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Dairy Comp User Meetings
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Minnesota DHIA will be holding two seperate series of Dairy Comp 305 meetings
this winter. The first is open to all Dairy Comp users. You will be working on
your own herd on notebook computers we provide.
Topics include: The Command Line, Using Scheduler, Vet Lists, Bredsum, and Synch
Breeding.

Dates and locations are as follows:

The second series is specially tailored to Dairy Comp users who also have Daily
Milk Systems. Topics include: Bredsum and Protocols (morning session) and
Parlor Performance (afternoon). Featured speakers are Dr. Steven Stewart and Dr.
Paul Rapnicki, both from the University of Minnesota Vet School. Dates and
locations are as follows:

If you are interested in attending any of these meetings, please call Minnesota
DHIA at 1-800-827-3442.

To set up a Scout Users meeting for your area, please call Ronda.

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COWS FOR SALE
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Robert Wessel of Winona County would like to sell 8 bred Holstein heifers. For
more information, please call him at 507-454-1388.

Tony & Gary Evans of Pipestone County are selling their entire herd of Jersey
and Holstein cattle. They have approximately 70 cows in milk. Please call
them for more information at 507-825-4401.

Cows For Sale is a service of Minnesota DHIA. Members can advertise for just
$2.50 per animal with a maximum of $50 per herd (good for 60 days). For more
information, talk to your Field Rep on sample day or call us at 800-827-3442.

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Minnesota DHIA 2000 Annual Summary
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It's time once again to publish the Minnesota DHIA Annual Summary. This year in
addition to highlighting some of the many accomplishments of our members, we
plan to include listings of dairy service and resource providers. Our goal is to
make the Annual Summary a handy reference book for our customers.

If you, or someone you know, offers services or products that dairy producers
would find useful please let us know. We'll be happy to help spread the word.
We are offering advertising space to any of the following resource providers:

and any other dairy service or product you may know of. Each listing will cost
$50 per line with a maximum of 2 lines per listing. All Minnesota DHIA members
will receive a 50% member's discount.

Please help us spread the word. In addition to the discount, we will give
referring member producers $5 for each name that gets published. We also have
full and 1/2 page ad space available for those with more to say. If you know
someone who would like to be included in the Annual Summary, please call us at
1-800-827-3442. Remember this summary goes to the cream of the Minnesota Dairy
industry, including the top producers, consultants, and extension types.

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE...

The way some people interpret nature is quite different than others. For your
enjoyment, interspersed are some excerpts from junior high, high school, and
college test papers and essays submitted to science and health teachers (all
spelling errors were preserved):

"When you breath, you inspire. When you do not breath, you expire."

"Blood flows down one leg and up the other."

"Dew is formed on leaves when the sun shines down on them and makes them
perspire."

"The pistol of a flower is its only protections agenst insects."

"Germinate: To become a naturalized German."

"Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat."

"Rhubarb: A kind of celery gone bloodshot."

"To keep milk from turning sour: Keep it in the cow."

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2001 DHIA DISTRICT MEETINGS NOTICE
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The 2001 Minnesota DHIA Districet Meetings have been scheduled. Meetings are
open to all members, and all members attending carry their own vote. You may
attend any meeting, but may vote for delegates or directors only in your district
All meetings start with lunch at noon. All districts will elect delegates to the
Minnesota DHIA Annual Meeting in St. Cloud on Tuesday February 27, 2001. Please
call Minnesota DHIA with any questions. The phone numbers of each location are
listed in case you need to be contacted while attending.

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"Every time I ask what time it is, I get a different answer."

-- Henry Youngman

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USDA GENETIC EVALUATION CHANGES

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USDA has made several enhancements to genetic evaluations with their August 2000
release. The following is a brief review of some of the changes that were made.

BASE CHANGE: The cow population improves over time due to genetic selection, and
it is necessary to update the genetic base periodically to ensure that published
PTA values are expressed relative to the current US cow population. For example,
PTA values for Holstein sires and cows are now expressed as a deviation from the
average milk-recorded US Holstein cow born in 1995 (the average mature
equivalent production of this reference group of cows is 23347M, 845F, and 696P
-- corresponding averages for "1995 model" Jerseys are 16014, 737, and 571, and
for Brown Swiss it is 19270, 773, and 641).

NEW LIFETIME NET MERIT $ (NM$): The most efficient way to manage the mass of
genetic evaluation information and make effective selection decisions is to use
a selection index. Based on input from researchers and industry, USDA has
implemented an improved NM$ index with the August 2000 evaluations. The
objective of the index is to rank animals based on their genetic ability to
transmit lifetime net profit.

REPLACEMENT OF MFP$: NM$ now accounts for all revenues (e.g., milk, salvage
value, SCC premiums) and costs (e.g., feed, replacement costs, veterinary costs)
as opposed to MFP$, which measured revenues only. Therefore selection for NM$
leads to maximum net lifetime profit per cow, and it is a much more appropriate
selection tool than the (now defunct) MFP$ index.
For more detailed information in the USDA Genetic Evaluation changes you can
visit USDA's web site at www.aipl.arsusda.gov or the National Association of
Animal Breeders' web site at www.naab-css.org/education/evalcnge800.html.
If you have any questions, please call Minnesota DHIA at 1-800-827-3442.

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TRIPLET HEIFER CALVES ARRIVE AS EARLY PRESENT
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At least one DHIA herdowner received an early Christmas present this year. One
day in early December, Jon Aakre of Hawley noticed that one of his cows out in
the yard was very uncomfortable so he brought her in to the barn. A few hours
later, she had not one, not two, but three heifer calves. Although they had
arrived a few weeks early, they were all alive and healthy.
Jon's field rep, Les Berg, came to test a few weeks later and at that time all
three were doing quite well. Les was quite excited. In his 22 years of testing
this is only the second set of triplet heifers he's seen. What a great gift for
all involved!