Minnesota DHIA News

A PUBLICATION OF MINNESOTA DHIA                                                   Volume 6, Issue 3                                                               March 2006

RFID Tags available from DHIA

The bovine industry has settled on Radio Frequency chipped eartags as the best management practice for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

The tag that we will be using for bovines in the NAIS system is a button tag, about the size of a silver dollar.  That tag contains an RFID chip which is about the size of a grain of rice.  That chip contains ONLY the 15 digit unique animal identification number.  There is a long piece of copper wire that is wound around inside the tag. It is connected to the chip and serves as an antenna. 

The chip is passive, containing no power source.  The number contained on the chip is picked up when a special RFID reader tuned to the precise frequency of the tag sends a signal exciting the chip.  The tag is designed for one time use, and cannot be programmed and should never be removed from the animal.  The 15 digit number is written on the outside of the tag, in the rare event that the number cannot be read electronically.  Your Premise number is considered confidential information and should not be printed on the tag, and cannot be included electronically.  Tracking of premises will be done in the confidential database. 

If you order 50 tags, you will get a free tag applicator.  You do not get to choose the color or numbers on the tags.  Minnesota DHIA handles RFID tags from Fearing (Digital Angel), and All Flex.  All Flex RFID tags are $2.60 each, plus shipping and sales tax.  Digital Angel RFID tags are $2.15 each ++.  Please have your Premise ID ready when you call to order tags,

We also offer all sizes of management tags, including button tags that do not contain RFID chips.  Many customers have used the button tags in place of steel tags for years, due to ease of readability and the high tag retention rate of the button tags.  You can order RFID tags in tandem with management tags, with the RFID number or bar code containing that number included on your corresponding management tag.

Tag should be inserted in the left ear, close to head, between the middle two cartilage ribs, with numbers on the inside

Producers will be able to continue to use the steel tags for a short period of time, and may need to retag young animals in the future when it is not so easy to tag them.  USDA will accept the non-RFID button tags with the 8-digit American ID printed on them for at least the next few years.

Animals will need to be tagged before they leave the farm of origin, and the tags will be assigned to a premise when ordered from the manufacturer.  This pretty much eliminates DHIA personnel from the tagging system.  DHIA’s role will be to demonstrate proper tag placement, provide educational information, record and report animal movement for producers who wish DHIA to do that for them, make tags available to customers, and provide a seamless tracking system so that DHIA producers will see little change, other than using a different tag.  Much of this is already in place in the Minnesota DHIA system.

It would be wise to obtain your Premises ID today, before the rush that will happen as USDA implements its requirement.  Register your Premises today by calling the Board of Animal Health at  651.201.6816 or go to www.bah.state.mn.us.

Many are Choosing to Implement a Crossbreeding System

L. B. Hansen, University of Minnesota

Many dairy producers have decided to begin using a crossbreeding system for their dairy operations.  Some would say it is about time – the pig, beef cattle, and sheep industries have embraced the “gift” of hybrid vigor for commercial production for over 50 years!  Hybrid vigor is greatest for fertility, health, and survival traits – just the traits that most dairy producers are experiencing frustration and are seeking improvement today. 

Some A.I. organizations are using scare tactics to discourage dairy producers from moving to a crossbreeding system.  Why would they do this?  The answer is because they have mostly Holstein semen for sale.  Is there anything to fear in switching to a crossbreeding system?  The answer is “absolutely not”.  Will crossbreds have noticeably less production than pure Holsteins?  Not according to the research that we have conducted with seven large dairies in central California.  In fact, the results from those dairies were exactly what was expected – slight, if any, loss in production, but dramatic improvements in reduced calving difficulty, lowering stillbirths rates, significantly improving cow fertility, and enhancing survival.

Some A.I. marketers argue that you can make as much improvement for these traits within breed as from crossbreeding.  Don’t believe this marketing propaganda!  Hybrid vigor is huge for pigs and beef cattle, and it is huge for dairy cows, too.  Can the pure breeds make genetic improvement in fertility, health, and survival?  Absolutely – but not as quickly as you can with crossbreeding.  Besides, hybrid vigor is always expressed ON TOP of the average of the breeds that are crossed.  Of course, we need registered breeders to stick with their purebreds.

Which breeds should you use?  Most dairy producers have grade Holsteins.  Therefore, the first breed is probably an automatic selection.  However, three breeds are needed for a crossbreeding system.  Which ones?  That depends on your preferences and the environment of your dairy operation.  For most dairy producers, the Scandinavian Red breeds (Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish) will likely rank high among candidate breeds.  Why?  Because their average production level is close to Holstein (hybrid vigor brings the production level up to that of a pure Holstein), and the Scandinavian Red breeds have selected heavily for fertility and health, along with production, for many years.  Other breeds commonly considered for crossbreeding systems are Brown Swiss, Jersey, Montbeliarde, and Normande.

Whichever breeds you choose, be sure to select THREE!  Then, use those three breeds in a simple 3-breed rotation.  An example – a Holstein gets bred to Swedish Red.  That first-cross female is bred to Montbeliarde, and the next generation gets bred back to Holstein.  This is a very simple system – nothing confusing about – and it certainly is much simpler than calculating inbreeding coefficients for potential matings within breed to avoid inbreeding, which is crucial these days.  Beware – DO NOT breed a first-cross heifer back to a Holstein sire – select an A.I. sire from a third breed to maintain a high level of hybrid vigor.

Where can you purchase semen from the European breeds?  Select Sires distributes Swedish Red and Montbeliarde.  Semex distributes Norwegian Red.  Genex/CRI distributes Finnish Red.  Marketing agreements among countries and organizations are still being negotiated.  For example, in the United Kingdom, ABS distributes Swedish Red and Alta distributes Montbeliarde.  Over time, these marketing partnerships will become more formalized and global in scope.  The time for crossbreeding has arrived for commercial milk production.

Minnesota DHIA Annual Meeting set for Cabela’s

The Annual Meeting of Minnesota DHIA will be held at Cabela’s in Rogers MN on Thursday March 23, 2006.  Milk and rolls will be available at 10:30 with the meeting scheduled for 10:45.  Voting Delegates and Alternates were selected at the recently concluded District Meetings.  All members are welcome to attend.  If you would like to come, please call 800.827.3442 and let us know so we can make the proper lunch arrangements.

Raw SCC versus Linear Score (LGSCC)

The issue of Linear as compared to Raw SCC remains confusing for many people, including many dairymen.  SCC (Somatic Cell Count) is a measure of white blood cells from the cow’s immune system getting into the milk while fighting infections. It is not a direct measurement of bacterial infection, but is usually a good indicator. High levels of bacteria will cause an increase in white blood cells to fight the infection. Cows with a LGSCC of less than 4--raw score of less than 200,000 are generally considered uninfected, while those with a LGSCC of more than 4 are considered likely to be infected. Since it is a measurement of white blood cells and not a measurement of bacteria causing infections, there will be some cows with a LGSCC of more than 4 that are not infected, and some with a LGSCC of less than 4 that will be infected. Each 1 point increase in LGSCC is correlated with a doubling of the Raw SCC.

LGSCC	RAW
2	50,000
3	100,000
4	200,000
5	400,000

Raw SCC is weighted by Production:

If a cow is giving 100 lb./day and has a high SCC, she will contribute 4 times the Somatic Cells to the Bulk Tank as another cow with the same SCC that is giving 25 lb./day.  On the DHIA Herd Summary report, the Raw SCC score uses a weighted average that gives the dairymen an idea of how many Somatic Cells there are per Milliliter of milk in his Bulk Tank on test date.  A high BTSCC (Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count) may be coming from a small percentage of the herd having very high counts, or a large percentage of the herd having fairly high counts. So the BTSCC by itself does not give us a good indication of levels of herd infection.  However, Raw SCC counts and BTSCC counts are very important because the numbers of Somatic Cells in the Bulk tank affects quality and shelf life of fluid milk, and impacts cheese yield. AND, the pay-price is dependant upon milk quality.

LGSCC (Linear Score) Not weighted by Production:

A cow with a LGSCC of 7 (1,600,000 Raw SCC) is very likely infected with mastitis whether she is giving 100 lb./day or 25 lb./day.  So the average LGSCC on the DHIA Herd Summary is not weighted by production. Its purpose is to give the dairyman an idea of infection levels in the herd on test date.  Studies show that for each rise in Lactation Average LGSCC above 3, older cows will lose about 400 lb of milk and heifers about 200 lb.  For example, an older cow with an average LGSCC score of 6 for her lactation will lose approximately 1,600 lb of milk.

In the table on the right we can see the impact Cow A in Herd 1 has on the average Raw score of an otherwise low SCC herd. Note the higher LGSCC in Herd 2 due to the fact that 6 of the 10 cows are infected, even though the average Raw score is lower than Herd 1

Herd 1 Test 1			Herd 2 Test 1
Cow	Scc	Lgscc	Cow	Scc	Lgscc
A	6580	9	A	1170	6.5
B	110	3.1	B	880	6.1
C	100	3	C	800	6
D	90	2.8	D	720	5.8
E	80	2.7	E	610	5.6
F	50	2	F	600	5.5
G	40	1.7	G	100	3
H	40	1.7	H	90	2.8
I	20	0.7	I	50	2
J	10	0.1	J	40	0.7
Ave.	712	2.68	Ave.	506	4.4

Herd 1 Test 2			Herd 2 Test 2
Cow	Scc	Lgscc	Cow	Scc	Lgscc
A	880	6.1	A	100	3
B	110	3.1	B	880	6.1
C	100	3	C	800	6
D	90	2.8	D	720	5.8
E	80	2.7	E	610	5.6
F	720	5.8	F	600	5.5
G	40	1.7	G	100	3
H	40	1.7	H	90	2.8
I	20	0.7	I	50	2
J	10	0.1	J	40	0.7
Ave.	209	2.77	Ave.	399	4.05

The table on the left shows the big drop in Raw SCC for Herd 1 when cow A dropped from 6,580,000 to 880,000.  But Cow F is a new infection and the higher Herd LGSCC reflects the fact that 2 cows are now infected. Cow A in Herd 2 also has a lower SCC on test 2, but the continued high LGSCC reflects the fact that 1/2 of the herd is still infected

Spring Cleaning Advice from Dr. Jeff Reneau:

Bedding management and cow prep.  In the past 25 years, almost without exception, I have seen that a reduction in herd SCC can be achieved by improving the quality of pre-milking cow prep and bedding management.  Improving bedding management reduces teat exposure to mastitis pathogens.  Improving cow prep reduces chances of new infections occurring during milking.  If a concerted effort in these two areas were made statewide in Minnesota, we would see a dramatic reduction in Bulk Tank SCC.  In most cases, it is as simple as keeping teats clean.

Congratulations to February Milk Quality Leaders

		SCC			SCC
DAN AND JOLENE SCHLANGEN	EDEN VALLEY	36	OAK RIDGE DAIRY	CHETEK	91
ROBERT SLATER	MAHTOWA	39	KEITH ROOT	NEW RICHLAND	92
JULIAN + DAVID SJOSTROM	PELICAN RAPIDS	39	TONY STAEBLER	MORRIS	92
NORBERT BROWN	GREY EAGLE	41	JIM STORTZ	MABEL	93
DAVID BUCK	DENNISON	47	DALE + BRENDA GOEBEL	FREEPORT	93
DAVID SCHUUR	SAUK CENTRE	49	CHARLES NELSON	CUMBERLAND	94
CRONK DAIRY	HENNING	50	RON HEMMESCH	MELROSE	94
LARRY AND SHARON WISTE	SPRING GROVE	50	JOHN W WENNINGER	LAFAYETTE	94
SWENSON DAIRY	CROMWELL	52	HARVEY + TIM HINRICHS	GOODHUE	94
SCHEFERS BROS	PAYNESVILLE	55	RUIS-ING SUN DAIRY	MILACA	94
KEVIN ANDERSON	BATTLE LAKE	57	JONATHAN SEIFERT	SLEEPY EYE	96
PRAHL DAIRY	SUNBURG	58	CHELSEA HOLSTEINS	GLENCOE	96
BOB & TERRI KETCHUM	UTICA	62	MARK KLEHR	BELLE PLAINE	96
SELKE FARMS	DAKOTA	63	RON AMY SHAWN BEMBOOM	GILMAN	97
WALLACE + ROGER BRADLEY	LANESBORO	67	PAUL & MARY ZIMMERMAN	BROOTEN	97
FRANK PATRICK	RICE	67	THORMODSON FARMS	DALTON	97
DUANE CAROL DENNIS HAIBY	PELICAN RAPIDS	70	DANIEL HALLBERG	KANDIYOHI	98
ROGER + WENDY SORENSON	EAGLE BEND	71	MATT KUNZA	PERHAM	98
JAVA FARM	CLEAR LAKE	72	MIKE & PAT BERNECKER	PRAIRE FARM	98
SAPA SKA FARM INC	LAKE CITY	72	PEDERSONS Y-ME RANCH	HAYWARD	99
SCOTT FELDHACKER	HILLSDALE	73	BIRCH POINT FARMS PESHON	MINNESKA	99
GLENARD AND MARK TESSMER	ROGERS	73	HCL FARMS	LITTLE FALLS	100
DEWEY HERBER	ROLLINGSTONE	73	STEVE MARTIN	FINLAYSON	100
JEFF BLENKER	ALBANY	74	BRUCE AND WENDY HILKE	ALTURA	100
DEAN RAUSCH	RICHMOND	74	BREEZY WILLOWS DAIRY	DOVER	100
DAVE STEMIG	JORDAN	76	JAMES AND PAUL GREGORY	BELGRADE	101
EARL FELLING	ALBANY	77	ZUMBRO VIEW FARMS LLC	ZUMBROTA	102
CHRISTY EN CHRISTOPHERSON	WORTHINGTON	77	DAVID SMITH	DENT	102
LYLE AND WANDA/HONEBRINK	MAYER	77	STONY CREEK DAIRY	BELGRADE	102
LAYNE JANIKE	MINNESOTA LAKE	78	WILFRED+JUDY BLONIGEN	FREEPORT	102
KB HILLSIDE DAIRY	GREEN ISLE	78	JEROME LEE	NEW RICHLAND	102
PETERMARK HENDRICKSON	MENAHGA	80	STAN WURTZBERGER	NEW ULM	102
ROBERT RAMONA WIPPLER	PARKERS PRAIRIE	80	JOPPS CENTURY FARMS	MAYER	103
MARK & CARLA BRUNHOLZL	LAKE CITY	80	MICHAEL BRUCE	PINE ISLAND	103
RICHARD/SCHNOBRICH	NEW ULM	81	CORY DAHLER	FOLEY	106
PATRICK BRODEEN	COOK	82	LYNN WAEGE	SOUTH SHORE	106
KIMM'S DAIRY	PELICAN RAPIDS	85	PETER SKAJ	ST  JOSEPH	107
HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	PIERZ	85	DALE SEYKORA	OWATONNA	107
LESLIE + DARRYL FLOM	DENNISON	85	GALE HOESE	GLENCOE	107
SIBERT FARMS	HEWITT	85	KIRK BENGTSON	BUFFALO	107
SHAWN/BERGEY	HARMONY	86	JOE MILLER	PLAINVIEW	108
JAMES M TESSMER	LORETTO	87	METOGGA LAKE DAIRY LLC	NEW PRAGUE	108
KENNETH ANDERSON	SPRING GROVE	87	JOHNSON TURKEY + DAIRY/	PELICAN RAPIDS	108
SCHREIBER BROS	RUSHFORD	88	WALLACE-HILL HOLSTEINS	LAFAYETTE	109
TOM GUNNINK	LAKE BENTON	89	ART AND JANE STUMPF	PIERZ	109
ELDON W OLSON	TRIMONT	90	GILMAN HALBAKKEN	ST CHARLES	109
DARREL + LISA MAUS	FREEPORT	90	HABERER HILL DAIRY	HENNING	109
BRED & BUTTER DAIRY	KENSINGTON	91	THOMAS JOHNSON	ST CROIX FALLS	110
RICK HEUER	LESTER PRAIRIE	91	PAUL AND TIM KRUEGER	JORDAN	111
OAK GLEN JOHNS	EAGLE BEND	91	LEROY DROPPS	ONAMIA	111