CALVES
But is it clean?
Professional Dairy Heifer Growers Association
has new name
Abrupt weaning
affects growth rates
HEIFERS
Efficient heifer
breeding for success
NUTRITION
Control cost and
prevent overfeeding
Mustard bran reduces
ration cost
Feed analysis - do it right
DRY COWS
Checklist for dry cow
management
MANAGEMENT
Listen to your cows
Is one
dairy management style more profitable?
ECONOMICS
Compost barns to be toured
N.D. dairy saves $$$
HERD HEALTH
Why teat condition is
important
LABOR
Delays can affect
parlor performance
Milkers' wages
Pay incentive programs
MILK QUALITY
The effect of season on somatic cell count
and the incidence of clinical mastitis
What "top" milk quality
farms do
FACILITIES
Tile line aids drainage
Provide quality space
Calves and heifers
need their space
Welcome to the latest edition of Dairy Connection. Along with timely dairy information, it's that time of year to remind my readers of events of interest, including the North Dakota Dairy Coalition farm tour set for Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Bob and Jennifer Bertelsen Farm, Garrison, our new neighbors from California, and the State Dairy Show, scheduled for Saturday, July 28. Also included is a report from the North Dakota Dairy Coalition. With the help of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and North Dakota Department of Commerce, supporting funding was successful.
So good reading and have an excellent summer. May high milk prices and lower feed costs be in your future.
Regards,
J.W. Schroeder, Ph.D.
Extension Dairy Specialist
Department of Animal and Range Sciences
Several surveys and clinical studies have shown that approximately 30 percent of all calves fail to absorb adequate amounts of antibodies from colostrum, even when adequate quantities of colostrum are fed early in life. These calves face an increased risk of disease during the first month of life until their immune system begins producing antibodies.
Research sheds some light on why calves fail to absorb colostrum antibodies. A study conducted at Virginia Tech by Bob James and Carl Polan demonstrated that the presence of high levels of bacteria in the intestine were associated with low antibody absorption. In this study, early colonization was the result of administering a "probiotic" bacterial inoculum prior to or shortly after colostrum feeding. The higher the bacterial counts in the intestine, the less antibody absorption.
More recently, Sandra Godden from the University of Minnesota demonstrated that colostrum can become a source of large numbers of bacteria if it is not cooled rapidly after milking or if it's administered with an improperly cleaned esophageal feeder. She found that bacterial growth in colostrum was rapid and exceeded 100,000 bacteria/milliliter (ml) within a short time after milking if unrefrigerated. In a Minnesota field study, standard plate counts of colostrum fed to calves exceeded 162,000,000 colony forming units/milliliter (cfu/ml). These studies lead us to the following conclusions:
• Treat colostrum as you would saleable milk. Colostrum should be fed within an hour or two of harvest or refrigerated immediately. If refrigerated, feed it within 24 hours to limit bacterial growth. Make sure that refrigeration temperature is less than 40 F, but above freezing. Keep a refrigerator near the milk room specifically for storage of colostrum.
• If a calf is born between milking times and refrigerated or frozen colostrum is not available, consider using one of the colostrum replacer products that contain at least 100 grams of antibody/dose.
• Do not feed "probiotics" within the first 12 hours of life and preferably at least six hours after the last colostrum feeding.
• Do not use colostrum supplement or replacer products that also contain probiotics. These products commonly will show the addition of bacteria, such as lactobacilli or bifodobacteria.
Follow the standard "3 Q" recommendations for colostrum feeding - quantity, quality and quickly.
1. Feed at least 2 quarts followed by another 2 quarts within 12 hours of birth.
2. Test colostrum with a colostrometer or suitable test and use only colostrum containing more than 50 milligrams/ml of immunoglobulin G (IgG).
3. Provide the first feeding as soon as possible after birth (<three hours) and the second feeding by no later than 12 hours of age.
At the last annual meeting, the board of directors voted to change the name of the Professional Dairy Heifer Growers Association to Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA). While the organization has a new name, it's still about raising healthy, productive dairy calves and heifers.
The 11th annual meeting was held in Burlington, Vt., last March. They always have a great program, which some of you have attended. The following are highlights of information presented:
1. Reduce bacterial counts in colostrum by minimizing bacterial contamination at harvest, storing immediately in a refrigerator or freezer, and
using clean, sanitized feeding utensils.2. Colostrum can be preserved by refrigeration, adding a chemical preservative (potassium sorbate) or freezing. Feed nonpreserved (refrigerated) colostrum within two days of harvest. Thaw frozen colostrum at less than 140 F.
3. Colostrum replacers should contain a minimum of 100 grams of IgG and a nutrient pack that provides a source of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals similar to colostrum.
4. Avoid pooling colostrum and using high-risk colostrum from cows with disease problems (e.g., mastitis, Johnes).
5. Ingredients on a milk replacer label should be listed in descending order. Determine the true quality of a milk replacer based on digestibility, mixability, consistent performance and, finally, cost.
6. Optimal parameters for pasteurization are 140 F for 60 minutes. Pasteurized milk samples should have standard plate counts of less than 20,000 cfu/ml after pasteurization. Evaluate fat percent, protein percent and total solids routinely.
7. Considerations for selecting a calf starter include physical form; pellet quality; presence of fines/dust or off-flavor feeds; protein source; and the inclusion of molasses, B vitamins and coccidiostats. Evaluation of starters ultimately should be based on intakes and performance.
8. In grower operations, ensure that calves are healthy upon arrival and maintain healthy animals throughout the rearing process. Diarrhea occurs quite often but many times is of short duration with no long-term negative effects. Pneumonia does have an effect on long-term performance. Reduce disease costs through proper vaccinations, decreased stress, and strict hygiene and biosecurity.
9. Develop written standard operating procedures for calf rearing and disease control. Encourage continuing education through employee participation in meetings and subscription to language-specific industry literature.
That's just the tip of the information iceberg presented at the preconference presentations. You can't afford to miss next year's seminars in Rochester, Minn.
Source: B. Patrick, DCHA southeast regional director
Going "cold turkey" at weaning is stressful to all
calves. But it may be particularly difficult on early
weaned calves and calves offered milk free-choice, according to
a University of British Columbia study. The average
daily gain of all early weaned calves - those fed milk either
free-choice or at 10 percent of their body weight -
fell from 1.8 pounds per day before weaning to just
0.4 pound per day during the week after weaning. Calves fed milk free-choice until 8 weeks of age
shared the same fate.
Heifers don't positively impact a dairy's cash flow until they freshen. So why would anyone choose to invest extra dollars or time in heifer reproduction? The answer: because, by doing so, you can increase net income per day of life for every female animal in the herd.
Intensive heifer-growing programs have shifted the age
at which heifers are sexually mature and ready to breed
from 14 to 15 months of age down to 12 to 13 months of age.
For these fast-growing, intensively managed heifers
to become productive members of the herd, they
must become pregnant as quickly as possible or they run
the risk of increasing the dairy's average cost of growth
per head and decreasing the enterprise's overall
profitability. In short, extra investment on the grower side of
the equation needs to be coupled with extra investment on
the breeding side so that both efforts can help
maximize the dairy's profitability.
How many heifers do you need to increase herd size? Use this equation to find out:
(Current herd size) X culling % X 2/(1-heifer
mortality %) X age in months @ first calving/24)Scenario 1:1,000 cows X .30 X 2/1-.1 X 22/24 = 611
Scenario 2:1,000 cows X .30 X 2/1-.1 X 24/24 = 667
Scenario 3:1,000 cows X .30 X 2/1-.1 X 30/24 = 834
Thus, by freshening heifers at 22 months versus 30 months, a 1,000-cow dairy would need 37 percent fewer heifers to maintain herd size and would reduce fixed costs by 27 percent as a result of moving animals through the growing and breeding process faster.
The upshot:
1. Focus first on nutrition and growth to ensure that heifers are healthy and ready to breed, ideally at 12 to 13 months of age and 800 to 850 pounds, with a wither height of 48 to 50 inches, for Holsteins.
2. Utilize artificial insemination to maximize genetic progress, improve predictability of calving dates and take advantage of "calving ease" sires.
3. Invest in carefully managed, intensive, hormone-based estrous synchronization programs to maximize labor resources while impregnating heifers quickly and efficiently.
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Source: R. Saltman, manager, dairy veterinary operations,
Pfizer Animal Health, Cazenovia, N.Y.
In this time of high feed prices and concern about the environment, checking your feeding protocol is a good idea. Feeding closer to your cows' requirements reduces overfeeding and cost, but how feasible is this? In many herds, it is not only reasonable, but a good management practice to consider.
First, knowing the dry-matter intake of the herd or group being evaluated is important so you can determine the actual amount of nutrients consumed. Dry-matter content can be determined in a lab or on the farm. On-the-farm testing is needed if dry-matter intake is calculated weekly or more often. Testers are available that can do this.
Although not exact, lactating cows need approximately
1 pound of protein and 10 grams of phosphorus for
each 10 pounds of milk produced in excess of 60
pounds. Formulating that amount in the dry matter
consumed many times will result in a lower concentration
(percent) of the nutrient fed. Routine laboratory measurements
of nutrient content of feeds, or TMR, is necessary
to monitor nutrient intake. As changes in dry-matter
intake occur, making adjustments in
supplementation rates is possible.
If feeding all cows in one group, give consideration
to higher producers, but this should be weighted
against extra cost of supplementation. Use bulk-tank milk
urea nitrogen (MUN) to monitor nitrogen or protein
status and adjust protein level, undegradable and
degradable protein, and rumen-available energy if levels are
excessive (above 14 milligrams per deciliter). Now is
a good time to consider more than one feeding group
for your lactating cows. Consult your herd
nutritionist for more specifics on how to do this without losses
of milk production.
Source: C. Stallings, Virginia Tech
Mustard bran can cut dairy ration costs and increase milk production, says Harouna Maiga, University of Minnesota-Crookston. Substituting some of the soybean meal and all of the beet pulp in dairy cow diets with mustard bran increased daily milk production by about 4 pounds and did not change milk composition or feed intake. The mustard bran did not cause any changes in milk flavor or color. Mustard bran, the outer layer of whole mustard seed, is a byproduct of mustard milling and costs less than other feeds.
When it comes to feed analysis, most people use the "out with the old, in with the new" philosophy, or ditching the previous nutrient values in favor of using new ones to formulate a diet.
If you do that, how confident are you that the new values represent the true concentration of nutrients in the feed any better than the old numbers? That's the question posed by Bill Weiss, professor of dairy nutrition at Ohio State University. "With sampling, you never know if you're correct," he said at the Western Dairy Management Conference.
To increase your confidence in a feed's nutrient composition, try this approach:
1. Through time, collect multiple samples of a specific feed. The more samples you collect, the better.
2. Use those values to calculate the mean or average nutrient concentrations and standard deviations for a particular feed ingredient. Ask your nutritionist to help you with the statistics.
3. Use the mean, instead of the nutrient value from a single sample, to formulate the diet.
Weiss is a former NDSU faculty member
Source: NMC Recommended Mastitis Control Program
What is the personnel management style on your farm?
Would you like more time? Less stress? More energy?
Time for a reality check. Take a look around your farm. Do you recognize any of the following in either yourself or your supervisory employees?
• You stay on top of problems by solving crises.
• You handle emergencies.
• You resolve conflict flare-ups.
• You deal with present situations with little thought to the future.
If you recognize yourself, or your supervisors, in this description, you may be managing by reaction, or through default, rather than planning for success.
Considering ahead of time how you are going to supervise and work with your employees could help put you more firmly in control of your farm business. Planning ahead will help you stay ahead.
www.uvm.edu/~farmlabr/?Page=management/default.html&SM=management/submenu_management.html
Cows do not talk but they can be communicating some very important messages. Are you listening? The way cows behave can tell us a lot about how they are handled, how comfortable their facilities are and if management is causing or reducing stress.
When we ignore cows, we lose information. Each day cows send signals that an attuned herdsperson can interpret. Training employees to do so and taking action on what cows tell you are paramount.
Understanding cow behavior can be good for cows and good for people and it doesn't cost very much in time or money. But it does take a deliberate effort to make sure you and your staff are practicing good cow handling and your facilities are as comfortable as possible.
Train your staff in good cow handling; don't tolerate abusive behavior and reward those who are good with cattle. Good people can compensate for poor facilities but good facilities never can compensate for bad behavior by people. Review your facilities for weak links because good facilities will allow your staff and cows to do their best job possible for you.
Excerpted from "Interpreting Cattle Behavior Practically," Michigan Dairy Review (April 2007)
High production doesn't guarantee profitability; it must be in balance with costs. But low production virtually guarantees the dairy won't be profitable. The ability of the producer to control costs and manage labor and capital are key.
The report's authors analyzed the most profitable group (top 25 percent) by management styles. Of the 135 dairies included in that group, 111 fell under four distinct management styles, while the remainder displayed a more balanced approach (see Table 1).
Table 1. Management styles and profitability.
| Great | Labor | Better | Tight with | ||
| Factor | with cows | efficient | milk price | a buck | Balanced |
| Number of herds | 17 | 17 | 32 | 45 | 24 |
| Average cows/herd | 374 | 429 | 251 | 329 | 129 |
| Milk sold | |||||
| - per cow (lbs.) | 26,433 | 22,775 | 21,829 | 23,158 | 20,980 |
| -per worker (lbs.) | 1,107,960 | 1,555,128 | 1,085,761 | 1,160,504 | 836,104 |
| Milk price/cwt | $16.30 | $15.84 | $17.04 | $15.72 | $15.84 |
| Net cost of production/cwt | $13.91 | $12.52 | $14.42 | $11.98 | $14.06 |
| Net earnings | |||||
| - per cow | $718 | $761 | $598 | $879 | $558 |
| - per cwt | $2.72 | $3.35 | $2.78 | $3.83 | $2.67 |
| Return on assets (%) | 9.1 | 10.7 | 8.2 | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Percent net worth (%) | 68 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 71 |
Source: 2005 Northeast Dairy Farm Summary
Those management styles included:
1. Great with cows: This group spent more time and money on cow productivity, especially on cow comfort. Production per cow was high (26,433 pounds/cow/year), which offset higher net cost of production ($13.91/hundredweight, or cwt).
2. Labor efficient: Superior labor management and largest herd size enabled this group to be the most labor efficient, with annual milk sold per worker at nearly 1.5 million pounds. This group reported the second lowest net cost of production ($12.52/cwt) of the five groups analyzed.
3. Better milk price: This group received an average milk price of $17.04/cwt in 2005, 864/cwt more than the average for all herds in the top profit group. Higher prices resulted from one or more of the following: high milk fat content; negotiated premiums for quality, volume or protein; and/or specialty markets. Even though cost of production was above average, these producers struck a balance that earned above-average profits.
4. Tight with the buck: These dairy producers excelled at cost controls, achieving an average cost of production of $11.98/cwt. Annual milk per cow and milk sold per worker were below the top profit group average, but managing costs resulted in the highest net earnings per cow.
5. Balanced: These good, all-around managers saw less profit than other styles, but were able to respond quicker to adversities affecting various aspects of their businesses. The management style was well-suited to smaller operations where family members provided most of the production labor.
The common theme among these management styles is that the top profit producers reached a balance between milk production and costs. In addition, numerous variations of these management styles have proven successful for individual producers. At some point, producers might consider changing or refining their strategy to better compete in a changing business climate.
The University of Minnesota will host the National Compost Dairy Barn Conference June 21-22 at the Burnsville Holiday Inn, Burnsville, Minn. University of Minnesota scientists will discuss current research on the compost barn housing system for dairy cows. A tour will stop by three farms near Storden and Sleepy Eye on the first day. The second day will feature presentations related to compost barns, compost science and marketing. Preregistration is required by June 4. The conference costs $130, which includes lunch and the tour. The cost for attending just the second day is $90.
Dusty Willow Dairy, Lakota, N.D., is saving money by hauling its own milk and bedding a compost barn with small-grain straw, sunflower hulls, sawdust, soybean straw and grain dust. Since building the compost barn, the dairy reduced cull rates 5 percent. The North Dakota Farm and Ranch Guide features the dairy in its Producer Profile series. Kent and Laurel Swenson and Lee and Dianne Calderwood are partners in the dairy.
In recent years, considerable attention has focused on teat condition and health. Teat condition is important for several reasons.
1. A weak correlation exists between increased teat-end hyperkeratosis and increased risk of new mastitis infections.
2. Some measures of teat condition give an indication of the stresses applied during milking and the resulting tissue congestion and ability of the teat canal to seal effectively when cows return to their housing environment.
3. Teat condition can give some indication of the comfort level of cows during milking, especially at the low-flow period at the end of milking. Having cows become "jumpy" or begin kicking at the milking unit during the low-flow period, during which teat congestion is most pronounced, is common.
Ideal parlor performance involves removing the available milk from cows as gently, completely and quickly as possible at every milking. Optimal performance also requires smooth exiting of the cow and another cow calmly occupying the same stall as soon as possible.
Delays in the milking process can impact overall parlor performance. The following are some of the typical delays observed:
• Delays in cow entrance into the parlor from holding area
• Delays from entering parlor and occupying a parlor stall
• Delays between the time a cow occupies a stall and unit attachment
• Delays when exiting the parlor
• Delays due to an empty holding area, e.g., between two groups of cows
• Delays from attachment of first unit on a side to last unit on same side
• Delays due to long duration of on time for one cow, delaying rest of side
• Delays due to equipment factors (e.g., vacuum and detacher settings)
• Delays due to lower flow due to inadequate premilking stimulation
Source: 2007 NMC annual meeting proceedings, pg. 12-17 (Reid and Stewart)
The average wage for a milker on a Midwest dairy is $9.14 per hour, according to a recent national survey conducted by a California Extension dairy specialist. One hundred eighty-nine farms responded to the survey, including approximately 53 from Minnesota. Relative to other regions of the country, the Midwest is on the lower side of the wage scale. Dairy producers in the West reported an hourly wage of $10.28; in the Southeast, $10.15; and in the Northeast $9.12. Average wages reported by years of employment were:
1-3 years $8.97/hour
4-7 years $10.30/hour
8-12 years $10.75/hour
13-18 years $11.15/hour
19+ years $11.69/hour
Forty-four percent of the Midwest farms that
participated in the wage survey said they provided
an incentive program. In the survey month (April),
the average incentive paid was $286 per person.
One-third of the farms also reported providing
health insurance programs to their employees at an
average monthly cost of $377. Half the farms in the
national survey reported providing housing or a housing
allowance as part of the total compensation package.
Bulk-tank somatic cell count (SCC), individual cow SCC and pathogen-specific clinical mastitis data from 300 Dutch dairy farms were recorded during a four-year period to determine the effect of season on udder health parameters in the same herds during multiple years.
For all parameters, a seasonal effect was present. Bulk-milk SCC peaked in August to September in all four years. The probability of cows getting or maintaining a high SCC was highest in August and May, respectively. Older and late-lactation cows were more likely to develop or maintain a high SCC.
Incidence rate of clinical mastitis was highest in December to January, except for Streptococcus uberis, which was highest in August. Totally confined herds had a higher Escherichia coli clinical mastitis rate in summer than in winter. Compared with the major mastitis pathogens, the seasonal difference in the incidence of clinical mastitis was smaller for the minor pathogens. Distinguishing among Strep, uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus agalactiae and other streptococci is essential when identifying Streptococcus spp. because each of them has a unique epidemiology. The rate of clinical mastitis due to Strep. Uberis seemed to be associated with being on pasture, whereas E. Coli was more housing-related.
Source: J Dairy Sci 2007 90: 1704-1715 (April)
Did you see the results from the National Dairy Quality Award competition? Thirty-three farms received the platinum, gold or silver recognition. They are in Michigan (11), Minnesota (four), Wisconsin (five), Iowa (four), Pennsylvania (two), Vermont (two), Oregon, Maryland, California, Indiana and Ohio.
Average herd size was 164 cows.
Average culling rate was 24.5 percent.
| Practices | Number of herds (33) |
| Free stalls | 23 |
| Sand in free stalls | 14 |
| Tie stalls | 9 |
| Mattresses/mats in tie stalls | 6 |
| Dry lot | 1 |
| Written milking procedure | 12 |
| Plastic gloves at milking | 26 |
| Forestrip routinely | 30 |
| Use paper towels | 17 |
| Use cloth towels | 16 |
| Pre-dip | 30 |
| Post-dip | 33 |
| Dry cows | |
| Dry treat | 33 |
| Vaccinate | 10 |
| Use barrier dip | 9 |
| Use internal teat seal | 15 |
| Herd mastitis vaccination | 14 |
| Culture milk samples | 22 |
| Troublesome pathogens | |
| Environmentals | 12 |
| Strep species | 7 |
| E. Coli | 7 |
| Staph. aureus | 2 |
Source: Hoards 1-10-07 V. 152 p 22D
A tile line lies beneath the calf pens at the University of Minnesota's Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. The tile line is buried about 18 inches below the surface of the pens and is about 18 inches from the front of the 4-foot by 8-foot pens. Pea rock covers the tile line. The rest of the trench is filled with soil from construction of the calf barns. Moisture from the pens seeps into the tile line, which empties into a septic tank.
Calf and heifer housing can be configured in a variety of ways. But, no matter how you house your animals, the system should include the following quality parameters:
• Clean, dry, comfortable living conditions
• Flexibility in grouping to account for variation in calving
• Grouping by age, weight or feed ration
• Separate rest and feed areas, as well as adequate, reachable fresh water
• Mechanized feeding and manure removal consistent with farm needs and capabilities
• Easy care by one person that allows for convenient animal observation
• Functional methods for animal restraint, examination and treatment
Just like you, calves and heifers need their space. Use this chart from Penn State University to determine whether you're giving these animals adequate room on your operation.
| Weight in | Bedded resting area per animal | Closed front free-stall |
| pounds | (not including feed alley) | width X length |
| Newborn to 300 | 30 square feet; individual hutch or pen | not recommended |
| 300 to 500 | 40 square feet; near baby calf area | not recommended |
| 500 to 700 | 50 square feet | 34 to 36 inches X 60 to 69 inches |
| 700 to 900 | 60 square feet | 38 to 40 inches X 75 to 84 inches |
| 900 to 1,100 | 70 square feet | 41 to 43 inches X 90 to 96 inches |
| 1,100 to pre-fresh | 80 square feet | 43 to 45 inches X 96 to 102 inches |