CowManagement US September 2012

ED ITION U .S. V O LU M E 4 N O 4 SE PTE MBE R 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

C A LF H EA LTH

Automatic calf feeders offer more flexibility BREED IN G

New technology shapes future of genetics FO RA G E A N D FEED IN G SPEC IAL

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CO NTENTS

FEATURES

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Cow talk Trouw Nutrition news Barenbrug grass news CRV breeding information Vet practice: early embryonic death Lely information FARM REPORT

12 Lamb Farms enjoying what they do and sharing it with others BREEDING

32 New technology shapes future of genetics H E A LT H

36 Bacterial cultures target mastitis MANAGEMENT

17 World Dairy Expo 28 Milk quality

Jonathan Lamb: “We adapt technologies that are fiscally responsible for us” 12

Amy Ryan Sharing a passion

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t is no secret that this year, especially this hot, dry summer has not been easy for dairymen around the U.S. In fact, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor in mid-August, 87% of the U.S. corn crop, 85% of soybeans, 63% of hay, and 72% of cattle areas were experiencing drought. While it seems hard to find a bright side to this equation, I challenge all of you to do just that. As dairy producers, we share a passion for the industry – it unites us and drives us to find new technologies to run successful businesses.

As one of New York’s largest dairies, Lamb Farms Inc. combines their passion for the industry and the registered Holstein cow by producing quality products and bringing outstanding genetics to the marketplace. While they have incorporated new technologies to deliver those products, most important to them is enjoying what they do, being good neighbors and sharing

their passion. Page 12 tells their story.

Automatic calf feeders allow calves more constant access to milk or milk replacer to accelerate their ability to reach their genetic potential. While the feeders bring calves and workers more flexibility, regular monitoring and maintenance is required to ensure calves are receiving consistent concentrations of milk. Producers also share their experiences with automatic calf feeders.

With feed supply and costs being a concern, extending available forages is a priority. The special section on forage management highlights techniques to get the most for your feed. The shift in feeding partially mixed rations in herds with robotic milking systems is on page 24. The other articles discuss transitioning to grazing and grasses.

Also, look for updates on changes with genetic selections, the role of bacterial cultures in treating mastitis and a preview for this year’s World Dairy Expo.

Management Calf feeders

Special Forage and feeding

Series Nutrient management

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Automatic calf feeders require regular maintenance and monitoring.

We focus on grazing, grasses and robotic feeding in our forage special.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Manure management optimized by routine soil testing.

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Vaccine helps increase enteric health

Dairy herd performance tools Dairy farmers have the opportunity to compare their herd health and performance with other herds due to research from UW-Madison.

Two hundred organic and 100 sizematched conventional dairy farms across the U.S. participated in a study examining the affect of organic management on animal health and well-being. Dr. Pamela Ruegg, UW Dairy Science professor and extension milk quality specialist, and her research team visited each farm to collect information about herd health records, milk samples, body condition scores, disease treatments, usage of veterinarians, livestock housing, feed, and routine milking procedures.

The team created individualized

benchmark reports for each farm.

These reports became the database for a new suite of interactive herd performance tools available online.

The online tools compare: SCC, milk production, milk fat and protein, clinical mastitis and culling rates.

Any dairy farmer can use these tools and select a variety of management practices, herd characteristics and other farm criteria to compare.

Creating a forum for dairy farmers to compare herd performance to other herds is empowering as herd health can influence overall farm income. The peer benchmarking approach helps farmers identify strengths and weaknesses on their operations and set herd goals.

Source: http://milkquality.wisc.edu/

DairyCents – a Mobile App for IOFC Penn State’s Extension Dairy Team has developed a mobile app titled ‘DairyCents’ that offers two features: calculate income over feed costs (IOFC) and feed price comparisons with the Penn State Feed Price List or other users across the country. Using DairyCents is as easy as entering a zip code, selecting a milk production level, and date, and the app will calculate IOFC. The display will show feed cost/cwt., feed cost/cow, gross milk price, milk margin/cwt. milk and IOFC/cow/day.

A second feature allows the user to compare their purchased feed price to the Penn State Feed Price List and to other users in the database who have purchased the same feed.

DairyCents is available for free through the app store on iTunes.

Source: http://extension.psu.edu

BoviCare™ is a vaccine that contains killed Cryptosporidium parvum proteins that condition the gut to meet enteric health needs and promote increased feed efficiency and weight gain.

Enteric health is critical to the health of the neonatal calf.

During this critical time, calves are highly susceptible to enteric health problems. BoviCare™ is a new tool that helps increase enteric health and promotes healthier calves.

BoviCare™ is administered orally in milk replacer from the day of birth to day 7 of life. It is a cost effective and user-friendly approach to meeting the enteric health needs of a newborn calf.

Source: www.BoviCare.com

Pfizer Animal Health releases residue video A new video that helps producers and veterinarians understand new sampling and testing procedures for drug residues in meat, poultry and eggs is now available The video features Dr. Gary Neubauer, DVM, senior manager, Cattle Technical Services, Pfizer Animal Health. He explains what the announcement from the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) means, what the new procedures are, and how they can affect dairy operations.

To learn more about the new drug residue testing requirements and tools that can help you avoid a damaging residue violation, visit www.

AvoidResidues.com or contact your veterinarian or Pfizer Animal Health representative.

Source: https://animalhealth.pfizer.com

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The way nature intended: calves drin

Automatic calf fee de Automatic calf feeders require regular maintenance and good monitoring from the staff. To get the most calf health benefits from your automatic calf feeders, calves need to regularly consume homogenous milk or milk replacer with consistent density. text JoDee Sattler

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here is an option to feeding calves individually in hutches, which also allows calves to drink milk ad libitum – a key strategy in helping calves reach their genetic potential.

Automated calf feeding stations, available to the calf 24/7, offer flexibility for calves and workers. Even though calves live in a group setting, feeding can be customized (for example, number of feedings per day, amount of daily milk intake and plane of nutrition) for each calf. Like cows entering a milking parlor or robotic milker, the automatic feeder identifies a calf by reading her radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

More feedings Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, Madison, WI, says, “The real advantage of autofeeders is the increased number of feedings per day.” Typically, calves drink four to six smaller feedings in a 24-hour period. Spreading out the feedings substantially enhances the development of digestive organs.

Along with the increased number of feedings, milk intake also increases. Hoskins works with producers feeding from 1.25 pounds of milk replacer powder up to 3 pounds daily. For pasteurized milk, intake ranges from 2 to 3 gallons per day.

Calves need to be fed little and often in order to assimilate their food properly. The abomasum can only hold about 2 quarts of milk, so it is better to split the daily ration into more than two feedings. Nutrient utilization improves when calves consume milk over more feedings that promotes more efficient weight gain.

Besides the ability to consume more milk throughout the day, Hoskins likes the consistency that automatic calf feeders deliver. “Another benefit is consistent mixing and feeding temperatures with every meal.” However, someone must calibrate the machine regularly to check powder density.

Calf monitoring Calf feeders typically pick up cues on calf health while feeding milk. With an automatic feeder, calf caretakers need

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At Dykstra Dairy, labor needs dropped significantly after installing 14 automatic calf feeders

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alves drink milk when they’re hungry

eeders foster efficient to schedule time to look at calves for any signs of distress.

In to assist a keen eye, the machine also aids in monitoring calves. “Most units include detailed monitoring systems that let you know when milk consumption is down, visits to the machine have decreased and feeding durations are slower,” says Hoskins.

A sudden change in feeding habits also signals a sign of illness.

These feeding systems record consumption patterns, store and monitor data, and report any deviation. An alarm notifies the feeder of any unusual feeding patterns or if a calf(s) has not come to the feeder.

Automatic calf feeders require regular maintenance and monitoring. To get the most calf health benefits from automatic calf feeders, calves need to regularly consume homogenous milk/milk replacer with consistent density.

Furthermore, labor savings (for milk preparation and feeding) is a big advantage of feeding calves milk via an automated system, which can help offset a system’s cost. Additionally, with no buckets or bottles to wash, cleaning time drops significantly.

How it works The automatic feeder recognizes calves from their RFID tags.

A processor integrated into the feeder assures that the milk quantity is allocated according to prescribed parameters and dispensed over several feedings per day. “The milk replacer concentration, feed quantity per visit and total feed allocation per day can automatically adjust to a calf’s physiological development or age,” says Marcia Endres, University of Minnesota-Extension dairy scientist. Cow milk alone, combinations of cow milk and milk replacer, or just milk replacer can be fed, dispensed and adjusted according to a predefined plan.

Most feeders can handle 25 to 50 calves. A feeding station with two nipples can feed up to 50 calves per day. The machines offer a lot of flexibility as calves of different ages are held in one group and one feeder can feed two separate groups.

Weaning calves is often challenging (and deafening). With an automated feeding system, weaning is done automatically and gradually (and quietly). Some producers wean calves by limiting daily feedings to two, whereas some producers start the process by taking away 1 pint per day until the calf is completely weaned. Another option is to dilute milk of the same total quantity over a 10- to 14-day period.

Housing, ventilation recommendations When setting up automated feeding systems and housing arrangements, Endres says to implement strategies that avoid competition. Tactics include keeping group sizes relatively

cantly

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small, properly introducing new calves to the group with adequate training, and feeding higher quantities of milk.

For calves to thrive, calf barns must provide good ventilation, dry and comfortable resting areas, access to feed and water, and secure footing. Group housing works best if calves are healthy when they enter the facility.

With the addition of an automatic calf feeder to his dairy operation, Steve Klaphake is seeing exceptional growth in his calves

Backgrounding period Several producers using automated milk feeding systems put their newborn calves in individual stalls (in a barn or outdoor hutch). Some describe this as ‘backgrounding’. Calves must be free of scours and disease before transitioning to group housing. Often, starter calves are housed and fed individually for two to 12 days.

Factors affecting the backgrounding period include: colostrum quality, calf vigor and age difference among calves within the group. Calves should possess a strong sucking reflex, drink milk aggressively and be disease free before moving to group housing.

Admittedly, automatic calf feeding systems are still in their infancy and calf specialists, manufacturers and dairy producers are learning a lot about fine-tuning the systems. To gain some insight from early adopters, read the sidebars where Midwest calf managers shared their on-farm experiences. l

Eric Van Wyk and Darin Dykstra – Dykstra Dairy Maurice, IA Outdoor calf hutches aren’t a good fit for northwest Iowa, says Eric Van Wyk of Dykstra Dairy, Maurice, IA. “It’s terribly hot in the summer and terribly cold in the winter.” Plus, they’re pretty labor intensive. So, Van Wyk and others at the dairy researched automated calf feeding systems; what he believes is the future of calf feeding. He really likes the potential labor savings.

Once the decision was made to implement automated calf feeding, Darin Dykstra began working with a general contractor to design a new calfrearing facility that provides good ventilation and will last a long time. The

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facility, which went operational in fall 2010, has 14 feeders; two pens of 20 calves each drink from one feeder. (At capacity, each pen could handle 25 calves with 50 calves per feeder.) Each calf in a group gets the same diet. With an all-in/all-out system, they pressure wash and sanitize pens between groups.

At Dykstra Dairy, calves are not backgrounded. They start with the group feeder on day one. Calves within a pen vary by only a few days in age. They are allowed to drink 6 to 8 liters of milk replacer daily. To wean calves, they use a step-down plan. Starting on day 51, a little bit of milk is taken away each day.

On day 65, the calf is completely weaned.

Van Wyk says there’s no substitute for cleaning the feeders properly. “If there’s any ‘bug,’ milk replacer provides a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. We go above and beyond what the manufacturer says. For example, the manufacturer recommends circuit cleaning twice a week; we do it daily.”

The results? Labor needs dropped significantly, but higher skilled labor is now needed. The calf death rate (compared to when they used a custom raiser) is much less. Dykstra Dairy is now breeding heifers at 13 months of age, much earlier than before.

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Steve Klaphake – Clay Hills Holsteins Freeport, MNShawano, WI Steve Klaphake does not shy away from mechanization. In 2009, he put up a new dairy barn and installed two robotic milkers. At about the same time, he saw an automatic calf feeder and said, “I have to have one.” He accomplished that goal in August 2010.

Calves receive three feedings of colostrum. Then, they go to the automatic feeder where they are allowed to drink milk replacer up to six times per day, for a total of 6 to 7 liters. They spend 37 days at this rate and then gradual weaning begins. By day 47, they are weaned but stay in the pen until day 60. Calves of varying age are in a group; 1 day of age up to 2 weeks old are in one pen; 2 weeks to 60 days old in the second pen.

Previously, Klaphake raised calves in hutches. “We had good growth in our calves, but now we have exceptional calves,” he says. When calves were in hutches, they were on milk replacer for 57 days. Even though they now drink milk for 10 fewer days, they’re now 20 pounds heavier at weaning.

For Klaphake’s calves, dysentery has been the biggest issue. “You have to keep things clean.” So, they clean nipples by hand every night and use the nipples for three weeks. They change milk lines every three days.

Klaphake says his calves are cleaner now than when he used hutches.

“We bed with long-cut straw. Calves are never dirty and pens are easier to bed and maintain.” He likes how the group setting helps with socialization.

In addition to labor savings for pen (hutch) maintenance, Klaphake says there’s no need to mix milk replacer or clean bottles. “This cut feeding time in half.”

If you’re considering an automatic calf feeding system, Klaphake strongly recommends visiting dairies with these systems. Besides checking out the calves and feeders, look at tools and features that enhance ventilation.

Doug Blashe – Genex Cooperative Inc. Shawano, WI In January 2010, Genex installed its first automatic calf feeder. They now have four machines, each with two nipples, in two separate barns. The number of calves per pen ranges from 12 to 20. “Our goal is to have less than 15 per pen,” says Doug Blashe. “When we go beyond that, the more timid calves struggle.”

All calves are fed 1 gallon of colostrum within one hour of birth. Newborns are placed in individual pens and bottle fed, three times per day, for about eight days. In the morning and evening, they drink milk replacer; at noon, they drink electrolyte. Before going to a group pen

with an automatic feeder, calves must drink a full bottle.

Going from bottle to machine can be a tricky transition. “When we first started using the automatic feeders, we programmed the machine so ‘new’ calves could drink a small amount of milk six times a day,” says Blashe. “We found calves were leaving the machine hungry; this created a sucking problem.

Now, calves can get 2 liters (per feeding) on the first day in the pen. The limit is 6 liters per day. By the third day, they are transitioned to a limit of 1.5 liters per feeding, with the daily limit staying at 6 liters. This encourages them to

spread out their milk consumption and prevents gut overflow.” For weaning, calves go from a full feeding to no milk over a week’s time.

To address health challenges, Genex is experimenting with a nipple washer.

An ‘antiseptic’ is sprayed on the nipple after a calf finishes drinking. “We’re trying to prevent spreading germs between calves,” says Blashe.

In summer, they just bed with shavings; in winter, they bed with long-cut wheat straw on top of the shavings base. “The fluffy straw provides great insulation,” Blashe notes. “No straw in the summer helps with fly control.”

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400K SCC A cost effective solution European standards for milk quality with an SCC limit of 400K are being placed on dairies. As one of our customers recently said “the cheap diesel model no longer works in the U.S.” Basically, the past method of controlling SCC by dumping milk and slaughtering cows is simply too expensive with the high cost of diesel fuel and resulting feed commodity prices.

CoPulsationtm has been proven to eliminate new infections caused by the reverse milking action that occurs when the liner pinches the teat with a conventional milking machine. Teat dips and bedding simply have no impact on lowering SCC in individual cows when your machine pinches the teat end forcing bacteria up the canal during milking.

See it in action at www.Facebook.com/CoPulsation CoPulsationtm Milking System 607-849-3880

www.CoPulsation.com

NOVEMBER 2 FEEDING & CALF REARING

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VISIT COWMANAGEMENT AT WORLD DAIRY EXPO OCTOBER 2-6 (BOOTH AL 105 -106) AND WIN A FREE LELY COW BRUSH Get our stamp card and collect stamps from our high quality partners. You can get the cards and stamps at the booths from our partners: CRV USA, Coliseum Arena Level 105-106 Lely USA, Arena Building 461-483 Barenbrug USA, Exhibition Hall 1109-1110 Collect the stamps, fill out your name and telephone number and bring it to the CRV, Lely or Barenbrug booth. You will be entered in our drawing to WIN a cow brush from Lely.

All participants will get a FREE CowManagement hat.

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TROUW NUTRITION NEWS

Dedication to research and development Nutreco’s research and development is designed to use the opportunities offered by science to support Nutreco businesses in implementing their strategies. Innovation opportunities

are split into quantitative nutrition and functional nutrition.

The Animal Nutrition R&D science focus areas are identified as follows.

In quantitative nutrition they are: • Evaluation of feed ingredients; • Animal modeling; • Additives for feed efficiency; • Nutritional solutions for sustainable animal production.

In functional nutrition they are: • Young animal feeds; • Gut health concepts; • Feeds for transition stages; • Controlling zoonosis.

Trouw Nutrition announces new Myco-Lock® 500 NC Distributor Trouw Nutrition USA, LLC and Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc. have recently partnered in the distribution of Myco-Lock 500® NC. Eldon C. Stutsman’s, a current Trouw Nutrition customer, has been a strong advocator of Myco-Lock 500 NC in the Midwest. The opportunity arose when both companies decided to join forces because of the environmental factors and benefit the product can offer customers. Together, Trouw Nutrition and Stutsman’s are committed to deliver the best product to our customers.

About the product Myco-Lock 500 NC is a dry 50% propionic acid product designed to minimize heating and maintain nutrient quality in bunks. It is an effective and safe mold inhibitor because of its low corrosive properties.

About the company In 1934, Eldon C. Stutsman started the company after neighbors began asking him to bring them supplies from town when he would go for his own. Eldon, a farmer, was happy to help a neighbor out. After some time, the requests kept coming so he decided it would be a prime opportunity to start his own business.

From day one, customer service has been important to Stutsman’s. Today, it still remains their number one motto. Stutsman’s, family-owned company, is known for being the largest supplier of agricultural products, retail and wholesale in eastern Iowa. Stutsman’s has 130+ employees and a strong commitment to provide innovation to their customer’s while delivering products and services at competitive rates.

Nutreco’s Research Centers The Ruminant Research Center in the Netherlands has expertise in dairy, beef and small ruminant nutrition. At the dairy research farm, individual feed intakes are monitored, including the separate intake patterns of concentrates and roughage, both during the dry period and lactation. In 2011, efficient beef production was added as a research area. The research contributes to the development of products, concepts and nutritional models.

The Calf Research Center in the Netherlands conducts research into nutritionally related aspects of veal and pink meat production. Topics include milk replacers, feed ingredients, feed efficiency, meat quality, animal health and animal welfare. This research center has collaborative projects with research facilities in Mexico.

The Nutreco Canada Inc. Agresearch Farm located in Burford, Ontario, conducts research for the dairy, swine and poultry industry. This facility has years of experience in research and development, understanding livestock and poultry businesses from start to finish, from birth to market.

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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Lamb Farms Inc. The Lamb family prides itself in being good neighbors and providing a good means of living for all involved in the operation.

Number of cows: Amount of land: Rolling herd average: Somatic cell count:

R E P O RT

Oakfield

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Alicia and Jonathan with Oakfield Encino Britley EX-90 Young calves are raised in individual pens

Lamb Farms Inc. and Oakfield Corners Dairy combine passion for the dairy business and registered Holsteins

Great neighbors, great business Lamb Farms Inc. produces high quality products while excelling in environmental stewardship and genetics. Partner/ owner Jonathan Lamb, says the 5,800-cow dairy strives to be environmentally and fiscally responsible by considering new technologies and growing their business. text Amy Ryan

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ordon Lamb moved to Oakfield, New York in 1966 and began his dairying venture with just over 100 cows. Eleven years later, Lamb Farms Inc. was formed when partner Jim Veazey joined the business. Since that time, the herd has grown substantially, and when Jonathan returned in 1996, there were 1,500 cows at the original location.

Faced with continuous herd growth, the Lambs decided to purchase another facility five miles from the home farm in 1998. This farm was home to 600 cows at first, and grew to 1,200 cows in the next three years. Another son, Matthew, came back in 2002 and along with his return came the need to build

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another facility at the home farm to accommodate increasing numbers. In 2009, the Lambs purchased their third milking facility, Lakeshore Farm.

Today, the main farm is home to 2,250 cows, farm 2 has 1,200 cows and Lakeshore Farm milks 1,500 cows daily.

Although Gordon is retired, he is still a partner in the operation and involved with decision making. Owner and partner, Veazey, is still very active and serves as crop manager. The other owner/partners, Jonathan and Matthew, are dairy managers who oversee the day-to-day operations of each milking facility, the heifer facility and the calf raising facility.

While Jonathan’s wife, Alicia, is

employed off the farm as an independent dairy cattle nutritionist, she assists with managing and merchandising genetics from their registered Holstein entity, Oakfield Corners Dairy. Kendra, Matthew’s wife, is also involved with the dairy, where she schedules and handles many of the tours, including farm and non-farm groups as well as legislators.

In addition, Craig, another brother and veterinarian in the area, spends one day a week between the three operations.

Lamb Farms Inc. employs around 110 full-time employees at its various facilities.

New technologies make cents All cows are housed in freestalls bedded with recycled manure bedding. The two smaller dairies have herringbone parlors, while the home farm has a 60-cow rotary parlor. Newborn calves born at Lakeshore Farm are raised in hutches there. This farm uses UV Pure™, a unit available from GEA Farm Technologies that purifies milk through ultraviolet (UV) light. “While we may not always be the first to adapt new technologies, we thoroughly research new methods available to the industry,”

C O WC MOA W NA M GA ENMA EGNE TM EJ A NN T USAE RP YT /E FME BB ER RU A2 R 0Y 1 22 0 1 0

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ens

Animals receive a TMR of home grown forages

says Jonathan. “This was the case with UV purified milk. After speaking with producers around the U.S. who were using this technology, we decided it would be a good, fiscally responsible fit for us and we have been very happy with the results for the last two years.”

Calves at the main farm and farm 2 are raised at the main calf facility, where they arrive shortly after birth and are fed pasteurized milk from the main farm. Once calves are two months old they are all moved into group housing at the calf facility until 6 months of age when they move to the heifer facility.

The farm raises all their own forages, and runs about 11,500 acres, 7,500 of which are owned. Cows are fed a TMR of silage, haylage, wet brewers grains, soy, canola, corn meal and other fillers based on availability. Heifers also receive a TMR balanced for their nutritional needs and each operation has its own feed mixing facility.

Cows are bedded with recycled manure bedding

Like many producers around the U.S. this year, Jonathan says their operation is concerned with feed supply issues.

“We are very sensitive to feed supply and the impact that a poor growing year can have on our operation is weighing heavy on our minds,” he says. “Thus, we already reduced the forage percentage of our ration, begun culling some of lower end of our herd and looked at other ways to prepare for possible feed shortages.”

Recycled bedding To further exemplify their commitment to sustainability, they installed a methane digester in the summer of 2010. Along with generating enough electricity to power the main farm site, it provides the recycled bedding for the cows at this site and also the hot water for milk equipment washing and parlor heating during the winter months. The operation has also been recognized with the New York Dairy of Distinction

Award each year since 2007 for their hard work and dedication to maintaining an attractive, well-kept farm and promoting a positive dairy image.

World-renown genetics Along with having a great dedication to the dairy business, Lamb Farms, and more specifically, Jonathan and Alicia, share a passion for the registered Holstein cow. Oakfield Corners Dairy, has hosted four cattle sales and is recognized world-wide for their genetic contributions to the industry.

Recently, they were honored as the Holstein Association USA Distinguished Young Holstein Breeders for those accomplishments.

Jonathan and Alicia are very involved in the Holstein Association USA, where Jonathan serves as a director at large on the board and also chairman of the Genetic Advancement Committee. Alicia is a member of the National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization and

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Lamb Farm 1 is the home to 2,250 cows that are milked in a 60-cow rotary parlor

also is a National Dairy Shrine director.

“The Registered Holstein side of the business is something that we feel has really differentiated us and we have been very fortunate to have success with our endeavors,” says Jonathan.

“The ability to develop this select group of cows on our operation really keeps us excited about being in this industry.”

The Lambs are involved in an intensive flush program, which includes conventional embryo transfer and more recently, in-vitro fertilization (IVF). On average, they flush or IVF 30-40 animals and currently transfer about 3,000 embryos a year and have one herdsman dedicated just to the embryo transfer program. Additionally, they serve as a satellite site for Trans-Ova Genetics, which means they host other animals at their facility for weekly collection.

“IVF was another technology that we

adapted quickly as it seemed logical to help us expand our genetic base,” Lamb says. “When selecting sire for the general herd, I use the TPI formula as the first sort, with the secondary priority going to udders. Our breeding philosophy in the flush population is very focused on market demand, which right now is genomics.”

While there are numerous cow families that they work with, Jonathan highlighted a few with the first being OCD Planet Danica EX-91. This Planet daughter descends from ‘the family of Windsor-Manor Rud Zip-ET 3E EX-95 GMD DOM. Danica’s Roylane Socra Robust son, MR OCD Robust Donatello is currently available from Select Sires.

Another homebred favorite is Oakfield Outside Brynn EX-92, a cow that Jonathan says was bred to be high type, but bloomed into a high index

OCD Planet Danica EX-91

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family when health traits increased in importance. Brynn’s Encino daughter, Oakfield Encino Britley EX-90 was the dam of the animal that topped their 2011 sale.

Improving opportunities The vision for Lamb Farms is getting better at what they do by taking advantage of available opportunities.

On the registered Holstein front, Jonathan says that they will use genomics to meet market demands, while maintaining the integrity of their breeding program.

“We are thankful for the tremendous support from our family, friends and employees,” says Jonathan. “As we look to the future, we will stay focused on providing high quality products, a good living for all those involved in the operation and being a good neighbor.” l

Oakfield Outside Brynn EX-92

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FORAGE GRASS NEWS

Dow AgroSciences alliance with The Royal Barenbrug Group Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), and The Royal Barenbrug Group, have announced a global strategic relationship for the development and commercialization of advanced germplasm in forage seeds.

Under the agreement, Dow AgroSciences becomes a minority shareholder in Barenbrug Holding BV, part of The Royal Barenbrug Group and will provide Barenbrug access to select hybrid Brachiaria germplasm.

This relationship will allow the two companies to maximize strengths to realize a shared vision of growth in forage grasses.

Barenbrug will form a new entity in Brazil to build a state-of-the-art cleaning, coating, and packaging facility to process hybrid Brachiaria for Dow AgroSciences, as well as

produce other tropical grasses and legumes.

“We are very pleased to be working with The Royal Barenbrug Group, the industry leader in forage grass and legume breeding and marketing,” said Antonio Galindez, President and CEO of Dow AgroSciences. “This collaboration will build upon our current seed portfolio by expanding into forage grass seed, a very important global crop.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Dow AgroSciences, a significant player in seeds and traits,” said Bastiaan Barenbrug, Chairman and CEO of The Royal Barenbrug Group. “Through this relationship, we get access to new technologies, germplasm, and the accelerated entrance into the tropical forage seed market with unique germplasm. Together with Dow AgroSciences we will be able to grow further as a company also in the tropical regions of the world.”

Burns new forage sales manager Justin Burns has joined Barenbrug USA as Forage Sales Manager.

Justin grew up on the family ranch in Missouri and got his degree from Missouri State University. He has worked for Pennington and Central Garden & Pet in different positions, most recently as a sales manager to the independent trade.

‘I feel Justin will be a great addition to our team. He brings a lot of knowledge, skill and experience’ says John Thyssen, President/CEO Barenbrug USA.

Focus on grass quality decreases feed costs Feed prices are at a high level and market experts expect that this will not change in the coming years. The best way to decrease feed costs is to improve forage quality. By choosing the best grass varieties, a farmer can take a first step toward good farm income in the future.

With s, An increased As dairy production still depends on concentrates (grains, soya) it means higher costs to produce milk. With the expected volatility of milk prices to continue, a stable farm income is unsure.

As insurance, the best way to decrease concentrate costs without losing milk

Figure 1: Concentrate costs soybean meal

wheat

corn

400

world market prices (€/ton)

350 300

production is to increase forage quality.

Forage that is higher in digestibility is more palatable and leads to a higher total energy and protein intake. Farms with a very good forage quality are able to produce 60% of all milk from forage.

However, if the forage quality drops this can decrease to 40% or lower. The economic impact of this difference is huge. For example in a situation where 5% more milk from forage can be produced one can save 1 kg (2.2 lb)of concentrate per cow each day. With the current feed prices this can save a farm a lot of money.

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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

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W O R L D

D A I RY

E X P O

World Dairy Expo Don’t miss World Dairy Expo, October 2-6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., in Madison, Wis. Daily admission is $10 per person and season passes are $30 per person. Parking is free.

For more information, visit www.worlddairyexpo.com or call 608-224-6455.

Join nearly 70,000 dairy enthusiasts, representing 90 countries, at the largest dairy-focused trade show and international dairy cattle show

Trade Center accommodates more exhibitors Dairy producers and industry partners from around the globe convene in Madison, Wis., Oct. 2-6, for World Dairy Expo.

The show features elite dairy cattle competition, seminars, virtual farm tours and almost 900 commercial exhibitors. text JoDee Sattler

A

new Trade Center, new dairy farm technologies, new exhibitors and new show cattle-related software are waiting for you at this year’s World Dairy Expo (WDE). With ever-growing demand for exhibit space, WDE unveils a new 26,000-square-foot Trade Center with the 2012 show. Naming rights goes to New Holland, a new major sponsor.

The New Holland Trade Center offers 130 booths that will feature a mix of new and returning exhibitors.

According to Sales Manager John Rozum, WDE’s Trade Show has been at

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capacity for many years. “World Dairy Expo management is optimistic that the Alliant Energy Center will expand over time,” he says.

New commercial exhibitors The new temporary space is the largest new exhibit area at WDE since the Exhibition Hall opened in 1995. The new area will be located in front of the Exhibition Hall, along Fairgrounds Drive and parallel to the Arena Building.

Some of the Outdoor Trade Mall space will be used for the Trade Center in

order to expand exhibit area without sacrificing parking space.

With the new Trade Center, about 150 companies will make their debut at this year’s WDE. Of this record-breaking number, 125 companies are based outside the United States, representing 29 countries. Even with the additional space, companies remain on the WDE exhibitor waiting list. “When space becomes available, we evaluate those on the waiting list and invite companies that hold the most promise in offering dairy producers the most innovative ideas, products and services. We want companies that can provide the most value to dairy producers attending the show,” says Rozum.

Besides adding new companies, services and products, two new countries – South Africa and Hong Kong – are represented on the 2012 exhibitor list.

LEO hails from South Africa and offers feed mixers, whereas Legend Dairy

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Management Ltd. hails from Hong Kong and offers estrous detection systems.

“International companies want to exhibit at World Dairy Expo,” says Rozum. “We’re seeing a lot of growth from companies headquartered outside the United States.”

Growth is also coming from large farm equipment companies. “The John Deeres and Claas of Americas are paying more attention to the dairy industry.

They realize the full potential of our industry and are reaching out with innovative and efficient equipment – from TMRs to telehandlers to tractors to forage equipment,” says Rozum.

Cattle entry software Plus, there are plenty of high-tech products being featured to satisfy the gadget lover – from radio frequency identification tools to fully integrated precision dairy farming technologies that assess animals’ physical resource variability.

These technologies include pedometers, automatic temperature recording devices, milk conductivity indicators, automatic estrous detection monitors, daily body weight measurements, daily milk yield recording and milk component monitoring (e.g., fat, protein and somatic cell count), which can improve management strategies to optimize economic, social and environmental farm performance.

While many dairy producers flock to WDE to see, touch, hear, taste and smell

the latest the dairy industry has to offer, many attendees travel with their elite cattle to walk on the famous colored shavings. Some travel for many hours – even days – and are anxious to get settled in to their new surroundings.

WDE launches new dairy cattle exhibitor software this year, including entry and check-in programs. Laurie Breuch, WDE dairy cattle show coordinator, explains that the cattle entry program went from a DOS-based application to a Web-based application.

“We made this change to become more efficient,” says Breuch. “In the past, we mailed cattle entry confirmations.

Now, we can e-mail this, along with all the pertinent show-related information.” Online cattle entries started about six years ago, but this is the first year that all cattle entry correspondence can be done online.

Seminars help boost knowledge WDE dairy cattle exhibitors will also see enhanced electronic tools when checking in cattle. Breed superintendents will check in cattle via a tablet, rather than with a 2- to 3-inch binder of papers. “Superintendents can input the changes electronically, instead of writing them in manually,” says Breuch. “Again, this helps with efficiency and accuracy. The breed superintendents welcome this change.”

WDE also hosts many educational seminars.

These seminars offer continuing education credits to

qualified attendees. The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists and American Association of Veterinary State Boards’ Registry of Approved Continuing Education issue credits for their members who attend WDE seminars. This year’s WDE seminar topics include developing management teams, avoiding drug residues, building agricultural exports, transferring farm ownership and management, assessing heifer replacement needs, managing risk and evaluating mastitis treatments.

Additionally, the Fourth Annual Grazing Seminar series will be held at 10 a.m., on Oct. 5, at World Dairy Expo, in the Mendota 3 Room of the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center.

Topics include: using automatic milking systems in grazing systems and balancing supplementation with high grain costs. A question and answer session with grazing experts from around the world will follow the interactive presentations.

“Well-managed pastures are a common part of dairy farming systems worldwide,” says Laura Paine, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection grazing specialist. Seminar speakers will be available during the grazing reception, which starts at 3 p.m. (following the last seminar). l Visit the World Dairy Expo website (www.worlddairyexpo.com) for dates, times, topics and presenters

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F O R A G E

A role for grass in the modern dairy.

Page 20 Becoming a grazer takes preparation.

Page 22 Feed strategy shifts with robotic milking.

Page 24

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Well-balanced TMRs containing high quality forage grasses can increase milk production

But recent research findings are demonstrating the critical

an animal to digest a forage while NDF values reflected the amount of forage the animal could consume. As a result, ruminant nutritionists advocated the use of forages with low NDF and ADF values, while forage agronomists promoted species with low NDF and ADF values and determined the management systems necessary to produce hay and silage with these values. Grasses have higher NDF content than legumes and they frequently mature earlier, further reducing the forage quality of a mixed grass-legume stand. As a result, mixed stands of grass and alfalfa became less popular and alfalfa and corn silage became the predominant forage in the high producing dairy ration.

role modern forage grass varieties and management can

Replacing alfalfa

A role for grass in the modern dairy Mention “grass” and “dairy” in the same sentence and many will immediately think of pasture-based dairies.

play in dairy profitability. text Peter Ballerstedt and Devesh Singh

T

he past half century of forage agronomy and ruminant nutrition lead to a reduction in the use of forage grasses by the US dairy industry. New discoveries suggest that it’s time to reverse that trend.

P.J. Van Soest, a pioneering nutritional researcher in animal sciences at Cornell University, developed detergent fiber analysis which became a significant improvement on the earlier crude fiber determination provided by proximate analysis. The concept behind the detergent fiber analysis is that plant cells are divided into less digestible

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cell walls (contains hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin) and mostly digestible cell contents (contains protein, starch and sugars). Van Soest separated these two components by use of two detergents solutions: a neutral detergent and an acid detergent.

The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) value represents the total cell wall portion of the forage. It is comprised of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) value represents cellulose and lignin in the cell wall portion of the forage. Subsequent instruction on forage quality taught that ADF values were related to the ability of

But evaluating forages on the NDF alone has ignored a critical fact that not all NDF is equally digestible. Modern cool season grasses when properly managed provide a feedstuff that has a moderate amount of NDF with high neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFd). And unlike the NDF from alfalfa, cool season grass NDF is significantly higher in NDFd. Cool season grasses have moderate NDF, lower nonfiberous carbohydrate (NFC) and low soluble crude protein; which complements the nutritional characteristics of alfalfa (which has high soluble crude protein and low NDF) and corn silage (which is low in crude protein and high in rapidly fermentable NFC).

Well-balanced TMRs containing high quality forage grasses will increase the milk production compared to diets with alfalfa alone. Such TMRs permit increased total dry matter and

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concentrate intake while preventing acidosis. Debbie Cherney, Cornell University animal scientist, reported that when tall fescue silage replaced alfalfa silage in a dairy ration, milk production increased. Diets were formulated to provide 1.1% of body weight as forage NDF. The high NDFd of the tall fescue allowed for increased consumption of concentrates, increased dry matter intake and led to increased milk production (Table 1). Increasing amount of tall fescue silage in rations reduced protein solubility. The fescue reduced Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) and increased milk protein. Cherneys’ study demonstrated that grass silage can replace up to two thirds of the alfalfa silage in a TMR and increase milk production.

More concentrates in TMR More concentrates can be included in the TMR when high quality grass silages are used. Increasing concentrates in diets reduces the rumen pH (<6.2) which can inhibit fiber digestion. But including high quality grass in diet reduces this sensitivity and a high rate of fiber digestion is observed at low pH (5.8 to 6.6) Dairy cows fed diets based on Italian ryegrass silage along with corn silage, alfalfa silage produced 96 lb FCM/cow/

day, similar to traditional diets containing corn silage and alfalfa silage (Table 2). Replacement of 1/3 of the corn silage and 1/3 of the alfalfa silage by Italian ryegrass silage increased the milk fat percentage from 3.6 to 3.75% (2). Use

of a high quality, high NDFD grass in rations, along with high quality corn silage and alfalfa silage, is recommended to increase the rumen-fermentable energy from NDF and reduce the rumenfermented NFC. l

Table 1: Diet composition, milk yield, dry matter intake and milk components based on diets with increasing amount of tall fescue silage in diet, Ithaca, New York

1:0 forage: concentrate ratio

alfalfa silage tall fescue silage corn meal milk, lb/day DMI, lb/day milk fat, % milk true protein, % MUN, mg/dL

alfalfa: tall fescue ratio 0.67 : 0.33 0.33 : 0.67

84 : 16

70 : 30

59 : 41

51 : 49

84 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 11

47 23 20

% of dry matter 20 40 26

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 51 31

71.2 45.2 3.66 2.70 16.4

76.1 45.9 3.51 2.74 13.7

85.8 51.6 3.71 2.81 13.0

89.3 54.2 3.33 2.90 13.1

Table 2: Partial replacement of corn silage and alfalfa silage with Italian ryegrass silage, Arlington, Wisconsin

feed, % of TMR corn silage alfalfa silage Italian ryegrass silage high moisture shelled corn protein/vitamin/mineral diet constituent, % of TMR NDF ADF 4% FCM yield, lb/cow/day fat %

corn silage + alfalfa silage

corn silage + alfalfa silage + Italian ryegrass silage

24.65 25.49 0 29.5 20.36

16.58 16.03 17.53 29.5 20.36

24.8 48.5

26.9 46.5

96 3.6

96 3.75

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Becoming a grazer takes time and preparation

Consult before switching to grass-based systems With costs on the rise, some dairy producers in the United States are transitioning to the low input style of dairying that grazing offers. Like any change, transitioning from a conventional to a hybrid or full grazing system has its unforeseen challenges. text Matthew Costello

G

raziers, who base the majority of their management on grass, and hybrid dairies, which have a conventional set up but allow the cows to get out on the pasture, understand the benefits of grazing and have the drive to succeed. But the transition to a grass system is hard to prepare for.

Because of the difficulties, Grant Chadwick a grazing consultant with

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CRV, can help dairy producers understand the challenges involved with grazing. Originally from New Zealand, and now in Missouri for the last four years, Grant has more than 20 years of combined grazing, hybrid and conventional dairy system management experience.

He wants to use his knowledge and expertise to help US dairy producers capture the full benefit of the grass

around their farm and to understand the necessary steps needed to reach their goals. His areas of expertise include plant management and understanding which species thrive in certain climates, pasture feed budgeting to ensure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have enough grass the entire grazing season, and helping farmers transition from a conventional dairy set-up to a hybrid or a complete grazing operation.

Coming from a dairy background myself, and curious about how he could benefit me or other producers, I put Grant to test by asking him about incorporating grazing into a farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management system.

What challenges do you expect to see with the cows when transitioning from a conventional system to a hybrid or grazing system?

The biggest challenge when transitioning to a hybrid system is to

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that will help determine which grass and/or annual crops will be best suited to your own area. The best available information is usually from people in your area who have tried different grasses or crops already. There are enough farmers around the country that are already successful grazers and are usually more than willing to help.

Grant Chadwick

have clearly set out targets and acceptable goals for the new system, including but not limited to financial targets, production targets, physical or geographical limitations or restraints, and labor inputs. Cows are natural grazers, they may take a short period to adjust to having to graze, but the benefits to the cow outweigh any transitional issues. Often the biggest challenge when changing a system is psychological, as many in a full grazing system have found when transitioning from twice a day milking to once a day milking.

If a grazing system were implemented, how would a producer keep track of DMI (Dry Matter Intake)?

Keeping track of DMI across a herd when grazing is a lot easier than most people think. You measure pre grazing DM, then measure post grazing to determine utilization and residuals.

There are available rising plate meters that can measure and record DM levels, or more expensive but more accurate units that can be mounted on your ATV. How can a producer tell the quality of the grass their cows are eating?

How can a producer determine which species of grass will best suite their climate?

The quality of grass being eaten can be assessed by visual assessment, what stage of growth the plant is at, or the best way to evaluate crop or grass quality is to get your feed representative or nutritionist to take samples from the field and get them analyzed.

There is wide range of research data available from seed companies, university departments and consultants

How would a producer ensure they would have enough grass to last the entire season,

especially in a dry year?

Ensuring you have enough grass or crop for the entire season is something that can be done with a feed budget at the start of the season. Yield data is readily available and usually accurate if soil tests are done and correct soil nutrients are present, and almost assured if you have the ability to irrigate in a hot dry year like most of the country is experiencing this year. A benefit of a hybrid system is if your grasses or fodder crops do fail to produce expected yields you can stay with a conventional system.

How can a producer measure the available tonnage in a pasture or paddock?

Total available pasture or crop yield can be accurately assessed by cutting, weighing, drying, and reweighing samples taken from representative samples from the field, giving you an average available DM yield.

Grazing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for everyone, but those who do implement a grazing system see huge benefits not only to the cows but their lifestyle as well. Becoming a grazer takes time and preparation, producers considering or already making the change should take the time to speak with an existing grazer or industry professional to understand what their grazing future holds. l

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Feed strategy shifts with robotic milking

PMR effective and profitable A partially mixed ration (PMR) is an effective method for feeding cows in a robotic milking system. With robotic

Energy content A rule of thumb for the energy content at the feed fence is average milk production minus 15 pounds. If the herd produces 85 pounds of milk on average, the energy ration at the feed fence should be based on 85 - 15, or 70 pounds of milk. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also important that the cows like the robot pellets so use pellets that are palatable, hard and big without fines.

milking units, the feed program needs to balance nutrients at the bunk with the feed cows get when they visit the robot.

Text Ben Smink

P

artially mixed ration (PMR) is centered on the principle that the herd gets a total mixed ration (TMR) at the bunk based on 15 pounds of milk below the average group milk production, while adding an individualized portion of concentrate in the robot according to the milk production of the individual cow. Higher-producing cows will make up the energy they need by eating the pellets in the unit, which serves the dual purpose of encouraging visits to the robot

while fulfilling the cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nutritional requirements.

The PMR strategy is also a very profitable way to feed robotic dairy cows. On average, total costs per hundredweight are 6.5 percent lower with PMR feeding when compared to a TMR feeding strategy. Cows are fed according to their requirements.

Therefore, the herd is healthier while total consumption of concentrate products is lower.

Lely has learned that optimal cow visiting behavior is realized when the

Automatic feed pushers, like the Lely Juno, offer 24-hour operation and increased feed intake

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amount of concentrate varies between two and 18 pounds per cow, per day, depending on milk production. Feeding too much energy in the bunk ration with only a small amount of concentrate in the robot creates lazy, satiated cows that do not want to go to the robot.

The value of frequent feed Providing frequent, fresh feed results in increased intake and higher milk production, and also has a positive effect on cow health. Forage needs to be of high quality and sufficiently available for all members of the herd.

Several factors, such as sugar content, cell wall digestibility and structure are responsible for forage quality, and together, influence the palatability, digestibility and nutritive value of the feed. Feed quality and frequency play an important role in robotic milking unit visits, bovine health and activity, and should be managed safely and efficiently.

A recent study conducted by Farm Management Support (FMS) regarding the frequency of providing fresh feed revealed the following results.

Providing fresh feed frequently stimulates cows to visit the bunk more often and reduces the amount of feed left over at the bunk. It also increases the intake of dry matter per cow. A cow spends 6-8 hours per day eating, consuming 9-14 meals per day. The overall results of the study revealed maximized results when fresh food is provided frequently, stimulating improved cow health, activity and feed behavior patterns. l

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Robot pellets serve as “bait,” encouraging cows to visit the robot

Tom Oesch: ‘Start training with pellets before robot installation’ After nearly a century milking cows by hand and manually connecting teats to milking machines, in December 2011, SwissLane Dairy Farms, owned by the Oesch family in Alto, Michigan, installed eight Lely robotic milking units, the largest installation in the state.

Tom Oesch Jr. is a licensed nutritionist and manages the farm’s robot feed strategy. Tom says the farm’s feed strategy revolves around the mantra, “production is king.” Prior to their robot installation, their herd was averaging 85 pounds of milk a day – one week into installation, they were experiencing average milk production of 102 pounds.

Tom says the best advice he can give farmers considering automatic milking on their dairy in regards to feed is to avoid overcomplicating the issue. Tom says in looking at their feed approach, they knew they wanted to keep milk production high, so they revised their feed strategy from total mixed ration (TMR) to partial mixed ration (PMR),

removing a pre-determined amount of energy from the feed bunk to include in the robot pellet to serve as “bait,” encouraging the cows to visit the robot, while meeting nutritional needs.

Tom tried a feeding “training” that was incredibly successful prior to the robot installation, and he recommends others looking at installing robots try it with their herd, as well. One week prior to the robot installations, they began topdressing the bunk with the pellets that would be used in the robot at about five pounds per head.

“When the feed truck came, those cows would just about run to the bunk they were so excited about those pellets,” Tom said. “It made the transition to the robot a lot easier. The cows came in to their first milking nervous, but by the second milking, most of them were eating, recognizing their robot ‘treat.’”

If you top dress prior to installation, Tom says, it also gives you a chance to check whether the cows like the pellet mixture you’re using. He says pellet

ingredients don’t need to be complicated. He recommends producers check available ingredients at the mill they’re going to be working with and compare them to their existing TMR mix.

“I know firsthand switching to a robotic milking system requires a lot of hard work and requires embracing change for yourself and your herd, but when we walk into our new barn and see our cows, you can actually see just how happy they are there. They’re thanking us with their milk production!”

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C RV

BREEDI NG

NEWS

CRV welcomes new employees Jamie Cayo and Kayla Dolan have recently joined the CRV team. Jamie will work as a sales support administrator.

She will work in customer relations, logistics, product inventory control, as well as assisting the field staff in meeting customer needs. Kayla will become the marketing and sales coordinator. As marketing and sales coordinator, she will provide a vital role in developing and implementing communication, social media, website, customer relations, promotions and sales support materials.

Jamie comes to us from Madison, WI with more than nine years of experience

Jamie Cayo and Kayla Dolan

working in the dairy industry as a marketing and communications assistant at BouMatic. Kayla joins us from Belleville, WI and had previously worked for Genex Cooperative as a breeding program specialist.

“Both Jamie and Kayla bring new dimensions to our team stemming from different experiences. With their knowledge of our customers and their needs, both are a perfect fit for these positions,” said Gerwin Kerkdijk, CRV USA managing director.

CRV bulls have the components for profitability The August 2012 sire evaluations for CRV presented a strong foundation for efficient production and lifetime profitability. Eight new InSire Holstein bulls were added to the line-up along with two new Jersey bulls, and one proven bull. The bulls featured all specialize in improving components as well as herd health and fertility.

Their daughters are sure to exceed expectations for efficiency and profitability in their lifetime.

Our feature new proven bull is Phantasy (Fortune x Ronald). He has presented strong numbers for components with +33 lbs of F, +59 lbs P, and a CM of 537. Phantasy has also shown strong health management traits with a 106 for udder health and a 102 for

temperament and persistency. His dam in the Netherlands, Liesje 385 EX-90 produced more than 32,000 lbs M as a three year old on 2x with a 4.0% F and 3.3%P. Joining the InSire line-up, Laken (Freddie x Bolton), has strong type and production with a +2243 GTPI and +1457 lbs M. Along with milk, he has unfaltering components with +59 lbs F and +48 lbs P. Pepper (Altaiota x Alan) offers +2257 GTPI and +2.59 PTAT, along with a SCE of 5 and DPR of +1.0. Stemming off the same maternal line of Ensenada Taboo Planet-ET, he couples his strong type and good milk production.

Our new Jersey sires, Wrangler

All-Lyns Valenteno Wrangler

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(Valentino x Impuls) and Vendor (Region x Paramount) present both functional type as well as production. Wrangler’s pedigree does not disappoint. With his dam, Rocha Impuls Whitney producing an impressive 30,000 lbs M in her fourth lactation, and scoring 89 as a five year old, he has a strong foundation from which to work and to excel. Vendor, the maternal brother to Vocation, has a positive impact on components with +67 lbs F, +44 lbs P, and +1263 M. Offering type as well, he has a JPI of 204 and a JUI of 4.05.

To learn more about CRV, it’s people, or products in your area, please visit www.crv4all.us or give us a call at 1-800-400-crv4all

Liesje 385, dam of Phantasy

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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 the various common causes of early embryonic death and the best methods to manage it in the herd.

Vaccination, feed quality and cow comfort impact EED

Early embryonic death T

he causes of early embryonic death (EED) vary widely.

We have found 5 percent incidence of EED in animals diagnosed pregnant at 37 days or less, and at times incidences are closer to 10 percent. Literature shows that 70-85 percent of cows conceive at three days after breeding or embryo transfer, but by day 40, only 30-40 percent of the bred animals are still pregnant. Most of these early embryonic deaths are attributed to natural causes such as something going wrong with the embryo or uterine environment. Such EED losses may be due to viral, bacterial, nutritional, parasitic, reproductive diseases or physical causes.

The worst offender have vaccines. These being IBR, BVD types 1 and 2, and Leptospirosis (although not a virus).

Neospora caninum is a parasite that is more common in warmer climates and can cause early embryonic death and abortion.

Reproductive diseases such as Vibrio (Campylobacter), Tritrichomonas, Ureaplasma and Brucellosis can also be culprits. Haemophilus somnus is sometimes implicated as it can be found in normal vaginal flora. Artificial Insemination, vaccination and using virgin bulls are all

helpful in preventing EED losses. On the nutritional side, feed with molds, listeria, mycotoxins, or bacterial growth can cause early embryonic death. Low energy or protein or high fat are contributing factors as are copper deficiency and selenium and/or vitamin E deficiency. Toxic plants also may play a roll, such as; moldy sweet clover, locoweed, Ponderosa pine needles, and plants with high nitrate levels (we have seen it in oat hay). Other causes such as mastitis, a fever of any origin, rumen acidosis, heat stress, false positive at pregnancy diagnosis, high MUN, endometritis or fibrosis of the uterus can keep cows from getting pregnant or cause EED. Anaplasmosis has been implicated in EED, and of course genetics of the cow plays a role as well.

In summary, numerous studies have shown EED rates from day three to 32 as high as 55 percent. From day 32 to 50 it ranges from five percent to 20 percent and after 50 days ranging from three to 12 percent. Vaccinating, improving feed quality, and having a cool, soft comfortable environment will go a long way in helping to prevent EED. Finding the open cows as early as possible after breeding in order to get them rebred or culled is the best way to save money and time when managing around EED.

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H E A LT H

Quality milk: Have you planned for success?

Success is in the details for quality milk production Every dairy should have written goals for producing quality milk. What are the goals on your dairy for SCC (somatic cell count), SPC (standard plate count), CC (coliform count), LPC (lab pasteurized count), and clinical mastitis cases? text Richard L. Ernsberger DVM

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he milk quality portion of the dairy management team should include the herd veterinarian, milking equipment dealer, nutritionist, sanitation supplier, dairy plant field personnel, and an outside milk quality consultant and/or an extension quality milk expert. The members of the quality milk team can assist in setting goals, but more importantly, in writing a plan on how to achieve these goals.

Keep in mind that most professionals with a real interest in quality milk are members of NMC (National Mastitis Council). NMC is a global milk quality education organization that provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, mastitis control, milking management and milk quality. Its an excellent resource for information regarding milk quality, especially when developing goals and plans. You can find milking tips, mastitis control programs and more at www.nmconline. org.

Each critical control point discussed in this article needs goals and a plan to achieve the goals. From the written plan, develop a training program for all employees responsible for the procedures necessary to perform the task.Following training, start a monitoring program to check for procedural drift and the need for additional training.

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Cow environment The dairy cow needs a clean, dry, wellventilated environment. Freestall design and bedding are keys to keeping the udder clean and dry while reducing the bacterial load on the teats.

Sand is the most comfortable for the cow and will support the least amount of bacteria growth. Evaluate ventilation, design, and bedding types for effectiveness. Have alternatives established if you’re not seeing the results you want. Maintain all forms of bedding daily.

Equipment Equipment installation and maintenance are vital to obtain maximum production of quality milk. Set up a regular maintenance schedule following NMC equipment guidelines. Replace rubber parts, inflations, short air tubes, pulsation lines, milk hoses (may not be rubber, but silicon or plastic), or gaskets routinely. Areas that require close attention are the regulation of vacuum, either the regulator or variable speed vacuum pump, and unit ATO’s (automatic take off).

Use sanitation products, teat dips and CIP cleaning supplies according to manufacturer recommendations.

Monitoring these products for proper mixing and use is crucial. If your employees don’t use such products

correctly, your quality milk program may fail.

Nutrition Nutrition is responsible for the health of the cow as well as production. No one aspect of nutrition is more important than clean fresh water, with adequate space for all cows to drink. Balance the ration for protein, energy and effective fiber to maintain body condition, keeping vitamins and trace minerals balanced without over feeding.

A good nutrition program aids the animal’s immune system.

Milking procedure Good udder preparation allows for faster milk out, more production, better quality milk, and more pounds of milk per hour through the parlor.

Points to stress in milking procedure; 1. Fore strip milk (2-3 strips) per teat.

Strongest stimulant for milk let down. Removes worst milk, provides early mastitis detection, and decreases new infections. Faster milking and more production.

2. Dip teats for effective coverage, allowing teat dip 30 seconds contact time to kill bacteria.

3. Dry teats (cloth towels work best, but towels must be dry and clean).Evaluate containers towels are in. If they are covered in manure, you just put more bacteria onto the teat.Two downward twists on each teat, flip towel over, one more downward twist, rub across teat end.

4. Attach unit 90 seconds after fore strip. Minimal air leakage on attachment. Align unit squarely under udder with slight forward pull.

5. Allow ATO to work, keep reattachment to minimum, and do not over milk cows (leads to teat

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end damage and increased SCC).

6. Post dip cows to remove milk film and replace with a layer of germicide.

7. Keep milking units clean.

8. Keep hands and gloves clean.

9. Monitor parlor. Look at milk filter cleanliness, keep score and evaluate each shift. Do teat end cleanliness scoring; evaluate teat ends for condition. Monitor liner squawks.

These are just some procedures that should help with milking parlor management. When you have a parlor procedure in place, be sure to train all milking technicians to do everything the same, and monitor how they are following protocol.

Retrain on a regular basis.

Clinical mastitis

Clean, dry udders are critical to quality milk, it is time for this udder to have the hair removed to assist in keeping it clean

How clinical cases are managed is between the herd veterinarian and management team.

Some important considerations: • Keep record of all observed clinical cases.

• Use DairyComp 305 and DHIA records, and any other system that fits your dairy.

• Record all treatments; use only FDA approved products to treat mastitis.

• If you plan to treat without culture results, be sure to take a sample and freeze it before treating so you can culture if there is not a positive response.

• All milk shipped to the dairy plant must be antibiotic free.

• Chronic mastitis cases (repeat three or more times in one lactation, and cows that go dry with a high scc count, and freshen with a high scc) need to be managed differently than new clinical cases. Chronic cases, especially from multiparas cows will not respond to treatments as well as new cases from first and second lactation animals.

This is just a brief idea of what we need to set up a quality milk program. The training of all employees and monitoring of results are critical to success. l

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SE R I ES N U T R I E N T M A N A G EME N T

Routine soil testing optimizes manure management and fertilizer investment

Monitoring soil nutrients Nutrient management grows in value on dairy operations. Follow our series discussing some of the keys to success.

text Amy Ryan

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ight out of the box, you’re required to develop a nutrient management plan. The trick to a successful plan starts right at your feet with the soil. Soil testing is defined as the backbone of nutrient management planing, according to information from University of Wisconsin-Extension Discovery Farms and the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) Nutrient Management Standard (590).

“Soil testing methodology and results vary based on regional location, climate, soil type and other factors,” says Kevan Klingberg, Extension Outreach Specialist with UW-Discovery Farms.

“It is important that you utilize your professional agronomist, crop advisor or extension agent to find a soil testing lab certified by your state. This insures that soil test results properly predict crop nutrient needs for your farm and your nutrient management plan.”

Klingberg continues that soil testing helps pinpoint fertilizer and lime needs prior to planting crops. Some fields may need fertilizer and lime to increase crop yields. Still, other fields may already have high soil test values, which minimizes the need to purchase and apply more fertilizer. Similarly, fields with high phosphorus values should be carefully managed to reduce possible environmental concerns.

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of manure, and the nutrient requirements of the crops to be harvested are keys to developing a nutrient management plan.

Part 1: Nutrient cycle Part 2: Monitoring nutrients Part 3: Developing a plan

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Knowing the nutrient availability in soil, nutrient contents

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Educator with Penn State agrees.

“There are many micronutrients available in dairy manure and keeping micronutrients and macronutrients in proportion is an important part of nutrient management,” he says. “With proper sampling, producers can learn phosphorus and potassium levels, the organic matter content and soil pH.”

Collect a good sample What constitutes a good sample? It is a good practice to collect samples every two to four years (depending on soil type) or when a cropping practice has changed.

The best time to collect samples is the fall as it allows time to receive test results back and prepare for spring planting.

Spring soil tests work as soon as frost has left the ground. Soil sampling must be performed at the same time of year to generate comparable results.

A good representative soil sample will include 15 to 20 cores throughout the field. Graybill recommends sampling in a depth of 8 to 10 inches in fields that will be chisel or moldboard plowed. In no-till fields, samples should also be taken to rooting depth (typically 8-10 inches). An additional 1 to 2 inch deep sample can be taken in no-till fields to evaluate soil pH and the possible stratification of phosphorus and potassium.

Manure and fertilizer applications to notill fields remain on the soil surface and

since there is minimal soil mixing, an ‘acid roof’ and high P and K levels can develop in the surface inch of soil.

There are certain areas that should be avoided when pulling samples: • dead furrows, back furrows, headlands and field edges • areas of former lime, sludge or manure piles • animal droppings • rows where fertilizer has been banded • eroded knolls, low spots • areas where stalks or large bales were stacked • areas that vary substantially from the rest of the field (color, fertility, slope, texture, drainage, productivity).

“When pulling samples, it is very important producers accurately and consistently label their fields,” Graybill says. “This allows precise results from test period to test period, which helps ensure a good comparison of samples pulled and accurate nutrient recommendations based on the samples.”

What does it mean?

A soil test report includes tables, numbers and footnotes. Results can be very confusing at first analysis, so Graybill emphasizes producers choose a lab that they trust, stay with that particular lab for future soil testing and also work closely with their crop scout or extension agent to interpret results.

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The interpretation of the results is based on crop planned and crop yield goal information supplied by the producer.

The soil test results compare research based crop nutrient needs to identify the most economical fertilizer recommendations for each identified crop. If phosphorus and potassium levels are high, the fertilizer recommendation will be very small and there may be other fields on the farm that would be better suited for manure application.

Correctly interpreting soil test results assists producers to optimize the asset potential of on-farm nutrients like livestock manure and rotated legume hay. However, a general understanding of agriculture, the environment and animal nutrition play a key role in balancing on-farm nutrient availability.

Know what’s going in and out Knowing the nutrient content of the feed coming in, the nutrient concentration of

the manure being spread on the field and the nutrients removed from the field during crop harvest are keys to successful nutrient management.

“If you don’t soil sample and test manure periodically, you are making decisions in the dark,” says Graybill.

“Knowing nutrient content of your soil and manure and factoring in the potential nutrient losses during application help get the most from your on-farm nutrient asset.” l

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BR E E D I N G

The sturdy partnership of breed associations, AI organizations and record providers created an internationally recognized position in genetics

New technology shapes future of dairy genetics Arrival of genomic evaluations forces the dairy business community to take on the responsibility for service components of the national genetic evaluation program. text JoDee Sattler

Research or service?

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ith the introduction of genomic evaluations in 2009, the connection between providing data and getting a genetic evaluation was broken.

A genomic evaluation creates data as soon as a DNA sample is taken long before generations of progeny could contribute such genetic information.

As a consequence of the change, the U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service-Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (USDA-ARS-AIPL) officials, working with the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) that includes breed associations, artificial insemination (AI) companies and dairy record providers, created a new sustainable system for U.S. dairy cattle genetic evaluations and management benchmarks.

Past success is built on a solid

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funded work, the status quo of USDAARS funding and generating dairy cattle genetic evaluations is no longer an option. Instead, USDA-ARS will continue to support dairy cattle genetic evaluations and management benchmarks through research.

SEPTEMBER

foundation of industry cooperation among five primary players: dairy producers, breed associations, dairy record providers, AI companies and USDA-ARS-AIPL. The collaboration has provided the dairy business with unsurpassed data quality and quantity that generate estimates of genetic merit and management tools. ARS receives trait and ancestry data from cooperating dairy producers who participate in DHIA milk testing, breed association type and/or AI young sire programs.

Traditionally, information gathered from these programs went to AIPL to generate dairy cattle genetic evaluations and conduct genetic and management research. No other animal species benefits from such a service.

Since the policy of ARS is to freely distribute the results of its publicly

Despite some calls for AIPL to continue genetic evaluation services, George Wiggans, AIPL acting research leader, reiterates ARS’s plan for AIPL to exit the industry as a service provider. “The current system has worked well, but it makes sense for the dairy industry to evolve. ARS is a research organization – not a service organization,” he says. “The transition of data collection and genetic evaluation calculation and distribution from AIPL to the dairy industry allows AIPL to concentrate more on research and development, while continuing a high level of scientific support for the genetic evaluation program.”

The new agreement and the CDCB Business Plan Summary for Data Flow and Genetic Evaluations describes how evaluations could be carried out in the future, what organizations and

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individuals have access to the information, and who will fund data collection.

These documents lay the groundwork for transferring the responsibility of calculating the nation’s dairy genetic evaluations to a producer-controlled entity. To foster a smooth transition, the Cooperative Agreement (CA) provides a 24-month period following the signing of the document for the industry to acquire the necessary computer equipment. AIPL staff will provide training and advice to the new team on running genetic evaluations during the transition period.

Agreement’s evolution For a little history, Wiggans explains that in October 2009, CDCB formed a subcommittee – Dairy Data Working Group. This group developed a plan to ensure high quality genetic evaluations for the U.S. dairy industry well into the future. The group discussed future data needs, considered the best service structure for securing data, making calculations and distributing genetic evaluations, and allocated financial responsibilities. The data working group presented a formal draft of the CA between ARS and CDCB. In addition, another subcommittee, Business Plan Working Group, was formed in May 2011 to develop a business plan for industry review and adoption. The business plan addresses funding for future genetic evaluations, data flow and governance structure.

Those involved hope to implement the CA with ARS and the CDCB operational business plan by September 30, 2012.

However, Steve Kappes, USDA-ARS

deputy administrator of animal production and protection, says, “There is no set date for the transition to occur, but it is very desirable that the transition happens soon, since the industry needs to have a system in place by the time genomic evaluations of bulls is open to everyone in April 2013.

Producer-controlled entity Some industry players have described the producer-controlled entity as “privatization,” which has conjured up a “four-letter word” impression.

Wiggans says the new entity should not be considered “privatization.”

“Instead, consider it continuation of a collaborative effort, a natural evolution.

The industry must negotiate access to data and assure data quality.”

The new CDCB genetic evaluation structure will be directed by dairy producers and industry partners.

CDCB will develop agreements with organizations that provide data for use in genetic evaluations. These agreements will outline how the data will be used and shared.

The CA strives to develop a single, collective evaluation program that continues to provide U.S. dairy producers with the most advanced, unbiased and accurate genetic and management information. Without such a program, producer-based groups will likely splinter – resulting in smaller data sets. Such splintering and smaller data sets will reduce accuracy.

Additionally, several evaluation systems could develop. Multiple systems would make it difficult to compare results and cause confusion.

Data collection, maintenance and

dissemination are not free. The CDCB business plan establishes a system to distribute costs to all genetic evaluation information users. The proposed agreement and new CDCB operating structure outline the fee structure.

Male genomic evaluation fees will provide more than 70% of the income to fund the new organization over the next five years.

Protect sensitive data Another benefit of removing the service portion of dairy cattle genetic evaluations from ARS pertains to government agencies following freedom of information laws. One of the past struggles in gathering sensitive data, such as health traits, is the concern from producers of sharing these data and storing them in a government database.

Under the proposed structure, the new entity may collect improved and novel phenotypes. Also, it will oversee the industry database, where the producercontrolled entity is free to establish procedures to protect sensitive data.

Dairy producers need assurances that sharing data won’t disrupt their business operations. CDCB and the CA provide breeders with a firewall to protect data provided for use in genetic evaluations.

Unbiased, accurate genetic evaluations have played an enormous role in improving the U.S. dairy cattle population since 1936. The strength of U.S. dairy cattle genetics is due to database size, genetic quality and data quality. By working cooperatively, the dairy business hopes to continue to provide producers with internationally recognized genetic and management information. l

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L E LY I N F O

World Dairy Expo virtual farm tour Steve and Lori Dockendorf have been involved in the dairy industry for more than 20 years, but when their eldest children left for college, they knew they would have to change their dairy management approach to become more labor efficient. The family toured more than a dozen robotic milking dairies throughout the Midwest and spent three years conducting research before finalizing the plan for their future dairy operation. In 2011, they watched that plan come to life. In the summer of 2011, their 130-cow herd moved into a cross-ventilated barn complete with

waterbeds and robotic milkers. The barn also included an automatic feed pusher and mobile barn cleaner. On average, the herd is milked two and a half to three times a day, with a rolling herd production average of 25,000 pounds.

Steve, Lori, and family members, will share their story at World Dairy Expo in October, providing answers to questions about how their research led them to choose automation, what the installation process was like and how automatic milking is working for their dairy. They will also provide firsthand advice for those who are considering automation for their dairy.

WHERE: WORLD DAIRY EXPO, EXHIBITION HALL, MENDOTA 1 MEETING ROOM WHEN: FRIDAY, OCT. 5, 12 P.M. The Dockendorf family will share their story at World Dairy Expo

12,500th Lely Astronaut robotic milking system installed Almost 20 years after Lely’s introduction of the world’s first robotic milking system, the company reached a milestone, installing its 12,500th Lely Astronaut robotic milking unit.

Lely’s robotic milking technology has continued to evolve to best serve Lely’s mission for producers — to provide producers with a more sustainable, enjoyable and profitable future in farming. Lely celebrated the milestone with a video contest where customers shared their robotic milking stories via YouTube.

Stories can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/LelyDairyLife, or you can view the winning video by scanning the following QR code:

Lely opens first North American production facility Lely Group significantly increased its services to the North American market this year, opening the doors to its first production facility in Pella, Iowa, North America in spring 2012.

“As demand for robotic milking

equipment continues to increase throughout North America, creating a facility to meet that demand on a local level with more efficient service made great sense for our customers and for us,” said Alexander van der Lely, CEO, Lely

Group. “Pella has been such a wonderful, supportive community, we are honored to be able to pay back their generosity with job creation and by planting our North American roots here.”

To meet increasing demand for dairy innovation in the North American market, Lely began local production with a view to operate more efficiently and reduce the time and cost associated with overseas transportation. Lely is working to source as many parts locally as possible.

Twenty years after the introduction of its robotic milking system, Lely continues its industry-leading role in dairy automation, with 12,500 units sold and an annual average of 3,000 robots produced.

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

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H E A LT H

Bacterial cultures target and treat mastitis

Know the cause…

Producing high quality milk is a goal for all dairy producers.

Understanding the common mastitis causing organisms, determining which bacteria is causing it and implementing the best treatment protocol are keys to maximizing milk quality.

by Amy Ryan

W

hile there are many ways to look at common mastitis causes, Leo Timms, Dairy Extension Specialist from Iowa State University, uses a unique analogy. “You can really look at mastitis like a common cold,” says Timms.

“First look at the causes, then analyze how it spreads and finally address the best methods of treatment.”

Most importantly, he says, is know the germ, its sources, its potential exposure points and how to contain it. Once the germ is known, it can be aggressively

targeted to eradicate it from the herd.

Contagious bacteria Mastitis causing organisms fall into two categories, contagious and environmental. Contagious bacteria spread from cow to cow, on milkers’ gloves and equipment and survive poorly in the environment.

Staph aureus is the most common type of contagious mastitis causing bacteria.

As a highly contagious bacteria, it

colonizes the teat, multiples before it enters and spreads among infected cows during milking. It is often initially obtained through cracked or rough teat skin or a wound. Its quick multiplication leads to a high Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and its ability to create abscesses (hard to get antibiotics to the site) coupled with some antibiotic resistant can make it very hard to cure.

Strep ag is next. It’s not as common as Staph aureus, but is similar as it colonizes and multiplies before entering the udder, spreads during milking and leads to a high SCC. It sheds in large numbers, but does not penetrate the tissue. It is susceptible to good teat dipping and most antibiotics meaning successful cure and eradication.

“Staph aureus and Strep ag often do not show clinical signs of mastitis,” says Timms. “So using tools like bacterial tests to identify them faster, treat them appropriately and prevent them from spreading is crucial.”

Mycoplasma is also in the contagious group. Cows with mycoplasma may show clinical signs of mastitis and have a high SCC. Mycoplasma is a respiratory organism that can go from the blood to udder to milk. It then spreads during

Bacterial cultures help identify mastitis causing organisms and target their weaknesses

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Advantages of on-farm bacterial culturing Five years ago, J Schanbacher of Schanbacher Acres in Atkins, Iowa contacted Leo Timms regarding some mastitis concerns in his 200-cow herd.

“We were coming off a rough winter and noticing an increase in clinical mastitis cases,” says Schanbacher.

“After discussing with Leo, we decided to send samples to Iowa State to identify the cause and found we were dealing with Staph aureus.”

The culture also showed that the strain was resistant to the first drug treatment used, so a different treatment plan was devised. The animals were segregated from the milking herd for six to eight weeks and treated one month into the isolation period to give them time to improve teat condition (winter conditions ceased and teat skin healed).

“Our cure rate was over 80 percent and we had never seen that kind of cure rate with Staph aureus,” says Schanbacher. “Since then I have been sold on bacterial culturing and we installed our own on-farm system four years ago.”

While he admits that interpretation of the results could possibly be improved, he says that the advantages of on-farm culturing are multifaceted. He cites the biggest advantage as the waiting period of 48 hours for results as he says it allows self curing bacteria to do so without wasting costly treatment.

In addition, on-farm cultures have helped develop a set protocol for mastitis cases, including documentation of all cultures. it also helps track new incidences of mastitis occurring with employees per week.

milking and sheds in high numbers. It is often screened and detected through bulk tank cultures or cows with clinical mastitis not responding to therapy.

Timms says while there is some self cure with mycoplasma, there is no treatment or vaccine. This leaves segregation, culling and the hope for self cure. He emphasizes the importance of good milking practices and healthy cows to fight off mycoplasma.

strep infection are rapid inflammation of the udder, visible flakes in milk, and high SCC. While some chronic cases are hard to cure, the bacteria self cure daily so white blood cells are critical and treatment is 60-70 percent effective.

Coliforms (E. coli and Klebsiella) are another environmental bacteria that can cause clinical mastitis, some with systemic signs like fever due to the endotoxins associated with these organisms. They thrive in fecal material and wet conditions, do not colonize, and shed in low numbers.

“Coliforms grow in moist environments, swim into the udder and multiply rapidly thereafter,” says Timms. “They are killed by white blood cells.

Controlling moisture around the teat along with building the immune system fight this infection.”

Finally, skin staphs fall in this category.

They colonize on the teat, multiply and enter. They are on the skin and spread through the skin. They grow easily, have a 50 percent self cure rate and are very susceptible to antibiotic treatment.

Controlling bacteria Environmental mastitis causing organisms thrive in feces, soil, bedding, feed, air and water. This means the source of infection cannot be eliminated.

“Cattle are exposed to environmental bacteria every day and they have the ability to enter the udder at any time,” Timms says. “As with myco-plasma, it is just a matter of how cows deal with the bacteria once in their system.

Maintaining healthy teats and cows are keys to minimizing infection.”

Environmental streps are in this category and they live primarily in bedding, transfer onto the teat and colonize before entering the udder. Once in the udder, they shed in large numbers with stressed cows shedding the most.

Common signs of clinical environmental

Identify and target Identifying mastitis causing bacteria and targeting its weaknesses can lead to high cure rates. This is where bacterial

J Schanbacher (middle) with his family

cultures come into play. “Culturing along with healthy teats and healthy udders can help maximize milk quality,” says Timms. “Pulling clean milk samples and understanding how to interpret results are keys to success.”

Most producers do bulk tank cultures, which provides a snapshot of what’s happening in the herd. Timms suggests individual quarter cultures to pinpoint the exact bacteria and how to treat it.

These samples can be run by outside sources or on-farm sampling.

“Purchasing this equipment is economical, but samples need to be pulled correctly and results must be interpreted correctly for it to be an effective investment,” he says. “Having a monitoring system in place to review treatment and cure rates is also important to the process.”

There are many tools available to fight mastitis. The battle starts with knowing what bacteria cause it, identifying the cause, treating appropriately and preventing its spread in the herd.

“Germ warfare begins with knowing the germ, its characteristics and capitalizing on its weaknesses,” says Timms. “Adding bacterial culturing to normal management techniques can increase cure rates and optimize milk quality.” l

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS September 10-13: ADSA Discovery Conference, Rumen Microbiology, Naperville, IL September 13: Western Fall National Show, Pullayup, WA Northeast Fall National Show, West Springfield, MA September 14: September 15-20: All-American Dairy Show, Harrisburg, PA September 19-21: 66th Annual Meeting & 24th Biennial Technical Conference of the NAAB,

Milwaukee, WI September 19-21: IDFA Policy and Politics Conference, Washington D.C. September 20-22: 45th AABP Conference, Montreal, Canada October 2-6: World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI October 16-18: Sunbelt Ag Expo, Moultrie, GA October 29-31: NMPF, NDB, and UDIA annual meeting, Orlando, FL November 2-11: Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, ON, Canada November 4-7: 2012 World Holstein Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada November 3-16: North American International Livestock Exposition, Louisville, KY November 8-9: Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA December 12-13: Group-Housed Dairy Calf Systems Symposium, Syracuse, NY 2013 January 27-29: National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA February 12-14: World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA

Time to rest Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

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

COMING UP

Editorial team Chief editor Jaap van der Knaap Contributing writers Peter Ballerstedt, Matthew Costello, Richard Ernsberger, Danyel Hosto, Sevie Kenyon, Amy Ryan, JoDee Sattler, Devesh Singh, Ben Smink Editing, design and production CRV Publishing

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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