Minnesota DHIA News
A PUBLICATION OF MINNESOTA DHIA	Volume 10,  Issue  1	January 2010

January Report Extras

· The “Herd Management Comparison” report in the front of your report packet (tan paper) shows your key herd data for January of 2010 compared the same data from one year ago, so you can note progress.  There is also a goal column that is standardized to a 10% improvement (we hope to allow you to customize that soon).  The last column is the breed average for your state, or for a larger region for breeds with fewer herds.  This report comes out twice a year and replaces the old report that was included with local annual meeting packets.  Sending them with your reports helps protect your privacy and provides you with the information in a much more timely fashion.

· On your next sample day: Your Field Rep is prepared to provide you with a list of cows that died or were sold in 2009.  Also available is a list of youngstock that left or died in calendar 2009.  Just remind your Field Rep during your January of February sample day, and they will be happy to leave the list with you before they leave your farm!

Quality Counted

December 2009 saw the all time low average SCC for a month in DHIA history.  The average for 208,000 cows tested was 266,535.  That is a decline of 25,000 from one year ago.  The annual average for 2009 was 297,726, down a remarkable 100,000 from just 6 years ago.

 
Congratulations on a great accomplishment!
 

 
December Milk Quality Top 100 based on Raw SCC

	SCC	Cows		SCC	Cows
NORBERT BROWN	27	33	JAMES AND PAUL GREGORY	76	91
CIRCLE DRIVE HOLSTEINS	30	19	CURT MAREN JEREMY HOLST	76	107
DAN AND JOLENE SCHLANGEN	37	73	MICHAEL BRUCE	76	103
TIM & SUE HOESE	40	34	SHUEY FARMS INC	77	54
SCHEFERS BROS	42	80	MIKE HAGLUND	80	49
MARK KLEHR	42	60	SELKE FARMS	80	219
BENGTSON FAMILY FARM	45	46	AMUNDSON DAIRY	80	70
LARRY LEXVOLD FAMILY	50	61	PAUL WEIDENBORNER	80	151
DAVID SMITH	50	32	ELDON MALWITZ	80	37
CB FARMS LLC	53	48	DAVID AND DONNA ANDERSON	80	50
RKB DAIRY	53	98	HIESERICH FARM	81	86
CASEY O'REILLY ORGANIC	53	72	UDDER VALLEY DAIRY	81	201
DAVID BUCK	54	66	KIDMAN DAIRY	81	118
BOB & TERRI KETCHUM	54	130	DALE AND JULIE SCHWARTZ	82	85
LARRY AND DIANNA BRAEM	54	42	TWIN OAKS DAIRY	82	58
DAVID FLOM	55	24	DENNIS + BETTY JOHNSON	84	150
CRAZY DAISY DAIRY	57	134	RICHARD LAMBRECHT	84	100
SHAWN AND SARAH WINSCHER	57	84	DAVID SCHUUR	84	56
BRAD GLENZ	58	56	JASON & JOHN SCHROEDER	84	56
RICK HEUER	59	98	DAVID HALLBERG&STEPH LARS	84	57
SIGEL DAIRY COMPANY	59	64	BRUCE BURMEISTER	85	37
JIM & RANDI WINGERT	60	89	JIM KULINSKI	86	49
ROGER ALDINGER	61	66	TURNER DAIRY LLC	86	222
JOHN ROBERS	64	20	DALE ERICKSON	86	43
MARK SCHMITT	64	92	LARRY + BECKY RABE	87	30
TRIPLE H DAIRY	64	161	JAMES HESSE	88	101
GENE SCHMIDT	65	34	TOM FUECHTMANN	89	104
PHILIP & SHEREEN HAUGE	65	43	STEVE AND SANDY SIEGLE	90	54
DAVID & CINDY HOESE	65	30	DEVOINE KRUSE	90	138
JAMES C PFEIFER	66	58	KEVIN LACHERMEIER	90	77
FUNKS MIDWAY DAIRY	67	573	HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	91	72
ROBERT MILLER	67	58	WOLF CREEK DAIRY	92	444
CURT + JACKIE BEKIUS	67	65	MICHAEL AND KRIS BANSE	92	70
MANANNAH-VALLEY	67	33	MAYNARD& JEROMY SHUMASHER	92	75
STACY & JULIE MILLER	68	81	KEVIN SCHAFER	92	43
CHUCK KLAPHAKE	69	100	BRUCE AND JILL BOETTCHER	93	156
GLEN CHRISTEN	69	43	ROBERT ERTL	93	45
STEVE + LORRIE HELLMANN	69	47	JERRY + BEV POHLMANN	94	67
SONNEK FARMS	69	77	GREGG VALORA STANGL	94	67
DEAN FRISLE	70	70	ROBERT KALLEMEYN	94	99
JASON + NANCY BACHMANN	70	32	KENNY ROHE	95	71
JERON NATHE	70	288	WAYNE AND WADE ATHEY	95	34
MATT BERKTOLD	71	171	BETH DEPPA	96	62
GERALD+LISA BURG	71	45	STEVE & ALAN OELTJEN	96	77
KUECHLE DAIRY	72	221	JANSEN DAIRY C O JOEL	96	157
GOLBERGS LAKEVIEW DAIRY	72	121	CREEKSIDE DAIRY	96	88
DON-LE BROOK FARMS	72	184	CHAMBERLAIN FAMILY FARM	96	94
MIKE + DONNA TELLERS	73	58	DEAN + ELIZABETH JOHNSON	98	80
PETER AND DAVID BURFEIND	73	181	VOGT DAIRY	98	196
TIM HINRICHS	73	74	BOB GRUBER	98	59
RICHARD & DEBI FRAZIER	74	103	JEROME WALCH	98	62

Free Lunch!  District Meeting Locations/Dates

All members and partners are welcome at any of the meetings.  Local board members are encouraged to attend.  Consultants who utilize our software are welcome at the software user meetings.  Lunch is provided for those attending either meeting   Please call Minnesota DHIA with any questions. 

Please come prepared to share your opinions.  All members are welcome to attend the meeting of your choice, but you can only vote or serve as a delegate at your district meeting.  All districts will elect delegates to the Minnesota DHIA Annual Meeting on March 18.

Wisconsin Meeting – February 4 at the Courthouse in Barron at 11 a.m. followed by lunch

Central District – Stearns County on February 25 at Charlie’s in Freeport

Dairy Comp users at 10, Lunch for all at Noon, District Meeting starts at 12:45

Metro District - Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, McLeod, Scott, Washington, and Wright

February 26 at Pizza Ranch in downtown Waconia (952-442-3321)

Scout users at 10:30, Lunch for all at Noon, District Meeting 12:45-2:30

North East District -  Anoka, Aitkin, Barron, Benton, Cass, Carlton, Crow Wing, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Ramsey, Sherburne, St Louis, and Washburn Counties

February 18 at the Barbara Jeans Embers in Milaca (Highway 169 x  23) 320.983.6288

Dairy Comp users at 10, Lunch for all at Noon, District Meeting starts at 12:45

North West District - Becker, Beltrami, Clay, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of The Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Ottertail, Roseau, Wadena, and Wilkin Counties

February 19 at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen  218.935.2701                         Director Election

Dairy Comp users at 10, lunch served at noon (no buffet), District starts at 12:45

South Central District - Dodge, Goodhue, Mower, Rice, Steele, and Wabasha Counties

February 12 at   Daniel’s Restaurant in Kasson (on 56 downtown) Director Election

Dairy Comp Users at 10, buffet lunch at noon, District Meeting at 12:45

South East District - Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, and Winona Counties on March 1 at Pizza Ranch in Stewartville

(North on 63) Dairy Comp Users at 10, buffet lunch at noon, District Meeting at 12:45

South West District - Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan Director Election

February 23 at the Kaiserhoff in downtown New Ulm on MN street between 2^nd and 3rd

Scout Users at 10:30, buffet lunch at noon, District Meeting at 12:45

West Central District – South Dakota, Big Stone, Chippewa, Douglas, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Meeker,

         Pope, Renville, Swift, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, and Yellow Medicine Counties

 Dairy Research and Renewable Energy presentations start at 11, tours after meeting

We will have presentations on the wind turbine and other renewable energy sources at 11, lunch at noon with the district meeting, and presentation on the ongoing dairy research at the experiment station after lunch.  Following the short program, tours will be available (weather permitting).

Date to be determined at West Central Experiment Station in Morris

>From the north on #59, cross # 28, left on #329 at big U of M sign, left at WCROC office sign.
>From the east on #28, left on # 59, proceed as above.
>From the south on # 9, right to 59N, right on # 329 at big U of M sign, proceed as above. 

If you are interested in looking at what the software can provide you with, please come to the software meeting!

Fast access to DHIA information

If you have internet access, you can look at or download your reports within seconds of processing being completed.  There is no charge for this access.  You save time and we all save paper, postage, and printing if you have your Field Rep enable the “paperless” option.

1. Logon to www.mndhia.org

2. Click on Web Reports LogIn

3. Enter Herd code and Release Code (4 digits) .   Please call 800.827.3442 if you need your Release Code.

4. Click on Web Reports on the left hand side.

5. View this month’s reports as well as past months.

6. You can download the reports to your computer if you wish to look at them any time during the month.  They will be saved under sample date so next month you will still be able to look at this month’s reports.

If your Field Rep has entered your email address into their computer, you will receive an email telling you when your herd has processed, and providing a link to the logon page.  Once you are set up, it is very fast and easy!

If you would like help getting this set up on your computer, please ask your Field Rep on sample day or call Robyn at 800.827.3442, extension 19.

Herd Management Software ….. Which one is for you?

Scout – Ideal for herds under 250 cows, affordable for the average producer.

Steve Hoffman and his wife Kerry milk 100 cows on their farm south of New Ulm and have been die hard Scout users for 10 years. Steve utilizes the “Open Cow” report to manage his PreSynch/ Ovsynch programs ensuring shots are given in a timely manner and the “Conception Rate by Breeding Code” report to see what methods of breeding cows are having the best success. Steve uses the Vet List religiously for every herd heath. With hired help, he also utilizes the “Conception Rate by Technician” to see how his breeders are doing and if any of them could use a little improvement. Another perk that Steve likes is receiving his test day results quickly into his Scout before the reports come in the mail.

Dairy Comp 305 – Ideal for herds 250 cows and greater. Dairy Comp offers more flexibility to customize the program to meet your herd management needs. Some additional features of Dairy Comp are:

• Interfacing with Daily milk meters and other software.
• Daily task scheduler can be set to automatically print reports when needed.
• Comes with many standard Events and Items, and allows creation of Events and Items specific to the herd owners needs.
• More extensive options to monitor herd performance on parameters such as production, SCC, inventory, reproduction and herd health.
• Manage hospital cows – treatment protocols, treatment status, milk and beef withhold dates.
• Setup other reports such as customized Vaccination or Foot Trim lists.

Producer Spotlight

Doug Prigge of Winona, MN operates a 105 cow dairy and manages his cows conveniently with Pocket Cow Card in his pocket on his cell phone.

"It is very useful to have when you are working with the vet on sick animals. If a vet asks how many days fresh, you can confidently answer if it was 7 or 10 days instead of guessing. Then the vet might ask (if it's a fresh cow), “Was it a difficult calving?” Normally you won't remember all those details, but with Pocket Cow Card you can look it up while you are in the barn with the vet. Before the Pocket Cow Card program, I used a notebook with the information on it. But I didn't have the wealth of info as I do now."