Minnesota DHIA News
A PUBLICATION OF MINNESOTA DHIA   Volume 5,  Issue 1	January 2005

The coming National Animal Identification System (NAIS) made simple, discussion of DHIA services and reports, redistricting, the budget and audited financial reports are all on the agenda for the upcoming meetings. DHIA General Manager Bruce Dokkebakken served on the USDA/industry committee that developed the NAIS, and serves on the Bovine Work Group for the national system, as well as the Minnesota Dept of Ag committee to implement NAIS in Minnesota. Bring you questions and concerns.

Lunch is provided at the start of the meeting (11:30 a.m. unless listed differently). The program will last about 2 hours. Each member farm attending is entitled to one vote on the issues.

Essig at Karl’s		February 21		– Southwest District
Glenwood at Pizza Ranch downtown		February 22		– West Central District*
Mahnomen at Shooting Star		February 24		– Northwest District
Milaca at Embers (169 x 23)		February 28		– Northeast District*
Lewiston at Paradise Lanes (on 14)		March 1		– Southeast District
Barron WI		March 3		– Barron Washburn Annual Meeting	(11 a.m. start)
Kasson at Diggers (south of 14)		March 8		– South Central
Norwood at Kubes		March 9		– Metro
Sauk Centre at DHIA Lab		March 10		– Central District*	(noon start)
* election of a director and alternate for Minnesota DHIA Board of Directors

Upcoming Four-State Dairy Management Seminar

The 2005 Four-State Dairy Management Seminar in February is an opportunity for dairy producers, feed industry personnel, and agribusiness professionals to hear about dairy feeding and management
practices to maximize profitability. This seminar features nationally recognized dairy scientists from MN, IA, IL, and WI. They will cover information on choices for milking frequency, quality control in dairy
heifer replacement management, distillers grains in dairy rations, feeding straw to lactating dairy cows, animal identification update, on-farm pasteurizers, and crossbreeding.

Dates and Locations:

February 21 - Central High School, Norwood-Young America, MN (in conjunction with the Carver County Dairy Expo)
February 22 - NE Iowa Dairy Foundation Center, Calmar, IA
February 23 - Starlite Club, Kaukauna, WI

December Milk Quality Leaders

Did you ever want to know?

What percent of the calves born on your farm in the last year were heifers? How does that compare to all Minnesota DHIA herds?

Did more cows leave your herd in very early, middle, or late lactation last year?

Answers to these and many more questions can be found on the new report included in this packet. You can also look at a graph of SCC trends over the last 12 sample days, separated out by lactation group. The answers for your herd on the tan paper towards the back of your packet. This report was developed by Minnesota DHIA out of Dairy Comp 305 cowfiles. For those of you with Scout or Dairy Comp 305, the command is listed at the top of each box of information. This report is free. We hope you look it over and find the information useful and interesting. Any of the data on this report is available from your DHIA Field Rep as well as from your software. If you want to look at your herd through the eyes of the software, please contact us at 800-827-3442 to make arrangements for a visit.