CowManagement USA september 2011

ED ITION U .S. V O LU M E 3 N O 4 SE PTE MBE R 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

H EA LTH

Cryptosporidium causes for 25 percent of the cases of calf scours M A N A G EM EN T

Colostrum quality depends on more factors than the level of immune globulin REPRO D U C TIO N

Optimizing transition cow comfort leads to reproductive success CMUS04_coverNW 2

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C ONTENTS

FEATURES

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Cow talk CRV breeding information Trouw Nutrition news Vet practice: Monitor calf growth Shows and events FARM REPORTS

10 Mark Blaha 30 Wagner Dairy REPRODUCTION

32 Series: Transition cows FEEDING

12 Influence of feeding on mastitis MANAGEMENT

14 Making boots 24 International influence at World Dairy Expo

Mark Blaha: “The price of sawdust has trippled, that is crazy” 10

Karen Bohnert Focusing on milk quality

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ith higher milk checks, many producers want to cash in on both pounds of milk shipped and quality premiums. I encourage you to read this issue of CowManagement, as it focuses on milk quality and gives insight on how to achieve higher quality milk.

On page 20, the Van Santen family shares their dairy’s success that stems from achieving excellent milk quality by establishing strict milking routines.

Also, Tom Wall of Language Links presents his 3D milker training software program that centers on milking protocols.

Wisconsin dairy producer, Mark Blaha is featured on page 10. Blaha shares his story of converting to a free stall barn because of the extremely rising cost of sawdust. However, through his management changes, he has not for fitted his goals of maximizing cow comfort.

It’s estimated that $180 million is lost to calf scours by dairy producers each year.

On page 6, the story of minimizing cryptosporidium emphasizes that understanding and controlling this serious problem should be a priority.

Our reproduction series begins on page 32, focusing on transition cows. The story shares the magnitude of getting cows pregnant is vital to sustain herd performance and prosperity.

World Dairy Expo brings the small world of the dairy industry together during the first week of October. On page 24, five different companies from around the globe share what products they will debut, as well as give you insight to their company’s future.

For those of you visiting Madison for World Dairy Expo, we encourage you to come visit our team at CowManagement and stop by our booth at CRV. We wish everyone a safe and profitable fall.

Health Cryptosporidium

Calf rearing Colostrum quality

Special Milk technique

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$180 million lost to calf scours by US dairy producers each year.

New researches state that colostrum contains more than just antibodies.

We focus on milking speed and how to use good milking protocols.

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Ethanol number one use for corn The USDA’s Crop Production and Supply/Demand Report projects that ethanol plants will use 200 million more bushels of corn that animals will eat.

“That’s a first-time-ever type of change,” said Ron Plain, an economist for University of Missouri Extension. “For forever, feed was the largest single use of corn.”

Sustained high corn prices resulted in a Corn will make 4 percent less than 2010

lot of red ink for livestock producers, forcing many to shrink their livestock and poultry stocks to reduce costs and to get a better price.

If USDA yield estimates prove true, harvests will take a hit. Corn will make 4 percent less – 556 bushels – than the 13.47 billion bushels anticipated nationwide in July. Soybean yields will fall 5.24 percent – 169 million bushels – from the estimated 3.225 billion bushels.

“Corn doesn’t like drought or hot, nights, so it wasn’t a surprise that USDA cut the yield estimates,” Plain said.

Carryover stocks of corn dropped to 714 million bushels, a level last seen in 1996. That combined with a growing population will drive up prices.

“The very, very tight carryover is why corn prices are going to be record-high this year,” Plain said. “We really need to plant more acres to corn next year than this year, and this was the second most acres planted in 67 years.”

Text message alert for heat stress Last summer, dairy producers in the Netherlands received a text message alerting them when the temperature got too high and their cows were in danger of heat stress. Feed company Hendrix UTD sent a warning to their clients; over 1,000 dairy producers have signed in. “Many health problems are related to heat stress,” according to Hendrix UTD spokesman, Alfred Smits.

Enough water helps avoiding heat stress

FFTF Program beneficial for future exporting success The Foundation for the Future (FFTF) dairy policy program has been designed to allow the U.S. to build on its burgeoning role as a consistent global exporter of dairy products, according to the NMPF, which helped design the proposal.

The U.S. is on pace to export 13 percent of its milk production in 2011, the highest portion ever, and many overseas markets for dairy products are expected to continue growing at a faster rate than the U.S. market. Thus, any changes to current dairy policy “must not place the U.S. farmer at a competitive disadvantage,” according to NMPF board member, Les Hardesty.

To make the U.S. more competitive globally, the multi-faceted approach of FFTF eliminates the Dairy Product Price Support Program, Hardesty said.

Currently, the price support program acts as a government-funded buyer of

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US on pace to export 13 percent of its milk

last resort for commodities including cheese, butter and nonfat dry milk powder. The program also can act as a disincentive to export, when, during periods of low price, product manufacturers have greater incentive to sell surplus commodities to the government, rather than on the world market. This was the case in 2009, when U.S. dairy exports dropped and government price support purchases surged.

“We are fully aware that foreign sales of U.S.-made dairy products are crucial to the current and future health of our industry, and don’t want policies that would detrimentally affect our export capabilities,” says Hardesty.

Source: National Milk Producers Federation

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Class III sets record high in July Milk prices have been well above a year ago through July. The Class III price set a record high in July at $21.39, $7.65 higher than a year ago. For the first seven months Class III averaged $17.68, $4.08 higher than a year ago. The July Class IV price was $20.33, $4.58 higher than a year ago. For the first seven months Class IV averaged $19.38, $5.11 higher than a year ago. The July U.S. All Milk Price was $22.10, also a record and $6.20 higher than a year ago. While milk prices have been well above a year ago, so has feed prices.

Compared to a year ago the price of corn is about 85% high, soybeans 37% higher and U.S. average alfalfa hay 62% higher with hay prices more than double in Idaho and almost double in California. Higher milk prices are needed for dairy producers to experience favorable returns over feed costs.

The level of milk production for the remainder of the year of course will be a major factor where milk prices will

end up. USDA’s estimated milk production for the month of July shows milk production continues above year ago levels, but the increase continues to slow.

The nation’s cow herd continues to get larger from one month to the next which began with October 2010. This has occurred despite more dairy cows going to slaughter.

With high feed prices increases in milk production of no more than 1% seems likely for the remainder of the year.

High feed prices will hold down increases in milk per cow. By the end of the year both the Class III and Class IV prices could be in the $17 to $18.

Source: Bob Cropp, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison

Class III price set a record high in July at $21.39, $7.65 higher than a year ago

Haplotypes part of new Holstein genetic information Three haplotypes impacting fertility in the Holstein breed have recently been discovered by USDA researchers. A haplotype is a DNA sequences at different locations on a chromosome that are transmitted together as a group. These haplotypes are believed to cause embryonic or fetal death when present in homozygous form.

Researchers have found that these haplotypes never occur in homozygous form amongst any living animal that has been tested. That scenario is highly unlikely based on population probabilities, unless affected animals did not survive to birth.

The impact of haplotypes on traits can range from small to large, and it is important that breeders’ response to the information is appropriate based on the magnitude of the impact and frequency of the haplotype.

The following material is intended to

Haplotypes impact Holstein fertility

educate about the newly discovered haplotypes impacting fertility so breeders can make more informed mating decisions in their herds.

These haplotypes can be discovered through the SNP50K Genomic Test, and the results of that test will be used to designate animals as carriers or noncarriers. The three haplotypes each have carrier frequencies between three and six percent in the current Holstein population.

Carrier status of tested Available Proven and Genomic Young bulls can be found under Section 5: Reference Information in the Holstein Association USA Sire Summaries.

A list of tested animals is available at www.holsteinusa.com.

Source: Holstein Association USA

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Estimate: $180 million lost to calf scours by Nor

Minimize crypto with g While scours has multiple causes, cryptosporidium can account for 25 percent of the cases. To make matters worse, crypto is present on most dairy operations, is transmittable between calves and is known to pass onto humans. Make understanding and controlling ‘crypto’ a priority. text Amy Ryan

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ryptosporidiosis scours is caused by a protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum). C. parvum was first identified in 1907 and is prevalent in both ruminants and humans.

“This highly infectious parasite is present in all adult dairy cattle, making it hard to control on-farm. While most cows have developed an antibody titer to C. parvum, calves, especially under eight weeks of age, are very susceptible to infection and scours,” says Mark Welter, President of Oragen Technologies in Iowa, a company that develops products to minimize disease effects in cattle and humans.

Welter estimates C. parvum (crypto) causes 25 percent of all dairy calf scours and costs an estimated $180 million in North America alone. Crypto lives in an oocyst and is most commonly transmitted from animal to animal through water or feed contaminated by the manure from an infected calf. Welter says that oocyst shedding coincides with the onset of diarrhea and is shed for three to five days with the peak arriving at two days post onset.

More susceptible to other diseases The minimum infectious exposure for a dairy animal is 100 to 1,000 oocysts. Once ingested, the oocysts release sporozoites that bind to the villi that line a calf’s intestinal wall. As the life cycle continues, tissue damage ensues inhibiting the absorption of water, vital nutrients and electrolytes.

Diarrhea and dehydration occur about two days following ingestion. The subsequent weight loss from diarrhea and dehydration can last up to three weeks post infection.

“Crypto primarily affects calves younger than six weeks, with the most severe cases in those less than three weeks old,” Welter says. “Both clinical and subclinical infections are common with many herds experiencing cryptosporidium infections without seeing it. In subclinical infections, oocysts

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by North American dairy producers each year

h good management Calves, especially under eight weeks of age, are very susceptible to infection and scours caused by crypto

build up in the environment until a full clinical outbreak occurs making the disease endemic or cyclical in nature.”

Welter adds that calves infected with crypto are more susceptible to other diseases because of compromised immune systems. The most common of these concurrent infections are rota virus, corona virus and E. coli. The mortality rate of crypto is around 10 percent, and can increase to 25 percent when it combines with other diseases.

The only good news is ease of diagnosis. Veterinarians can analyze fecal samples from suspect calves and identify crypto eggs under a microscope.

The human impact Crypto is also of particular interest because it is ‘zoonotic’, meaning humans may acquire the parasite from animals.

According to Welter, cryptosporidium became a ‘notifiable‘ disease with the Center for Disease Control in 1993 and it is most commonly encountered in the water supply.

Along with being zoonotic, crypto can also pass between humans with the minimum infectious dose being 30 to 100 oocysts. Its highest human transmission rates occur in contaminated watersheds, swimming pools and day care centers. Clinical infection with C. parvum in humans causes diarrhea that will last two to five days. Cryptosporidium is most life threatening in immune compromised humans and very young children.

High resistance Cryptosporidium prevalence is high because of the stability of its oocysts. Such stability increases its resistance to most chemicals including bleach, and heat, repeated freeze and thaw methods and irradiation treatment. Thus, Welter recommends good nutrition, sanitation and husbandry to minimize exposure.

“Increasing antibodies and building immunity is of utmost importance,” he says. “Providing an adequate amount of good colostrum or other antibody sources is beneficial for a young calf. While they don’t prevent crypto infections, they help hold the disease symptoms down while the calf builds its own antibodies. In addition, colostrum or antibody treatments that reduce susceptibility to rota virus, corona virus and E. coli are very beneficial.”

Next, get calves to eat well and provide adequate nutrients to develop healthy stomach function at a young age. Welter says that calves with nutritional inadequacies are at a disadvantage when it comes to crypto.

Good sanitation with feeding equipment and housing is a must. Along with sanitizing hutches and removing manure, isolating infected calves helps minimize crypto exposure and

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Close attention to detail and sanitation when dealing with crypto are keys to reducing its costly losses

spread. Excellent sanitation and feeding infected calves last also minimize the spread of crypto between calves.

Finally, recognizing dehydration quickly and providing electrolyte are critical to overcoming crypto. “Catching cryptosporidium early, rehydrating calves and paying close attention to sanitation is currently the best way to treat and prevent the spread of this highly infectious disease,” Welter says.

Looking to the future While there is currently no vaccine available for C. parvum, Welter has been investigating different possibilities.

“As with any vaccine, our goal is to find the best way to prime the calf to fight off C. parvum infection,” states Welter.

“Any treatment that provides antibodies early in conjunction with priming the animal will minimize the punch of C. parvum before it happens and ultimately, reduce clinical infections.”

Welter is evaluating vaccines that would offer both passive and active immunities to C. parvum.

He continues, “There are positives and negatives to different vaccine designs and the most comprehensive vaccine should contain antibodies against all the infectious life cycles of C. parvum

to offer the best overall protection.”

Cryptosporidium is challenging to control as its protozoan cause, C. parvum, is resistant to disinfectants, temperature extremes and antibiotics.

Its zoonotic nature adds another level to that challenge.

Close attention to detail and sanitation are keys to reducing cryptosporidium’s costly losses. Monitor calves closely for diarrhea and dehydration and use electrolyte therapy for rehydration.

Start with good colostrum or antibody therapies and always follow a good sanitation protocol to reduce the spread of crypto between calves. l

Focus on crypto management “The death rate for crypto ranges from 2 to 20 percent, and in my experience, controlling it really comes down to good management,” says Bob Patrick, a veterinarian, owner/operator of Shamrock Animal Health Services and Shamrock Farms in Eatonton, Georgia, and former president of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association. “In particular, maximizing biosecurity of the calf raising facilities, feeding good quality colostrum, keeping hutches/pens clean (especially removing feces) and having a proper calf and dry cow nutritional plan are critical to its control.”

One of Dr. Patrick’s herds commonly has issues with cryptosporidium. In an effort to combat the disease, they have installed a pasteurizer for milk going to calves,

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which has somewhat addressed the issue. He also suggests the following in herds with clinical infections: • Feed youngest calves first • Feed infected calves last • Utilize footbaths in calf barn • Wear protective clothing that is washed after each feeding • Identify sick animals to prevent movement.

While Dr. Patrick does recommend fluid therapy, frequent feedings, antiinflammatory medicine and probiotics as treatments for infected calves; he stresses the importance of working with professionals.

“First and foremost, producers should contact their veterinarian to diagnose and develop a treatment plan,” he says.

Bob Patrick: “Contact your professionals to minimize impact of crypto”

“It is also important to involve the nutritionist to devise a nutritional plan aimed at boosting immune system function to prevent crypto infection.”

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CRV

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New York service team grows Greg Millick, Lowville, NY, began his new position with CRV in New York as the area’s reproductive consultant.

A native of Boonville, a town near the dairy rich counties of St. Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson, Greg worked on his family’s 80-cow Holstein farm, and in the process learned realistic dairy management skills.

Following graduation, Greg was employed in the AI industry as a service team leader. After eight years, Greg had gained experience on all ends of the AI industry making him a tailored fit for CRV’s first reproductive consultant.

Greg will be using his customeroriented approach while providing support and service to dairy herd managers and working with CRV sales managers and AI technicians, Jesse Fargo and Doug Morse. “I am excited to work in an up and coming company in the area and in the U.S. I look forward to providing farmers

with information and services they need to make their business successful and profitable,” said Greg.

The New York service team, which has grown from two to five people in the past year, has already enhanced CRV’s customer-by-customer approach in using the right people, genetics and reproductive solutions to help producers run their farms.

Area sales manager, Tim Fargo said that “Greg, Jesse, and Doug are all hardworking, dedicated, and share the same enthusiasm that will make CRV a company that farmers will be happy to work with.”

From left to right: Greg Millick, reproductive consultant, Tim Fargo, area sales manger, Jesse Fargo and Doug Morse, AI technicians, and Jim Bayne, area sales manager

August proofs prove CRV growth and development After two years of being in the US AI scene, CRV has made developments, as well as created excitement globally with the line-up which incorporates new active bulls, high genomics, and substantial growth in many sires after their first US genomic proof.

CRV’s new genomic bulls spell progress. This progress is most emphasized by 97HO40346 Cookiecutter M-O-M Hunter-ET. He is Cookiecutter M-O-M Hunter

a Man-O-Man son out of a VG Shottle two year old. Hunter’s numbers include 243I GTPI, 1847 lbs. Milk, +3.2 Type, 769 for NM$, and a combined Fat and Protein of 149 lbs., making him the 5th highest bull in the breed for GTPI. 97HO40422 Melarry Bowser Fuji-ET TY, Bowser x Ramos, is another new bull with 2142 GTPI, +2.23 Type, 5 for CE, and +1.79 and +1.99 for Udder and Feet and Legs Composites, respectively.

Our first Mascol son, 97HO08161 Visstein Gunfire has 0.11% Fat, +2.15 Type, +1.86 Udder Composite, and +1.65 Feet and Leg Composite. Most notable for Gunfire is his proven ability to make daughters with exceptional Hoof Health, Udder Health, and Locomotion (CRV Management Data).

New US Genomics This proof run was the first time many CRV bulls received a US genomic proof.

The US proof showed exciting results in plenty of bulls, but especially for two.

First, 97HO40076 Claytop JS PredestineET made a huge jump in milk to his current value of 2581 lbs. of Milk. To add to this, Predestine now has a 2194 GTPI and is over +2.00 in both Type and Udder Composite.

Secondly, 97HO09995 Fasna Asterix red P, Lawn Boy x Delta Canvas, went up in GTPI substantially to 1941, making him one of the top Red genomic bulls in the Holstein Breed. Also noteworthy, Asterix Red is a component improver at 0.16% Fat and 0.11% Protein.

“Our bulls are now true stakeholders in the US AI market. We are excited for their success in the GTPI list, but most of all ready to see how they help improve our customer’s farms,” says Brett Haines, CRV USA breeding program coordinator.

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Thunder Hill Jerseys Deep litter stalls are perfect for cow comfort according to Mark Blaha.

Driven by high sawdust prices he rebuilds the deep litter barns.

Number of cows: Employee: Square feet/cow Cell count:

Bloomer

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Mark Blaha

Mark Blaha rebuilds his deep litter barn

Comfy for cows, hard on the pocket The maximum comfort for cows, cheap manure storage, perfect for the hooves. Mark Blaha waxes lyrical about the deep litter barn for his Jersey cows. Yet he is going to put in free stalls again because sawdust has trippled in price. text Rochus KIngmans

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mall cows in a large barn. That is the first impression when you go into the open barn at Mark Blaha’s. Pictures of Thunder Hill Jerseys are displayed on a large board on the gable of the barn.

“We do have tremendous thunderstorms here,” says Blaha, when asked where the intriguing name comes from. For many beef cattle farmers this is perhaps cost cutting: deep litter at the both sides.

But not many dairy farmers using this housing system. Dairy cows on deep litter, is that not asking for mastitis?

Blaha recognizes the comments; he has had many visitors from at home and abroad. “The cell count hovers around 300,000, that is the same as when I built the barn five years ago.”

And injury to teats? “No problem,” says Blaha. “In the past five years I’ve had perhaps five cases of injuries to teats!”

Five years ago Mark Blaha really wanted

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Thunder Hill houses Jersey cows

to build normal free stalls. But an article in an American professional journal about a deep litter barn in Minnesota was responsible for the change of mind.

Mark didn’t hesitate for a moment, jumped in the car and according to him “was sold on the idea straight away”.

“The peace is a relief,” he says enthusiastically. “You must compare it with cows in the fields, but then with a roof over it.” The greatest advantage as far as Blaha is the comfort for the cows.

That seems to be the case inarguably.

The cows are lying down here and there in the barn chewing the cud. And yes, it is just as if they are lying down in the field.

The second advantage according to Blaha is that the cows get a good grip on the floor. There is no skating about on a wet concrete floor; their hooves can

The barn before the rebuilding. Cows are housed in deep litter

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Once a month the cows receive sawdust

always get a grip. He thinks that is important if you have Jerseys. “They are very sensitive to milk fever, but on this flooring they are always back on their feet quickly.”

And Blaha scarcely has any foot problems. That undoubtedly has also to do with the time they spend on the pasture in the summer. A fresh strip of grass every day.

Manure storage organized The Wisconsin dairy farmer cites the third advantage is the fact that it avoids separate manure storage. By turning the sawdust twice a day (at 6 am and 5 pm when the cows head for the milking stall) with a cultivator, the manure is composted and the whole lot remains dry. Once a month half a semi load of sawdust per side of the barn is brought

Twice a day the bedding is turned

in. The barn has two sides, so 24 semi loads per year. But reaching that balance took a lot of doing. It begins with the area needed per cow. “There was enough experience with Holsteins in a deep litter barn, they need 90 square feet per cow.” But according to Blaha 71 square feet per cow is sufficient for Jerseys. The whole barn is 192 feet long and 120 feet wide. Blaha says that overcrowding is ‘killing’. “In a free stall barn that perhaps still goes on, but here the balance in the layer is upset and the surface becomes too wet.”

Once they had calculated how many square feet the Jerseys need, the experimenting really began: the floor covering. Blaha has tried everything: chopped wheat straw, chopped maize straw, chopped soy straw. “They were no good at all,” says Blaha with a

Barn after rebuilding. Cows are housed on concrete and in free stalls

Calfs are housed separately

meaningful expression that still betrays traces of the misery. “The only thing that is any good is dried sawdust,” says Blaha while he squats down and picks up a handful. While the Jerseys, curious as ever, circle round him he shows how fine the stuff is. “That takes up moisture beautifully so you don’t get any wet patches.”

Once every six months the barn is cleared out completed and the compost and litter is spread on the land. After that the half-yearly cycle of adding sawdust and turning twice a day begins again.

Price of sawdust Yet this cycle is interrupted: Blaha recently erected free stalls on one side of the barn. “The reason is that the price of sawdust has gone through the roof.

When I started five years ago the price for a semi load was $850. But by now that is $2,250, per semi load. So the price has nearly tripled, that really is crazy.” Because Mark Blaha uses 24 semi loads per year the rise in the cost of sawdust is $33,600, per year.

Sawdust has become very expensive because large quantities of it are pelleted to be sold as biomass. Since 2004, the amount of sawdust pelleted in the United States has risen six fold.

At the beginning of July the alterations to the barn were completed. The righthand side of the barn is again occupied by free stalls. “It took a week for the cows to get used to the new situation,” Blaha reports over the phone. “It’s going fine now, but it is still a pity that I was forced to make this decision because of the enormous increase in the price of sawdust.” l

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Good management strategies help maintain long term viability of the cows because they can fight off stress and disease

What’s eating your lunch?

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Many, if not all, dairy producers are finding that the cost of feeding their cattle is eating up their milk check before they can even cash it. Perhaps the time is now to take a different approach and look at areas you can impact to improve your bottom line. text Kate Jackson

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astitis reduces income by altered milk components, reduced quantity of milk sold, increased treatment costs (labor and medicine) and increased culling rates which leads to increased costs for replacements. Cows may be susceptible to mastitis for a variety of reasons. While there may not be a single magic bullet to eliminate mastitis, there are still components that can be addressed.

“Don’t buy trouble,” is a phrase that many people have heard. Sick calves often become problem cows, so when looking for replacement heifers, pay attention to health records. Calves that have had respiratory issues (BRSV, BVD, mycoplasma pneumonia, etc.), are likely to have damaged lungs, are more likely to develop into problem cows that do not milk well and could be more susceptible to mastitis.

Avoid overcrowding Hygiene is not all there is to reducing mastitis, but does play a large role in controlling it. The spread of mastitis organisms through the environment means that from the receiving chutes, through the pens and alleys and around the milking parlors, basically every place a cow goes—must be kept clean. Manure may or may not be contaminated with mastitis organisms, however the risk of contaminated is too strong to ignore. If feed areas or water troughs become contaminated, attention should be taken to clean and sanitize that equipment or surface as quickly as possible. Avoiding overcrowding of animals and keeping the environment dry will help reduce the spreading of mastitis, and will also reduce fly populations.

Maintenance of the milking machine itself should never be ignored. Besides needing to be clean and sanitized, it

should also provide the correct vacuum and timing. Just as cleaning the milking equipment is a constant procedure, the vacuum strength should be checked during every milking and calibrated at appropriate intervals. The cup liners should be constantly inspected and cup placement evaluated to reduce liner slip which will damage the teat. Using milking machines with adjustable take offs will reduce the chance that the teat canal is pulled out (hyperkeratosis).

Before removing the teat cup, shut off the vacuum to prevent milk backwash into the teat end and possible spreading of infectious organisms.

Stressed cows Some mastitis organisms are very opportunistic. They are always around, just waiting for an invitation to come visit. That invitation is generally extended by “stressed out” cows.

Freshening is an event that is known to suppress the immune system and stresses cows. Cows may become stressed through environmental issues (heat, cold, rain, drought), through feed management issues (the feed delivery is late, feed is moldy, water is short because of ice/flow rate/cleanliness, etc.), through general management issues (new employees, changes in routine, etc.). Stressed cows generally have a depressed immune system that is easily overwhelmed by disease.

One of the goals of feed management is to provide a nutritionally adequate diet for each stage of production. Providing a ration the cow needs to remain a healthy, productive part of the herd may not quite be the same thing.

Let’s face it. Over the last 20-25 years, as producers have been feeling the pain, many have elected to cheapen their ration costs. Sometimes this means using

cheaper feed ingredients (sorghum silage rather than corn silage, first cutting instead of third cutting alfalfa, using that moldy chunk of feed, etc.). This works reasonably well in the short run when the cows are still healthy and health problems are at a minimum. This does not work well in the long run, as cows wear out and problems start to explode. Resorting to cheaper feed only damages the long term viability of the cows because they no longer have the nutrients needed to fight off stress and disease.

Moldy feed Moldy feed causes two problems. First, the nutrients are degraded so that the feeding value is reduced. Evidence exists that energy, crude protein and crude fat values of moldy corn were decreased by 5, 7 and 63%, respectfully.

Poor animal performance due to mycotoxins may be the result of damage to the immune system, whether exerted directly or by attacking the antioxidant defense system, or perhaps through liver and gastrointestinal tract damage.

Moldy feedstuffs, even without mycotoxin contamination, tend to reduce feed intake. Regardless, the end result is increased morbidity and mortality, resulting in decreased animal performance.

Secondly, the molds may have produced mycotoxins that will reduce milk production. The hidden concern in dealing with mycotoxins (aflatoxin, fusarium, fumonisin, zearalenone) is the damage they do to the gut because they are dermal necrotic agents. The damage to the gastrointestinal system also means that nutrient absorption is compromised.

When the mycotoxin is absorbed, it leads to liver damage, certainly a concern for lifetime productivity of animals.

Either mechanism will increase the herd’s susceptibility to mastitis through a compromised immune system. Animal production when moldy feedstuffs are used will be sub-par. Once a feedstuff molds, there are very limited options to redress the problems mold creates. When possible, reduce mold growth to limit mycotoxin production.

Do not put off what should be done today to keep mastitis from eating your lunch. l

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HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

A pair of boots in less than 90 seconds

Soles and molds Bekina, based in the Belgian town of Kluisbergen, is a well-known manufacturer of Wellington boots. They are made from polyurethane, a type of plastic that is not only known for its durability but also for its insulating properties. Each year Bekina produces approximately 450,000 pairs of boots, worn by professionals working in agriculture and the food processing sector. text Annelies Debergh pictures Harrie van Leeuwen

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There are four different production plant lines in Bekina’s factory. Six pairs of boots, in different sizes or different models, can be produced per cycle and as many as 3,000 pairs of boots can be made in 24 hours.

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A very thin silicone film is laid onto the mold to prevent the boot from sticking to the cast during the production process. Then the operator brings the lining of the boot on to the last – the name for the model used to build the boot around.

Depending on the safety level required, a steel top and perhaps a steel sole can be attached. A small ‘carousel’ with socks, steel tops and steel soles revolves with the boot carousel, so that the operator always fits the correct components to the correct boot.

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The mold closes and a high-speed screw mixes the two ingredients for polyurethane at a temperature of 50°C. Mixing the components produces a chemical reaction that causes little bubbles to form, taking 20 seconds for the foam to react.

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During the mixing process color is added to the polyurethane, depending on the final color of the boot. There are five standard colors for the sole and six for the leg. The sole-leg color combination used depends the model.

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Three minutes along the production line and the mold is sprayed by a second spray unit. The sole has a better grip, a higher density and often a different color from the leg. When the foam is finally set, the boot is taken out of the pattern.

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The surplus material – overflow from the mold – is cut away from the sole and the leg. The boots are then placed on a mobile rack and sorted, according to size and model, to give the polyurethane sufficient time to react.

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The boots rest on the rack for 24 hours, sorted according to size and model. Bekina produces five models, for leisure, agriculture, industry and for extreme cold. Most models are produced in sizes 3 to 15. After 24 hours, any remaining surplus material is removed from the boots.

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After the boots have been checked over for one final time by, the maker’s name and the safety specifications that the boots satisfy are stamped on the inside and the outside of the boot. Each pair of boots is provided with quality inner soles and a hanging tag. Finally the boots are packed and labelled in pairs.

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True Quality milk Superior teat/udder health All dairy farms strive for the best quality milk.

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S P E C I A L

M I L K

T E C H NI Q U E

Milking too slow or too fast causes problems on the dairy. Page 18 Milking protocols lead to great rewards.

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SPECIAL MILK TECHNIQUE

Milking too slow or too fast causes problems on the dairy

Avoid the terrible too’s of milking speed

Yiklmn = HSi + AGEj + LSTk + MLKl + Am + eijklmn Yiklmn: Score for milking speed given by farmer on a 1 to 9 scale that is present in herd i, calved in month k, with a deviation from the herd average of the milk production l, of cow m.

HSi :

Herd season i that the cow is in during evaluation date.

AGEj: Age j of the cow at the time of classification.

LSTk: Lactation stage k at the time of classification.

MLKl: Milk yield deviated from the average of the other cows in the herd

Calculation The adjoining exact equation is used to calculate CRV’s breeding value for milking speed, along with a definition to each variable. Similar to other breeding values around the world, including the U.S., breeding values for sires are published on the 2010 base. Additionally, a milking speed breeding value is not published unless the sire has 15 daughters in over 10 herds at roughly 35 percent reliability.

during the given HS.

Am:

Additive genetic effect of breeding value of animal m.

eijklmn: Residual term of which is not explained by the model.

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hoof he milking udder h temper persiste mature conditio locomo

Cows milking too slow waste time and cause frustration by decreasing turns and increasing length of milking shifts.

Cows letting their milk down easily and milking too fast often leak, resulting in higher SCC levels or even mastitis.

Both are a money and time drain for any operation. text Elizabeth Olson

F

or dairy producers everywhere, cow-milking speed has long been an experience rather than a scientific value – until now.

CRV has developed a breeding value for milking speed following 20 years of data collection with thousands of entries. As a scientific va lue that dairy producers can breed for, the extremely slow and fast milking cows can be a thing of the past.

Data collection To achieve a breeding value status, all factors influencing milking speed must be accounted for. The initial collection occurs during each cow’s linear classification. The farmer is requested to evaluate each cow on a 1 to 9 scale, 1 being very slow and 9 being very fast.

After the individual evaluation, outside factors are accounted for. Such factors include herd, age at evaluation, lactation stage and milk yield, along with what could be the most influential, additive genetics. This is most comparable to the Sire Model in accordance with the Best Linear Unbiased Prediction technique, also referred to as BLUP. Restrictions are applied to each cow Figure 1: Cricket’s CRV management data hoof health milking speed udder health temperament persistency mature rate condition score locomotion 92

99 102 111 102 107 105 106 102 96

100

104

108

112

116

120

before her evaluation is entered into the data collection. The cow must be registered in the herdbook, have calved before 3-00 with a known calving date, and be registered under the herd classification system.

Intermediate optimum The end result of the milking speed equation totals a breeding value that has an intermediate optimum. A score of 100 indicates an average milking speed that is considered favorable.

Whereas a score of 92 is a very slow milking time, and 108 is a very fast milking time.

As an example, in figure 1 is the CRV management data bar graph for 97HO08727 Ralma O-Man Cricket.

Cricket shows a milking speed of 102, indicating he has sired daughters that milk slightly faster than average.

Also depicted on the graph is the range of 92 to 108. This range is identified to show that four points are considered one standard deviation. One standard deviation is equal to 1.3 pounds more or less per minute. For this example, the range of 92 to 108 indicates five pounds per minute difference.

The proof Not convinced this tool can avoid the extremes in milking speed? After years of data entries and millions of lactations recorded, CRV’s milking Speed has a

heritability of 0.23. That is comparable to a heritability average for all confirmation traits of 0.26. Thus, genetics hold power in milking speed phenotypic performance.

“In respect to udder health, we select based on the traits for udder health, somatic cell count and milking speed,” says Aad Ammerlaan of Fijnaart, The Netherlands. Ammerlaan milks 145 cows and was nominated in 2009 for a national udder health award. He goes on to say that “Too fast or too slow is bad for udder health.”

Ammerlaan is exactly right. As an example, review in table 1 defining two past producing bulls of CRV: Etazon Addison and Melchoir.

As depicted by the table, Addison is clearly an udder health improver. His daughters are 17 percent less likely to have subclinical mastitis and 62,000 less SCC than Melchoir daughters.

Of particular interest is the direct correlation of those observations to the CRV breeding values of udder health and milking speed. Addison is near the intermediate optimum for milking speed and at the favorable high end for udder health, unlike Melchoir who falls behind in both categories. Both bulls have been through three base changes and have 99% reliability.

Time is money – money is time Cows milking too fast, or too slow, results in lost time and lost profits.

Time is lost in both cases – extended milking time or mastitis treatment time. Financial drawbacks resulting from extreme milking times include mastitis treatment costs, veterinary bills, lost milk from leaking, higher labor costs for increased milking time and more.

Time and money are a farmers most valuable resources; using the proven breeding value for milking speed is one more way to help protect them. l

Table 1: Etazon Addison and Melchoir compared breeding values

milking speed breeding value udder health breeding value incidence of subclinical mastitis (%) somatic cell count (cells/ml)

Etazon Addison

Melchoir

difference

102 108 41 77,000

93 88 58 139,000

9 20 –17 –62,000

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SPECIAL MILK TECHNIQUE

Achieving excellent milk quality by on-line milker training

Good milking protocols lead to great rewards Using the same milking protocols for each cow are the basics of excellent milk quality at Blue Mound Dairy. A way to help employees learn good milking protocols is available by an on-line milker training in 3D animation software. text Karen Bohnert

T

here is something to be said about routines, and how both people and animals thrive upon them. Both Blue Mound Dairy of Minnesota and Tom Wall of Languages Links share their overall success that stems from their goals of achieving excellent milk quality by establishing strict routines. Blue Mound Dairy has been nationally recognized for milk quality and Language Links has an interactive milker training software program that centers on milking protocols.

Six time milk quality award At Blue Mound Dairy, their success is spelled out by both their achievements of their two main

goals: efficiency and quality. These goals extend to every aspect of their operation – including milking protocols.

Blue Mound Dairy, owned and operated

by Rick and Carrie Van Santen and their four sons – is a nationally recognized dairy both for milk quality and reproduction management.

Blue Mound Dairy began thirty years ago with 300 head by Rick’s father, Peter. In 1990, Rick and Carrie took over the dairy operations and in 2000 they increased the herd size to 450 milking cows. The expansion continued in 2003, when Blue Mound put a new parlor in and increased their herd size to 800 head. Three years later, they increased to their current size of 1,000 head and most recently, in 2010, they

Blue Mound Dairy and the Van Santen family will be featured through a virtual tour at the World Dairy Expo in Madison

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built an on-site heifer facility to house all of their animals. The Minnesota farm is industry leaders in milk quality with a bulk tank somatic cell count average of 125,000 for their 1,000-cow herd. This stat has helped them achieve the Milk Quality Award for six consecutive years. Their rolling herd averages is 28,500 pounds of milk.

Their ability to receive such high standards in the parlor in terms of production and milk quality stems from their ability to provide awesome cow comfort and excellent milk quality. “We have great employees and everyone follows the same milking procedures,” says Carrie. “Special attention is given to details.”

Their milking protocols include dip, strip and dry. “Every milker follows this for every cow at every milking.”

Virtual tour Blue Mound Dairy employs 15 full-time and 5 seasonal or part-time employees.

In addition to milking protocols that aid to their great milk quality, Blue Mound Dairy cows are housed to aid in cow comfort that have helped them achieve excellent milk quality. Their H-style barn free-stalls are sand bedded with a sand lane to wash the sand.

“Stalls are raked three times a day to keep cows clean and comfortable,” says Rick. “New sand is added two times a week and all sand is recycled.” Their barn is also equipped with a sprinkler system, curtains and has natural ventilation.

The Van Santens say their biggest challenges on their dairy are the weather, along with feed prices. To deal with these hurdles that face them, they focus on their goals of cow comfort and milk quality.

Blue Mound Dairy will be featured

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Tom Wall: “3D animation provides an instant visual element to a milking routine that words can’t create”

through a virtual tour at World Dairy Expo at 12:00 p.m., October 7.

On-line milker training

Cleaning teats properly before attaching the milking unit should be a part of every producers milking protocols

Tom Wall, President of Language Links, LLC, Wisconsin, has specialized in employee management consulting and training since 2000, and two years ago created an interactive software program to help train milkers in both English and Spanish. “I just realized I had to find a better way to train more dairy workers in the same amount of time,” says Wall. “Although I don’t think milker training software can completely replace the need for live, one-on-one training, 3D animation provides an instant visual element to a milking routine that words can’t create.”

The milker training program, called Dairy Interactive, can be purchased and downloaded online at dairyinteractive. com. The bilingual software program simulates a full milking shift routine using 3D video game animation technology to teach employees about milking parlor protocols.

While the milking protocol software training is set up for dairies with parallel parlors, it does have many variables from the size of the parlor, order of procedures, options from dipping, stripping, etc.

The training last approximately one hour and Walls says that the trainee will watch four turns in the parlor.

“Repetition breeds consistency. Training your milking routine with Dairy Interactive assures that your employee aren’t going to learn bad habits on day one,” says Wall. He suggests that clients use the training as the first stage of their new milking training. “It explains mastitis prevention, parlor environment and more. This helps milkers understand the importance of detail.” l

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CRV’s Jersey breeding program TOLLENAARS DALE MAVERICK 836

sunset canyon houston

Maverick 836 Dale x Militia x Impuls Dam scored VG-85% at 1-11 and produced over 21,000 lbs. Milk in first lactation

Houston Navarra x Matinee x Paramount Outcross pedigree with 5.5 EFI

More information and our full Jersey lineup can be found at www.crv4all.us

Houston’s Dam - Boyd-Lee Matinee Holly-ET VG-86% 1-11 2X 305 19,120M 4.7 904F 3.4 655P Very milky maternal line CRV, 2423 American Lane, Madison, WI 53704 P 608 441 3202, F 608 441 3203, TF 1 800 400 crv4all www.crv4all.us

417-11 CM USA Jersey.indd 1

better cows | better life

01-09-2011 09:22:12

F R O M

T H E

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

D R .

C H R I S

P R A C T I C E

B O O T H

Dr. Chris Booth with Dairy Doctors Veterinary Services in Wisconsin discusses the importance of colostrum, nutrition and measuring results in raising healthy calves.

Monitor calf growth and make adjustments to keep calves healthy

Treating your future right A

s we move from the heat of summer into more comfortable fall weather, this is a great time to review your calf program from birth to weaning. Events that occur in the first weeks of each calf’s life will have a lifelong influence on their performance and profitability.

Newborn calf care is critical to maximizing calf health. It starts with a clean maternity area. Calves born into heavily used and soiled maternity areas are exposed to bacteria and viruses that lead to diarrhea and pneumonia issues during the first two weeks of life.

Colostrum feeding is next. Every calf needs four quarts of high quality colostrum or a colostrum replacer within the first two hours of life to provide necessary nutrition and immune system support. Monitor your colostrum feeding programs by collecting blood samples to determine the blood serum protein levels in calves up to a week old. Calves should be reaching 5.2g/dL and further investigation is needed if they are failing to reach these levels.

After getting calves started right, providing proper nutrition to support growth and calf health is the biggest key to success. A well designed and managed feeding program allows calves to double in weight from birth and grow 4-5

inches in stature by 60 days of age. There are several feeding programs that can help accomplish these goals, including feeding pasteurized milk, automatic feeders, accelerated milk replacers or simply increasing the number of feedings per day. However, the key is to monitor calf growth so you can make adjustments unique to your dairy.

Evaluating the incidence of common calf diseases is an important means of measuring whether calves are receiving proper colostrum feeding and nutrition. According to the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Gold Standards, goals of less than 25 percent of calves developing scours, less than 10 percent of calves requiring treatment for pneumonia and less than 5 percent death loss by 60 days of age are ideal. If these goals are not reached, start digging deeper to find ways to further minimize and reduce calf disease.

Finally, since it is impossible to prevent all calves from getting sick, take time to work with your veterinarian to develop and periodically review treatment protocols to provide the best chance at recovery for sick calves. Don’t forget to educate and train everyone working with your calves on the proper identification of disease, administration of treatments and record keeping.

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w o r l d

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Focus on milk equipment and antibiotic residue risk reduction at WDE

Seeing the world in five days D Dairy producers will feel as if they have been around the world during their time at World Dairy Expo this year, with countries from all over the globe debuting their latest and greatest products and services. Five companies share their company’s future and preview what producers can expect to see at Expo. text Karen Bohnert

uring World Dairy Expo several companies from all over the world will be on display – showcasing their products and services. What is going on abroad? In Europe, the industry of robotic milking is growing quickly and has caught the eye of many US producers, questioning if this kind of technique will work in their facility.

Also, products for feed storage and housing equipment will be presented in Madison. WDE is not only about watching the cattle shows; producers can witness the latest products from dairy companies from across the globe.

A few highlights follow.

Dennies Plomedahl, BouMatic: ‘Witnessing another milestone’ BouMatic believes there is a high level of strength and commitment required from businesses positioning themselves for success in today’s global economy. BouMatic has a long history as a pioneer in the dairy industry and as the only full line US dairy equipment manufacturer they are respected for quality and durability worldwide.

The dairy company continues to invest in new technologies which will enable the world’s dairy producers to operate their farms more profitably with a focus on milking more gently, quickly and completely. BouMatic, global dairy equipment and chemical manufacturer, introduced to the dairy industry the HiFlo Evolution pulsator, making it the newest addition in a long line of pulsators developed by the company.

“Pulsators are the beating heart of any dairy operation and BouMatic’s

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legendary HiFlo pulsator has filled that very special place on thousands of dairy operations across the world for many years,” said Dennis Plomedahl, BouMatic Brand Manager.

The HiFlo Evolution pulsator boasts a simple, robust design requiring only eight different parts. It is manufactured in the US with high quality materials and components and stands out against the rest, as it requires no tools or special handling for its service and maintenance.

“We are witnessing another industry milestone with the introduction of the HiFlo Evolution pulsator,” said Plomedahl. “HiFlo Evolution are tied to the very first commercial pulsator developed by Lawrence Bouma in 1939.

The engineering is unmistakable, which is a testament to Bouma’s efficient design and rugged reliability.”

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Chad Huyser, Lely: ‘Full control over the herd with robotic milking’ The Lely brand has played a major role in the advancement of farm equipment around the world, since 1948, when the company was founded by the late Cornelis and Arij van der Lely in the Netherlands.

From the invention of the ground-driven wheel rake in the 1940s to today’s revolutionary Astronaut robotic milking system, Lely has always worked hard to recognize and anticipate the needs of the dairy farmer. As the inventor and pioneer the world leader in automated milking, Lely offers experience that no one else in the market can match.

Lely USA offers a ray of products in the US market to dairy producers who are looking to take their operation to new heights of consistency, economy and efficiency. Their mission seeks to be the company in the dairy and cattle market that is the front runner in state of the art farming solutions, striving for improvement of the financial and social wellbeing of its customers.

Lely’s newest dairy innovation, the Astronaut A4 robotic milking system, will be showcased at Expo, making its

debut in the US market. “The Astronaut A4 is the latest Lely innovation, developed to enhance productivity, reduce overall operating costs and increase profitability through better herd management,” says Chad Huyser, Director Sales and Operations, for Lely USA. The main revolutionary feature of the Astronaut A4 cow box is the walk through design called the I-flow concept.

This allows the cow to walk straight in and out of the box eliminating any unnecessary obstacles. The cow friendly

design allows for continuous interaction with the rest of the herd thus eliminating unnecessary stress.

“The Astronaut A4 robot guarantees the highest achievable milk quality while its unique management tools ensure that producers have full control over their herd,” says Huyser. “Producers can rely completely on the robot, and on Lely 24/7.”

Lely will sponsor a Virtual Farm Tour at World Dairy Expo on Thursday, October 6th at 12:00 p.m.

Mike Lormore, Pfizer: ‘Help avoid violative residues’ Pfizer Animal Health launched www.

AvoidResidues.com in July and will feature this website, and other online properties, at Expo so that producers can learn more about antibiotic residue risk reduction. The site has short videos that discuss what can be done on-farm to improve responsible antibiotic use and reduce the risk of drug residue violations.

To complement this educational initiative, Pfizer Animal Health introduced the Residue Free Guarantee, which backs five leading anti-infective brands from the company.

“The Residue Free Guarantee is our residue avoidance promise to every producer and veterinarian in the dairy industry,” says Mike Lormore, DVM, MS, MBA, director, Dairy Veterinary Operations, Pfizer Animal Health.

“Our leading anti-infective brands are

effective treatments, and when they are used according to label indications, producers and veterinarians will not have to worry about a violative, ceftiofur residue in milk or meat. That’s our guarantee. No other animal health company makes that kind of commitment to help the industry avoid violative residues.”

With the Residue Free Guarantee, in the unlikely event a producer experiences a violative, ceftiofur meat or milk drug residue after using one of these products; he or she will be compensated for the beef market value of the animal or the tanker of milk at fair market value. To qualify for the guarantee, the product must have been purchased from a Pfizer Animal Healthapproved supplier and used according to label indications. Documentation of purchase and adequate treatment

records also must be maintained.

The educational website, www.

AvoidResidues.com, supports the Residue Free Guarantee by providing producers and veterinarians with information on how to help prevent milk and meat residues. Visitors will find thought-provoking, action-oriented videos about the causes of violative drug residues and tips for getting started on a drug residue prevention plan. In addition, a Residue Risk Assessment tool helps producers evaluate the potential risks of a violative milk or meat residue on their dairy.

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John Moses, Greenfreestall: ‘Fewer injuries increase production’ The GreenfreestallTM made its North American debut prior to the 2009 World Dairy Expo. Since then, the Greenfreestall equipment has been installed in several barns in both the US and Canada. They are a division of Tags4all Global Inc., based in Canada.

They are designed to allow maximum comfort to cows in a free stall barn, as the stalls can be fully adjusted for both

height and width. “The stall is designed with cow comfort in mind,” says company president John Moses. “By having separate rails on the side, the cows do not get stuck in the stalls. Also, the rails are not steel, so they do not intimidate the cows by offering hard resistance. Instead, the rails offer some give so that the cows lay down more readily. Increased rest periods result

in increased milk production.”

Moses says dairy producers who use their product notice a decreased usage in bedding material because the cows do not need to struggle getting in and out of the stalls.

Another benefit from the Greenfreestall is cow safety. “Because the Greenfreestall is not a steel stall, they do not cause the injuries seen from traditional stalls. Fewer injuries save money, and also increases milk production.”

Van Warmerdam Dairy in California had the Greefreestall installed last year. “It has been a joy watching my cows adjusts to the Greenfreestalls.

The cows seem to be very comfortable lying down with no chance of injury while getting up. The wide open design is very cow friendly.”

Shawn Ryan, Silostop: ‘Protect your feed investment’ Silostop was developed in Italy by a joint effort between a leading plastic manufacturer, Bruno Rimini, and university scientists. This was at the request of Italian farmers for assistance from the university for ways to protect their silage quality and minimize spoilage and dry matter loss.

Their mission is to equip producers with forage management tools and products that will protect their feed investment and deliver results to their bottom line. “With feed prices and inputs at an all-time high, it is increasingly important that producers use a forage covering product that protects their investment from the detrimental effects of oxygen and is proven through independent research to reduce costly dry matter loss and spoilage,” says Silostop spokesperson Shawn Ryan.

All plastic covering is not created equal. In fact, two different brands of plastic covers placed side by side may look identical, but beyond what the naked eye can see, each plastic is composed of a specific blend of ingredients. The unique combination

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of Silostop clear oxygen barrier film has been independently proven in research trials to demonstrate superior performance over traditional plastic covers.

Their specifically engineered oxygen barrier film has been scientifically proven to protect forage and grains from oxygen – over 60 times more than traditional plastic covers.

Applied immediately after harvest, Silostop barrier film blocks oxygen from penetrating, allowing higher quality fermentation and reducing

SEPTEMBER

surface spoilage of the pile or bunker.

Silostop products deliver value to the dairy producer’s bottom line and benefits include reduced dry matter loss, decreased visible spoilage, maintaining feed quality and saving labor and time from less spoilage to pitch.

Silostop’s full line of products will be highlighted at World Dairy Expo.

Producers can stop by Silostop’s booth 492 in the Arena Building. Visit www.

silostop.com for more information.

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TROUW NUTRITION NEWS

InnoVision:

Animal health through nutrition boost productivity and sustainability Top animal scientists attended the InnoVision meeting organized by Nutreco on the opening day of Agri Vision. They shared promising evidence that there is great potential for functional feed ingredients to give further support to animal health, delivering benefits for farms and the environment. Leo den Hartog, Nutreco Director R & D and Quality Affairs, commented, “At the previous InnoVision in 2009 we concluded that farm animals were performing 30 to 40 percent below their full genetic potential because of sub-optimal digestion and diseases. Using functional

ingredients in feed and devising formulations to optimize gut health will target both factors, leading to healthier animals that are better able to fulfill their genetic potential. In turn, that means they make more efficient use of feed raw materials, reducing waste and pollution.

Research in this area will deliver benefits for animals, producers and the environment. It can help to reduce the need for antibiotics on farms. Maximizing the value producers receive from feed raw materials by enabling livestock to fulfill their genetic potential will be a vital factor for success in feeding nine billion people in 2050.”

Healthier animals have a higher welfare, need fewer antibiotics and perform better.

Agri Vision 2011:

A tremendous success for a sustainable future

The American South welcomes a new sales representative Andy Moore joined the Trouw Nutrition USA team as the new Territory Sales Manager covering the southwest territory. Andy grew up on a family ranch in Texas and has earned a Master’s of Science in Ruminant Nutrition from Texas Tech University.

Andy’s career primarily has been focused on the beef/dairy market and Animal Feed Industry in Texas. He specializes in business to business as well as business to producer sales providing knowledge and technical support.

Let’s give Andy a warm welcome to Trouw Nutrition.

Trouw Nutrition USA’s mother company, Nutreco, recently hosted its sixth biennial Agri Vision conference. The conference hosted 375 Agri Vision delegates to discuss and present upcoming challenges in the agriculture industry. The attendees represented 37 different countries. Based on the theme ‘Beyond Boundaries,’ Agri Vision 2011 followed on from Agri Vision 2009, where delegates expressed the clear belief that it will be possible to feed nine billion people sustainably in 2050.

Agri Vision 2011 explored how that can be done and identified factors for success by providing reasons for optimism. The presenters approached the objectives from different positions in the agriculture industry, from different parts of the world and even from outside of the agriculture industry. They highlighted the dilemmas the industry faces in its quest to feed nine billion people sustainably by 2050. Together they identified several enabling factors, such as sustainable intensification, water management, sharing knowledge, broad partnerships and communication. The conference also pointed out the need for farmers to be given recognition and sustainable profits for their efforts in producing food. The attendees agreed that we can be sustainable to feed the world tomorrow, however the effort needs to start today!

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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f e e d i n g

Colostrum contains more than just antibodies

Colostrum quality depends on more factors than the level of immune globulin

More focus on fresh colostrum The golden rule for providing the correct colostrum is well known. New scientific research shows that more is involved than the antibodies level in colostrum. When it comes to the area of storaging colostrum, there is a lot of work to be done. text Annelies Debergh

N

o dairy producer is unfamiliar with the standard method of providing colostrum well. Although the rule fresh, fast, plenty and often is known

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all over, it appears that in practice things go wrong. “On ninety percent of the farms, the colostrum is not cooled quickly enough and isn’t refrigerated

immediately,” says Vanessa Meganck, vet and researcher at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Gent in Belgium.

Dairy cattle adviser Francisco San Emetrio is of the same opinion. San Emetrio from the American Dairy Business International believes that still the provision of good colostrum is undervalued. “Large farms with staff can give more attention to it. Dairy producers and their employees need to be reminded how important colostrum is for the calf.”

Keeping beastings appropriately San Emetrio mentions several mistakes in the management of colostrum.

“Colostrum is often insufficiently cooled in time.” He also underlines hygiene.

“The material for collection of colostrum, but also equipment for the storage, such as bottles, is very often not clean enough.

For that reason some dairy producers pasteurize the colostrum. In that way the dairy producers are certain before the storage takes place that the pathogens have been destroyed and they are starting with a clean product.”

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Colostrum that is not being used immediately should without a doubt be in the fridge, says Meganck.

“Without cooling very soon an enormous explosion of germs takes place. The gut of the newborn calf is open for antibodies, but at the same time is also open for germs. In addition these form clusters with the antibodies.

This means that the antibodies in the colostrum are no longer available to be taken up by the gut wall and are thus no more use to the calf.”

To store colostrum properly, there are specific requirements for refrigeration.

“Colostrum need to be cooled within fifteen minutes,” San Emetrio emphasizes.

The dairy cattle adviser also recommends placing the bottles with colostrum at least three centimeters apart in the freezer. “That is particularly important because it allows the cold air to circulate round the bottles sufficiently. Then, the colostrum can be kept in the refrigerator for two days. In

Colostrum must be cooled within 15 minutes

a deep freeze it is easy to keep the colostrum longer.” The maximum time for storage in the deep freeze is up to a year. “Beyond that time you also suffer from lack of quality. Dairy producers must be careful to label the colostrum in storage properly and include the cow number and the date storage commences.”

More than immune globulin To produce better colostrum, there is the possibility of giving the dry cows extra nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. About forty percent of the dairy producers try to improve the quality of the colostrum from the mother’s side, reports Francisco San Emetrio. “In that case dairy producers take greater care over the provision of minerals in the dry period and cows are vaccinated against a number of diseases to increase the number of immune globulins in the colostrum.

Some dairy farmers add immune proteins to the colostrum.”

More and more preparations to improve the quality of the colostrum are appearing on the market. These beastings colostrum powders are usually based on dried colostrum.

Research in Denmark showed that half of the colostrum of the Danish cattle contained too few antibodies, probably a result of the increased milk production. With cows that produce a lot of milk and therefore a lot of colostrum, the share of immune globulins in the beastings is hugely reduced. The quality threshold for good colostrum is 50 gram immune globulins per liter.

Up to the present day the assessment of colostrum quality has been based on the number of antibodies. “But colostrum contains more than just antibodies,” explains Vanessa Meganck.

“For the new born calf colostrum are also a source of energy and nutrients.

As well as fat and protein vitamins and minerals beastings also contains white blood cells.”

Meganck has been investigating the role of the white blood cells, the socalled antibodies, in the colostrum.

“The aim is to find out whether the antibodies in the colostrum do actually

react and whether there is a variation in the number and the types of the immune cells.”

In colostrum aspecific as well as specific immune cells occur. Vanessa Meganck explains: “Aspecific immune cells, such as neutrophils, make up the army of white blood cells that are always prepared to attack and kill foreign invaders, such as bacteria. Specific immune cells such as the lymphocytes react more specifically.”

The research is aimed especially at the specific antibodies that can be passed on from cow to calf via the colostrum.

“The first results show that the antibodies do react and thus have a part to play in building up the calf’s immune system,” says Meganck. In a further up study she wants to follow two groups of calves which receive colostrum with and without antibodies.

“In other investigations it has been shown that calves provided with sufficient antibodies are less sick and therefore develop better.”

Better quality of older cows Up to now the colostrum from older cows has generally been seen as better producers than that of younger cows because older cattle have built up more antibodies. The question is whether that assessment for antibodies in colostrum also holds good for the specific antibodies. “We see a trend that cows that around the time of calving enter a negative energy balance produce milk with a lower number of lymphocytes or specific antibodies.

Also between high and low productivity dairy cattle there would be differences in the concentration of lymphocytes.

Heifers could at that point be at an advantage, because in younger cows the antibodies react more than in older cows.”

Meganck’s research casts doubt on some earlier insights. Fifty grams immune globulin per liter does remain the basis.

“Keeping colostrum in the deep freeze does not influence the level of immune globulin, but does have consequences for the antibodies in the milk. Probably the emphasis in the definition of a good provision of colostrum will in the future come to be more on ‘fresh’.” l

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Against all odds, Wagner Dairy continues on through many hurdles facing them

Overcoming adversity Jerome and Mark Wagner Wagner Dairy solved their problems with the high somatic cell count rates in their herd.

Number of cows: Amount of land: Employee: Cell rate:

W

Mark Wagner smiles wide overlooking his 1,400 Holstein cow Middleton

1,400 3,500 acres 16 200,000

agner Dairy is optimistic about their future, especially considering that their dairy has faced much uncertainty over the course of 20 years and yet, they have persevered.

These hurdles includes an ongoing failing milking parlor system that has caused the herds’ SCC to rise out of control in the 80’s and led to the

dairy in Wisconsin. After facing ongoing somatic cell count issues over the last two decades, putting his dairy on the brick of uncertainty, Wagner Dairy has carried on. text Karen Bohnert

turnover of many cows. “Our cull rate was as high as 48% due to our problems in the milking parlor,” says Mark.

Mark represents the third generation of dairying on Wagner Dairy, located in Middleton, Wisconsin. His grandfather, Bill, started the farm during the 20’s with six draft horses and a couple of milk cows. His father, Jerome, took over

the farm in the 1950’s, starting with a small dairy herd, climbing to 75 milk cows throughout the 50’s and 60’s and in the late 70’s, Wagners milked 140 cows in a 72-cow tie-stall barn.

It was in 1979, that they built their first parlor—a herringbone parlor which was the first flush system in the northern part of the U.S., and many

Wagner Dairy farm 3,500 acres, helping feed their 1,400 cows

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people question how the cold Wisconsin winters could handle this kind of system. “It worked well,” says Mark. “It cooled the barn down in the summer and in the winter; the flush water was 55 degrees and heated the barn.”

Three million dollar in debt During the 80’s, a time of high interest rate to build the parlor, the Wagner family was experiencing equipment problems from flooding receiver jars to air operated pulsators not working.

Despite all of this, the herd was doing well with a herd average of 18,000 pounds of milk, with being fed no TMR. Wagner Dairy was turning over cows quickly because of what they believed was milk equipment-related, high cell count problems, and quickly found themselves three million dollars in debt. With dooming interest rates, they were encouraged to file bankruptcy.

Thankfully for Wagner Dairy they found a loan shark who advanced them money to add 350 cows back into the dairy and kept their dairy from going bankrupt.

Through looking at every possible problem, from cow management to employee management, Wagners finally decided to hire a trouble shooter specialist to figure out why their herd’s cell count had skyrocketed. After much investigation from outside companies, Wagners Dairy concluded the problem was “flooding receiving jars and pulsators not functioning properly.”

To fix their problems, Wagners put new pulsators in, replumbed the parlor and the milking system was functional again. Their herd continued to succeed for nearly 10 years with cow averaging 80 plus pounds per day and a somatic cell count hovering around 150,000.

And, in 1993 after becoming debt free, the decision wad made to expand the herd to 850 cows, adding on with another free stall barn and installing a different parlor in.

Quickly, after this expansion, their somatic cell skyrocketed to 350,000 and dairy specialists came to Wagner Dairy barn to give them advice on how to solve the problem. “We were directed on changing everything—from putting mattresses in, to changing the bedding

Wagner’s credit CoPulsation to the big drop in their SCC

material, to remodeling stalls,” says Mark. “We even put over $100,000 to look for possible stray voltage problems, which came up negative.”

Succes with sex semen Despite all the problems Wagner Dairy was facing, they were determined to get to the bottom of the problem and save the dairy. “Giving up was never an option for me,” says Mark. “It was important for us to get to the bottom of the problem, because we knew once we did figure out the problem, that our dairy would succeed.”

Despite problems in the herd, Wagner Dairy decided to expand again in 2000, to 1,400 milking cows by adding on another free stall barn.

Mark had heard other producers talk about their success with CoPulstation pulsators and in August 2009, Mark purchased them and installed them himself. They were overwhelmed as they instantly saw their cell count drop from 750,000 to 180,000.

Mark also credits sex semen to helping keep him afloat. “We had great success with sex semen, getting a high percentage rate of heifers, that helped

us get cow numbers up, when our cull rate was so high,” says Mark. “We were culling 45-48% and loosing $40,000 per month in milk premiums because we were over the cell count rate,” says Mark .

Today, Wagner Dairy looks to the past as a reminder that if their dairy can continue through all that they have been through, surely they can carry on through whatever lies ahead. Wagner Dairy is now enjoying the rock solid communication that they have and enjoying the first year of having extra cash in their pockets, something they haven’t had for nearly 20 years.

The family-owned and operated dairy farms 3,500 acres, of which 90 percent goes back to the dairy operation. They employ 16 employees and are currently milking 1,400 cows twice a day with somatic cell count of 200,000 and a cull rate that they are happy with of 35%.

“I guess you could say that dairy farmers are a different breed of people,” says Mark. “We have established our roots here and loosing the farm was not an option, so we continued to dig in and get through whatever problem faced us.” l

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R E P R O D U C T I O N

S E R I E S

Monitor dry matter intake and optimize transition cow comfort for reproductive success

Series about reproduction Getting animals pregnant is critical to maintaining herd longevity and profitability. This series will discuss some keys to optimizing pregnancies in different groups on the farm. The first article will discuss transition cow health and its impact on reproduction.

ransition cows often experience reduced dry matter intake while milk production is increasing leaving them in excessive negative energy balance (NEB). These changes decrease immune function, making them more vulnerable to infectious and metabolic diseases after calving. In turn, cows with these diseases face more reproductive challenges than healthy transition cows.

Dr. Michael W. Overton, Director of the Food Animal Health and Management Program with the University of Georgia says that cows that develop these diseases during the transition period are less likely to become pregnant in a timely matter for multiple reasons.

“NEB occurs in all lactating dairy animals after calving at varying levels of severity as cows utilize their body stores of fat and protein to support high milk production until their level of feed intake can catch up,” says Overton.

“Cows experiencing excessive levels of NEB will likely develop ketosis, are at a higher risk for developing displaced abomasums and are more susceptible to uterine health issues, like metritis and clinical or subclinical endometritis.”

Decreased immune function On average, Overton estimates that metritis costs producers about $300 per

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important during the last six weeks of gestation through the first three weeks of lactation, or the transition period, which

text Amy Ryan

T

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Proper dry cow management is essential. This is especially

has a major impact on future reproductive performance.

Part 1: Transition cows Part 2: Heifers Part 3: Lactating cows

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Transition stage impacts breeding

SEPTEMBER

case, while subclinical ketosis occurs in about 25 to 30 percent of herds in the U.S. and likely costs $200 per case. In addition to uterine diseases, subclinical hypocalcemia impacts about 30 to 40 percent of cows and while they may appear normal, their lower than normal blood calcium levels negatively affect feed intake, uterine contractions after calving and overall immune function.

These commonly occurring disorders and diseases decrease reproductive performance including delayed starts for ovarian cyclicity and an increased in embryonic death and endometritis, which results in a reduced 21-day PR. Additionally, double ovulation may occur in cows conceiving soon after the resumption of cyclicity and this double ovulation may cause embryonic or fetal losses or twinning if the pregnancies are maintained until term.

As an Associate Professor with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Daryl Nydam has been involved in various projects evaluating transition cow health and performance.

Most recently, his research investigated the association between subclinical endometritis, prepartum non-esterfied fatty acid (NEFA) and postpartum B-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) levels.

“Excessive NEB in transition cows

reduces milk production, increases clinical and subclinical diseases and thus, lowers reproductive performance,” Nydam says. “With endometritis and subclinical endometritis in particular, we found that the interaction between immune function and NEB coupled with decreased ovarian function, meant reproductive challenges.”

Overall, Nydam states that excessive NEB during the transition period equals less pregnant cows or cows that take longer to get bred.

Offer balanced diets Overton states recognizing NEB depends on severity. “Mild NEB is often not very noticeable, but more severe cases result in elevated ketones and excessive weight loss,” he says. “Along with increased susceptibility to the diseases, other common signs of excessive NEB are failure to achieve expected milk production, failure to start cycling in a timely matter and increased percent of milk fat in early lactation.”

Maintaining feed intake before and after calving can decrease ketosis, DAs, metritis and other diseases that challenge transition cows. “Providing a properly balanced diet without overcrowding or overfeeding energy can greatly reduce these diseases,” says Overton. “It is also

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important to develop key monitoring methods to diagnose any issues before they become large problems.”

Nydam agrees and adds, “Controlling energy intake during prepartum and increasing DMI as fast as possible postpartum addresses NEB. Feeding controlled energy diets in far off dry cows and focusing on cow comfort are good preventative measures.”

NEFA and BHBA levels Close-up and post calving groups must be monitored to indentify the signs of excess NEB. Overton recommends monitoring close-up groups for: stocking density and bunk space; number of days animals are in close-up pens; feed intake; urine pH if on a CDAD diet and cow comfort indices.

Following calving, producers need to monitor many of these same factors along with overall health, milk production, body condition score and energy status.

Nydam recently released information regarding NEB assessment using prepartum NEFA and postpartum BHBA levels that can assist with this monitoring.

“Measuring ketone bodies through BHBA concentrations is an objective method of determining the incidence and prevalance of ketosis,” Nydam says. “Measuring NEFA in prepartum cows is a way to look at NEB in this period. Herds with 15 to 20 percent of the sampled cows above the metabolite concentration threshold for NEFA (greater than 0.7 mEq/L) and BHBA (12 mg/deciliter), had a higher occurrence of DA, clinical ketosis, lower PR and decreased milk when compared with herds below 20 percent.”

Maximize DMI Good transition management and subsequent reproductive performance really comes down to feed intake and cow comfort.

“Encouraging DMI of a well balanced diet is the main key to overcoming transition cow challenges,” says Nydam. “Comfortable, well-fed cows will maximize productivity.”

Overton further stresses this point. “Namely, knowing what is being feed, monitoring feed intake and minimizing any stressors that cause decreased feed intake or increased energy demands will lead to reproductive success,” he says. “This good management combined with leading cattle from the transition period into a well managed reproductive program will optimize future reproductive performance. l

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

Focus on milk quality in the parlor Picture: Wayne Hutchinson

Sept 17-22: All-American Dairy Show, Harrisburg, PA Sept 19-21: IDFA International Dairy Show, Atlanta, GA Sept 22-24: 44th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, St. Louis, MO Sept 22-24: 3rd International Symposium on Mastitis and Milk Quality, St. Louis, MO Sept 16-Oct 2: Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, MA Oct 4-8: World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI Oct 10-13: Milk Components: Opportunities for Maximizing Farm Gate Returns and Meeting Manufacturing Needs, Itasca, IL Nov 4-13: Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nov 10-11: Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council 2011 Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO Nov 5-18: North American International Livestock Exposition, Louisville, KY Nov 14-16: National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) Joint Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA 2012 Jan 22-24: Feb 14-16: March 13-14: March 20-21: Apr 13-16:

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

National Mastitis Council 51st Annual Meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Annual Business Conference, Madison, WI Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference, Visalia, CA NY Spring Dairy Carousel, Syracuse, NY

Editorial team Chief editor Jaap van der Knaap Contributing writers Karen Bohnert, Annelies Debergh, Danyel Hosto, Kate Jackson, Rochus Kingmans, Amy Ryan Editing, design and production CRV Publishing

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C a l f rear in g an d rep ro d u ct io n

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

November – In our November issue we focus on calf rearing. A roundtable interview with three US dairy producers shows the variation on their dairies in calf raising. We also continue with our series about reproduction.

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

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SEPTEMBER

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BETTER COWS, BETTER LIFE With better cows comes a better lifestyle. This can be achieved through healthier animals that save you money and hassle; cows that produce more, garnering higher milk checks; or give a more nutritious product for your family and community to enjoy.

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