Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2002
To borrow the motto of a popular TV ad, "Where do
you want to go — today?" I left the Dairy Planning Task
Force meeting held Thursday, Dec. 5 with a sense of
urgency regarding the future of our industry. And so did the other
70 plus attendees, most of which were your neighbors
and friends. No question the frustration of low prices and
the seemingly helpless situation of being a price-taker not a
price-maker weighed heavily on everyone's mind.
However, the meeting was not a gripe session! Rather, it was whether
you (as a dairy producer) wanted a dairy industry at all.
If so, what are you going to do about it? I assume
that everyone in attendance was there because they answered
yes to that first question. The challenge arises from
the question "Where do you want to go?"
So what was different about this meeting? It was organized by you. Hats off to those individuals who took the initiative to get us together. And what about our past groups (dairy steering committee, dairy summit committee, dairy working group?). The intent of the Dairy Planning Task Force is that they become one and that more producers get involved.
So what is our next step? Now is the time to decide. In just over 10 years we've gone from 1500 to 480 dairy farms in North Dakota. We'd better decide pretty soon. If you're ready to be a part of this group, call Lori Capouch, (701) 663-6501 and get on the list.
This meeting was about attitude. Does the following editorial taken from a recent publication fit? Permit me to share it with you.
At one time very early in agriculture's story there were only two farmers: Cain raised grain; Abel had livestock. The book of Genesis tells us they didn't get along. So, I'll drop any pretense of a call for unity among dairy producers. Even though dairy producers have shrunk to a sliver of the U.S. population pie chart, if unity couldn't happen when there were only a couple of producers from the same neighborhood and lineage, it isn't going to happen when two or more are gathered in its name.
Dairy producers are often pitted against dairy producers, whether it's debate over who gets what slice of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), or at a public hearing over the granting of an expansion permit. Emotions and politics, always a volatile mixture, get inflated when cash is involved, and usually it turns personal.
And when it gets personal, a new phenomenon arises. Maybe it's human nature, but it has always amazed me that we take great delight in another's misfortune. Steve Rushin, in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated, described the German term "schadenfreude," a combination of Schaden (damage) and Freude (joy). Some take great freude in another producer's schaden. There's nothing like seeing someone get what we think they really deserve.
Admittedly, I share this emotion, although I usually refrain from displaying it toward anyone or anything except teams playing against my beloved Packers and Badgers.
In dairying, targets of "schadenfreude" are often the most progressive leaders and those willing to try something new. They get interviewed for a magazine article and share their success story, or take a public leadership role and speak up, and they must be putting themselves up on a pedestal. It's time to knock them off. They couldn't have gotten there through hard work and initiative. There must have been something illegal and unethical, or they're the luckiest people alive.
Then, if something bad does happen — a manure spill, some financial calamity or even something fictional — the vultures circle. It's a "schadenfreude" party. There's joy in Mudville, and mud is flying. They got what they deserved.
The fallout from "schadenfreude" is that in an industry in dire need of leadership, people are more reluctant to publicly lead and serve as business models and mentors. Success is silenced, and negativity prevails.
Despite "schadenfreude," dairy needs leaders, mentors and models who are visible and heard. Those who follow will respect you and might just develop into leadership roles themselves. In the long run, those who practice "schadenfreude" really won't matter. They'll find joy in someone else's damage.
Cain and Abel didn't get along. Abel got his. Eventually, though, so did Cain. If unity isn't going to happen, at least it would be nice if "schadenfreude" didn't either — except when the Packers play the Bears.
Printed with permission from the author, Dave Natzke,
Midwest Dairy Business, Vol. 7, No. 4, November 2002.
Happy Holidays,
J.W. Schroeder
Extension Dairy Specialist
Big bale haymaking is certainly labor saving since it can be a one-person operation. But how these bales are treated after harvest is a shame when they're allowed to weather in the field, resulting in loss of much of the feed value.
How bad is it? If a 4' x 4' bale has a 4" layer of weathered hay that doesn't seem like much, but that 4" layer represents almost of the hay in the bale. An 8" weathered layer represents over half the hay. The situation is only slightly better with larger diameter bales.
Large bales need protection from the weather. Quality forage deserves quality care.
The spring and summer have brought extremes in weather for all parts of North Dakota. Now is the time to make decisions about stretching your forage.
The first thing need is to determine how much forage is available and how long does it need to be fed. This will determine how much can be fed. For example, if you have 100 tons of silage (100 tons x 2000 lbs = 200,000 pounds) available and you need to feed 100 cows for 150 days, how much can you feed per day? The answer is 13.3 pounds per cow per day of silage (200,000 lbs/ 100 cows/ 150 days). With this low amount of forage available, what are the options? There are two areas of concern, meeting the fiber requirement to maintain fat test and providing the energy to meet the requirements of milk production. One approach is to add by-products such as corn glutten feed or soybean hulls, which may also be in short supply because of the drought. These by-products tend to have the starch removed but have higher fiber and/or protein values. This means that you may need to add some nonstructural carbohydrates to make sure that the ration maintains its energy value and supplies a fermentable carbohydrate source to the rumen microbes. For example, this could be a limited amount of whole grains (corn, wheat) or molasses. Just 5 pounds of hay could help extend the silage supply.
It is critical that intake is controlled and all cows get their share. Just providing 5 pounds of hay free-choice per cow will not meet their needs. It is best to have some forage in the ration for rumen stimulation and formation of the rumen mat. Research has shown that adding even two pounds of wheat straw to a ration of only by-products will improve rumen health and performance.
Economically, it is better to keep forage in the ration. Adjustments need to be made in the ration to reflect the amount of forage that is available. It is better to feed limited forage for a long period rather than switching rations as forage is used up. It is too late to start a limited forage program if the silo or hay barn is empty.
Feeding drought stress forage raises two cautions, nitrates and mycotoxins. Both tend to be higher under stress conditions of plant growth, especially nitrates. Since dilution of nitrate forage is one of the ways of handling it, the limited forage rations may work if the nitrate level is not too high. The forages must be tested to accurately know the levels so that calculations can be made.
Now is the time to make ration changes to allow you to survive until the next harvest. Do not wait until the forage is gone.
Waste milk is occasionally used to feed replacement dairy heifers. It is readily available and is much cheaper than feeding milk replacer, but many are questioning the wisdom of the practice. The three primary issues associated with feeding waste milk include: 1) Absorption of disease causing organisms (Johne's, mastitis, etc.). 2) Increased incidence of mastitis due to spread of mastitis organisms through suckling if calves are not separated. 3) Antibiotic residues in calves sold for meat.
To reduce these potential problems, many producers pasteurize waste milk to kill any organisms that may be present in the milk. Pasteurization reduces the incidence of diseases commonly experienced when waste milk is fed to dairy calves. Research has shown that properly pasteurized milk will kill the bacteria that cause Johne's as well as most other mastitis causing organisms. From the initial research it would appear that pasteurization is economical for those herds large enough to justify the investment but limited data are currently available from good controlled studies. Also, the effectiveness of pasteurization appears to be inconsistent from day to day based on observations from some farms using this practice. When pasteurization is used, a good quality control program is essential.
Another issue with feeding waste milk is the inconsistency in composition. Mastitis alters milk composition. The degree of change depends on the severity of the mastitis, number of milkings after the onset of mastitis, and type of organism causing mastitis. If the composition of the milk varies from day to day, the consistent plane of nutrition cannot be maintained for the calf which will alter growth.
Also worthy of review by dairy producers is the amount of waste milk available. If the main source of waste milk is extra colostrum, this would only provide enough milk to feed one calf for 14 to 24 days so the supply of waste milk would be limiting for most dairies. However, if large quantities are consistently available, producers should work with their veterinarian to reduce the cause of the waste milk, especially mastitis.
For producers who are currently feeding waste milk to their replacement heifers, now is a good time to review the practice.
Adapted from Georgia Dairy Fax, July/August 2002,
John K. Bernard, Animal Dairy Scientist
Several risk factors contribute to the variation in susceptibility to new intra mammary infection during the dry period. These factors include:
Bacterial populations on the teat end
The cessation of milking hygiene practices, such as teat dipping, allows bacterial populations on teat skin to increase. Staphylococcus aureus and environmental Streptococci bacterial numbers on teat skin are high immediately after drying off. Coliform organisms are more prevalent on teat skin late in the dry period and at calving time.
Variations in the teat streak canal
Studies suggest that the teat canal is more easily penetrated by bacteria during the early dry period. Similarly, swelling of the mammary gland, the increasing volume of secretion, and the leaking of colostrum, contribute to the high risk of new infection during the prepartum period.
Resistance mechanisms within the mammary gland
Throughout the dry period, there are marked changes in the composition of mammary gland secretions. There is an increase in the concentration of protective factors such as leucocytes, immunoglobulins, and lactoferrin. These changes influence the variation in susceptibility to both environmental and contagious pathogens. When the gland is completely involuted, resistance to new intramammary infections is high.
Follow these dry cow treatment procedures
- Milk the udder out completely.
- Immediately following teat-cup removal, dip all teats in an effective teat dip.
- Allow the teat dip to dry. If necessary, remove excess dip from the teat-ends with a single-service paper towel.
- Disinfect each teat-end by scrubbing for a few seconds with a separate alcohol-soaked cotton swab. Start with the teats on the far side of the udder, and work towards the near side.
- Infuse each quarter with a single dose syringe of a recommended dry cow treatment. Start with teats on the near side of the udder, and work towards the far side. Use the partial insertion method for administering treatment into the teat streak canal.
- Dip all teats in an effective teat dip immediately following treatment.
Source: NMC Regional Meeting Proceedings (1999) pg. 35
Soon you'll be receiving reminders for the upcoming Dairy Cow College. 2003 makes ten years of this educational effort, nine of which were in collaboration with the American Dairy Association.
In that time we've seen many changes, the most noticeable is the size of the audience. Today we're at approximately one-third of the dairy farms of a decade ago. And, while the needs are similar, the events of the world has changed our topics. I started this tenure of technical information talking about mastitis. This year the program will include bio-terrorism. Who says things don't change!
For me, Dairy Cow College is the highlight of key educational endeavors. Significant resources go into bringing you this event. We look forward to seeing you at this years event and welcome your ideas for future programs. All locations begin at 11 a.m. local time. Until then, mark your calendar:
---------------------------------------------------------- Date Town Location ---------------------------------------------------------- Feb. 3 Linton Emmons County Courthouse Feb. 4 Dickinson Knights of Columbus Feb. 5 New Salem Morton County Fairgrounds, 4-H Bldg Feb. 6 Minot Holiday Inn Feb. 7 Valley City Eagles Club ---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------
I recently acquired a set of materials produced by Dr. Karen Jacobsen, DVM, Athens, Ga. entitled "Easy Dairy Spanish". It includes a 78-minute CD and manual organized by subject area, such as milking procedures, young stock care, sick cow and medicine, etc.
To use the CD, the user speaks the word or phrase in English, then it is repeated in Spanish by a native speaker of the language. There is a pause for the listener to repeat. The CD can stand alone or be used with the manual. The CD is intended to help English speaking people learn Spanish dairy terminology, but can also be used to help Spanish speakers learn English.
The Easy Dairy Spanish manual is a 100-page book of common dairy terminology and phrases. It includes both English-Spanish and Spanish-English reference sections. There is also a section on General Basic Spanish for beginners.
If you would like to borrow these references, please give me a call (701) 231-7663. I'd be glad to share them with you. If you are interested in purchasing the package, it is $45 which includes shipping and handling.
The following is the Table of Contents
Dairy Spanish (in both book and CD)
Basic Spanish Pronunciation
Accentuation in Spanish
Dairy Spanish
People on the Dairy Farm
At the Job Interview
Animals on the Dairy
Parts of the Cow's Body
Reproduction
Milking Procedure
Mastitis Control and Quality Milk Production
Young Stock
Sick Cows and Medicine
Environment and Housing
Crops and Feeding
Some Common Words and Phrases
Tools and Equipment
Vehicles and Machinery
Health, Safety, and Clothing
Basic Spanish (book only)
The Family
Directions and Locations
More Common Words
Days of the Week
Holidays
The Seasons of the Year
The Weather
Other Animal Names
Time
The Colors
Sports
Food
Household Terms
Units of Measure
The Numbers
The Spanish Alphabet
Dairy Spanish Dictionaries (book only — these are very extensive)
English to Spanish
Spanish to English
Dairy Connection -- Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2002
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. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701/231-7881.