North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service

Vol. 10, No. 3, September 2000

INDEX

Editorial

As strange as the past summer has been weatherwise, it too is gone for another year. I hope fall brings you a bountiful harvest. The following news and views are something that may help.

Regards,
J.W. Schroeder

Education

Dairy convention and tour

Begin planning now for the North Dakota Milk Producer's Association State Dairy Convention, slated for October 19-20 at the Kelly Inn, Bismarck. This year's program will feature two panel presentations, one on manure and waste management and one on milk marketing alternatives. In addition, on Friday afternoon a tour is planned to the John Boehm Dairy at St. Anthony. John's family has recently expanded their dairy operation. The stop will be twofold. First, Scott Birchall, livestock waste management specialist, will present a demonstration of manure handling techniques and calculating manure application rates. Second, we will have John show off his new rotary parlor. Developed in Australia, rotary technology has been in this country for only a few years. This is the first of its kind in North Dakota.

Be sure to watch for more publicity on our event and make your reservations in advance. We need your help to plan for meals and lodging. This year the event is in Bismarck. Following is an outline of the two day agenda.

2000 North Dakota State Dairy Convention

October 19-20, 2000 - Kelly Inn, Bismarck, ND 58501
701-223-8001/1-800-635-3559

"Dairy - 2000 and Beyond"

Management

Don't overlook basic principles and practices

In this age of biotechnology, computer technology and the Internet, we may forget that many principles of sound dairy
herd management were forged more than 50 years ago. These principles and practices are just as important today and should not be overlooked.

1. Forage testing

Much of the increase in milk production in the last 20 years must be attributed to more precise computerized ration balancing. However, the accuracy of every ration program depends on the information entered in the computer. Due to the variability in nutrient composition of forages, routine forage analysis is essential. Many times, however, the importance of a good representative sample is overlooked. The most accurate forage analysis and ration balancing program is minimized if the forage sample does not represent what is being fed. Sampling at harvest time is recommended (NDSU Extension Circular AS-1081, Interpreting Forage Analysis).

2. Moisture testing

Thousands of dollars are spent on mixer wagons with fancy electronic scales. However, the silage loaded into the mixer wagon may be significantly wetter or dryer than when sampled for forage analysis. Routine testing of dry matter using a moisture tester is absolutely essential to maintain an accurate ration formulation (NDSU Extension Circular AS-1064, Sampling Feed for Analysis).

3. Bunk management

The most accurately balanced ration is useless if cows are not fed enough and/or if they are not consuming adequate quantities. See Barriers to Feed Availability following - (more on this topic in future issues).

4. Sanitation

Simple sanitation is the key to prevention and control of mastitis. Keep cows out of mud and manure. Milk a clean dry udder.

5. Heat detection

Unless you are using a timed breeding program or a natural service sire, heat detection is the most important reproductive herd management practice. Many aids are available, but nothing beats watching cows at least twice a day every day. The time spent watching cows for heat often reveals other management deficiencies.

Just because a management practice is `old' doesn't mean it is not important. Review your management practices and be sure you're not neglecting some of the `tried and true' practices.

Nutrition

Barriers to feed availability

Feed availability influences dry matter intake. In fact, feeding and management practices account for about 22 percent of the variability in a cow's dry matter intake. Ask yourself, "How much time do we spend making sure those animals have feed available?"

The following factors, if not managed properly, can limit the amount of time a cow has to eat:

• Time spent in the parlor.
• Time spent at management rails.
• Group management
• Feeding management.
• Cows returning to their proper pen.
• Overstocking

Barriers to feed availability

(adapted from 1997 Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. 80, pages 878-893)

Forages

Eight steps to better hay sampling

Hay sampling is an important part of quality control for growers and customers. A pinky-sized ground sample analyzed by the lab must represent tons and tons of alfalfa hay from the field. Because a lab technician can only test what is presented, growers must assure the hay sample accurately represents the stack.

A hay sample must fairly represent the leaf-to-stem ratio as well as weed composition. Protein and fiber can vary considerably from bale to bale and even within a bale. Therefore, it is very important to follow a definite protocol in hay sampling. The goal is to obtain a representative and randomly chosen sample. Each core should represent the bale with enough cores taken to represent the stack. Here are some important guidelines for taking samples.

1. Identify a single lot of hay to sample. Lots must be from the same cutting, variety, field, stage of maturity and all must be harvested within 48 hours. Do not mix lots, and a lot should not exceed 200 tons.
2. Choose a good, sharp coring device. It should have an inside cutting-edge diameter of at least d inch and no more than 5/8 inch. The cutting edge should be sharp. Dull probes cause material to be pushed out of the core, altering the composition of the sample. Do not use an auger or corkscrew-type device which selectively samples leaves.
3. Sample at random. Walk around the entire stack and sample bales at various heights. Do not bias the sample by avoiding some bales or choosing others.
4. Take enough cores. Per lot, sample a minimum of 20 bales (one core per bale).
5. Use good technique. Probe the end of the bales near the center and at least 12 to 18 inches into the bale, being careful not to slant the probe.
6. Handle samples correctly. Combine cored samples into a single sample and then store them in a sealed polyethylene freezer bag. Do not expose to heat or direct sun, and send to the lab quickly.
7. Get the right sized sample. The sample should weigh between 1 and 2 pounds.
8. Split samples correctly. If you want to test the performance of a lab, send a fully ground and mixed sample to another lab. Never split an unground sample.

Source - California Alfalfa and Forage Review

Corn silages quality measurements

Most dairymen know that typical corn silage will range in protein from 7 to 8% of the dry matter and net energy from .66 to .72 Mcal/lb. (Depending on the lab making the analysis). These measurements do not always give a complete picture of the feeding value of the silage, however. The type and amount of acids produced during storage can give an idea of the adequacy of the fermentation. Ammonia nitrogen content can give an idea if excessive protein is broken down during storage. Yeast and molds can indicate adverse biological processes that can lead to poor quality silage. A fermentation profile of well-fermented corn silage follows.

pH ......................... 3/6-4.0
Lactic acid ............. 4-6% of dry matter
Acetic acid ............. less than 2%
Butyric acid ............ less than .1%
Propionic acid ........ less than .5%
Ethanol ................... less than .5%
Ammonia nitrogen ... less than 5% of total nitrogen
Yeast and molds ..... less than 100,000 colony forming units/gram

Note that the pH needs to be below 4.0 for the silage to be stable. The dominant acid should be lactic. If other acids such as acetic, butyric, or propionic become more predominate that indicates a shift in the profile that can result in poorer quality silage that may not get as palatable to the cows. Ethanol fermentation should be avoided. Also high levels of ammonia are indicative of excessive proteolysis of proteins. These measures can be an aid in problem solving situations but are probably not warranted on a routine basis. They do give one more measure of the quality of the silage.

Source - Charles C. Stallings, Extension Dairy Scientist, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg

Technology

The Dairy Infobase provides a world of information at your fingertips

More than 1,500 of the latest extension fact sheets, university research reports and private industry materials from across the country are available on the Dairy InfoBase, which can be obtained from The ADDS Center. The ADDS Center is the result of efforts of the Cooperative Extension System and Land Grant Universities in cooperation with other public and private individuals and groups. Available on CD and the Web, the material is easily searchable using keywords or phrases. Information on the Dairy InfoBase is split into 19 subject areas, ranging from business management to genetics to milk marketing, dairy expansion, human resource management and grazing, waste management, milk marketing, milking management and business management. You can purchase a one year online subscription to Dairy InfoBase 4.0 Online for $45. Dairy InfoBase 4.0 CD can be purchased for $99 which includes a one year online subscription. The address of the ADDS Center is P.O. Box 930369, Verona, WI 53593; email: thesource@adds.org Phone: (608) 848-9055, Fax: (608) 848-7675, and web: www.adds.org

Farm Safety

Keep kids (and cows) away from dairy chemicals

We use them every day with little thought of their danger — sanitizers, acid, etc. Yet a recent incident where pipeline sanitizer was accidently added to the teat cup quickly brought home the need to review safety issues on the farm.

Chemicals used by dairies to clean barns, parlors, and equipment are more concentrated than household products. Alkali based products are of particular concern since they are commonly sold to dairies in concentrations greater than 10% and as high as 25%. At these concentrations, even a small amount on the skin or mucus membranes can cause severe burns. Children should not be permitted to enter areas where chemicals are stored, transferred, or used. Secondary containers used to transfer corrosive cleaning agents are of particular concern since they may be easy for children to get a hold of, touch, spill, or drink.

Besides restricting entry into the chemical storage and use areas, a closed system can be installed that will deliver the chemicals to the desired equipment. Closed systems protect all users from exposure to these chemicals and therefore minimize the need for personal protective equipment and restricted access.

As for the three cows that had their teats accidently pre-dipped, well, they were severely burned. Kids, cows and you are all very important. Don't let your hectic lifestyle overshadow your safety procedures. Make sure this accident won't happen to you.

Economics

Don't let milk prices get you down

Jerry Steuernagel, Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota

Are low milk prices eating up your profit? You may think there is little you can do to change the price of milk sold. But there are a number of other factors contributing to profit that you can do something about.

The worksheet below can help you assess how various management changes in your herd can affect your profit, rank the relative merit of the various changes, and decide which changes to make.

To use the worksheet:

1. Record the current average value for your herd under "My Goal."
2. Ask yourself, "If I really concentrate on this area of management, how much change can I make in my herd?" Fill in the answer on the second half of "My Goal." Make some notes: What two or three things can you do to make this change happen?
3. Calculate the dollar amount of units of change you can make times the value per cow times the number of cows in your herd.
4. Repeat the process for each item. Then rank the changes from high to low impact.
5. Look at the items on the top of your list and check your notes on what you would change to achieve this impact. Estimate the cost of making the change and compare the cost with the dollar impact. Choose those changes that will increase your profit the most. Warning: It is not valid to add up all the impacts, since changes in one area might affect another.

When used recently by dairy producers in the Dairy Diagnostic program, the worksheet uncovered some impressive opportunities to improve profit. For example, improving somatic cell count was calculated to return $619 to $15,480 per herd per year. Improving peak milk in cows and heifers showed potential returns of $16,000 to $48,000 per herd per year.

Dairy Connection, Vol. 10, No. 3, September 2000

NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Sharon D. Anderson, Director, Fargo, North Dakota. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. We offer our programs and facilities to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, Vietnam era veterans status, or sexual orientation; and are an equal opportunity employer. 
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North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service