The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute
December 2016
FARM REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK: A NOSE FOR WELL-BEING? In This Issue: Work Place Motivation
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Got Beef?
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It Pays to Cool Dry Cows So Start Planning Now
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Some Thoughts on Reduced-Lignin Alfalfa
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Slick Bunk Feeding While Overstocked: Friend or Foe?
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Holiday Nutrition Fact Challenge
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Double Cropping Better for the Environment
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What's Happening on the Farm
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VT Dairy Producers Conference
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Dairy Day is Dec. 13!
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You’ve no doubt heard the expression “cold nose, warm heart.” Well, I recently read a research article that related nasal temperature with emotional state in dairy cows. Could it be that a stressed-out, fired-up cow experiencing an increase in core body temperature would have a colder than normal nose? With the increasing availability of infrared thermometer guns to record peripheral temperatures in cattle, this question might actually have a practical implication in the future. In fact, researchers in New Zealand have proposed that changes in core body temperature may reliably indicate whether an animal is experiencing poor or good welfare status (Proc. NZ Soc. Anim. Prod. 2004. 64:72-76). Directly measuring core body temperature routinely is unworkable on most farms, but indirect peripheral measures could work well. Essentially, the cow responds emotionally to environmental stimuli and consequently vasoconstriction of peripheral areas, such as the nose or eye, results in a temperature change that can be monitored using an infrared thermometer system. Stress, fear, and frustration cause a reduction in peripheral temperature in dairy cattle. Previous research has found that
eye temperature measured with infrared thermography accurately detected fear and pain in cattle that were hit with plastic tubing, prodded with electric cattle prods, or were shouted at and otherwise startled. I suppose the results aren’t too surprising, actually. Most recently, researchers from the UK investigated whether the nasal temperature of cows was affected by emotions and if nasal temperature could be reliably used as a measure of emotional state in cows (Physiol. Behav. 2015. 138:340-344). These researchers had previously found that they could induce a positive emotional state by stroking cows in a similar manner to allogrooming, or cows grooming each other. The average nasal temperature decreased significantly when cows were groomed, by about 0.7 degrees F. The researchers found that the stroking or grooming induced a See NOSE, Page 4
POSITIVE, NEGATIVE OR NO RECOGNITION: WORK PLACE MOTIVATION Are you passionate about your job? Are your co-workers passionate about theirs; how about your employees? Do they do more than just fulfill their roll; are they engaged -- enough to see and do the things that they may not be required to do but which should be done?
futile work is to move a pile of rocks from point A to point B and back to A. At times farming can seem like futile work, especially if you aren’t the owner. For the owner, the “reward” of accomplishment is easier to realize than it is for the employee. And money is not the answer.
I recently heard a TED talk by Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University, entitled “What makes us feel good about our work? Of his many insights and behavioral experiments I couldn’t help but think how they relate to dairy farming, including how to maintain an enthused, engaged workforce faced with long hours of strenuous, routine and at times mundane tasks. Milking cows, feeding, crop planting and harvest can all require long, monotonous hours. If it isn’t YOUR business, how do you keep people engaged in the job? Ariely related the story of Sisyphus, who was punished by the gods to roll a rock up a hill only to have it roll back down just prior to reaching the peak. A more modern example of such
Ariely discussed an experiment where subjects were paid to perform wordsearch puzzles: Find and circle words or specific clusters of letters among a large grid of random letters. Upon completion the subjects handed their papers to a reviewer who either A. briefly scanned their paper and gave an acknowledging “uh-huh”; or B. didn’t scan their paper but placed it in a pile, or C. immediately shredded the paper, with no acknowledgement. As expected, those that had their papers shredded with no acknowledgment stopped working sooner in spite of being paid. Those receiving the acknowledging “uh huh” continued to work. The question was how those that didn’t receive any acknowledgment but had their papers saved, respond?
In this experiment, people’s response to no acknowledgement was similar to having their papers shredded. The conclusion was the power of minimal positive reinforcement in maintaining motivation to work and the power of no reinforcement being similar to negative reinforcement in demotivating behavior. As I think about our staff here at Miner Institute I need to remind myself to at least acknowledge people doing their jobs; not just getting cows milked, but picking out sick cows sooner in order to keep them healthy, for long hours the crops crew spend putting up high quality feeds, for all the dairy people understanding that we are not simply making milk, but collecting data in order to advance the dairy industry, to improve our lifestyles as well as the animals. To help all employees feel connected to the outcome of our collective efforts here at Miner Institute. ─ Kurt Cotanch cotanch@whminer.com
GRASS IS GREAT During this past summer’s drought affecting much of the Northeastern U.S., we watched the grass in our lawns and farm fields stop growing and turn brown. Some wondered if the grass would ever come back, but then we got a couple of late-summer rains and it started to recover. By September farmers were considering a fall harvest in many of these fields, and lawnmowers were once again running. Grass is great, and an increasing number of farmers seem to be realizing this. We recently got a question from an old friend about the relative water efficiency of alfalfa vs. grass. The question came up because farmers in Texas are starting to grow more grass. Warm-season grasses are more efficient in their water compared to cool-season grasses, but both are at least twice as efficient as alfalfa: Grasses produce at least twice as much forage dry matter per inch of precipitation (or irrigation). Alfalfa will continue to be the primary perennial forage for many dairy farmers, and for good reasons: During the drought a number of farmers were amazed at how productive their alfalfa was. And unlike grass, alfalfa will produce its own nitrogen — no other forage will produce as much protein per acre. Even so, on many dairy farms there’s a place for both species. ─ E.T.
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
December 2016 ─ 2
GOT BEEF? When you think of dairy farms you probably think milk, but beef is another important aspect of a dairy farm that often goes unrealized as many cows ultimately are sold to the beef market. May it be a low producer or a young bull calf, these animals contribute to the farm’s revenue. With beef prices low it may be worth considering raising bull calves on the farm to increase profits, as little profit is gained by selling them at a few days old. Bull calves sold shortly after birth provide little profit to the farm and therefore often don’t receive the same high quality care that heifers do, such as being fed high-quality colostrum to achieve passive transfer and receiving vaccinations. If the farm begins to raise its bull calves there will be an incentive to make sure that the bull calves receive the same high quality care that heifers do, setting the calf up for success in the future.
costs are highest. Once the bull calf has started to develop a functioning rumen and can utilize forages, feed costs will start to decline. If you’re able to incorporate raising bull calves easily into your existing facility and you have enough labor to cover additional tasks required to raise bull calves, this could be a great way for your farm to earn extra cash when profits from the dairy are low.
A few things to consider when deciding if raising bull calves is right for your farm: First, do you have the facilities? If there are unused barns on your property, raising bull calves could be a great way for you to utilize these buildings. Also, do you have enough storage space for extra feed you may need or do you have refusals from the lactating herd that you can feed? Until weaning, bull calves are essentially raised the same as heifer calves and this is when feed
Another important factor to consider is the market for dairy beef in your area as well as environmental regulations. Is there a buyer willing to buy your bull calves when they reach a certain weight, and how many animals do they want in each group? Many buyers will only buy large groups (50 to 60 animals) of similar weight so that they can easily be raised together to market weight. Many small farms will be unable to raise this many bull calves at one time
and may want to consider combining their animals with their neighbors to create a group large enough to sell to a buyer. You also need to decide at what weight you’re going to sell them. Some farms may choose to sell animals at 600 lb while others may want to raise them until they have reached market weight, typically at about 12 to 14 months and 1150 to 1300 lb. for dairy beef. You also need to check on local regulations such as a CAFO that may prevent you from raising dairy beef on your farm due to potential soil and water pollution. As you decide if dairy beef may be a good fit for your farm, you need to put together an expected budget to determine if it will be cost-effective. Penn State has a budget calculation sheet (goo.gl/ YbW82v) that you may want to look at, where you can estimate your farm’s net returns. You should carefully evaluate your current housing, labor, and feed situation along with local markets before deciding to enter into dairy beef. Raising dairy beef is not for everyone but could be a great way for your farm to offset some costs when dairy prices are low, and it’s a business you can get out of relatively easily if markets change. ─ Kayla Hultquist hultquist@whminer.com
Learn more about Miner Institute, visit www.whminer.org
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
December 2016 ─ 3
IT PAYS TO COOL DRY COWS SO START PLANNING NOW Concerns about heat stress seem to be the farthest thing from our minds now as winter is setting in here in the North Country. The first snow fall of the season has occurred and reminded us that it is time to prepare the cattle, facilities, equipment, and ourselves for the long cold winter ahead. Winter often provides us with a bit of extra time to catch up on our to-do lists and set goals for the coming year. A goal you might want to consider is to minimize heat stress in dry cows to improve animal welfare and economically benefit your dairy. Heat stress for cows is typically defined as when the average daily temperaturehumidity index (THI) is ≥68. We are all too familiar with the negative consequences of heat stress in lactating cows…less feed intake, less milk production, and fewer pregnancies. It is estimated to be a $900 million to $1 billion financial loss annually for the U.S. dairy industry. Fortunately, improvements in management through the use of cooling systems in lactating cow housing and milking facilities and nutritional strategies have alleviated some of the negative impact of heat stress. However, dry cow cooling is often a low priority for many dairies. Dry cows shouldn’t be ignored
since they experience many of the same physiological changes as lactating cows under heat stress conditions. Heat stressed dry cows eat less, have poorer immunity, give birth to smaller calves that grow slower, and produce less milk in the next lactation. The economic consequence of heat stressed dry cows and the economic feasibility of cooling dry cows was reported recently in the Journal of Dairy Science by University of Florida researchers. They estimated that annual losses in the U.S. would be about $800 million if dry cows were not cooled. Across the U.S. that’s about $87/cow per year. As expected the losses are greater in the southern states such as Florida ($233/ cow per year) and Texas ($176/cow per year) that have more heat stress days per year. However, the losses for northern states like New York ($75/cow per year) and Wisconsin ($68/cow per year) are also significant. The Florida researchers estimated that the average U.S. cow has 96 days of heat stress. As a rule of thumb they found that each day of heat stress during the year equates to 10 lb lower milk yield in the subsequent lactation! This year at Miner Institute we had 69 days between May and September where
the average daily THI was ≥68. We made a big investment in fans when we built the dry cow barn and are glad that we did given the benefit the cooling system provides to the cows and their calves. The good news is that cooling dry cows is affordable whether you are remodeling an existing barn or building a new barn. The Florida researchers considered the marginal milk income minus feed costs, cooling investment costs, utilities, maintenance, and investment feasibility in their economic analysis model. However, improved cow health and more productive calves were not considered. They found that using average values for the U.S. (default scenario), the benefit to cost ratio was 3.4 and the payback period was 0.3 years when a dry cow barn was remodeled to cool cows and 1.5 and 5.7 years if a dry cow barn needed to be built. If one of your goals is to minimize heat stress in your dry cows this summer, then take some time this winter to check out the Florida model and determine the economic feasibility of cooling dry cows on your dairy. ─ Heather Dann dann@whminer.com
NOSE, Continued from Page 1 state of relaxation and lowered the heart rate of cows. We know that this behavior is important to cow well-being, and in fact social grooming helps to maintain a stable social structure. The latest research from this UK group (Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2016. 184:1-6) investigated what happened when a highly palatable feed was made available (or not) following a conditioned stimulus. They found that both positive and negative experiences
caused a reduction in nasal temperature in lactating dairy cattle. Consequently, more work is needed to determine what management environments are most consistently associated with positive emotional states in cattle, and how predictable changes in nasal temperature can be used as a practical monitoring tool on dairy farms. So, why would you care about the emotional state of your cows, or essentially how they’re feeling? With the
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
ever increasing focus on cow well-being and welfare by consumers, non-invasive approaches to monitor well-being will become increasingly important in our routine dairy management systems. The entire area of precision cow monitoring is just getting started: activity, rumination, heart rate, respiration, temperature … and the list continues to grow. Stay tuned and keep your nose in the air. ─ Rick Grant grant@whminer.com December 2016 ─ 4
SOME THOUGHTS ON REDUCED-LIGNIN ALFALFA It’s too soon to know for sure — much more research is needed — but reduced-lignin alfalfa could be the biggest advancement in alfalfa genetics in decades. HarvXtra varieties, sold by seed companies in the U.S. and Canada, are genetically modified and all include the Roundup Ready trait. The seed price includes an across-theboard technology fee of $300 per bag. Hi-Gest is a reduced-lignin alfalfa sold by Alforex that’s available in several fall dormancies. It was developed using conventional plant breeding so there’s no technology fee. And Legacy Seeds sells several non-GMO reduced-lignin varieties. Compared with conventional varieties, HarvXtra alfalfa contains 1218% less lignin while the non-GMO varieties contains 7-10% less lignin. Farmers growing reduced-lignin alfalfa will have to make an important decision: Cut alfalfa at the late bud stage and harvest very low NDF, very high protein alfalfa; or delay cutting by about a week (until early bloom) and harvest higher yields of alfalfa with the quality expected from conventional alfalfa cut at late bud. If farmers choose the first option many would have the highest quality alfalfa they’ve ever fed. If they choose the delayed harvest option they’d probably wind up harvesting one fewer cutting per season, which would improve root carbohydrate status while reducing wheel track damage, labor and equipment cost.
Those of us advising dairy farmers sometimes get excited about exceptionally high forage quality without considering that farmers actually have to feed the stuff. Dairies on the Left Coast, particularly in California, can get away with feeding “Supreme” quality alfalfa (<35% NDF, >22% CP) in part because much of it is fed as baled hay and feeding rates are often limited due to the high purchase price. Contrast this to a dairy farmer in the Northeast feeding a ration high in alfalfa haylage that’s about 10 points lower in NDF than what he’s used to (and which is what we’d expect from reduced-lignin alfalfa cut at the late bud stage). Last year Cornell tested pre-bud alfalfa (from alfalfa-grass plots cut in late May) that was higher in crude protein than in NDF: 29% CP, 27% NDF. Cornell University forage agronomist Jerry Cherney said that he’s sure that more than one farmer has “cow-killing” alfalfa in a silo, and they may have to view this type of alfalfa as a concentrate! There will be the temptation — encouraged by some seed companies selling reduced-lignin alfalfa — to cut at the normal harvest date. But this is like the dog chasing a truck: What will he do with it if he catches it? Before farmers make this decision they should have a serious discussion with their dairy nutrition consultant, including answering this question: Can I profitably and safely feed alfalfa that’s 10 points lower in
NDF than what I normally feed? If he can’t, is it really “super-high” quality for his farm? Jerry Cherney makes an excellent point: Reduced-lignin alfalfa may be ideal for alfalfa-grass seedings, though it may have been barely considered (if at all) by alfalfa breeders. (In October I participated in an hour-long webinar on reduced-lignin alfalfa and the word “grass” was never mentioned.) In the trial cited above where the alfalfa was only 27% NDF, the grass in the stand was 50% NDF. Farmers may be able to seed reduced-lignin alfalfa with a grass and mow at their normal alfalfa cutting date—late May for much of the Northeast. With HarvXtra a farmer could seed alfalfa-grass and not use glyphosate (just because it has the RR gene doesn’t mean farmers have to use the herbicide). Or they could seed alfalfa, apply glyphosate postemergence and then seed a forage grass into the growing alfalfa. Penn State has done this using orchardgrass with good results. The alternative would be to use one of the Hi-Gest varieties. Hopefully in the coming year or so we’ll have much more information on the comparative performance of reducedlignin varieties, both vs. conventional alfalfa varieties and between the GM and non-GM types. ─ Ev Thomas ethomas@oakpointny.com
Learn more about Miner Institute's Morgan Horses Visit whminer.org/ equine.html The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
December 2016 ─ 5
SLICK-BUNK FEEDING WHILE OVERSTOCKED: FRIEND OR FOE? PART 1 Slick-bunk feeding, or feeding for 0% refusals, is a commonly used practice to minimize feed waste and costs on farms. However, use of this practice can often leave cows without feed in the middle of the night if feeding amounts or forage DM is misjudged. While this feeding environment stressor is hopefully a low occurrence day to day, it’s important to think about the cow’s environment and what other stressors with which she may be dealing. Recently conducted research at Miner Institute evaluated the interaction between overstocking and reduced feed access, focusing on their effects on rumen pH, behavior, and production. The treatments targeted real world situations: overstocking levels at 100% and 142% of headlocks and freestalls (typical range for commercial farms in the Northeast) and 5-hour feed restriction before next feeding (simulation of slick-bunk feeding with cows running out of feed in the middle of the night). For the first part in this series, let’s take a look at the effects of these two stressors on rumen pH. Similar to the previous trial when we looked at the interaction of overstocking and fiber level in the diet, we observed an increase in sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) for cows at the 142% stocking density. The difference in SARA between stocking density levels was again likely due to changes in rumination location. While there were no differences in eating and rumination time, we observed a shift in the location of their rumination to the alley as free-stalls were unavailable for the sub-dominant animals. Due to this shift, it is likely the reduced
NR = No feed restriction R = 5-h feed restriction
comfort during rumination led to lower amounts of buffer production, leading to drops in rumen pH and greater SARA. Interestingly, we did not observe any differences in SARA risk for the feed restriction treatment. However, we did find an exacerbated response when cows were both overstocked and feed restricted. Although feeding for a slickbunk at 100% stocking density did not appear to affect the rumen environment in this study, use of this practice at high stocking density created extra stress on the cow, negatively impacting her ruminal health. While use of this practice aims to minimize costs, it may actually be costing us in the end if we don’t consider the cow’s environment. Think about which pens on your farm are most overcrowded and use caution for these pens when aiming for very low refusal rates.
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
Further, in agreement with our previous trial, we noticed an increase in SARA throughout the day, consistent across all treatments. Contrary to the belief that greatest SARA occurs after fresh feeding (typically her largest meal), we now see two pen level trials where SARA increases throughout the day, regardless of her feeding environment. With these results provides opportunity to re-think our feeding practices. Should we feed more often? Should we feed two different diets, with higher fiber later in the day? Think about the feeding environment later in the day…is feed accessible? By re-evaluating the feeding environment, we can promote more consistent rumen conditions and increase the well-being of our cows. ─ Mac Campbell campbell@whminer.com
December 2016 ─ 6
HOLIDAY NUTRITION FACT CHALLENGE Thought we would change it up this month. I usually try to focus on nutrition, ruminant nutrition that is; but even I get weary of fiber, digestibility and uNDF. Every now and then we need some “brain candy.” Though brain candy does tend to get a bad rap, it can offer very useful information; always a good thing to educated and informed. If your house is like mine this holiday season, you will likely be asked or spoken to about some dairy/nutrition topic by someone either seeking knowledge or spouting opinion. Best be “armed” with factual information.
We know what happens when people don’t understand the facts. I digress. Here is a game to play with family and friends. We do this with our dairy students to teach nutrient profiles of various feedstuffs. The nutrients of a variety of feeds/foods are provided in the table below. Based on the calories, protein, sugar and fats, can you identify the food item? For instance; if something has 35% starch, 1% sugar and 40% NDF one might guess corn silage and be correct in the ruminant nutrition version of the game.
that may appear on your table; can you name them? The winner may proclaim Superior Nutritional Knowledge for the meal and have their nutritional opinions respected as fact by all other family members for the day. The table lists the calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat for 100g of “as fed” food, NOT DM basis and not necessarily a serving size. Note 100g is about ½ cup by volume. Good luck, Happy Boasting, rather Happy Holidays. ─ Kurt Cotanch cotanch@whminer.com
Here are some common holiday foods
Food ID Amount as fed, g
A 100
B 100
C 100
D 100
E 100
F 100
G 100
H 100
Calories, kcal Fat, g Cholesterol, mg Sodium, mg Total Carbs, g Dietary Fiber, g Sugar, g
151 0 0 29 39 1 38
135 7 59 54 13 0 8
575 49 0 1 22 13 4
103 3 43 1015 3 0 3
94 0 0 7 21 2 1
90 0 0 36 21 4 7
31 0 0 6 7 4 2
480 20 53 360 67 0 40
Protein, g Amino acid score
0 0
4 52
21 57
17 439
2 28
2 41
2 80
7 653
Ca, mg Fe, mg Mg, mg P, mg K, mg
4 0 3 6 26
130 0 19 109 165
264 4 268 484 705
8 2 21 162 302
10 1 27 75 544
38 1 27 54 475
37 1 25 38 209
21 2 12 80 63
Vit A, IU Vit C, mg Vit E, mg
42 2 1
161 1 0
1 0 26
33 6 0
10 13 0
19217 20 1
690 16 0
90 0 0
Answer key: A = Cranberry sauce; B = Egg Nog; C = Almonds; D = Turkey breast; E = Potato, white; F = Potato, sweet; G = Green beans; H = Sugar cookie. The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
December 2016 ─ 7
DOUBLE CROPPING BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT As dairy farms increase in size the public is paying more attention to what is happening on the farm, particularly when it comes to environmental issues. One concern is excess nutrients and erosion. A study done at the University of Minnesota by Erik Krueger and colleagues hypothesized that winter rye seeded down after corn silage has the potential to reduce erosion and nutrient loss and provide a hay crop forage in the spring. Their objectives were to compare forage production and environmental impacts such as erosion and nitrate leaching of corn silage production with and without a winter rye cover crop, and to also see what effect the timing of rye harvest had on yields and environmental impacts. The study utilized four treatments and four replications that looked at timing of rye harvest and corn planting using the same plots over the course of three years. The early winter rye planting dates were on May 18, 20, or 21. The late winter rye planting date was June 3, 4, or 5. The early rye and late rye treatments are alternative management systems that have the potential to mitigate environmental impacts (i.e., erosion, nitrate leaching). Using a cover crop such as winter rye has the potential to reduce phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) losses while also providing a high-quality forage crop. Soil organic carbon increased by 26% in double cropped plots and by 18% in control plots. It was hypothesized that the increase in organic matter in the corn silage plots was mainly due to dairy manure application. With increasing soil organic carbon you will build a better and healthier soil. A soil with more carbon will be able to hold more nutrients, more
cover it can be said less erosion compared to the corn silage production.
water, and have less yield variability. In the rye cover crop plots the soil NO3-N concentration was reduced up to 88% in the top 2” and in all years rye reduced soil NO3-N to a depth of 6”. Soil solution nitrate was reduced by 27%. Rye effectively removed excess nitrate from the soil during a time of year where the corn would not be growing and thus would have the potential to leave the system. Ground cover was similar for both the fall and spring in the monocrop treatments, around 30%. Whereas in the double cropped plots the ground cover was consistently greater throughout the season. Using a winter rye as a cover crop was effective at lowering the nitrate losses, increasing soil organic carbon and through increased ground
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
A recurring issue with using a winter cover crop such as rye is that the subsequent corn yield is decreased, although if the rye is harvested it’s possible to have an increase in total forage production. In this study rye dry matter yields ranged from 0.6 tons/acre in the early rye to 1.65 tons/acre in the late rye, and corn yields with the rye cover crop ranged from 6 tons/ acre in the late rye harvest/late corn planting to 8 tons/acre in the early rye harvest/early corn planting. In the corn silage treatment, the dry matter yields ranged from 7 tons/ acre in the late corn planting to 9 tons/acre in the early corn planting. In this case using rye as a double crop did not increase total forage. The double cropping treatments had 1 tons/acre less of corn silage production, at $40/ton that’s a loss of $40 an acre. Other studies have found that total forage production can increase for winter forage-corn double cropping. The authors concluded that as a double cropping system the winter rye improved nitrogen leaching, soil loss and soil carbon loss. P was not able to be measured in this study. However, they did experience a decrease in the corn yield in double cropped plots. With the right conditions, it is possible to achieve a higher total forage production in a double cropping system. The authors did not find this to be the case, although in a current study here at Miner Institute that is looking at a double cropping system with winter rye, we saw an increase in total forage production this year. More info about that study will be coming. ─ Keegan Griffith griffith@whminer.com December 2016 ─ 8
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FARM This time of year we hear people say, “December already?! Where did the year go?!” Maybe you’re saying that yourself…we sure are. It seems like it was just spring and we were plowing, planting corn and getting ready for our summer students. Where did the year go? Well, we’ve had 429 cows freshen since January, 418 newborn calves (bulls and heifers) to care for. We’re still milking 3X, one person per shift (pushing each group to the parlor, grooming the stalls and milking the cows) except on the night shift when we have two people. We’ve milked about 375 cows this year, shipping 12,066,508 lbs of milk in the last 12 months. We’ve delivered over 11,200 tons of TMR to our cows and heifers, trimmed hooves on 532 cows and done over 4,100 pen moves. Our 6 million gallon manure pit is almost empty for the first time in several years. Four employees left our crew this year (2 for health issues) and we hired 3 new employees and one part-time employee. Teaching and working with interns and graduate students and giving tours to visitors keeps us busy. We’ve worked with the research department to run numerous studies in the barn this year as well as a calf study through the summer. At one point we had 3 cow trials running simultaneously! Yeah, that is where the year has gone!
spend more time on training--looking at some conferences to attend and also doing some on-farm training. This is important for our new employees but also for those of us who’ve been working at the farm for years – continued training as well as good communication among our team are key parts of successful operations. This is especially a challenge when there are three shifts and work is being done around the clock so we don’t see everyone every day. We‘ve had some communication classes/ training at the Institute over the last several years and have continued to focus on improving communication among our 50+ employees. We’ve also been working on some supervisor training for those in leadership roles. We’re also anticipating 8 students in our Advanced Dairy Management program; they will spend time with us in the barn and will also be taking a full course load of classes taught by staff members at the Institute. Soon we’ll be receiving applications for our Summer Experience in Farm Management internship. Check our website for more details if you know a college junior or senior interested in on-farm dairy experience this summer! Also, we are still waiting to fill our yearlong herdsman intern position – a great opportunity there!
Looking ahead to 2017 we’re planning to
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE The Crop Dude is now safely ensconced in winter quarters in Virginia. The key word in the previous sentence is “safely” since the chances of self-inflicted injury are much less in Virginia. Activities here consist primarily of daily walks with The Bride through an oak forest where there are no hills, cliffs, rocks or other dangerous places, while at Oak Point there are roof gutters to clean, trees to trim, seemingly endless retaining walls to build and maintain, boats and other watercraft to move about, etc. After two falls from ladders resulting in two crushed vertebrae and a fractured wrist, T.B. has forbidden all ladder work requiring a climb of over 6 feet. This should reduce but not prevent chances of future injury, as the latest crop of scars will testify. There’s an internet acronym DDSS which means Different Day, Same Stuff (or words to that effect). Same acronym, but the Crop Dude’s new mantra is “Don’t Do Stupid Stuff”. It’s been suggested that DDSS should be tattooed on some body part where he’d be sure to see it several times each day, but hopefully visual reminders will not be necessary.
─ Anna Pape pape@whminer.com
─ E.T.
SAVE THE DATE: CROP CONGRESS Feb. 1, 2017 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Guest speakers include: Dr. Elson Shields and Dr. Quirine Ketterings from Cornell University
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute Farm Report
December 2016 ─ 9
VT DAIRY PRODUCERS CONFERENCE February 21, 2017 Sheraton-Burlington Conference Center Meeting Agenda: 8 - 8:25 a.m. 8:25 - 8:30 a.m. 8:30 - 9:20 a.m. 9:20 - 9:30 a.m. 9:30 -10:20 a.m. 10:20 -10:50 a.m. 10:50 -11:40 a.m. 11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. 12:40-12:45 p.m. 12:45-12:50 p.m. 12:50-1:35 p.m. 1:35-2:25 p.m. 2:25-2:55 p.m. 2:55-3:45 p.m. 3:45-4:00 p.m
Registration Welcome - Glenn Rogers Dr. Pamela Ruegg, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Five Keys to Maximizing Success of Mastitis Treatment Remarks by Governor Phil Scott Carrie Mess - Connecting with Consumers Break Dr. James Maas, Sleep for Success: Everything You Must Know About Sleep but are too Tired to Ask Lunch Sponsor recognition and Announcements Remarks by Secretary of Agriculture Damian Mason - Humor for the Heart of Agriculture Dr. Lance Baumgard, Iowa State University, Effects of Heat Stress on Dairy Productivity Break Jonathan Lamb, Lamb Farm, Inc., Applied Genomics Door Prizes and Adjourn Conference Registration-Early bird registration begins on January 10, 2017 Visit https://vermontdairyproducers.com/conference-registration/.
DAIRY HERDSPERSON INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY We are now accepting applications for our next dairy management intern – a fantastic opportunity for a motivated college graduate who is looking for hands-on experience in dairy management. This year-long internship is a herdsman training program that is tailored to each intern and their career goals. The intern works closely with the herdsman and farm manager, but also works with the other farm employees as well – feeders, calf manager, milkers. Jobs include assisting with calving, fresh cow care, vaccination, heat detection and reproductive management, diagnosing and treating sick animals, using management software including Dairy Comp 305 and AI 24, working with our veterinarian and nutritionist and learning about labor management on the farm. There are many different learning and networking opportunities throughout the year - guest speakers and classes at the Institute and regional conferences. Applicants should have at least some dairy experience, be motivated and show an ability to work hard and cooperate with others. It is important the intern be eager to learn, able to follow instructions and be fluent in English. The valuable on-farm experience and dairy management skills acquired through this internship makes it an ideal transition between college and a career in the dairy industry. Our previous interns are all working in the dairy industry, in different capacities – several are herdsmen, one is now a veterinarian, and another went on for her Master’s Degree and is now a dairy nutritionist in Wisconsin. The internship is a paid position and housing is provided in our student complex. Miner Institute is an equal opportunity employer. If you have questions or would like to apply for the position, please send your resume and a letter (outlining your career goals and how this internship would be mutually beneficial to our farm and to you) to Steve Couture at couture@ whminer.com. We will be accepting applications until we find the right person, though we hope to have a new intern in place by early 2017.
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DAIRY DAY AT MINER INSTITUTE Tuesday, December 13, 2016 100 a.m. . . too 3 p.m. p. . Dairy Day is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, contact Wanda Emerich, 518-846-7121, ext. 117 or emerich@whminer.com AGENDA: 10:00 ─ Dr. Rick Grant, Miner Institute "The Overcrowding Dilemma" 10:45 ─ Dr. Paul Fricke, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Fertility Programs to Achieve High 21-d Pregnancy Rates in High-Producing Dairy Herds” 11:45 ─ Lunch and Door Prizes 12:45 ─ Dr. Paul Fricke, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Barriers to High Fertility in High-Producing Dairy Herds” 1:15 ─ Bill Zweigbaum, Farm Credit East “A New Milk Price Cycle Will Require Different Thinking” 2:00 ─ Dr. Heather Dann, Miner Institute “New Tools in Milk Analysis – Revealing the Secrets Hidden in Milk to Make Quicker and Better Management Decisions”
Registered for 4 ARPAS credits
Hot lunch will be available for $5
Miner Institute is located at 586 Ridge Rd. Chazy, NY. Travel on Miner Farm Road, Route 191- 1 mile west of Interstate 87, exit 41. Travel time is approximately 1 hour south of Montreal, 20 minutes north of Plattsburgh, NY, 1.5 hours from Burlington, VT, or 3 hours north of Albany, NY.
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The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute 1034 Miner Farm Road P.O. Box 90 Chazy, NY 12921
Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Chazy N.Y. 12921 Permit No. 8
Change Service Requested
YOUR DECEMBER FARM REPORT IS HERE ENJOY!
Director of Research Katie Ballard talks to members of the Junior Holstein Club of Otsego, Herkimer and Montgomery counties who toured Miner Institute in early November.
Closing Comment Never mistake motion for action.
www.whminer.org 518.846.7121 Office 518.846.8445 Fax
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