Cowmanagement US February 2014

ED ITION U .S. V O LU M E 6 N O 1 FE BR UARY 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

H EA LTH

Make sure colostrum is providing its maximum benefit to calves FEED IN G

Enhanced value with homogeneous rations REPRO D U C TIO N

Adding fatty acids to rations can improve production and reproduction CMUS01_Cover.indd 2

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The Highly Digestible Effective Fiber for Dairy Rations

www.NutriFiber.info 速

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CO NTENTS

FEATURES

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Cow talk CRV breeding information Barenbrug news Lely information Events FARM REPORTS

10 Norse Star Jerseys 34 The ter Bogt family emigrated from New Zealand to Germany MANAGEMENT

14 Starting a robotic dairy from scratch PHOTO SPREAD

20 Milking time in the United Kingdom BREEDING

22 No sacrifice for components

Hielkje ter Bogt: “Here at least I can see the cows again” 34

Amy Ryan Better feeding

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s I write this month’s column, I dream of the warmer temperatures that accompany spring. While we have had below zero temperatures here in the Midwest, many on the east coast have seen an abundance of snow, while the west coast is dealing with drought conditions. Since we can’t control the weather, but hopefully have survived the challenges it can present, let’s talk about some things we can control.

This issue features rations and three articles on this topic. “Enhanced value with homogeneous rations” highlights the importance of ration consistency, how to maintain feed quality and equipment and its affect on rumen health and overall performance.

Fiber management, can help reduce lameness, but in turn, it can reduce feed intake and milk production. However, new research from UW-Madison, is leading to better fiber management making those trade-offs not as dramatic.

“Foraging Ahead” discusses this topic.

An article on supplementing fatty acids in a ration rounds out this special section. Balancing the diet to add fatty acids can optimize feed intake while benefiting milk production, health and reproduction.

Capitalizing on investment in heifers starts at birth. One way to help maximize colostrum benefit to calves is heat treating it. The main article on page 6 in this issue discusses this topic.

The herd report showcases a Jersey herd in Wisconsin that focuses on developing high production, genomics and high type cattle in their 750-cow herd. Developing those cow families, while focusing on cow comfort has proven profitable for the Fremstad family of Norse Star Jerseys and is paving their way for a strong future in dairy farming.

Enjoy this issue and the change in weather as a new season arrives.

Calf rearing Management Pasteurizing colostrum Animal welfare

Special section Feeding

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Make sure colostrum is providing its maximum benefit to your calves.

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The FARM program helps producers present the best possible image to the public.

Fine-tuning a dairy’s feeding system can deliver enhanced margins to the bottom line.

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Group of CRV Ambreed bred 10 year old cows (Oliver & sons, Northland, New Zealand)

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Hilmar Cheese Company has New California site Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. will be building a milk powder processing facility in Turlock, Calif.

This facility will produce a variety of milk powders designed to be a primary foundation for delivering nutrition to a hungry and developing world. Milk powder is a convenient form of milk that does not require refrigeration and is simple to reconstitute. It is an easily transported and stored ingredient making it an important source of

dairy for developing nations. GO-Biz, Governor Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development, assisted with site-selection.

The Turlock location will add 40 full time jobs to the local economy and the construction will add economic stimulus.

Source: www.hilmarcheese.com Hilmar Cheese Company’s new facility will produce a variety of milk powders

Cargill license patents and genomics to Neogen Cargill, Inc. and Branhaven LLC, announced a non-exclusive agreement to license Neogen Corporation their patented BeefGen genomics (DNA) tools that help beef and dairy cattle producers analyze genetics to improve meat and milk production. The BeefGen patented diagnostics are based on precise molecular tools that may be

used to improve cattle carcass quality, production efficiency and nutritional value. Dairy producers benefit from the ability to provide information about superior bulls, superior cows and their female calves, with the goal of improved milk production, reproduction and better disease resistance.

Source: www.cargill.com

Limited water supply for the west NRCS National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) predicts a limited water supply west of the Continental Divide and a normal water supply east of the Divide. It will continue to monitor, forecast and update water supplies for the next six months.

Monitoring snowpack of 13 western states, the center’s mission is to help the west prepare for spring and summer snowmelt and streamflow by providing periodic forecasts. It’s a tool for farmers, ranchers, water managers and recreational users to make informed decisions about water availability.

NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal forecast is calling for a milder and somewhat drier winter for much of the west. According to NRCS Meteorologist Jan Curtis there is a very small chance for normal precipitation on the West Coast.

NRCS Oregon lead Snow Surveyor Melissa Webb isn’t alarmed just yet as she says although the Oregon snowpack looks grim now, the season

is young and storms are on the horizon.

She is hopeful for recovery in the next couple of months.

Source: www.nrcs.usda.gov

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M A I N

A RT I CL E

Make sure colostrum is providing its m

Capitalize o n Calves are our dairies’ future. Heifer calves are just two years from being vital economic engines on the farm, but until then, they’re only on the cost side of the equation.

by Lucas Sjostrom

at University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine, found that heat-treating colostrum can provide big benefits to calves. The important term here is “heat-treating,” and not pasteurizing.

“If you pasteurize colostrum, it will turn into custard,” explains Godden, who spoke at the 2013 Midwest Dairy Expo, St. Cloud, Minn. “But if you heattreat it at 140 degrees F for 60 minutes, you won’t have any pudding and your calves will be getting a better product at first feeding.” An easy way to

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s any farmer will tell you, raising calves can be quite stressful. A goal for preweaning mortality might be five percent, but that is still one in 20 animals. United States Department of Agriculture NAHMS (National Animal Health Monitoring System) studies since 1992, show that the dairy industry averages between 7.8 and 11 percent preweaning death loss. Another two percent are lost post-weaning, or potentially 13 percent of your future herd.

Whether you figure that potential loss at the value of a newborn heifer calf or the opportunity cost of her as a cow in the milking herd, that 13 percent can add up fast to wasted expenses and a lack of revenue.

Beyond the death loss, diseases often affect preweaned calves, with over 60 percent of farms experiencing scours or digestive calf issues, according to the NAHMS survey. Respiratory issues affect 20 percent of farms, with several other diseases making the list of potential preweaning hazards.

Pasteurizers provide opportunity After a successful calving into a clean environment, colostrum is the next step to keeping calves healthy.

Since colostrum provides the passive absorption of vital immunoglobulins (Igs) and nutrition for the calf, it’s long been recommended to set up a protocol on your farm to manage it properly.

While most producers realize that the quantity of colostrum matters, today most producers still aren’t testing their colostrum for quality first. The level of immunoglobulin G (IgG) can be measured using a colostrometer or Brix refractometer to determine how much colostrum should be fed to the calf. Calves require 150 to 200 grams of IgG, so the typical recommendation is about 3 to 4 liters of colostrum.

But with the addition of pasteurizers on farms, a new opportunity is available for dairy producers.

Sandra Godden, DVM, DVSc and her research team

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ding its maximum benefit to your calves

o n colostrum remember is 60 C for 60 minutes, as 60 degrees Celsius is 140 Fahrenheit.

Godden’s research team at the University of Minnesota evaluated 532 collections of colostrum. Half of them went right into the refrigerator, were warmed, and then fed in 4 quart bottles to more than 500 calves. The other half of the samples were first heat-treated at 140 degrees for 60 minutes, and then put into the refrigerator, re-warmed, and fed to more than 500 different calves.

The milk was tested before being fed, and it was the

heat-treated colostrum that came out on top. Heat treatment provided a significant reduction in total plate count and total coliform count compared to the fresh colostrum. Further, the transfer of IgGs was higher in the heat-treated colostrum, and diseases were lower.

Heat has benefits Calves fed heat-treated colostrum saw a significantly lower incidence of illness (30.9 percent versus 36.5 percent for fresh milk in the study). Heat-treated milk

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

total plate count (Log10) total coliform count (Log10) colostrum IgG (mg/mL) calf serum IgG (mg/mL) all illnesses (percent of calves treated) scours (percent of calves treated)

fresh colostrum

heat-treated colostrum

5.4 4.4 60.7 15.5 36.5 20.7

3.6 2.3 59.2 18 30.9 16.5

Table 1: Heat-treated colostrum outperformed fresh colostrum in a 2012 study

reduced the top disease, scours, from 20.7 percent in fresh milk to 16.5 percent.

“Heat-treatment works because calves are able to accept more IgG without having to battle against the harmful coliforms often found in colostrum,” Godden explained. “But you still need to ensure that calves are getting the right quality and quantity of colostrum, and that calves receive it within six hours of birth.”

Large farms can heat-treat the colostrum in batches, just as they would with waste milk. But for farms that might just have one bottle’s worth of colostrum at time, they’ll need to buy a colostrum bag, a screen to protect the bag from the pasteurizer’s agitator, and equipment to fill the bags from a local dairy supplier. These farms can either heat-treat all of their waste milk with the colostrum bag(s) floating in the pasteurizer, or run a special batch for the colostrum bag(s) after filling the pasteurizer with water.

Godden notes that the post-heattreatment process is just as critical,

“You don’t want to take this excellent colostrum and put it into a dirty container. Make sure that your bottles and nipples or tube feeders are clean, or some farms choose to feed calves directly from the colostrum bag to prevent contamination.”

Pasteurizer not needed If you don’t have a pasteurizer, you can still work to provide every calf with good colostrum. Two options include colostrum replacements and supplements can aid your dairy, but Godden reminds us that there is a difference, “Replacements literally can replace colostrum at $25 to $30 per dose. But supplements are only meant to be added to existing colostrum. Be sure to read labels closely and work with your veterinarian to determine how much of a product your calves need.”

Good colostrum management is only one component of a calf management program, but it’s the first step to adding another heifer to your herd. l

Heat-treatment increases shelf life for Jon-De Farms At Jon-De Farms, Baldwin, Wisc., colostrum heat-treatment has been in place since it was first introduced by Sandra Godden, University of Minnesota veterinarian. Jon-De Farms calf care manager, Sarah Kreft, was intrigued when the process was first introduced.

“At the time we were collecting, testing and storing colostrum in the refrigerator,” Kreft said. “We were using a food preservative to add shelf life to our colostrum but that only gave us a few more days storage.

Heat-treatment looked as though it would not only improve the health

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of our calves but increase shelf life.”

Owners Dean and Todd Doornink wanted to ensure their calves on their 1,700 cow farm got off to a good start with minimal added labor.

“We separate the cow and heifer milk into different colored buckets because our heifers do not receive the same vaccinations and the colostrum is of lesser quality because of it,” Kreft noted. “Every morning the lead calf feeder tests the cooled colostrum with a digital refractometer. Anything below 22.5 is thrown away. The colostrum is bagged in Perfect Udder bags and heat-

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treated. Each bag is labeled either male (heifer colostrum) or female (cow colostrum) with the date written on the bag.”

The team at Jon-De places the bags in another refrigerator after they’ve gone through the heattreatment process. Any excess colostrum is frozen in the bags for use later in the year.

To use a bag, they take a stored bag out of the refrigerator, put it in a 5 gallon pail of hot water and after 20 minutes it’s ready to be fed to the calf.

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CRV

B R EEDIN G

N E W S

CRV ends 2012/13 financial year on a positive note CRV ended the 2012/13 financial year with a net result of $1.4 million before distribution of members’ profits. This was achieved partly by taking specific steps to improve the efficiency of the company’s operations, enabling costs to be reduced. As a consequence of the positive results, CRV is set to distribute approximately $0.67 million in member’s profits in the spring of 2014.

Year of recovery In 2012/13, CRV focused on the recovery of its financial results following the losses recorded in 2011/12. By making cost savings and expanding its activities in many countries, CRV saw its margins recover and was able to end the year on a positive note. CRV’s net result in the past financial year amounted to $1.4 million before distribution of members’ profits: $2.4 million

higher than the corresponding figure for the previous financial year.

Despite the recovery, the 2012/13 financial year was a difficult one. The steps taken to cut costs also had staffing repercussions. In addition, CRV had to contend with difficult market conditions in Brazil. A period of drought and an economic crisis had a negative impact on the Brazilian agricultural sector. CRV’s activities in the country shrank as a result but, thanks to extensive cost savings, it nevertheless managed to end the year there on a profit.

Members’ profits CRV did succeed in achieving growth in many other countries, enabling it to absorb the shrinkage on the Brazilian market. For example, sales and market shares rose in Western Europe, as well as in New Zealand and the United States. The combined effect of these trends resulted in a net turnover in excess of $227 million, virtually on

Chevrolet, one of CRV’s high selling bulls

a par with the previous year’s figure.

Thanks to the profitable end to its financial year, CRV is set to distribute 50 percent of its net results as members’ profits. This means that $0.67 million will be returned to the members. In the current financial year, CRV is aiming for further recovery of both margins and growth. Farmers can expect a very strong offering of bulls, products and services to take their herd results to the next level.

Alta and CRV start collaboration in USA breeding programs The leading global providers of bovine genetics Alta and CRV have agreed to collaborate in their North American Holstein genetic programs.

The cooperation between Alta and CRV offers economies of scale resulting in greater volumes and higher quality of genetics on the US base with the end product being a greater output of high GTPI bulls. Clients of both Alta and CRV can count on an even stronger and more varied portfolio of top quality bulls on a GTPI basis, while the breeding focus of both organizations will retain their own identity. The partnership between Alta and CRV offers significant advantages in selection processes,

but both organizations will continue to make genetic selections based on their own breeding philosophy.

Cooperation fits in strategy The collaboration between Alta and CRV is an extension and enhancement of their current genetic programs in North America. “Through the partnership we can strengthen our portfolio of top end GTPI bulls both inside and outside the United States.

Alta and CRV will do this from their own vision of breeding and with mutual respect. This alliance will strengthen our ambitions,” says CRV Executive Director Operations and Development, Ate Lindeboom.

According to Alta Chief Operating Officer Paul Hunt, “This collaboration

enables both companies to make additional investments in genetics to continue to lead genetic improvement in the exciting and competitive era of genomic selection. This collaboration will allow Alta to continue providing unrivaled genetic quality and value to our clients globally.”

Alta and CRV will immediately commence scale-up of this joint breeding activity.

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Norse Star Jerseys The Fremstad Jersey herd offers a great combination of production, genomics and type.

Number of cows: Amount of land: Rolling herd average: Classification:

R E P O RT

Westby

750 650 19,379M 1034F 731P 110 Excellent cows

The Fremstad family pictured with their high seller from the summer sale in 2012

The newest addition at Norse Star Jerseys is a double 12-expandable parallel parlor

Solid pedigrees plus solid breeding equals viable family business

Strong families, strong future The Fremstad family of Norse Star Jerseys has combined the best of many worlds – type, production and genomics – and has seen much success. When looking at the root of success, the equation is built on strong family, solid pedigrees and a little bit of luck.

by Amy Ryan

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orse Star Jerseys in Westby, Wisc. has come a long way since its beginnings back in 1917. Along with record breaking cows and high genomic females, the 750-cow herd is home to numerous All-American nominees. They are a large herd that offers something for everyone.

The dairy is a family operation between parents Mike and Merna, their son, Jason and his wife Heidi, and their son Jory, and their daughter Jeana, and her husband Brad. Mike is the overall dairy manager, while he and Merna oversee the heifer facility. Mike, Merna and Heidi handle the bookwork. Jason manages the milking herd, while Jory does the cropping and cattle feeding.

Jeana manages calf care and Merna and Heidi also assist with calf feeding.

Herd growth The operation has undergone various expansions since Mike and Merna

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acquired ownership of a 60-cow herd back in 1976. The goal is to grow the herd so all family members can be involved.

In 1998, the first facility was built at the current dairy site and herd size was 200. Approximately three years later, the Fremstads added on to this barn for the dry cows and the growing herd, which was then at 375 milk cows.

Jason and Jory returned home fulltime in 1999 and 2001, respectively after receiving their degrees from the UWMadison Farm & Industry Short Course.

In 2005, they began purchasing cows with Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans. By 2010, with purchases and growth, the herd size grew to more than 500 cows, which prompted the addition of a new freestall barn in 2011.

The most recent renovation, in early 2013, included updating to a double-12 expandable to double-16 parallel parlor.

This change allowed the milking herd to

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increase to its current size. It also created the need to fill all the barns at the home site with milk cows and move the dry cows off site.

Show success During these expansions, the family looked for reasonably priced, good pedigreed heifers to add to the herd.

These solid pedigreed animals combined with some luck have produced herd standouts that have and will continue to leave their mark on the Jersey breed.

SRG Royal Pitino Liberty EX-95, was one of these purchases for Jason. “We bought Liberty from a breeder in Wisconsin and she really got us excited about that show side of this industry,” says Jason.

Rightly so as Liberty was their first All-American nominee being third at the 2007 Central National Jersey Show and the All-American Jersey Show in Louisville. She was Reserve Grand Champion at the Jersey State Show that same year and Grand Champion the next year. Although she is no longer in the herd, she has some Very Good Daughters and granddaughters that will be entering the milking herd this year.

Another cow that falls into this same category of luck is Norse Star Tequila Katie EX-94. She was one of the first prominent show cows to carry the family’s prefix and her grand dam was

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purchased as an $1,100 heifer for one of their expansions.

In 2010, Katie was first Jr. Three-YearOld and Reserve Intermediate Champion at the Jersey State Show and third at the Central National Jersey Show. She was also Reserve All-American and Reserve Intermediate Champion of the AllAmerican Jersey Show.

Her winning continued the next year, where she was second Four-Year-Old and Reserve Grand Champion at the Wisconsin Spring Spectacular, Grand Champion at the Jersey State Show, third in the Central National Jersey Show and second once again at the All-American Jersey Show. Then in 2012, she was Honorable Mention Senior Champion and Best Bred and Owned of the AllAmerican Jersey Show.

Along with show ring success, she was also the top producing cow in Wisconsin in 2012 with a record of 307 3x 29,891 pounds of milk, 5.0 percent with 1,494 pounds of fat and 4.1 percent with 1,232 pounds of protein.

Katie’s influencing the Norse Star herd through maternal and paternal genetics.

“She currently has three daughters that will calve this spring and five daughters that were just born in September,” says Jason. “We also privately collected one of her sons and have daughters of this bull that will be entering the milking herd this spring.”

2013 was also an exciting year for the Jason’s son Grant on the tanbark trail.

He purchased Celestial Iatola Silhouette in the Jersey Pot of Gold Sale in 2008.

This cow was recognized this past year at the National Jersey Convention with the President’s Trophy and the Hilmar Cheese Award, while her daughter Norse Star Tequila Shotski EX-90 has excelled for Grant in the showring. She was Grand Champion of the Jersey State Show and best Bred and Owned of the All-American Junior Jersey Show.

Genomics When looking at the genomics side of the picture, Jason cites Norse Star Abe Tinker VG-87 as one of the herd leading cows. “This family has always been strong for us, but genomics has added to that value,” he says. “Everyone one of Tinker’s daughters have tested high or been herd standouts for production and to date, she and her daughters have sent four bulls to A.I.” Norse Star Lennox Twinkle VG-88 is one of those daughters. She was the third high seller in a sale they hosted in 2012. Jason is excited to report her first daughters will be calving this spring.

Also in this category is Hilltop Ace Morgan VG-88, a purchase in the 2009 National Heifer Sale in Kentucky.

Morgan’s offspring have grabbed much A.I. attention. One of her heifers was the

second high seller in 2011 National Heifer Sale and went on to have big accomplishments for her new owners.

She has five daughters and one milking granddaughter in the herd. She still calls Norse Star home and is being flushed.

Like many of her herdmates, she came to the farm during the expansion years and has developed into an outstanding individual.

Broken records Along with their show winning and genomic standouts, Norse Star is home to current and previous record holding cows. First is Normandell Khan Ariel GP-84, whose 365-day record of 43,023 pounds of milk with a 4.4 percent and 1,914 pounds of fat and 3.6 percent with 1,529 pounds of protein earned her the 2001 U.S. Champion Milk, Protein, and Cheese Yield Award. Ariel was purchased during the first expansion.

Next, Norse Star Hallmark Bootie holds the current U.S. and World Champion Record for Fat Production.

Bootie, who is owned by Jeana, boasts this impressive Three-Year-Old record: 365 days of milk, 39,329 pounds of milk with a 7.2 percent and 2,827 pound of fat and 3.8 percent with 1,500 pounds of protein. Jeana bought this cow’s grand dam in the state youth production contest.

Finally is Hi-Land Paramount Patric,

A new freestall barn was added in 2011 to accommodate the growing herd

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Norse Star Tequila Katie EX-94

Norse Star Tequila Shotski EX-91

owned by Jory, earned the 2009 Hilmar Cheese Yield Award with 4,815 pounds of Cheddar Cheese. This cow was one of the Jory’s first purchases.

Managing for success The Fremstads have developed these and other outstanding cattle by focusing on herd management. The farm is home to 750 cows and 600 heifers. The milking herd and close-up cows are housed in freestalls, while dry cows are in a pack barn.

Milk cows are feed a TMR consisting of alfalfa, corn silage, shell corn, hay, soybean meal and soy hulls. A custom protein mix and energy booster are also added. The alfalfa and corn silage are split 50/50 on 650 acres of land, 350 of which they own and 300 rented. They purchase shell corn and dry hay.

Young calves start in hutches where they are fed pasteurized milk and a 22 percent calf starter. They move to group housing at three months, where they transition to grain and grass alfalfa baylage. At five to six months, they receive baylage and TMR up until they enter the milking herd. They are raised on a bedding pack with older heifers on outdoor lots with drive-by feeding.

Challenges Cow comfort has always been extremely important to the Fremstads and this was boosted in 2006 when they switched from mattresses to sand in their freestalls. Jason says they saw a quick milk response, overall herd health improvement and better mobility.

Reproductively, they went to weekly herd checks which has helped improve

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pregnancy rate and reduce services per conception. They also utilize embryo transfer on top cows to more quickly advance genetic progress.

One the family’s biggest challenges is land availability. “There are many large grain operations in our area making land availability a challenge,” Mike says.

“Right now, we need to rent land and buy shell corn. Our goal is to become more self-sufficient in raising our own feed to cut costs.”

Mike cites another challenge as having cattle at five different locations and moving forward, the Fremstads would like to have all animals on one site. This will be done by looking at dry cow, heifer and calf housing options.

Growing through success The Fremstads have seen many successes throughout their farming career. For Mike and Merna receiving the Young Breeder Award from the American Jersey Cattle Association in 1990 was a life changing experience that energized them to become more involved in the industry.

“Nineteen ninety was the first time we attended an entire National Jersey Convention and it was life changing for us,” says Merna. “It gave us exposure to some of the most progressive people in the industry, and resulted in Mike serving on the National Board of Directors for two terms. Mike and I along with our children made lifelong friends across the nation, and the Junior Jersey program gave them knowledge and opportunities that made them all decide to choose careers in the dairy industry.”

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These friendships allowed the Fremstad family to host a very successful sale in 2012. This sale, which featured top genetics from their farm and others around the U.S. ranked among the top private sales of the year in the Jersey breed. They are planning to host another sale this summer.

Building for family There are many accolades for Norse Star Jerseys. They attribute those successes to management, genetic diversification and strong family and look to continue down that path.

“We hope to diversify the operation to include genetics that will appeal to those looking for genomics, production and type while also focusing on building an international market,” says Jason. “We’re going to continue to work with cow families to offer genetics that will work well in herds just like ours – if we don’t want to use them, we can’t expect others to use them.”

Most important is building a dairy that will be in the family for another 100 years. “Our hope is to have a farm that will allow the next generation of family members the opportunity to be there if they choose,” concludes Mike.

“Jason, Jory and Jeana are the 6th generation to be on the farm and we hope to be able to offer that same opportunity to our grandchildren.

While we know that will require a few more cows, we’ll address that down the road. For now, we’re happy to have all three children working with us on the farm, and are grateful that their spouses also take an active interest in the dairy.” l

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FORAGE NEWS

Are you feeding a healthy dairy ration?

If any of these conditions trouble your herd: hoof problems, milk fat depression, high cull rates, transient diarrhea, unexplained death loss, clostridial infections or liver abscesses, a ration too low in digestible effective fiber may be the cause. Acidosis can be avoided by feeding high quality forages to your herd.

“Acidosis is the most important nutritional problem that feedlots face daily and is a major challenge for dairies as well. The rapid production and absorption of acids

from the rumen when cattle consume too much starch (primarily grain) or sugar in a short period of time; acidosis causes cattle to be stressed. As long as cattle are finished on grain, cows are grazed on cornstalk fields (grain consumption) or high energy (grain) diets are fed to dairy cows, acidosis will be an important problem,” says Clell Bagley, USU Extension Veterinarian. “...grains are subject to microbial fermentation in the rumino-reticulum part of the stomach complex...The microbial fermentation of starches contained in grains can proceed too

rapidly causing the rumen to become acidic. The severity of the acidosis may range from mild to life threatening,” add Rick Stock and Robert Britton at the University of Nebraska.

References: 1. Acute and Subacute Ruminal Acidosis, Dr. Clell V. Bagley, D.V.M., USU Extension Veterinarian.

2. Acidosis, Rick Stock, Extension Feedlot Specialist and Robert Britton, Ruminant Biochemist, University of Nebraska.

NutriFiber forages for more butterfat, herd health, and milk production Forages from Barenbrug now with NutriFiber technology are: – Green Spirit® – A high quality cool season grass that offers a short season forage crop and increased corn silage yields in rotation. Green Spirit is also ideal for inter-seeding into thinning alfalfa and can be planted as straight stands.

– E2 – A perfected combination of hybrid alfalfa and soft leaf fescues that have a higher yield than straight stands of alfalfa and also provide improved stand life. E2 has higher digestible fiber yield

than straight alfalfa and components that are matched for maturity with alfalfa.

– STF-43TM – A long lived, soft-leaf fescue that offers 10-15 percent better digestibility than typical tall fescues. It is a widely adapted perennial and is ideal for nutrient management needs on large dairies.

– Milkway – Meadow and soft-leaf fescues with the highest quality perennial forage that allow for a wide range of adaptation. Traffic tolerant and ideal for multiple manure applications, Milkway can improve butterfat and milk yield.

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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A new herd, new barn and robotic milking – careful planning results in success

Willem van Rooijen, his wife Lauren and daughter Charlotte

Starting a robotic dairy from scratch One father-son duo proves purchased heifers, a new facility and milking with robots can result in a success story. “From scratch to success,” the van Rooijen family tells us how.

by Ben Smink

‘W

hen we started, we had a goal of two robots milking 10,000 pounds a day. In December of 2013 we hit that mark. We did not expect to get there within 14 months. Currently we are milking 10,300 pounds for an average of 87 pounds per cow,” says The van Rooijen family built a four-row barn with two feed alleys

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Astonishing achievements After just one year in their new robot farm, with a herd of 120 purchased heifers, the van Rooijens have achieved great things: • Production: 87 lbs per cow, per day • Two robots: 10,300 lbs per day • SCC: 90,000 “We credit our high milk quality to

the excellent teat (condition) the robots have allowed our cows by not under or over milking individual quarters, as well as the same routine every time,” says dairy farmer Willem van Rooijen.

Willem van Rooijen, co-owner of Naomi Dairy in Cygent, Ohio. Eighty-seven pounds is excellent milk production given the circumstances Willem and his father, Johannes, had to overcome to reach this average. And with the robots in place, the van Rooijens seem to be well on their way to continued increases in milk production and quality.

When the van Rooijen family moved to the United States in 2004, they saw a unique opportunity to build a dairy operation in which they could grow. Unfortunately, moving from the Netherlands meant their cattle and barn could not move with them. If they wanted to continue dairying, they would have to start 100 percent from scratch. “The initial plans to milk cows in the U.S. fell through, and I decided to go to school while my dad went to work at a local dairy farm. This time allowed us to establish professional relationships with people in the dairy industry,” says Willem.

After he obtained a mechanical engineering degree, he and his father decided to return to the dairy industry.

They started to draw up plans in February of 2011 and two Lely Astronauts went to work milking 120 cows on October 16, 2012.

“We ended up building a new free stall barn,” explains Willem. “During the drawing stages, cow comfort and working ease were the top priorities.

There are some books available specifically for people who are looking to build a barn with robots. Those were very helpful in designing the barn. They helped us walk through daily, as well as weekly chores. So we would sit at the table with the print in front of us and ask ourselves what we would do if we

were to treat a cow for mastitis, dry cows off, foot bath, catch and fetch cows, etc. We tried to design a barn in which one person would be able to do most of these things by themselves.”

The family built a four-row barn with two feed alleys, each on the outside, allowing them to milk a group of about 120 cows with two robots; that way cows never have to cross a feed alley.

Another benefit of the two feed alleys is that the cows and freestalls are out of the elements, both rain and shine.

The new cows were acclimated to the robots after about four weeks

Lessons learned The family started with 60 cows (about half the capacity) in October 2012 with a lot of support from their dealer, W.G. Dairy Supply, during the initial days of startup. The 60 cows were acclimated after about four weeks, at which point the van Rooijens expanded their herd with 10 to 15 cows at a time, roughly every four weeks. This resulted in approximately 110 cows by the end of January. The rest of the cows were bought as springers.

“If we had to do it over again we would have bought springers after the original 60 milking heifers,” said Willem. “This would have allowed the cows to get used to the barn without having to deal with the stress of being milked at the same time.”

Because the initial 120 cows that were purchased were open heifers, the family had to get them bred in a timely fashion.

Since they did not have any history on the cows and how their calving transpired, they had an ultra-sound done on all of the cows by their veterinarian to make sure they were in good shape to breed; and treated the ones that were not. Features found with

the robotic milking system helped to get the cows bred back in a timely fashion.

“The activity/rumination tags were an invaluable asset to get this done,” says Willem. “We did not have the reproduction module (software) initially, but added it later on. Currently we use two straws per conception with a calving interval of a little over a year at 380 days. We ended up with about five cows that we were not able to breed. We did not cull any cows for any other reason than fertility in their first lactation. We would keep them and give them a second chance on their next lactation and glad we did. Some cows really surprised us on their second lactation.”

Very quick response When asked about their experience with Lely and a robotic milking startup in general, Willem said this: “I always tell people that, yes, it is nice that the robot milks our cows, but I think all the information that the robot gathers on my cows is of more value. This information allows a very quick response to a cow with a problem, which in turn results in less treatment required, and thus, less milk lost over the lactation meaning more income and fewer costs.”

“The nice thing about Lely, we find, is that after the purchase of the robots their support stays on the farm.

Webinars allow a producer to learn more about the T4C (Time for Cows) program and in turn utilize both the short and long-term data in a more efficient way. Another nice aspect is being put in contact with other producers and being able to share ideas and solutions with each other.” l

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It’s always something and agricultural endeavors often get a black eye in the popular press

Shifting the debate The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible ManagementTM (FARM) program shows producer dedication to animal well being and presents positive image to the public.

by Amy Ryan

A

nimal care and well being is targeted by many groups. For this reason, the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management, created by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) with assistance from

Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI) strives to demonstrate and verify over time that U.S. milk producers are committed to providing a high level of animal care.

NMPF Vice President of Animal Care, Betsy Flores, became director of the

program at its start in 2009. “Most dairy farmers recognize the industry is in a different paradigm than before,” says Flores. “This tool shows consumers that the day in and day out functions on the farm are committed to animal well being and [it] presents the opportunity for another set of eyes on the dairy.”

It was built for farms of all sizes and in all regions of the U.S. Thus, FARM has been met with overwhelming support from industry groups and dairy farmers alike. Today, it has 54 cooperatives and proprietary processors as participants.

The program has completed 9,200 second-party on-farm evaluations and its participants produce more than 70 percent of the U.S. milk supply. Its collected data is used by cooperatives and proprietary processors to help educate customers and consumers.

“Consumers are more interested than

A herd health plan begins with newborn and milk-fed calf care

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DAILY

ever in how animals are cared for on the dairy farm, and statistics collected from second-party evaluations such as: 99.2 percent have daily animal observations, 97.8 percent feed calves colostrum soon after birth, and 97.9 percent have staff correctly trained to handle calves at minimum stress levels, show that dedication to proper care,” Flores says.

On-Farm improvements if necessary

Producers enroll in FARM

Objective third-party verification of statistically valid sample of farms

HR

EE YEAR S

Betsy Flores: “The National FARM program shows consumers that daily farm functions are committed to animal well being”

A N N U A LLY

T

Farms re-evaluated as needed

FARM undergoes continuous improvement review by industry stakeholders

Access/Review FARM Education

Each farm evaluated at least every three years Verification compares data from evaluations with third party measurement to assure program effectiveness Report from evaluation sent to producers and FARM. Aggregate data from reports used to enhance program

On-farm evaluations focused on measurement, education and training

Evaluation and verification The data also helps identify areas of needed improvement, such as calf navel dipping and painful procedure management. Data collected during onfarm verifications also led to an update of the guidelines in the summer of 2013.

Flores explains the program is on a three-year cycle (see illustration).

While daily activities like producer enrollment, education, and on-farm evaluations serve as the foundation of the National Dairy FARM Program, there is also the annual objective thirdparty verification and a three-year program review by a cross section of industry stakeholders.

“As producers, cooperatives or proprietary processors enroll, they receive the Animal Care Manual, the Quick Reference User Guide and an Animal Care Video for education and training,” she says when explaining the daily activities. “They then undergo a second-party evaluation conducted by a herd veterinarian, field technician or other individual trained through the National Dairy FARM Animal Program.

The data collected is then entered into the NMPF database and the producer receives a report (also filed with FARM)

National Dairy FARM Animal Care Program Three-Year Cycle

to address needed areas of improvement, if necessary.”

Each year, the program undergoes a third-party verification to show that the processes in place are working and the data collected is valid. In other words, National FARM utilizes a thirdparty verification system that provides a “check the checkers” analysis to demonstrate the validity of the aggregate data collected during the second-party evaluations.

Finally, farms undergo on-farm evaluations at least once every three years. The program itself is reviewed every three years and changes are made to the management practices and training methods as warranted.

Developing a SOP The voluntary program, currently the only national evaluation program available to dairy producers, is based on the 78-page FARM program Animal Care Reference Manual. The Animal Care Quick Reference User Guide is a condensed version of the manual

covering topics ranging from information about the program to newborn and milk-fed dairy calf care to handling, movement and transportation to special needs animals.

While many of the practices described in the manual seem practical for dairy farmers, judging their implementation levels through second-party evaluations assists in developing a plan for best practices on the operation. As previously mentioned, these secondparty evaluators help pinpoint areas of excellence and areas for improvement.

Looking at specific parts of the plan, each enrolled operation must develop standard operating procedures (SOP).

Then employees must be trained.

This training must be documented, monitored and updated when necessary. Furthermore, these operating procedures must be reviewed annually.

Animal health A herd health plan is then developed to prevent, diagnose, and effectively treat sick or injured cattle. This is

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where a veterinarian/client/patient relationship (VCPR) comes into play as a veterinarian should assist in developing and implementing this plan.

It begins with newborn and milk-fed calf care. From colostrum feeding to navel dipping to dehorning to observations on hygiene, locomotion, body condition scoring and hock and knee lesions.

Along with a written herd health plan, there must be procedures for handling, transportation and movement along with euthanasia for cattle of any age or health. These standard operating procedures need to be available at all times, and if possible posted in several languages to assist in adoption and understanding.

A documented emergency animal handling procedure and contact information, animal identification system and documented milking procedures are also needed.

Nutritionally, there are parameters for newborn and milk-fed dairy calves up through milking cattle. For calves, they include feeding colostrum or colostrum replacer within four hours of birth, providing adequate milk or milk

replacer to maintain health and growth and offering fresh, clean water and calf grain. Calves must also be provided enough space for standing and lying, a clean dry environment and protection from seasonal weather. All calf caretakers must be trained in proper handling and feeding techniques.

This section also highlights the importance of offering fresh, clean water to all animals and bringing ample amounts of high quality feed, storing this feed properly and providing enough feed space for consumption.

Utilizing these protocols allow that the feeding programs meet or exceed the nutritional requirements for animal maintenance, growth, production, health and reproduction.

Next is cattle environment and facilities. Namely, facilities provide protection from extreme conditions and provide for the safety and care of animals. Additionally, there is enough space to comfortably lie, stand and rest as well as being warm and dry. A clean calving area also fits in this section.

Moving on to handling movement and transportation, cattle should be handled and moved gently. They must

be moved in a way that reduces slips and falls. Moreover, all animal caretakers should sign a cow care agreement once the logistics are covered. This proper movement is especially important in calves.

The final section on animal care discusses special-needs animals and the best practices for treatment, nutrition, handling, movement and facilities for animals that need special attention.

Consistent and accurate When asked to discuss the importance of the National Dairy FARM Program, Flores comes back to the need for a consistent, nationwide program that industry groups and producers could support to provide assurances up the food chain.

“It helps to bring retailers and consumers a consistent, data driven message about the care of animals producing the products,” concludes Flores. “To get the most from the program, keep an open mind about it, remember the message is key for the industry and provide us feedback to keep it progressing.” l

Facilities must provide protection from extreme conditions and enough space to comfortably lie, stand and rest

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L E LY I N F O

Benefits of the Lely Calm Steve Klaphake of Freeport, Minnesota, farms with his two sons on their 120-cow “totally robotic” operation. A Lely Calm automatic calf feeder was a natural fit after they installed two robotic milking units and a Juno automatic feed pusher.

“We have the milking robots and the calves and feeder all in the same barn. So it’s really easy for me to go from one thing to another, and I’m able to do a lot of the work myself,” says Klaphake. “I also think the calves are better cared for. They’re getting fed better and I definitely look at them more than when we had calves

in hutches. The gains are unreal, and when the calves leave the barn and are weaned, they’re in great shape.”

The benefits of the Lely Calm Feeding with the Lely Calm automatic calf feeder has several benefits; • Time saving.

• Quicker growth rate.

• Better rumen development.

• Labor flexibility.

• Individual calf management.

• Stable and exact milk temperature.

• Flexible feeding schedules.

• Weaning without stress.

• Suitable for all farm sizes.

Preparation tips for robotic milking In the preparation phase for robotic milking it is recommended to visit several farms of the same size and with the same type of barn, in order to get a good picture of the way robotic milking works and what it involves in terms of farm management.

The experience of fellow dairy farmers is an important help in introducing the milking robot successfully into the farming processes.

A well thought out (written) strategy is essential in the entire preparation phase: it will consist of a housing plan; a detailed plan on daily, weekly and monthly work routines; cow routines as well as farmer routines.

The entire project should fit into a long-term strategy, so every step should be thoroughly evaluated: where will you treat cows, dry off cows, etc.

Feed settings directly correlate to milk production Robot producers often overlook a very simple aspect of robotic milking: adjusting feed settings on the robot to accommodate high-producing cows.

Robotic milking systems, like Lely’s Astronaut A4, tailor feeding in the robot so that a herd’s nutritional requirements can be met on a per-cow basis. This can be an extremely beneficial tool if used correctly.

The idea is to cut down on feed waste on cows that are producing less, and to increase feed or “fuel” for fresh or high-producing cows and steer clear of a negative energy balance.

Lely’s team of farm management specialists work with robotic dairies to ensure feed settings are at the correct levels to achieve optimal nutrition and milk production.

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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Busy milking cows at a dairy farm in the United Kingdom.

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Herds are continuing to focus on components. Why aren’t you?

No sacrifice for components There are many reasons to focus on components, but more revenue is one of the biggest.

Learn from two herds, Dear Run Dairy and Sassy Cow Creamery, achieving high marks for different reasons. For both, high components are a make-it or break-it scenario.

by Lucas Sjostrom

High butterfat helps to create a higher milk price

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ou probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there is a New York dairy achieving a 29,000 pound rolling herd average. It’s been done many times by those feeding for high production with good genetics.

But, if I told you that average was over 700 cows with 3.9% butterfat and 3.2% protein, you might be impressed.

“We used to average 17,500 pounds of milk and were happy with 3.5% butterfat,” recalls Mike Burger of Deer Run Dairy, Adams, N.Y. “And protein was 2.9 to 3.0%.”

Difference in the melk check Mike Burger was happy to see his latest monthly statistics up to 4.2% butterfat. Burger and his family have always bred based on components and not pounds or net merit. With DairyComp, they can see the results genetically. “One bull has 40 daughters averaging 4.4% fat and 3.3% protein. It shows those genetics are something to reach for,” Burger explained.

With high fat and protein levels already, Burger doesn’t have a specific goal of where he’d like to be percentagewise for either component. But, he did recently meet a goal he set for the herd: to get over 2,000 pounds of components per cow for the year.

Deer Run Dairy’s milk heads to Great Lakes Cheese, also in Adams.

Their most famous cheese, the Adams Reserve New York Extra Sharp Cheddar, is aged over 12 months and first place winner at four state, national, At Sassy Cow a minimum of 3.8% butterfat is needed for quality cheese

and international cheese competitions.

Whether it was the dedication Mike learned serving as a U.S. Marine or his general cow skills, something is working and he’s seeing a big difference in the milk check. While he thinks genetics and nutrition both play a part, he is convinced it’s all the little things that add up to create a scenario like his.

Nutritionally, he points to BMR (brown mid-rib) corn silage and high forage diets as likely benefactors to the higher components since he began farming in 1996. Originally from a Pennsylvania farm with 35 cows, Mike and his wife, Kris, moved with the family to New York in 1992. Mike farmed for two years with his parents when they moved to New York. They bought the farm outright in 1998.

Today, their three daughters help on the farm along with both Mike’s father and father-in-law.

Blue ribbon cheese In Wisconsin, another herd achieves and needs high butterfat in a literal make-or-break scenario. “If we don’t have over 3.8% butterfat, our curd won’t stretch, and the cheese isn’t any good,” explains Kara Kasten-Olson, sales and marketing manager for Sassy Cow Creamery, Columbus, Wisc.

Sassy Cow is supplied by two farms – one organic and one conventional. The conventional herd has 400 cows, while the organic herd is 100 cows. Brothers James and Robert Baerwolf and their families send their milk to their familyowned creamery, where they bottle milk, half-and-half, heavy cream, and make ice cream.

James and Robert are the thirdgeneration dairy farmers, working the land their grandfather purchased in 1946. They opened the creamery in 2007 between the two dairy herds. The creamery and store are 15 minutes north of food-focused Madison with viewing windows into the production facility.

Cheesemaker Cesar Luis, of Cesar’s Cheese, also makes his signature Oaxaca string cheese, as well as many Mexican varieties, onsite using the Baerwolf’s milk. As mentioned, without enough fat, the process simply

The goal of Mike Burger and his family is 2000 pounds of components per cow per year

doesn’t work. Cesar and his wife, Heydi, stretch the curd by hand into 15-pound, 50-foot ropes. The cheese took home a blue ribbon from the 2010 American Cheese Society competition and second at the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest.

Sassy Cow also makes cheese curds of their own, including colored varieties for fans celebrating Green Bay Packers (green and yellow) and Wisconsin Badgers (red and white) games.

The right mix Because much of their supply goes into milk, Sassy Cow balances the milk, skimming off the fat for use in their higher-fat products and ice cream.

Before starting the creamery, KastenOlson said that the Baerwolfs didn’t have to worry about components.

Today, the two herds average 4% fat and 3% protein, which they need all of to meet growing demand.

In addition to the cheese and milk needing components, ice cream is required by law to have 10% fat.

But while components are important for Sassy Cow, demand dictates that they also watch their proportions of the two styles of milk.

“Now that our components are high enough, we need try to match demand of the organic and conventional products with our milk supply,” said Kasten-Olson. “It’s an ongoing challenge.” l

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New test determines how to manage fiber in rations. Page 26 Fatty acids improve production, health and reproduction. Page 28 Enhanced value with homogeneous rations. Page 31

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Hit that forage fiber sweet spot

Foraging ahead Fresh new research coming out of the University of WisconsinMadison, just kicked open a door that leads to better fiber management. The TTNDFD test is now available.

by Peter Ballerstedt

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nnoyed about the incidence of lameness and hoof problems in your herd? Fiber management, it turns out, can go a long way toward reducing such problems. If you’re adding something like wheat straw to cool off that hot ration, you probably already know you have to manage fiber in the dairy ration.

You also already know you’re probably giving up feed intake and milk production with your fiber additives.

What a trade off. But fresh new research coming out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, just kicked open a door that leads to better fiber management. Better fiber management means the trade-offs you’re now making can trade your way.

Here’s the nut of it Today’s high-producing dairy cows require both non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF).

Properly balancing NFC and NDF is

critical for animal health and profitable production. Table 1 presents ration guidelines based on the notion.

Commonly formulated rations, however, frequently contain too much NFC and too little highly digestible physically effective fiber. Ruminants fed a diet high in water-soluble carbohydrates (sugars and starches) from grain and other processed feeds can suffer in a number of ways.

A lack of highly digestible, physically effective NDF (peNDF) plus an excess of rapidly fermenting grains and sugars can cause chronic lactic acidosis in dairy cows and other ruminants. Issues such as hoof problems, milk fat depression, high cull rates, transient diarrhea, unexplained death loss, clostridial infections or liver abscesses can be caused by sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA).

Those issues are exactly what you’re addressing by adding forages low in neutral detergent fiber digestibility

Table 1: Fiber guidelines for high producing cows

ration guideline

NFC % of DM

NDF % of DM

peNDF % of DM

TTNDFD % of DM

< 40

28 to 30

75

> 43

Table 2: Feeds used to add fiber and lower NFC

wheat straw corn gluten feed beet pulp soy hulls NutriFiber forages

(NDFD), such as mature alfalfa and grasses, corn stalks or even wheat straw. The NDFD of commodities like corn gluten feed and beet pulp are high, but their total NDF content is relatively low and their NFC content is high (see Table 2), making it difficult to achieve the ration target shown in Table 1. Soy hulls do contain a relatively high amount of NDF that is highly digestible and have a low content of NFC, but they are low in the physically effective NDF (peNDF) that cows need for cud chewing and proper rumen function.

NDF % of DM

TTNDFD % of NDF

NFC % of DM

73 35 46 60 40-50

24 51 70 75 45-60

12 31 36 18 18-25

The total tract neutral detergent fiber digestibility (TTNDFD) procedure, developed at and licensed through the University of Wisconsin, provides estimates of feed and forage quality that have never before been visible. UWMadison dairy scientist, David Combs, working with a team of other researchers, including forage agronomist Dan Undersander, discovered that plant fiber is a complex material that varies greatly in its digestibility.

What does this mean? The TTNDFD test is now available to commercial forage testing labs. Its use is spreading among nutritionists and dairy farmers to better determine how to manage fiber in the rations fed to highproducing dairy cattle. It’s now possible to bump up the fiber needed to keep cows healthy while maintaining good feed intake, milk production, and limiting metabolic upsets that can cause such problems as lameness.

Decisions based in science Because of this new and nuanced forage test, grass is suddenly becoming a far more attractive ration additive to manage fiber. And not just any grass, but grass selected for and produced for its specific fiber content. Barenbrug has now a line of grass seed marketed as NutriFiberTM that creates the opportunity to balance a ration that takes advantage of the new science developed at UWMadison.

When you and your nutritionist hit that forage fiber sweet spot, you’ll begin to see how many challenges become opportunities. l

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Fatty acids improve production, health and reproduction

Balancing with fat feeding A balanced diet that optimizes feed intake and performance is every manager’s goal. Adding fatty acids to a ration can aid in caloric intake while increasing production, improving health and positively affecting reproductive performance.

by Amy Ryan

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n November at the Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council Conference, Dr. José Santos discussed different classifications of fatty acids and their affect on health, well-being and reproductive performance of dairy cattle. “Fatty acids are classified by chain length, degree of unsaturation (saturated, monounsaturated and poly-

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unsaturated) and the configuration of the double bond in the chain,” says Santos. “Differences in any of those aspects represent a difference in how they impact bodily functions and cell metabolism.”

The best time to feed Santos, a veterinarian by training, is currently a professor of animal sciences at the University of Florida. His appointment is split between extension and research where he focuses on understanding and improving cow health and management through dietary supplementation.

For instance, Santos says Omega-6 FA slightly exacerbate immune/inflammatory responses, while the Omega-3 FA slightly attenuate immune/inflammatory responses. For this reason, he stresses working closely with a nutritionist to develop a diet in which fatty acids are being correctly supplemented to produce the desired results.

“Moderate amounts of fatty acids can be included in the diet at any stage of lactation, but the timing of inclusion influences the response,” he says.

“Feeding in early lactation improves milk production, the primary goal of FA feeding, but does not impact energy status. Feeding mid-to-late lactation also increases milk, but the response will be less and the cows will add body condition.”

A pioneer in this area is Dr. Donald Palmquist, professor emeritus of animal sciences at The Ohio State University. For many years, he conducted research in dairy cattle feeding, nutrition and metabolism, primarily focusing on utilization of dietary fat on milk synthesis and composition. Notably, he along with his colleague, Thomas C. Jenkins, discovered, developed and patented the concept of using calcium salts of fatty acids as an energy supplement for highproducing cows.

“Timing of FA supplementation has been a topic of considerable debate, and in practice, is usually dictated by overall feeding management considerations,” says Palmquist. “Ruminants have limited capacity to utilize fat as an energy source and most cows, calving at body condition score of 3 or above, will mobilize considerable body fat in the first few weeks of lactation. This fat must be considered in the amount to be metabolized, therefore, it is not beneficial to feed fat until most body fat has been mobilized.”

Maintain energy intake

Moderate amounts of fatty acids can be included in the diet at any stage of lactation

Palmquist adds that this mobilization is usually minimized 6 weeks after calving. However, supplementing fat and forage, rather than starch, in later lactation will maintain energy intake and milk yield and help to

limit excessive weight gain of cows.

Supplementing fat allows diets to be balanced for optimum forage intake, thus improving rumen function and milk fat percentage. Palmquist states that this means increased flexibility of feeding management. Fat increases energy density of the diet to achieve maximum energy intake, or can be used to manipulate composition of the diet and body composition of the cows.

Some supplemental fats may increase milk fat percent, or decrease feed intake without decreasing yield, thus increasing feed efficiency.

Reproductively, Santos says research has shown that proper fatty acid supplementation can post moderate improvement of 4 to 6 percentage points in conception rates (CR).

Additionally, Omega-3 fatty acids impacted fertility by preventing late embryonic losses.

Less metritis postpartum Santos and his team have analyzed the affects of fatty acids on reproduction as a whole. While more research is warranted, studies indicate the Omega-6 fatty acids can result in less cases of severe metritis postpartum.

Omega-3 fatty acids also attribute to this increase due to a healthier uterus and ovaries which in turn lead to a better overall pregnancy and reduced incidence of pregnancy loss.

“As reproductive cells and immune cells grow stronger, cattle are healthy and it is no secret that healthy cows perform better production and reproductionwise,” says Santos. “As cows are healthier, they become pregnant easier.”

Finally, the most recent research focuses on the effect of fatty acids on cell and immune function. According to Santos, this new research examines the type of fatty acids fed and how it affects the cow’s cellular responses to pathogens and overall immune responses.

While long chain fatty acids are present in most feeds that ruminants consume, there are various ways to supplement FA. “The most common method of supplementation is through oil seeds such as whole cottonseed,

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Proper forage intake is the key to supplement fats successfully

roasted soybeans, canola or linseed,” says Santos. “Other sources include distillers’ grains, animal products and proprietary products such as calcium salts of fatty acids and prilled saturated free fatty acids.”

As far as best sources, Santos states that it varies based on available forages and farmers must take into account the base diet.

Santos provides the following examples, “Beef tallow works well with a base diet that includes some alfalfa or grass hay, whereas more rumen inert fatty acid sources tend to be more beneficial in diets composed of mostly corn silage.”

Palmquist adds, “As always, proper forage intake is the key to supplement fats successfully.

Generally, fat supplements work better with legume forages, but can be used with corn-based diets. The key here is to not use too much unsaturated fat.”

Tom Jenkins has developed a formula that considers unsaturated

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fatty content of fat supplements and the NDF content of the diet to estimate maximum use of unsaturated fat supplements. When the rumen load of unsaturated fatty acids by Jenkins formula is met, one should supplement a rumen inert fat, such as a calcium salt or saturated fatty acid. However, it is important to not supplement too much fat. The rule of thumb is to feed as much fat as the cow produces in her milk.

Compare costs When considering costs, it is important to compare the cost of fat supplementation with other ration ingredients. While it is generally more expensive to feed fatty acids, its benefits such as the 2.5 to 4 percent increase in milk yield need to be factored into the equation. Furthermore, calories are different in higher fat diets.

Santos again emphasizes the importance of working with a nutritionist to calculate the potential increase in milk production. It is

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important to take into account the current fat content of the ration and the affect that the chosen fat source can have on milk composition and yield.

Santos sums it up this way: “Always work closely with your nutritionist to pinpoint when, how much and the best type of fat to feed in your ration.

Maintain total fat content at moderate levels (between 3 to 4 percent total fatty acids or 4 to 5 percent total crude fat) or maybe a bit higher if feeding a high forage diet. This supplementation should equal an improvement in milk yield and reproduction.” l

More information on this topic, can be found at the University of Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium website: http//dairy.ifas. ufl.edu/rns/index.shtml Along with the proceeding from the 2014 program, the proceedings from previous years and topics can also be found on this site.

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Strive to minimize within-batch and between-batch ration variation

Enhanced value with homogeneous rations Cows like high quality, consistent rations that foster a healthy rumen. With a healthy rumen, cows respond with high milk production and far fewer health incidents.

by JoDee Sattler

F

or most dairies, feed-related costs top the milk production expense list.

Thus, it stands to reason that fine-tuning a dairy’s feeding system can deliver enhanced margins to the bottom line.

To focus, consider: feed management, equipment maintenance, standard operating procedure adherence, and employee training. Refining these key areas will help prevent nutrient loss and variation, unacceptable levels of feed shrink, and pathogen growth.

Minimize nutrient loss Nutrient instability of feed ingredients can lead to significant nutrient loss. Feeds with elevated moisture levels, primarily silage and wet byproducts, are most apt to lose nutrient value. Kevin Leahy, Diamond V dairy technical services specialist,

explains that infrared imaging helps identify areas where feed is heating.

Extreme temperature increases (from 22 to 38° F.) in silage and high moisture corn can cut feed energy and result in a projected daily milk loss of up to four pounds.

What causes the energy loss? Most likely, an increase in the number of micro-organisms − wild yeasts, mold and bacteria − triggered the feed to heat.

“These organisms can only create heat by using energy in feeds as fuel for their metabolic processes,” says Jeff Mikus, Diamond V technical service specialist.

With micro-organisms grabbing a portion of energy, less energy is available to the cow for health maintenance and milk production.

Furthermore, wild yeasts hinder volatile fatty acid (VFA) production.

Maintain a smooth silage face to help minimize feed shrink

Reduced VFA levels typically result in lower milk production.

Leahy says dairy producers can reduce energy losses, due to heating and harmful organisms, by adhering to well-accepted silage management strategies. He shared several recommendations. Pack silage to foster proper fermentation. Cover silage quickly to reduce oxygen exposure. When removing silage, pull back the plastic that covers two days’ worth of silage, and maintain a smooth silage face.

Only remove the amount of silage needed for that feeding period. Remove loose silage (near silage pile and mixing area) within eight hours.

Consider using an inoculate containing Lactobacillus buchneri at ensiling.

Reduce feed shrink Mike Brouk, Kansas State University animal sciences and industry associate professor/extension specialist, warns dairy producers that feed shrink can eat away at profits. “Shrink is an incredibly underestimated area of loss on the farm,” he says. Feed shrink estimates often reach 20% on many dairy operations. Brouk lists 10 areas

To create a smooth face, shave silage piles vertically

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TMR mixer wagon check list • Are mixer blades sharp?

• Is the kicker plate in good condition?

• Is there good clean out?

• Are load cells weighing accurately?

• Is the feeder allowing proper mix time after the last ingredient is added?

• Is the wagon level during loading?

• Is there twine wrapped around the mixer screws?

• Do you have super magnets installed on the discharge chutes?

Place ration ingredients between the augers

Silage face management • Remove spoiled silage • Shave silage pile vertically to create a smooth face • Remove enough silage to avoid heating • Blend faced silage into a pile to minimize variation • Remove loose silage at the end of feeding • Weight leading edge of silage pile covering with tires

Check scales often and calibrate when needed

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that offer the biggest opportunity to minimize feed shrink: unpaved feed storage area (mud), lack of feeder expectations, training and feedback, poorly covered silage, wind blowing away feed, poor silage face management, inadequate silage packing, excessive feed refusals, loading too many ration ingredients into the feed mixer, inaccurate loading of ingredients into the mixer, and inaccurate mixer scale.

Additionally, he recommends using feed software to track ingredient load deviations, load size, drop and cycle time.

According to Leahy, mixers, scales and loaders are often overlooked as critical points for consistent diet production. After analyzing TMR audits, the Diamond V team found that more than 20% of loads were mixed with worn-out wagons (wagon parts).

While various brands and models of mixers behave differently, blades and kicker plates are typically the two components that most affect mixer performance. Blade wear is extremely variable, with feeds mixed having the biggest impact on blade wear. In general, blades should be changed at least every three months. Change blades more often if coarse forages are part of the mixture. Also, blade condition plays a key role in a mixer’s ability to efficiently produce a consistent diet.

Mikus says kicker plates, the small pieces of metal usually found on the leading edge of augers in vertical mixers, are likely the most important piece of equipment within the mixer.

Monitor ration variation with a shaker box

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“A very good indication of kicker wear is a trail of feed around the outer edge of the mixer tub.” Worn kickers cannot move feed away from the tub wall and into the mix, or move feed to the loadout door.

Check scales Mixing equipment scale accuracy greatly influences diet variability and shrink. Joe Harner, Kansas State University biological and agricultural engineering department head, describes two types of errors with scales. Scales can be off by a certain percentage or by a certain weight. Either inaccuracy can cause a significant change in diet composition and costly feed shrink.

Thus, Harner recommends checking scales often and calibrating when needed. The most accurate way to check a scale is to secure the services of a commercial scale company.

To prevent TMR variability due to mixing, do not: over fill, under mix, under process hay, use dull blades or worn kicker plates, load liquids improperly, add ingredients in the wrong sequence, or add low inclusion products without mixing them into the ration.

For vertical wagons, fill to 75 to 95% of struck volume. If mixing a small load with a vertical wagon, the ingredients must reach the top of screws to get good mixing. For reel horizontal wagons, fill to 70% of maximum volume. For four-auger wagons, fill to 75% of maximum volume. Processing hay ahead of time fosters more accurate loading and Change blades at least quarterly

reduces mixing time. This step helps produce more uniform TMRs, which leads to healthier cows and a higher productivity.

Parking the mixer on a level area free of debris also helps create consistent diets. If mixers are parked on a slope, the densest feeds will move toward the lowest portion of the mixer.

Follow mixing order Through its TMR audits, Mikus says the Diamond V team discovered that ingredient loading, including position in the mix order and how the ingredient is delivered to the mixer, has a big affect on diet consistency. While some variance may be justified, this order fits most scenarios: 1) large squares or rounds of hay/straw, 2) dry fine ingredients/feed additives, 3) cottonseed and/or on-farm premixes, 4) haylage, 5) corn silage, 6) wet byproducts and 7) liquids. Blend wet distillers and other wet byproducts with large particles before mixing with fine particles to prevent clumping. Or, add these byproducts toward the end of the loading sequence.

“Keep low inclusion products toward the front of the mix order to allow for complete distribution in the diet,” says Mikus. “Make sure dry fine ingredients are either mixed thoroughly throughout the mix and/or added before wetter feeds. This helps prevent clumping of ingredients that may prevent complete dispersal.”

In addition, it’s important to put ration ingredients in the correct place in the mixer. For twin screw vertical

mixers, place ingredients between the augers so they are evenly distributed throughout the auger.

Evaluate TMR via shaker box To monitor within-batch and between-batch variation of particle size in TMRs, Leahy highly recommends using the Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS) box. Before grabbing a PSPS, collect representative TMR samples. Do this by scooping up approximately 500 grams (17.6 ounces) immediately after the ration is delivered to the feedbunk and before cows start consuming it. Put samples in a 1-quart ziplock-type bag.

Grab 10 samples along the feedbunk, representing the beginning, middle and end of the ration load. Shake the sample through the shaker box. Make sure smaller particles that are clumped together with any added liquids are filtered through the top screen. Finally, calculate the percentage weight (as-is basis) on each screen and determine the coefficient of variation (CV) for the batch.

What’s good? Strive for ≤3% CV on the middle and bottom screens. Don’t feel bad if you don’t achieve this level of success. Leahy notes that only 30% of the more than 1,000 analyses done by Diamond V staff attained this “normal” benchmark. Thus, there’s a lot of room for improvement on U.S. dairies when it comes to feeding a high quality, consistent ration. Remember, the ration on paper or electronic screen should be the same as the ration that’s fed and what the cows consume. l

Park the mixer on a level area free of debris to help create consistent diets

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Ter Bogt Dairy Hielkje and Freddy ter Bogt ‘emigrated’ back from New Zealand to Germany to farm on smaller scale.

Westoverledingen

Germany

Number of cows: Amount of land: Total year production: Workers:

300 375 acre 5,5 million lbs 1

Hielkje and Freddy ter Bogt

Former New Zealand producer invests in a German operation with feed mixing room and solar panels

From 3000 to 300 cows After ten years farming in New Zealand, dairy farmers Freddy and Hielkje ter Bogt “emigrated” back to Europe two years ago

The 2 x 8 parlor will be replaced

take on all the risks because you have the livestock and the staff.”

In twelve years, Hielkje and Freddy’s modest herd expanded to 3,000 cows and the young farmers became joint owners of four dairies. “We worked incredibly hard. It was milking, moving the herd around, and more milking. We became bigger and bigger but we didn’t really intend to farm on that scale,” says Freddy. “Dairy farming is constantly becoming more commercial. You did After reconstruction the cowshed can hold 190 dairy cows

deliberately chosing to farm on a smaller scale. Hielkje ter Bogt: “Here at least I can see the cows again.”

by Jorieke van Cappellen

I

t was meant to be for one year. But it became ten years. Dairy producers Freddy (36) and Hielkje (33) ter Bogt look back on New Zealand as a period of much freedom and of very hard work.

“We were 18 and 21 years old, had just left agricultural college and were keen to work abroad for a year,” says Hielkje.

“We weren’t attached to a particular place in the Netherlands because at home it was not possible for us to take over a family farm. We packed a few things together and got on a plane.”

This adventurous step shows the mentality of the two dairy farmers.

Hielkje knew from a young age that she wanted to do “something” with cows.

With a pig farm at home, Freddy had a background and training in pig farming. “Hielkje encouraged me to go

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with her to New Zealand. And I thought why shouldn’t we give it a go?”

In New Zealand, Freddy and Hielkje got to work as milkers on a dairy farm on the South Island. Freddy: “In New Zealand the system of share milking is common practice. The share milker owns cows but does not have a farm himself. You enter into an agreement with the owner of a farm so that you can milk and graze your herd. For this you get part of the milk yield. You can live from this and expand your herd. Or take on staff.”

Freddy and Hielkje were there at a good time, they say. Freddy: “The milk price was very good. In addition, in New Zealand you don’t pay any wealth tax so you can quickly build up assets. On the other hand, as a share milker you do

C OW C O MW A N MAAGNEAMG EE NMTE N J AT N FUE AB RR YU /AF RE YB R2U0 A1 R4 Y

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The roof of the cowshed is rented out to an energy company and covered in solar panels

Different storages for feed

everything in consultation with your associates and over time, we saw more of the office than we did of the cows. We increasingly disliked that way of life.”

the Netherlands, because in New Zealand we had to celebrate in the sun with (warm) temperatures of 35 C.” However, going back to the Netherlands was not an option. Germany seemed a more attractive prospect. “The milk quota in the Netherlands and land were too expensive. On an investment of 1 million kg of milk quota there was already a difference over $1.2 million between the Netherlands and Germany.”

With five children born in the meantime, the social aspect also played a part. “In Germany, the education system is very good,” says Hielkje. “Moreover, it is now rather easier to travel to the Netherlands to visit the family.”

Back to the family farm It was decided to go back to the environment of a family farm and in 2010, the assets they had built up in New Zealand were sold. Freddy: “We considered Australia but the weather there is very changeable. We decided to

head for Western Europe where the size of dairy farms was what we were looking for.” Not everyone would relocate with such apparent ease. Freddy turns it around. “In principle it doesn’t matter to me where I live and have my farm. All things considered, you don’t really miss anything if you go away. Each time I came back to family and friends in the Netherlands everyone had got a bit older, but life as we had left it still went on as before. Only at Christmas did we miss

Solar panels on the roof The dairy operation in the German village of Westoverledingen was built in 1984 and in poor condition. Freddy and Hielkje did a lot of reconstruction work and expanded the barns for 190 dairy cows. They run the farm with one parttime employee. The roof of the cowshed is rented out to an energy company and partly covered in solar panels. It provides the farmers with $27,000 and after 15 years they will own the solar panels.

“We used this money to improve the roof,” says Freddy.

A large equipment building has just been finished. Freddy opens the automatic sliding door to reveal the closed feed mixing center. “I want a farm with 250 to 300 very healthy cows that achieve milk production of 22,000 pounds,” says Freddy. “The feeds are in separate silos so you don’t get any vermin in the feed. Moreover, I want my farm to look clean and tidy without ugly silage piles everywhere.” The cows are fed a total mixed ration of grass silage,

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corn silage, brewer’s grain, wheat, cornmeal, citrus pulp, rape seed and minerals.

Poor grass quality The management of the dairy farm in Germany and the extensive management in New Zealand are miles apart. How did the changeover go?

Freddy: “We did have a lot of experience with looking after and grazing large herds, but here we had to learn how you can milk cows in the best way possible and keep them healthy in intensive conditions. For New Zealand standards we farmed very intensive with 2 cows per acre. The production in Germany is a bit higher and that is why we have to deal with milk fever.”

When the farm started up there were more hurdles. Freddy: “In November 2011 the cows arrived and we started milking. Shortly afterwards it became extremely cold and everything froze.

The farm yard did not yet have a hard surface and it was a heap of rubbish with all the snow and ice.”

Hielkje continues: “When we went from the Netherlands to New Zealand we had nothing. But when we went from New Zealand to Germany we had five children and we started up a completely different kind of farm. It felt as if we didn’t know how to farm”, Hielkje remembers. “What I found really awful was that at first the children really didn’t like the school. Of course they didn’t know the language, nor did we. Fortunately in the meantime they have completely settled in.”

Freddy and Hielkje plan to graze their livestock for a few hours each day on the home plot behind the cowshed. The

home plot is too small for a New Zealand style farm. But also because of the poor quality of the grass. Freddy had almost 70 percent of the grass acreage sown again. German pastureland generally has outdated grass cover. By reseeding we have a 30 percent higher grass production and the quality has greatly improved, he says.

The cows at the feeding rack are eating very enthusiastically and look healthy.

“A nice cow has a good capacity to be able to eat well and a fine udder,” Freddy says.

A passageway through the pastureland leads to their neighbour’s stables that Freddy and Hielkje bought to provide accommodation for the young stock and the dry cows. In the entrance hall of the old farm, Freddy plans to set up a young stock stall and a calving stall with a camera. “It makes a difference to us walking 150 metres. Furthermore, I don’t think the young stock stall is as good as it could be. It is sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold,” he says, referring to the low stall with corrugated iron sheeting.

Feed young stock solidly Freddy is also keen for the young stock to have a good ration. “We feed the young stock solidly, up to the heifers.

When calving, a heifer must be developed so that she can turn her energy into milk from the outset.” According to Freddy, both in New Zealand and in Germany too little attention is paid to good young stock breeding. “The replacement percentage is very high. Some forty percent of the heifers do not make a second list in Germany.”

Meanwhile Hielkje is getting ready to

The cows are fed a total mixed ration

go and milk the cows. In the long term the 2 x 8 tandem milking parlor will be replaced by a milking parlor with greater capacity. But Freddy and Hielkje don’t mind working hard. Freddy: “It might seem a bit odd but we really like working.

In New Zealand we learned what you can achieve if you set your mind to it.”

Hielkje adds. “It was a period that we wouldn’t have missed for the world. But here in Germany I am doing what I have always really wanted to do. Here at least I can see the cows again.” l

The dairy operation in Germany was in poor condition and needed a lot of reconstruction work

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS March 3-7: March 25-27: April 1-3: April 11-14: April 15-16: April 18: April 19: April 22-24: May 19-23: May 27-30 :

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June 11-12: June 22-26: June 25-28: June 25-28: July 20-24: July 22-26:

C O N TA C T S

2nd IDF Symposium on Microstructure of Dairy Products and 5th IDF Symposium on Science and Technology of Fermented Milk, Melbourne, Australia Central Plains Dairy Conference, Sioux Falls, SD Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference, Green Bay, WI New York Dairy Carousel, Syracuse, NY Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, IN Midwest Spring Red & White Show, Jefferson, WI Midwest Spring National Show, Jefferson, WI High Temperature Short Time (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop, Cornell University, NY ICAR 39th Biennial Session 2014 and Interbull Session, Berlin, Germany 27th ADSA Discover Conference – Strategies for improving US Dairy Cattle Welfare, Itasca, IL 4-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, Dubuque, IA 12th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis Parma, Italy National Holstein Convention, Dubuque, IA AJCA and NAJ Annual Meetings, Alexandria, VA ADSA-ASAS JAM 2014, Kansas City, MO 50th Anniversary National Red & White Convention, Elkhorn, WI

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C o w h ealt h an d f eed in g

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April – In our spring issue, we will take a special look at cow health. More specifically, how do you keep your herd healthy and how new techniques like sensors help with avoiding diseases. We also take a closer look at the influence of fiber in a modern dairy ration.

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