”

There are many unique attributes to the El Paso Marching Band. While they have a core group of 15 people that show up for each parade, there are no requirements to be in the band.

So, there may be another 15 to 20 people that drop in to march with the band at any given parade. They used to do 6 to 12 parades each summer, but have cut back to two or three as many of the “core” members are getting older.

Traynor has been with the band for 22 years. It is comprised of drummers with one main keyboard player that leads the group in songs. The appearances are really more “performances” that get the audience involved in the parade.

To ac-complish this, they use well-known songs and dance while marching. They also dress in Hawaiian shirts and colored wigs to draw extra attention.

“Being in this band allows us to come out of our shell and have a BLAST,” says Traynor. “Seeing the reaction of the crowd dancing with us and enjoying themselves is awesome.”

As a 5’4” man, playing a big bass drum that you can hardly see over is quite an impressive feat in itself. Traynor really makes the most of his part by running through the parade route ahead of the band and finding an open seat to play in while he waits for the rest of the band to catch up.

While the premise of the band is really interacting with the crowd and making a good time, Traynor sees it as an opportunity to help young people gain confidence.

“I really like to get dairy judging kids involved,” he says.

“Getting them dressed up and having a good time with our band through a venue like this really builds confidence. Not only does it help build self confidence for giving oral reasons, they generally have a great time and want to keep doing it.”

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The Dutch Hollow Education Center is focused on building a positive image for their business among the general public.

Schodack Landing

Number of cows: 630 Amount of land: 2,000 acres Rolling herd average: 20,241M 981F 706P Sires placed in A.I. to date: 90

The Chittenden family

Calves are housed in individual pens

Dutch Hollow Farm: dedicated to family and improving customer perception

Farming with the next generation in mind While the Dutch Hollow prefix is synonymous with breeding great Jersey cattle, their greatest pride is working to develop an operation that offers something for the next generation and nurturing a positive public image. The Dutch Hollow Education Center is one way they are working towards this goal.

by Amy Ryan

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any awards and successes have come to the Chittenden family of Dutch Hollow Farm, but business partner Alan says that developing a long-lasting, profitable herd viable in the future while maintaining a positive image is the ultimate goal for them.

“We strive to make a good living and work towards the next generation wanting to be involved in the farm,” says Alan. “Furthermore, we feel that you measure success not only by how your peers view you, but by creating a positive public image.”

This is where the Dutch Hollow Education Center comes into play. The new venture, spearheaded by Alan’s sister-in-law, Beth, is focused on building a positive image for their business among the general public and offers

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another venue for family members to become involved with the farm.

Now in its second year of operation, it is a perfect fit for Beth with her background and passion for agriculture education. It has seen 626 students in various age groups since its inception.

“We want to get people here to see the ins and outs of a modern, familyoperated dairy farm,” Beth says. “While it is wonderful to have kids on the farm, it is also valuable for their parents, and I feel it gives teachers a different perspective of the agricultural industry to share with their students.”

The Education Center also hosts high school culinary groups that discuss food safety and advanced biology classes that feature crop rotation and fertilizer use.

Another activity is an open farm day

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to which neighbors and community members are invited to see the farm with detailed attention to animal care, crop production and other areas. This particular event, also in its second year, usually draws 400 to 500 people.

“I am very excited about the opportunities and evolution of the Dutch Hollow Education Center,” she says. “We are working to develop a year-round platform and are building a classroom to support that objective.”

Progressive history The Chittenden family has always been very progressive in their farming philosophy and this began with Paul’s father and mother, Stanley and Jane.

As early as 1952, Stanley’s herd Fair Weather Farm in New Lebanon was home to 400 Jerseys, a parlor and were breeding polled cattle, which at that time made them a standout in the industry. All of these traits made them a unique herd to the times.

The Dutch Hollow legacy began in 1976, when Paul, his wife Melanie, and their sons, Brian, Alan and Nathan, moved to a farm in Schodack Landing, New York. Through the years, their farm has grown from 50 lactating Jerseys to its current herd size of 630 cows.

Today, the operation is a Limited

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A scenic view of Dutch Hollow Farm

Liability Corporation among brothers Brian, Alan, Nathan and their parents.

Each family member has their particular responsibilities with Alan overseeing the dairy herd, Brian handling the fieldwork and Nathan managing calf and heifer raising. Melanie feeds the calves and takes care of the bookwork, while Paul still assists with fieldwork and is involved with the cows as well.

TMR is centered on home-grown forages

Other family members are also involved in the day-to-day operations of the business. The Chittenden children are active in 4-H and showing cattle at the local, state and national levels.

Herd management All milk cows are housed in freestalls lined with mattresses and bedded with sawdust. They are milked in a double-15

herringbone parlor, where they use the AfiMilk® system to monitor milk weights, cow movement and other data that assists Alan with herd management.

“We have used Afimilk since our parlor renovation in 2004, and we would not go back to farming without it,” says Alan. “It is like having another set of eyes in the barn to catch cows in heat, detect other problems and

The Chittendens host an open farm day each summer for neighbors and community members to see the farm

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Cherish daughter: Dutch Hollow Louie Charity VG-86%

monitor herd health, which is a big help to me.”

Brian oversees the harvest of 2,000 acres to raise all the feed for the farm.

The cows are fed a TMR of home-grown corn silage, haylage, high moisture shell corn and hay that is supplemented with a protein mix and other commodities.

Calves are fed Cow’s Match® Jersey Blend Calf Growth Formula and housed in individual pens from birth to weaning.

They then move to a newly constructed transition facility, where they receive a limited TMR. Heifers enter two more facilities before moving into a rented bedding pack facility when pregnant.

Developing by differentiating Like many dairy operations, Dutch Hollow Farm has overcome challenges through the years. When they started back in the 1970s, Alan says a big challenge was truly getting the market to appreciate the Jersey breed and what they had to offer.

“Having Jerseys in our area differentiated us,” says Alan. “We were raised with Jerseys and for us their value was never a question, but early on we worked to help the market understand the cow and the value of her components. In the early 1980s, we and four other local Jersey herds created a protein market for our milk, which was nearly 20 years before component pricing became a reality in the Federal Order System.”

The Chittenden family further differentiated themselves by carrying on the polled tradition that Stanley began at Fair Weather Farm. More specifically,

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Cherish daughter: Dutch Hollow Valentino Cheri-ET VG-87%

they have developed some elite polled females and marketed the resulting bulls. To date, they have placed over 90 bulls into A.I. and many polled families in the industry somehow trace back to cow families at Dutch Hollow. Currently, about 15 percent of the herd is polled and can be bred polled.

One notable cow for the Chittenden herd is Kampfield Observer Mischief-P E-91%, a purchase from a neighbor 30 years ago. Her polled factor has truly bred through and has consistently delivered bulls into A.I., including standouts, Dutch Hollow Berretta Choice-P and Dutch Hollow Brendon P-ET. Another descendent of this family is Dutch Hollow GM Cherish E-90% who has 11 registered sons and six registered daughters who are genetic leaders.

Breed impact The Dutch Hollow influence on the Jersey breed can be attributed to their breeding philosophy, which Paul instilled in the herd and Alan says is centered on breeding profitable and productive cows that pay the bills and last. “We have used high JPI sires in the past and now use high genomic sires that meet our criteria,” says Alan. “Along with good production and components, we keep an eye on udders and want to breed stronger cows with more body capacity to support production. Overall, we choose balanced bulls with good milk, components, type and udders.”

He continues to say they’ve used the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) REAP for many years. They used

50 to 60 percent young sires before genomics and now use 80 to 90 percent young sires. They have always used polled sires to further develop that branch of their herd.

Dutch Hollow Farm has been recognized with numerous awards for their successes and contributions to the Jersey industry. The herd has ranked in the top 25 for milk, fat and protein production for the last 12 years among herds of 300 cows or more. In 2010, Paul received the AJCA Distinguished Service Award and last year, the farm was honored with the AJCA Master Breeder Award.

These last two awards are very special to the family, and especially Paul because his father also won the awards.

They are only one of two father-son duos in breed history recognized with the Service and Master Breeder Awards.

Looking toward the future The vision for the future is bright at Dutch Hollow Farm. “We are committed to being progressive and will continue to work hard to run a profitable enterprise that promotes animal well being,” says Alan. “This philosophy coupled with our commitment to a positive public image will help ensure younger generations have an opportunity to be involved.”

Beth adds, “The Dutch Hollow Education Center showcases our concern for producing a quality product and protecting the environment. It also offers another way for more generations to become involved in our business, which is a main goal for our family.” l

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TROUW NUTRITION NEWS

Nutreco – Committed to sustainability In 2020, Nutreco will have significantly reduced their environmental footprint while contributing to feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way.

Nutreco is committed to sustainability and feeding the future by continuing to provide nutritional solutions enabling farmers and animals to perform to optimal levels. This is the heart of what Nutreco brings to its customers or why they do business. Sustainability is not a separate goal from regular business; it is

a license to operate. They work to meet their customers’ needs and regional circumstances to add value for all customers. Nutreco is committed to investigate the needs and situations in different parts of the world by creating scenarios to translate sustainability in communications for nutritional solutions. Sustainability is adapted into every part of their business and their employees’ lives.

Welcome Dan Evans to the Trouw Nutrition Team

To learn more, please visit: www.nutreco.com

Trouw Nutrition was a proud sponsor of the 2013 DCHA Conference The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association just concluded its annual conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania at the Lancaster County Convention Center. Attendees consisted of growers and producers, along with experienced industry representatives, speakers and veterinarians from across the country gathered to discuss the latest trends and topics relevant to the industry. “This is the premier event in the dairy calf and heifer replacement industry. It brings dairymen who raise their own replacements and contract heifer raisers together for presentations of the latest

research information, discussion, and networking with fellow producers and your agri-business partners,” DCHA Conference Chair Lane Sollenberger said.

The conference provides attendees with the latest in production information, hands-on business management training and instructive wet labs for growers and producers looking to increase their bottom line while ensuring safe and humane handling for their animals. Trouw Nutrition continues to show support and attend the DCHA conference every year.

For more information visit: www.calfandheifer.org

Trouw Nutrition USA, LLC. is proud to announce Dan Evans as a new Territory Sales Manager for the Agri Division. Dan has over 25 years of industry experience and is eager to represent his territory consisting of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin.

“We are excited to have Dan join our Trouw Nutrition USA Agribusiness team. He has a great deal of experience in key species and product class areas that will contribute to the success of the accounts he calls on as well as to our company,” said Jay Clary, Vice President of Agribusiness.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a focus on microbiology from the Northeast Missouri State University, Dan went to work for International Nutrition and then worked at Albion Advanced Nutrition. He has an abundance of knowledge and experience.

Trouw Nutrition is excited to have him a part of the team.

For more information on products and services of Trouw Nutrition International: Tel. 800.328.8942. www.trouwnutritionusa.com COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M i l k i n g

Precision Dairy Management tools in Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) have a profound impact on dairies

Herd health benefits with automatic milking systems

Early detection for optimal results New technology makes it possible for producers to gather information like never before. The challenge, for many, is no longer to dissect the abundance of data but to use the summarized attention information provided.

by Ben Smink

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n 1988, Steve and Paula Wagner, along with their three children, Michael, Kellie and Rachel, purchased their Monona, Iowa, farm from Steve’s father.

A heritage farm, the operation has been in the Wagner family for over 150 years.

Two decades later, the family is now milking and managing their herd with the help of two robots.

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“We were in stanchion barn and knew that when Michael returned from his two-year ag business program at Northeast Iowa Community College, we wanted to update things,” says Steve.

“Robotic milking became an option after one of our neighbors installed them; they were one of the first in Iowa.”

Steve and Paula Wagner with their three children, Michael, Kellie and Rachel

Robotic milking became a reality for the Wagners on Nov. 2, 2011 when they began milking with two Lely Astronaut robotic milking systems.

T4C system not hard to learn Thanks to automatic milking systems (AMS), the Wagners know their herd of 130 cows is milked an average of 2.7 times per day with a rolling herd average of 86 lbs. per day. Michael checks the Lely T4C (Time for Cows) management program, a tool for herd management, three times daily; once in the morning, once at night and again by logging on via his smartphone. “The T4C system is not hard to learn,” says Michael. “It’s a lot easier to keep track of cows getting

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pregnant and when animals are in heat for breeding, or if we need a check on a potential udder health problem.”

Every two weeks the Wagners meet with their nutritionist and health advisor to go through what they need to tweak when it comes to feed programs.

“There is so much information that the T4C management program provides,” says Michael. “If a cow isn’t doing well, the info is right there and we can be quicker on treatment time.”

Key factors for AMS success In a recent study, 57 North American Lely users shared results and success factors related to the implementation of AMS. Producers saw increased milk production, higher milk quality and reproduction results and felt they had a better handle on culling decisions.

Success factors were attributed to the following:

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Proper barn layout with plenty of space and open access to AMS units.

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Appropriate feed rations to make AMS units attractive to cows and fulfill nutritional needs.

3. Professional guidance from experts during the AMS transition period.

4. Proper use of AMS precision dairy management tools.

Dairy technology Barn technologies make it easier for both producers and cows to do their job and do it well. Producers continue to reap the benefits of AMS, such as improved profitability, milk quality, lifestyle and flexibility. Additionally, AMS provides producers and their advisors, with a wealth of information to make better decisions about their businesses.

Modern AMS systems measure over 120 values per cow per day in the robot, including body weight, rumination, fat and protein ratios, activity and feed intake. With enhanced software algorithms, the total value of the data from the combination of sensors is more than the sum of the individual sensors.

Herd managers get quick short overviews of “attention” cows only, including what the potential problem of

the cow is and in which part of the body she is developing the problem. For instance, if producers see high fat/ protein ratio in combination with rumination drifting off, the program indicates ketosis. Or, if a cow shows normal milk production, normal conductivity and color of the milk in combination with high milk temperature, producers know the cow is sick, but not likely due to mastitis.

Typical mastitis cases show a combination of deviations in milk color, milk conductivity, quarter yield and quarter milk time.

Early detection Every producer, whether using AMS or not, recognizes that routine cow health checks are a must. AMS technology offers producers a better

way to manage herd health because it provides the opportunity to respond quickly.

Prevention is better than cure, but early detection is the next best thing.

Early detection of health issues before an animal gets sick or decreases production prevents culling, because issues are identified before they become too severe to manage.

Multiple sensors in combination with the visual observation of naturally behaving cows in the robot barn enable the herdsman to see the abnormal individual in a much earlier stage. It is about being proactive instead of reactive and about making better decisions to prevent cows drifting off. All of this improves constant health and therefore constant production, fertility and longevity results of the herd. l

Modern AMS systems measure over 120 values per cow per day in the robot

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C O W

FA M I LY

Top bulls produce their best offspring thanks to combinations with the Cosmopolitan family

Design for a masterpiece The cow family of Larcrest Cosmopolitan stands alone in excellence. In the genomic lists the descendants of a Shottle daughter are the best. Breeders are waiting to see the daughter performances of her sons, grandsons and great-grandsons.

by Tijmen van Zessen

C

osmopolitan means “belonging to the whole world and not restricted to one country or its inhabitants”.

Jon Larson could not have chosen a more appropriate name for his Shottle daughter than Larcrest Cosmopolitan.

The cow family of the brood cow Larcrest Juror Chanel has spread throughout the globe because of its high genomic figures. “Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Ireland, England, Canada and Mexico are some of the countries that come to mind but there are probably more,” says the Albert Lea, Minn. breeder.

Larson runs a dairy in Minnesota with 120 dairy cows in tie stalls where the herd produces more than 24,000 lbs of milk per cow. More than half of Larson’s herd descends from the Juror daughter Chanel. At fifteen, Chanel had produced more than 250,000 lbs of milk and became EX-93 points. “In the U.S. there are eighty bulls from the family that went to AI,” continues Larson. “Chanel was the first cow on my dairy for which there was AI interest, but it is her granddaughter Cosmopolitan that has really brought this family into the limelight.”

The cow family of Cosmopolitan is quite young. While there are few daughter-tested bulls, the offspring of Cosmopolitan dominate the genomic index lists. “Anyone who doesn’t believe in genomics will say: high times are always high, but those who do trust the system see that this cow family proves its worth. If you produce the best Shottle daughter, the best Ramos daughter and one of the best Planet daughters in the world, then that says enough. This kind of top bull has had enough opportunities worldwide and this cow family does not usually let you down,” explains Jan de Vries from breeding organization Diamond Genetics. In the male line, the same applies: the highest Planet son, O Cosmopolitan, the highest Man O Man son, Texel Beauty Cosmo, and the highest Superstition son, Larcrest Casual, originate from the Cosmopolitan cow family.

Workhorses De Vries has already sold five young bulls to international AI organizations.

He owns, on GTPI-basis, the highest ranking bull from the cow family. The bull, Vekis Chevrolet (from Freddie), is marketed by CRV. The semen from Vekis Chevrolet recently came out of quarantine and will be used frequently in the flushing circuit. With a +2490 GTPI, according to De Vries, there is international interest in the Dutch Freddie son. In Germany, his full brother Fanatic stands an excellent Shottle daughter Cosmopolitan in front of Larcrest farms

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workhorses. I like that sort of cow, they don’t fall over,” says Van den Braak.

Chenoa has various brothers and sisters with high genomic figures.

Superstition son Larcrest Casual is very promising with an index of 2410 GTPI and also Observer daughter Larcrest Cale scores above 2400 GTPI. From the combination of Planet times Ramos, Chenoa was produced, but Ramos on the extremely large Shottle daughter Cosmopolitan was also an obvious choice. This resulted in Larcrest Crimson.

Milk-production leader

Larcrest Crimson (s. Ramos) calved recently and scored EX 91

chance of proving successful. “The first calves from Fanatic are expected this year, and with Chevrolet, we are now getting very busy,” says Jaap Veldhuisen, coordinator for the CRV Delta breeding program.

Chevrolet and Fanatic originate from Larcrest Chenoa, an 87-point Planet daughter. In her first lactation she produced 35,930 lbs of milk with 4.1 percent fat and 3.5 percent protein in 365 days. On European soil there is one female descendant of Chenoa: Bacchus Chennin. She is a full sister of Chevrolet and is housed with Jan van den Braak at

Balgoij, the Netherlands. “She is still a yearling and has been flushed several times, among others with Snowman son Snowmaster,” Van den Braak says.

He is proud of this Cosmopolitan descendant that he bought as an embryo. During a visit to the Larcrest Holsteins, he saw the three generations of cows before Chennin: Cosmopolitan, Crimson and Chenoa.

The animals are on his mind all the time. “These cows are so wide you can place a wheelbarrow between their front legs, they are that wide and have so much power. They are real

Crimson recently calved again and during the first 180 days of her second lactation, she peaked at 180 lbs and is currently still milking over 150 lbs per day. She recently scored EX-91 and is Larson’s favorite. “She has stolen my heart,” he says. “She has everything: production, content, exterior and genomics.

This combination is important, the performance and the genomics must go well together. At the moment she is the number four cow in the world.”

It’s impossible to imagine international cattle improvement without the family of Cosmopolitan.

Although still reasonably new, bulls, dams, and sires very regularly come out with high numbers. The ultimate test, one of breeding values based on daughter performance must still be done, but the genomic indexes of the family do promise a lot. l

Larcrest Juror Chanel (s. Juror) Larcrest Oside Champagne (s. Outside) Larcrest Cosmopolitan (s. Shottle)

Larcrest Cancun (s. Planet)

Texel Beauty Cosmo (s. Man O Man)

O Cosmopolitan (s. Planet)

Larcrest Crimson (s. Ramos)

Neerduist Cherso (s. Planet)

Larcrest Cake (s. Superstition)

Larcrest Cale (s. Observer)

Larcrest Cinergy (s. Robust)

Larcrest Case (s. Planet)

Larcrest Chenoa (s. Planet)

Larcrest Chima (s. Planet)

Larcrest Casual (s. Superstition)

Bacchus Chennin (s. Freddie)

Vekis Chevrolet (s. Freddie)

Larcrest MS Chanda (s. Robust)

Fanatic (s. Freddie)

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m i lk

c o n sum p t i o n

First Australia, now Europe start selling A2 milk – milk for the milk intolerant

Milk’s back on everyone’s menu A niche marketing effort in the United Kingdom is bringing more people back to drinking a fluid milk called A2. But what is A2 milk? Who is producing it and will it be available for the U.S. market? We spoke to Muller Wiseman Dairies and an A2 milk producer to find out more.

by Rachael Porter

M

ilk is firmly back on the menu for around 15% of the United Kingdom’s population, thanks to the launch of A2 milk at the end of 2012.

Well positioned in supermarket chiller cabinets throughout the UK – and with some high-profile celebrity endorsement from Down Under – the ‘milk for the milk intolerant’ is already selling well.

No surprise then that Muller Wiseman Dairies’ agricultural affairs manager Pete Nicholson is pleased with progress so far. “We’re close to our anticipated targets and have ample reserves from our milk suppliers to cope with increases in demand,” he says.

A2 milk is already a resounding success Down Under. “In Australia it takes 4% of the market by volume, but

6% by value. There will always be a niche market there for A2 and it will never be main stream. But it is a value-added product,” says Mr Nicholson.

Product profile Pete Nicholson expects the same to be true in the UK and that this will be the first step to enter the European market and later on the USA market.

“It is the strategy of Australia’s A2 Milk Corporation to make the A2 milk a success in the UK first before moving on. It is a difficult market and they want to enter the worldwide market step by step.”

Last year in December, the A2 Corporation started production in New Zealand for A2 destined for China as

A2 is aimed at 15% of the population A2 milk is suitable for people who experience digestive problems with conventional A1 milk, but who are not lactose intolerant.

Around 20% of the population avoid drinking milk but, according to the National Health Service, only 5% are lactose intolerant. It’s

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the remaining 15% who the milk is aimed at.

“The difference between the two milks is in the amino acid make up of the beta casein protein,” explains Muller Wiseman Dairies’ agricultural affairs manager Pete Nicholson.

“Weaknesses in the amino acid chain

of A1 milk results in some breaking away and forming a chain of seven amino acids, which can cause issues with digestion in some people.

“If you go back 1,000s of years, there’s was no A1 milk. But, over time, mutations in the herd mean that A1 has become the norm.”

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branded infant formula powder, but for production in the U.S. it is still too early said Mr. Nicholson.

A2 Milk UK – the company decided to brand the milk to add further value to the product and prevent undercutting from ‘own brands’ – is currently available in more than 600 stores across the UK. “The joint venture with Australia’s A2 Corporation has given us the product and the brand, and now we have to convince the ‘milk avoiders’ – those that can’t easily digest A1 milk – to give it a try.

When it does take off, there are more A2 milk producers waiting in the wings. A total of 20 are signed up to supply the company at the moment with 15 already producing A2 milk – around 40,000 litres each day – and the remaining five set to start between now and June 2013. Four of the 15 herds are 100% A2, the rest have a mixture of A2 and A1 cows and heifers and are milking their herds as two separate groups.

“There’s a lot of extra hassle and some investment required in producing A2 milk,” adds Mr Nicholson. “We’ve also asked these producers to take a leap of faith and produce something new for a niche market. There’s been an element of risk, so we’ve helped financially with building modifications and testing cattle for the A2 gene. We have also committed to pay producers 2.5 pence per liter (4 cent per liter) more for all A2 milk produced than we do for milk on our standard contracts for the next two years,” he adds.

Producer progress Richard Pilkington is one producer who has taken the plunge and signed up to produce A2 milk from his 250-cow pedigree herd, based in Flintshire, UK. His interest was sparked by a press release he saw in December 2011 and further investigation revealed that his unit, which he runs in partnership with his wife Ruth, was in the geographical area where Muller Wiseman Dairies was looking for possible A2 milk producers.

“It was the possibility to increase our income from milk sales that really grabbed me – the dairy was offering a 2.5ppl milk price difference for A2 milk. So we agreed to have our herd tested, to see how many cows were A2 producers,” explains Mr Pilkington.

That was back in January and he was delighted when the results came back: “We were surprised to learn that 48.5% of our cows were ‘A2’. We were told that the average for

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Select A2 sires for success

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To breed A2 heifers, producers must use A2 sires on their herd. “Using only A2 sires does limit the choices of sires available for your herd’s breeding programme,” says Avoncroft’s David Matthews. As the UK distributor for CRV, his company has access to A2 bulls.

“To breed high yielding, long lasting and profitable cows, it is important to maintain genetic gain in key production and type traits, and correct for any problems. But, if everything else is equal, then the A2 bull would be a good choice.

“It will take about 10 years for producers to convert their herd to A2 through breeding alone, so I can see a market for sales of A2 heifers and cows,” he adds.

CRV Ambreed New Zealand tests its sires for their A2 status. “We have more than 30 A2 Holstein bulls. We also have two A2 tested German Brown Swiss.

Some well-know and widely used Dutch bulls are A2. “Himster Grandprix, Delta Canvas and Poos Stadel Classic were all

A2 sires, with many daughters milking in the UK. Current A2 sires include Ralma O-Man CF Cricket, Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls and red-and-white sire Aalshorst Pleasure,” says Mr Matthews.

most herds is around 30, but we were close to 50%. That was a great start.”

He then decided to test his 250 head of young stock – tomorrow’s milkers. “We thought it was important to check them, before we went any further. The score came back at 38%, which was still good despite being 10% lower than the milking herd.”

With the herd’s ‘breeding’ already looking promising, Mr Pilkington decided to sign up to the A2 contract. “Once we did this, the dairy released the test results for the individual cows and heifers in the herd so we could group them for milking.

We had to split the herd and run it as two groups – A1 and A2. We’re milking 125 A1 and 125 A2 cows.”

He also had to invest in a second-hand bulk tank, to ensure that the milk from the two ‘herds’ was kept separate. “I thought that was the least cost option but installation, as well as a compressor and the extra pipe work needed, meant that it ended up being a larger investment than we’d hoped. That said,

the dairy gave us some financial help towards that.”

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A2 bulls from New Zealand include 14 Jerseys, including New Zealand’s highest ranking Jerseys Manzello, Murmur, Pioneer and Dominic.

Ralma O-Man CF Cricket is an A2 sire

Cow ‘swapping’ Mr Pilkington says that the company has also been supportive in helping to source A2 milkers to buy in and add to the A2 herd. “We tell them which cows and heifers we want to buy and they pay for the test to see if they’re A2 before we go ahead and make a deal.”

He has also done some ‘swapping’ – selling A1 cows and heifers and buying in A2 cattle – and he’ll do more in the future. But he stresses that he’s very careful about what he’s buying in – and not just from an A2 milk perspective. “I don’t want to buy in a load of trouble.

I’m particularly concerned about Johne’s disease. So I’m very stringent on herd health. I want to produce as much A2 milk as possible, but not at the expense of herd health.”

Breeding his own A2 replacements is preferable and he’s using A2 bulls almost exclusively. “There are thousands of

sires to choose from and maybe 100 or so are A2, but that’s still a wide range to choose from. So it’s not narrowed our breeding focus,” says Mr Pilkington, who is still very much into type combined with high genetic merit cattle.

The herd average stood at 20,500 lbs before the recent switch to three-times-aday milking (another bid to increase the milk cheque in the tough economic climate) and cows are currently averaging 70 lbs a day, at 3.98% butterfat and 3.17% protein.

Mr Pilkington waved off his first tank of A2 milk on October and is pleased with how things are going so far. “It’s early days and it’s hard work. Managing the herd in two distinct groups does create extra work and the move to threetimes-a-day milking means that we’re milking for around 12 hours each day.

“We’ll get there eventually, through a mixture of home-bred replacements and bought-in stock. And it will get easier as we gradually move to becoming a 100% A2 herd.” l

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CRV

B R EEDIN G

N E W S

The right tools for breeding long lasting cows When breeding for long lasting dairy cows, you’ll find many tools right at your fingertips. Surprisingly, much of what you need to create those cows is readily available.

The information is found in three main areas: production information, type or conformation indexes, and health traits.

Overall production, especially fat and protein production, remain an important factor when choosing genetics and making culling decisions. Milk still has value but for many producers, component pricing makes fat and protein increasingly important. In order for a cow to stay in the herd, she must “pay her way�.

This is especially true today with high cull prices and even higher feed costs. With this in mind, CRV has a large selection of bulls available with combined fat and protein more than 90 pounds.

A conformation trait that plays a major role in longevity is body size and stature. Parlors and free stalls are built for average sized cows. An oversized cow has more trouble maneuvering in and out of the parlor and free stall and is more prone to injury. The large cow also tends to have more foot and leg issues,

especially on concrete. In addition, a large cow must consume more feed just to maintain body weight compared to a moderately sized dairy animal.

Udder traits are another indicator of overall functionality of the dairy cow and play a large role in longevity.

Udder composite (UDC) is an important selection tool when choosing sires.

Specifically, the traits of udder depth, cleft and attachment are the keys to maintaining good udder quality.

Foot and leg composite (FLC) and the traits used to calculate it, are also important when building a long lasting cow. Foot angle is especially important for cows that spend most of their lives on concrete. Leg set is an example of a trait that breeding for moderation is best for longevity.

Productive life as selection tool Daughter pregnancy rate (DPR) is one of the most important of the health traits when breeding for longevity. The easier a cow is to breed back, the more lactations and the more peak lactation periods are possible in a lifetime. A cow is most profitable to the producer when at peak production.

Somatic cell score (SCS) is another important health trait. SCS is the best tool we currently have to select for

Ralma Juror Cricket

mastitis resistance. In addition, reducing somatic cell counts can increase profits through milk quality bonuses.

Productive life (PL) is the overall health trait index. PL is a very important selection tool. However, this number may become somewhat less valuable especially during our current dairy economy. With the excess of replacement heifers, low milk prices, high feed costs and cull prices, along with production caps in many regions, cows are leaving herds much sooner than they did in the past.

In the future, more information will be available to help make better breeding decisions that will allow us to breed a longer lasting, better generation of cows.

CRV is here to help you reach your goals by successfully breeding and managing long-lasting, productive cows.

A group of Cricket daughters with the potential to become long-lasting, productive cows

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f e e d i n g

A new test is designed to predict how the process of forage fiber digestion will take place in high producing dairy cows

Exciting new opportunities for evaluating forages Plant breeders have made tremendous strides in developing forages that meet the needs of high producing dairy cows and now we have tools to help producers and nutritionists get the most out of these modern forages. With this fine tuning now possible, you may make forage substitutions knowing milk production will stay high.

by Dr. Dave Combs, Professor, Department of Dairy Science, UW-Madison

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lant fiber is a complex material that varies due to forage species, forage variety, plant maturity and growing environment. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is a common forage test that measures the total amount of fiber in a feed. We’ve known for a long time that NDF represents a “bulky”, slow to digest feed component that can reduce feed consumption. While a critical measure of feed quality, NDF is only part of the story about fiber. We also need to know how digestible the NDF is and how fast the NDF digests because differences between forages can profoundly affect feed intake and milk production.

A major accomplishment is the development of better approaches to testing forages for fiber digestibility.

UW-Madison dairy scientists have developed a new test called TTNDFD© (Total Tract NDF Digestibility). The TTNDFD test estimates how much of the feed fiber is digestible and how fast the fiber complex digests. The higher the TTNDFD value the better the fiber is utilized. The TTNDFD value is benchmarked to fiber digestibility gained from feeding studies where NDF digestion was directly measured in dairy cattle.

Fiber in BMR cornsilages Typical TTNDFD values for corn silage, alfalfa and grasses are summarized in table 1. The values are from forage samples submitted to a commercial testing lab in 2011 and 2012. The average values represent more than 7,000 samples each of corn silage or alfalfa and more than 1,200 grass forage samples. The means, standard deviations (SD) and ranges in TTNDFD values coincide with directly measured values reported in dozens of controlled feeding studies published in scientific journals such as the Journal of Dairy Science.

Cows fed high TTNDFD forages produce more milk and have higher feed

The new TTNDFD values predict how cows will perform when fed forages that differ in fiber digestion. Note in table 1, that an average corn silage will have a TTNDFD value of 42%. A corn silage sample with a TTNDFD value one standard deviation below average (less than 36%), is then among the bottom 15% of the corn silages tested. A corn silage sample with low TTNDFD probably won’t digest as well as ‘typical’ corn silage. Experiences in the field indicate that cows fed low TTNDFD forages produce less milk and have lower feed intake than cows fed diets with that contain forages with more digestible fiber. Likewise, a corn silage with a TTNDFD value greater than 48% is in the top 15% of the corn silage population tested and probably will feed better than a ‘typical’ corn silage.

Research suggests that feeding higher TTNDFD forages to cows can improve milk production and increase fat test in early and mid-lactation dairy cows.

BMR-corn silages are widely known to have higher amounts of digestible fiber than conventional corn silages. On

Table 1: Typical TTNDFD© values of corn silage, alfalfa or grass. Samples submitted to Rock River Laboratories, Watertown, WI.

corn silage alfalfa grass

mean tndfd©, % of ndf

sd

mean – 1sd

mean + 1 sd

range

42 43 47

±6 ±7 ±8

36 36 39

48 50 55

20-60 25-80 6-80

average, BMR corn silages are 3 to 5 units higher in TTNDFD than conventional corn silages. The TTNDFD test also reveals that there is considerable overlap in fiber digestibility between conventional and BMR corn silages, which suggests that growing conditions, time of harvest and other factors beyond plant genetics also affect plant fiber digestibility.

These observations are also consistent with what is directly measured in controlled feeding experiments.

Adding gras silages UW-researchers have recently shown that TTNDFD values are useful in finetuning diets of high producing dairy cows. In one study, fiber digestibility of TMR fed to high producing cows was increased by replacing some of the corn silage and alfalfa with high TTNDFD fescue silages. The fiber digestibility of the diet containing corn silage and alfalfa was 26%. The NDF digestibility was increased to more than 40% by replacing about a third of the corn silage and alfalfa with either tall fescue silage or meadow fescue silage. Adding this much grass actually increased total NDF in the diets, but the fiber was more digestible. The result was that feed intake remained high and fat content of the milk was improved. These results suggest that TTNDFD is a valuable tool for optimizing forage utilization. l

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A R I A N

D R .

R I C H

P R A C T I C E

V E E M A N

Dr. Rich Veeman from Veterinary Services of Oregon discusses magnesium deficiencies, its possible devastating effect on fresh cow health and the best ways to quickly identify and replace this important macro mineral.

Quickly replacing Mg can mean life or death

Magnesium deficiencies I

n spring, we often see grass tetany and magnesium issues affect grazing cattle on pasture. Magnesium deficiencies are just as devastating and develop just as rapidly for cows in the barn. Quickly identifying and replacing magnesium is the difference between life and death of the cow.

As I pulled up to the dairy, I recalled what the dairyman told me on the phone; “Hey doc, we have a fresh cow that has been down all morning. We gave her a bottle of calcium but, she still won’t get up and continues to want to lie flat out.� Since she had just calved, her inability to get up could be caused by a number of things. The most important thing to do was perform a good physical exam to identify the problem. This was doubly important as the dairyman had also informed me that last week they had a similar case and the cow never got up and died. Hence, the call to come out, discover what was going on and prevent future cases.

The cow was down on her side with glazed eyes. She looked weak, had an occasional muscle spasm, increased salivation, normal temperature, and could not get up. All else looked normal for an animal that had just calved.

I drew blood to test macro minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium). We retreated her with CMPK IV along with lactated ringers solution, dextrose, a plethora of vitamins and minerals, and dexamethasone. Then I went to the clinic to get the blood analysis. A couple of hours later, we had the results: the calcium, phosphorus and

potassium were all normal, but the magnesium was extremely low at 0.7mmol/L - we had our answer.

When I called the owner with the results, he said the cow was still down and had not changed much. He asked why the cow had not gotten up when there was magnesium in the CMPK. This is a very good question, to which I responded that there is some magnesium in the CMPK, but not enough for a cow with her level of deficiency. I recommended that we use a magnesium gel tube as it is more bioavailable and has more magnesium than an intravenous bottle of CMPK. Within 40 minutes of receiving the magnesium gel tube, the cow was up and recovering nicely. High potassium levels and elevated degradable protein caused the magnesium deficiency. This, along with decreased feed intake led to the magnesium deficiency. Other causes of low magnesium include an elevated rumen pH >6.5, high rumen ammonia, low starch levels, and high dietary nitrogen.

Magnesium is essential for bone growth, nervous system maintenance, enzymes, fiber digestion and muscle contraction and movement. Vitamin D can be given to close up dry cows and fresh cows to help in magnesium absorption.

It does not mobilize well from the bones and is primarily attained through the diet. Magnesium in grains and forages is generally 20-30% available, whereas magnesium oxide is 50% available. Talk with your nutritionist or veterinarian if you have concerns about managing magnesium deficiencies.

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M A N A G E M E N T

Peters family welcomes green technology to enhance dairy’s bottom line

New technology lowers digester investment A breakthrough in anaerobic digester technology now allows dairy producers with less than 1,000 cows into the game.

The “small digester” generates the same benefits as anaerobic digesters installed on large dairies.

by JoDee Sattler

A

naerobic digesters aren’t just for large dairy operations anymore.

While there’s no magic number, it typically takes 1,000 cows or more to cost justify an anaerobic digester due to on-site construction of concrete and steel structures.

Previously, digesters were only an option for about 1,750 of the nation’s 62,500 dairy farms. A new technology now opens the door for herds as small as 150 cows, making it a potential option for another 10,000plus U.S. dairies.

The breakthrough technology, developed by Universal Sanitary Equipment Manufacturing Company (USEMCO), Tomah, Wis., uses a unique 30,000-gallon steel tank. Inside the tank, anaerobic bacteria feed on organic nutrients in manure. As with other anaerobic digesters, cow manure fuels the system. Manure is collected and heated in the digester tank; this process creates methane gas. Biogas generated from this process fuels an engine to produce renewable electricity.

“By developing a digester system

that taps renewable energy from dairy farms, we are greatly increasing the potential production of renewables while helping farmers minimize farm waste,” says Pat Rezin, USEMCO president.

Founded in 1963, USEMCO’s core products serve the water and wastewater industries. The idea of branching out to the dairy industry surfaced when a few employees attended a Western Technical College, La Crosse, Wis., investment class taught

by Dean Blegen, who had invested in an anaerobic digester company. Employees attending the class agreed they could make anaerobic digesters at USEMCO. Initially, the company tested two small versions of the Bi-gester on a farm near USEMCO’s headquarters.

From there, they installed their first “real” digester on the Peters Family Farm (father Wayne and sons Rory and Roger), located near Chaseburg, Wis. The installation required months of

The first small digester on the Peters Family Farm

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Pat Rezin: “Developing a digester system taps renewable energy”

fine-tuning the complex arrangement of tanks, pipes, pumps, valves, meters, mixers, monitors and computer.

Designed for 150 to 200 cows On the computer, the operator can monitor performance – anything from gallons of manure pumped to the digester to amount of gas produced to temperatures in various portions of the digester tank to gas flow per hour. An operator can even monitor and manage the system from his home or other offfarm location via a smart phone. The machine even sends text messages to a phone so people can manage current operations.

One Bi-gester reactor system is designed for 150 to 200 cows. The Peters family has one. With a modular design, a 400-cow dairy, for example, would use two. Other equipment would be the same, except the generator.

Multiple systems would require a bigger generator.

Besides cattle manure, Peters’ digester system utilizes substrate from Organic Valley’s plant that is located The digested solids provide odorless, comfortable bedding for the herd

Wayne Peters: “I am always interested in new stuff”

just a few miles from the farm. This substrate, which contains butterfat, is left over from food processing and works well in the digester. Previously, this waste was disposed via land spreading. Now, the energy value is extracted from the material before it’s applied to cropland.

Cuts farm’s energy needs In addition to creating energy, the digester helps save energy used on the farm. Heat from the engine warms water and manure. Some of the heated water goes to the barn, via a pipe, and is used to preheat water used for washing and sanitizing in the double-eight milking parlor. Also, this heated water warms the parlor floor during cool weather.

Not only does the system create energy, it conserves energy. Similar to variable-speed milk pumps, the digester system’s agitators that stir the manure are variable speed – drawing only the power needed at that moment in time.

“Thus, the amount of power required for pumping and mixing is minimized,” says Rezin.

Despite all the bells and whistles, it’s the elder partner, Wayne Peters, who spearheaded the project. “I’m always interested in new stuff,” says Peters.

Naturally, he is excited about the green electricity being generated on his family’s dairy. Yet, he is also excited about the system’s environmental benefits, such as reducing odor and animal waste challenges associated with manure disposal.

“Manure can be considered an asset,” says Peters. “What some others say

stinks and poisons the environment actually helps improve our natural resources.”

Fertilizer helps boost returns A couple more by-products – dried manure solids and enhanced fertilizer – help “pencil out” the $1.5 million (about $1 million from USEMCO and about $500,000 from the Peters family) investment. The digested solids provide odorless, comfortable, economical bedding for the herd’s 240 cows. Peters says the cows stay clean. “Any dried solids that stick to the cows fall right off when the cows get up. We see more cows lying in stalls than in the past.”

Using the dried solids eliminates bedding costs. Previously, they used a lot of shavings.

“With two times the value of typical fertilizer, the enhanced fertilizer comes out in a mineralized state, which plants absorb more efficiently,” says Peters.

“Besides reducing odors and greenhouse gas emissions, digesters can lessen the potential for manure finding its way into streams and lakes. We really like how the digester kills weed seeds in manure and reduces the number of flies and insects around the dairy.”

The renewable energy generated on the Peters farm provides enough electricity for about 20 area homes.

With several income-generating sources and reduced input costs, the Peters family believes the investment can be recuperated in seven years.

Looking to the future, Peters is exploring the landscaping industry to see if there’s interest in soil supplements from their anaerobic digester system. l

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Superior milk-flow performance!

No other product delivers faster milking or peak milk flow from machine attach to removal like CoPulsationtm. You can see instant peak flow that simply doesn’t stop until the cow is done and you remove the machine leaving empty quarters, even udders and dry teats. CoPulsation milk flow curve displayed on a milk meter.

Flow rates of 10 to 15 pounds per minute achieved.

Produce quality milk with the humane CoPulsationtm Milking system with typical costs in the $20 to $35 per cow range.

Other superior products include: Vacumizer for $1850 – the only variable speed pump control that does not create stray voltage. PulseCheck for $350 – hand held accurate pulsation analyzer

See it in action at www.Facebook.com/CoPulsation

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L E LY I N F O

Lely T4C management program The Lely Astronaut robotic milking system provides valuable animal health information via the Time for Cows (T4C) management program.

Every event, from birth to the day the cow leaves the farm, is stored in the Lely T4C program. It provides specific farm information to control the herd.

The Lely T4C management program organizes information through indicators which are presented clearly on one single transparent dashboard.

This provides producers with a quick overview of the herd’s performance, the robotic milking system and attention cows, allowing producers to focus on the cows that need them the most. This is true management by exception.

Prevention is better than cure, but early detection is the next best thing. By detecting health issues before an animal gets sick, the T4C will prevent a decrease in production by identifying issues before they become too severe to manage.

Meet Lingen Dairy

A quick overview of the herd with T4C program

Health indicators registered by Lely T4C • Milk color (per quarter) • Fat/protein indication of the milk • Lactose indication of the milk • Conductivity of the milk (per quarter) • Milk temperature • Rumination minutes of the cow • Cow activity • Cow weight • Milk production of the cow • Feed intake of the cow • Amount of rest feed of the cow • Milking time/dead milking time • (Max.) milking speed

Earlier this year, the Lingen family, Balaton, Minn., started milking their herd of 110 cows with two Lely Astronaut A4 robotic milkers.

Despite the cold temperatures in the days of startup, the family saw extremely good results in just two weeks; pushing almost 11,000 lbs. of milk in the tank with two robots from day one.

The Lingens attribute their success to pre-training the herd, cow knowledge, top dress pellets and the fact that the cows like the pellets.

Results in two weeks: 111 cows – 93 lbs. milk/cow – 2.8 milkings/cow – 1.1 refusals/cow, 3.2 failures/robot – 15 percent free time.

For more about the Lely Astronaut, visit Lely.com

For more information about the Lely T4C management program, visit Lely.com

Lely Caltive Concept There is more to rearing young stock with Lely than only technique. The Lely Caltive Concept provides the total solution for rearing young stock; from installation and maintenance of the Lely Calm automatic calf feeder to the supply of Lely Caltive Booster, Lely Caltive Milk and Lely Caltive Concentrates.

Anyone in pursuit of a sustainable cow with a high lifetime production must first optimize rearing of young

cattle. The Lely Calm guarantees optimal growth and development of these young animals. Calves can still enjoy their natural behavior and drink whenever they want, in a controlled way, while labor is reduced to a minimum.

With the Lely Caltive concept, installation, maintenance, adjustments, calibration, rearing advice and a complete assortment of calf milk and calf concentrates have been bundled – together with the Lely Calm automatic calf feeder – in one single concept.

The Lely Calm guarantees optimal growth and development

Contact your local Lely Center for more information

Today’s calves are tomorrow’s high performance cows

For more information on LELY products and services, call 1-866-LELY USA. LELY web address: www.lely.com, LELY email address: usa@lely.com COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E A LT H

How important is the health of your cows?

A healthy cow is a productive cow Cow health is very important and every effort should be made to have an entire herd of healthy cows. The cow produces less milk between the onset of ill health and recovery which are often calculated at more than $100 per incident or infection.

Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in dairy cattle with an estimated economic loss of $80-125 per affected cow. The disease can be caused by a number of different pathogens, but all usually enter the animal through the end of the teat post-milking. As with other health issues, the veterinarian should be called upon to test for and identify the offending organism(s) as well as recommending the proper treatment.

The responsibility for prevention and treatment, when needed, falls to those with several different roles on the team.

First, the milking staff should understand and follow an established routine in cleaning the udders before attachment, thoroughly cleaning

by Roger Morrison

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e know that cows in good health are more likely to consume the expected amount of feed, rebreed quickly or maintain a normal pregnancy and, most importantly, produce a daily quantity of high quality milk closely aligned with their genetic potential.

The cow produces less milk between the onset of ill health and recovery which are often calculated at more than $100 per incident or infection. Another cost of treating a sick animal or group is the additional labor and management associated with the implementing of the treatment regime. These facts lead us to the conclusion that cow health is very important and every effort should be made to have a herd of healthy cows.

Many producers look to their veterinarian as the key adviser in their cow health program and indeed they do play an important role, but such a program has several components in which many members of your employee team should play a part.

Vaccinations a place to start Vaccinations for the cow herd usually cover common viral diseases such as Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Leptospirosis. A veterinarian should be consulted to determine which diseases are most prevalent in your area and should be in your vaccination program

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plus recommend the best type of vaccine, killed or modified live, for your situation. To improve the effectiveness of the vaccination program, the veterinarian can be an excellent resource to train dairy employees in the proper equipment, vaccine handling, injection site, and injection procedures for all vaccinations.

Metabolic diseases On a 21st century dairy farm, a higher percentage of cows are probably negatively impacted by metabolic conditions than are impacted by pathogenic organisms. The high milk production levels common on today’s dairies exacerbate the occurrence of such conditions as milk fever, ketosis, displaced abomasum, fatty liver, and acidosis. Not only do these conditions negatively impact cow metabolic health, but recent research has also linked these to reproductive disorders such as retained placenta, endometritis and poor uterine health which occur later.

Your nutritionist is the key individual in designing transition rations to avoid these conditions, but you should also include all the team members that produce the rations or monitor feed intake in the training sessions on the importance of their actions on cow health.

The milking staff should understand and follow an established routine in cleaning the udders before attachment

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milking equipment between cows, ensure the equipment is working properly before each milking, and the use of the appropriate teat dip.

Second, the responsibility for mastitis prevention extends to those whose duties include adding new bedding to the loafing areas or free-stalls in order to reduce potentially harmful bacteria which might infect the cows while they are resting.

Finally, while the veterinarian may recommend appropriate products for treatment based on causative organisms, individuals on the farm are responsible for administering the treatment as well as good record keeping ensuring treated animals and quarters are identified so milk quality

is maintained and the level and duration of treatment match the product recommendation.

Biosecurity requires care The purpose of a biosecurity plan for a dairy farm is to prevent the spread of infectious agents to your herd. Basic guidelines would call for a sign in record of all visitors, with specific date and time, as well as required wearing of plastic boots while on your farm, or thoroughly disinfecting all footwear.

Vehicles may also carry pathogens, so either they are washed before entering the property or remain well removed from animal areas. Regular farm visitors such as AI technicians, feed company personnel, supplier

representatives and milk haulers should be educated on your plan and agree to follow its guidelines. Similarly, any new animals should be isolated for 30 days after arrival so any disease exposure will be manifested before introduction to the resident herd. They should also be treated with the same health procedures, such as vaccinations, used on the farm upon arrival.

Cow health is important not only for the economic viability of the operation but also for the welfare of the cows. In designing a program to ensure the health of his cows the dairy producer should include all the areas where health may be impacted and train all employees on the team to the importance of their role in cow health. l

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FORAGE NEWS

Thyssen steps up at Barenbrug After eight years as CEO for Barenbrug USA, John Thyssen has been appointed to the Board of Directors at Barenbrug Holding.

Thyssen will be responsible for Barenbrug’s northern hemisphere subsidiaries.

Thyssen was raised on a dairy farm in Holland. Growing up in the same town as Barenbrug’s headquarters, he began his career with the Royal Barenbrug Group in 1994.

In 1998, Thyssen moved to Oregon to help expand and grow the professional forage market. As the

Forage Director, Thyssen helped Barenbrug USA become a leader in the industry. In 2005 Thyssen transitioned into CEO of Barenbrug USA. James Schneider will be taking over as the new CEO for Barenbrug USA April 1st. Thyssen comments, “James Schneider brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to Barenbrug USA. James has managed JB Sod as a CEO for four years through one of the toughest times of that industry. James has a very strong financial background and combines that with a unique blend of experience in the professional turf and the consumer product businesses,

John Thyssen

as well as interactions with grass seed growers, universities and other industry insiders.”

Territory manager “kicking clods” and getting results When Rick Freston walks out into a field of grass he feels like a major league baseball player running onto the field for the first time. But this grass isn’t for play and this certainly is not Rick’s first at bat. With over 30 years of on farm experience, consultation from Rick is an opportunity to access a wealth of knowledge. As a forage agronomist working for large farms in Eastern Oregon, Rick found himself not only making recommendations but executing those recommendations.

This trial and error and the building of on-farm, real-world experience catapulted Rick into local stardom as all the area producers began to bend his ear for advice. Later in his career, Rick added another layer of expertise as he worked in the

Rick Freston

chemical and fertilizer industry. Now as a territory manager for Barenbrug, Rick is able to share his knowledge with customers throughout the western portion of the U.S. “I like to deal with the guys growing the grass”, comments Rick. “This is where the products perform and the results happen.”

Rick provides consultation in 11 states stretching from just east of the Rockies to the west coast. He has the opportunity to see diverse operations from conventional dairies that are seeing the impact of grass in a total mixed ration; to fully functional grassbased dairies where rotations on quality forage is essential for milk production.

Rick comments “I feel like the role of grass in the modern dairy is a story worth telling”. The producers following Rick’s recommendation concur.

Dairyman Denis Petrissans of Jai Alai Dairy in California reports “The dairy quality feed produced by Barenbrug’s Green Spirit is significant to our dairy nutrition program; It [Green Spirit] also works well in our nutrient management program.” When Rick Freston hears testimonials from one of the producers he works with he just smiles and says, “Barenbrug is great in grass, and I am happy to share the news in the field… while kicking clods.”

You can reach Rick at 541.806.7333 Contact information for all Barenbrug territory managers is found at http://www. barusa.com/barusa/EN/sales-representativeforage.php.

For more information on BARENBRUG products and services contact customer services: Tel. 800.547.4101 BARENBRUG web address: www.barusa.com • BARENBRUG email address: info@barusa.com COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E A LT H

Focus on intake and health to get cows pregnant

Good nutrition, good repro Nutrition and optimizing feed intake can have a positive effect on reproductive performance. The nutritional keys to maximizing reproductive performance begin in late lactation and remain a priority throughout the breeding period.

by Amy Ryan

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ood nutritional management practices properly condition animals for calving. Dr. Howard Jensen, a veterinarian and Dairy Technical Support Specialist for BioZyme Incorporated, says that set up for transition and optimum post calving health starts in later lactation.

“Getting cows off to a good start post calving begins with managing body condition through late lactation and the dry period,” says Jensen. “Over conditioned cows are more likely to experience a greater drop in dry matter intake (DMI), creating a more severe negative energy balance around calving, which precursors most health and reproductive problems.”

Nutrition during the close-up transition period affects the severity of DMI depression and level of fat mobilization both pre- and post-calving.

Feed cows to maintain body condition score because over conditioned cows will mobilize excess body fat, often leading to ketosis.

Minimizing the negative energy balance postpartum is most important.

According to Dr. Maurice Eastbridge, Dairy Extension Specialist, Ohio State University, this goes hand in hand with offering a ration that promotes maximum feed intake.

“Keeping pre-fresh groups eating helps prevent metabolic disorders at

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calving, minimizing the extent and magnitude of a negative energy balance,” says Eastbridge. “Ideally, cows should have a body condition score (BCS) of no greater than 3.5 during the dry period and lose less than 1 BCS during early lactation. This increases in importance when you consider that the follicles ovulating near the time of first breeding begin developing during this time of negative energy balance.”

Eastridge recommends rations that minimize the risk of milk fever, as it not only affects cow intake, it affects smooth muscle function and furthermore delays the return of the uterus to normal.

When citing factors to consider when developing a pre-fresh ration that enhances reproductive performance, Eastridge says that feeding diets adequate in fiber and slightly increasing starch will promote a high level of intake. In addition, monitoring the dietary cation-anion difference or DCAD pre-calving can help maintain blood calcium levels and reduce milk fever upon calving. Increasing vitamin E in these diets and providing 0.3 ppm supplemental selenium helps improve immunity and ability to fight off infections post calving.

Jensen adds that paying close attention to trace mineral levels in later lactation and the dry cow period is also

important. Minerals stored in the cow during these periods can assist in a healthy transition phase.

Add linoleic acid Fat supplements, specifically linoleic acid, fed during the transition period have also shown reproductive benefits.

“Linoleic acid supplementation can be considered in close-up and fresh cows to assist with getting the uterus ready after calving,” says Eastridge. “It is important to remember that fatty acids should only be supplemented at low levels as overfeeding can be detrimental to intake.”

Bringing a linoleic acid source into the diet at 1-2 percent of the ration will aid in uterine involution and help with reproduction. Feeding at higher levels can actually lead to a depression in fiber digestibility and lower feed intake.

“When feeding fat supplements, it is important to monitor the amount of total unsaturated fats in the diet,” says

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Jensen. “If too much unsaturated fat is fed, fiber digestion can be reduced. It could also cause an altered pathway of biohydrogenation (change from unsaturated to saturated) producing CLA’s that are powerful inhibitors of milk fat synthesis. Result reduced milk fat.”

While there are several good commercial sources of linoleic acid, Eastridge says some of the best options are the natural sources such as soybeans and cottonseed. Fatty acid utilization later in the breeding period can also help reproductively as to maintain a viable corpus luteum (CL) and pregnancy.

Monitor protein utilization “Overfeeding protein means increased cost of the diet and increased environmental risks due to higher levels of urea excretion in urine and manure,” says Eastridge. “As far as reproduction, increased ammonia and urea concentrations in the blood can

negatively affect egg and sperm viability, as well as lead to early embryonic death.”

Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) are two ways to monitor protein utilization in the ration. The recommended levels of MUN are about 14 milograms per deciliter (mg/dL) or lower, while the average level of BUN should be 16 mg/ dL. If levels are high, Jensen says it indicates too much rumen degradable protein is being fed in the ration or that the fermentable carbohydrates in the diet are not matched with the degradable protein levels, reducing the bacterial usage of the ammonia.

In rations where protein levels are too high, Jensen suggests balancing for amino acids as one way to reduce total protein supplementation. However, it is necessary to make sure there is enough rumen degradable proteins to maximize microbial growth.

Balance for vitamins Vitamins and minerals are also advantageous for reproductive performance. Although adequate amounts of vitamins A and D must be present in the diet, Eastridge says that paying close attention to vitamin E is of utmost importance as it impacts reproduction and immunity.

“Providing enough dietary vitamin E along with selenium, copper and zinc all help boost immunity and the later minerals assist in reducing the incidence of retained placenta and metritis,” Eastridge says. “Furthermore, bringing adequate amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus into both the pre-fresh and breeding period rations can help minimize the risk of complications associated with mineral deficiencies at calving and future metabolic issues.”

Eastridge says producers should watch calcium intake to prevent hypocalcemia. Properly adjusting phosphorus in the ration will hold down costs and reduce environmental risks.

Jensen agrees that vitamin E and selenium along with the calcium/ phosphorus balance are some of the most important diet ingredients associated with combating disease and preparing cattle for reproductive success the next lactation. He adds that choline can be valuable in fat utilization and stresses the importance of monitoring trace minerals both in the ration and water as their levels could be antagonistic to trace minerals in the diet.

Focus on energy status

There are several keys to balancing a ration that promotes reproductive efficiency

There are several keys to balancing a ration that promotes reproductive efficiency. “Really, it’s all about balance; making sure ingredients are combined at the recommended levels and balance that diet,” says Jensen.

“Formulating a diet that increases energy balance, helps prevent diseases and gets cows off to a good start reproductively,” states Eastridge.

“Knowing the nutrient content of homegrown forages and the feedstuffs coming on to the farm is critical in this process and can be accomplished by working with your nutritionist. ” l

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

Enjoying the sunlight in the barn Picture: Becky Mills

C O N TA C T S Cow Management is published six times per year by CRV Publishing

May 16-17: Western Spring National Show, Richmond, UT May 28-31: 25th DISCOVER Conference “New Developments in Immunity, Nutrition and Manage ment of the Pre-ruminant Calf”, Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca, IL

Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, Dubuque, IA June 12-13: June 25-27: Precision Dairy Conference and Expo, Rochester, MN Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey, Inc., June 26-29: Amarillo, Texas

“SWISSCONSIN” National Brown Swiss Convention, Pewaukee, WI July 3-6: July 8-12: JAM 2013 (ADSA-ASAS annual meeting), Indianapolis, IN July 8-11: 2013 National Holstein Convention, Indianapolis, IN American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL July 19-23: Midwest Fall National Holstein Show, St. Paul, MN August 28: September 7-12: 50th Anniversary All-American Dairy Show, Harrisburg, PA September 9-12: 4th EAAP International Symposium on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition,

Sacramento, CA September 15-20: National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA

September 19-21: American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI September 17-19: Minnesota Nutrition Conference, Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel in Prior Lake, MN

Editorial team Chief editor Jaap van der Knaap Contributing writers Peter Ballerstedt, Dave Combs, Kayla Dolan, Roger Morrison, Rachael Porter, Amy Ryan, JoDee Sattler, Ben Smink, Tijmen van Zessen Editing, design and production CRV Publishing

Chief editor’s address P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 829 Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail veeteelt@crv4all.com

Subscriptions

COMING UP

S o l a r, h o u sin g an d cro ssb reed in g June 2013 – In the summer issue, we will take a look at the possibilities of solar projects to power dairy farms. We also focus on the influence of housing and equipment on cow health, plus we have farm reports about crossbreeding and a producer in South Africa.

Cow Management is available free of charge to customers of CRV, 2324 American Lane, Madison, WI 53704.

If you want to ask for a subscription or to cancel a subscription send an e-mail to info@crv4all.us

Advertisements Bock & Associates, Inc.: Tom Bock, Lindsay Boelter and Alison Johnson Phone 952-905-3200 E-mail tom.bock@bock-assoc.com

Illustrations/pictures Photographs by CRV Publishing Photography, Chittenden family (12, 13), Rick Mooney (8, 24, 32, 36) and JoDee Sattler (28, 29).

Disclaimer CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers. No responsibility can be accepted

by CRV Holding BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

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CREATING BETTER COWS FOR A BETTER LIFE For 138 years, CRV has been providing high quality genetics to increase the efficiency of herds and cattle around the world. We look to supply farmers with long-lasting, effective genetics that will increase returns and further enhance their bottom line.

We provide unique breeding values for our bulls that focus on special health and management traits that impact fertility, longevity, and production. CRV has a diverse lineup of genetic solutions available to increase fertility, decrease future inbreeding, and increase longevity and efficiency.

At CRV, we are more than just an AI company; we provide better cows for a better life.

Visit www.crv4all.us for more information on our lifetime efficiency solutions.

CRV, 2423 AMERICAN LANE, MADISON, WI 53704 P 608 441 3202, F 608 441 3203, TF 1 800 400 CRV4ALL

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