Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association

307 Brighton Avenue South w Buffalo, MN 55313

763.682.1091 w Fax 763.682.1117 w www.mndhia.org

BENEFITS OF MUN TESTING

According to Mike Hutjens of the University of Illinois, as quoted in Agriview, looking at the amount of urea nitrogen in a cow’s milk can provide an accurate reflection of how much nitrogen that cow is absorbing but not using for growth or to make milk. Most of this nitrogen comes from feed. When a cow eats too much protein, she excretes the excess nitrogen in her milk and her urine.

Testing individual cows and whole herds can establish a baseline MUN level. From there increases or reductions in MUN can be tracked and analyzed. Hutjens advised looking for answers if MUN drops or rises more than two or three points from the baseline.

Underfeeding and overfeeding are not the only things that MUN can help monitor. Hutjens sees other uses for the milk test, including the monitoring the impact of heat abatement procedures, as a predictor of acidosis, and can reveal cows that are using more energy than they are consuming early in their lactations.

Jim Linn of the University of Minnesota says MUN has value in evaluation of protein and carbohydrate feeding to dairy cows. MUN values in the mid-teens and higher are probably too high today.  Either the total protein in the ration or the type of protein (rumen degradable) is higher than necessary when values are mid-teens and above.

Insufficient rumen degradable carbohydrate may also be a factor with high MUNs, but less likely than feeding excess or highly degradable protein.

MUNs of 5 or lower should be of concern as we may not be feeding enough protein to meet rumen bacteria needs.

Thus, MUNS between 7 and 12 are very satisfactory and probably a good range to meet protein needs of the cow and rumen bacteria.

10:1 RETURN ON MUN TESTING!

Cornell University research has indicated a 10-1 return on the cost of MUN testing. This reflects potential savings in feed costs and reduced days open if MUN testing leads to a reduction in MUN as a result of feeding program changes.

At 15 cents per sample, the investment in DHIA MUN testing can pay for itself pretty fast. At $15 for a 100 cow herd, it doesn’t take long for a return on that investment given the price of protein these days. It is useful to group cows by lactation number, days in milk, or milk, and there should be at least 10 cows in a group to create a true group MUN value

See the complete breakout of the MUN values for your herd on the DHIA MUN Profile report enclosed on yellow paper.

Contact your Minnesota DHIA Field Representative or state office staff about starting your herd on a regular MUN testing program.

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”. Winston Churchill
February Quality Leaders Based on Log SCC

	SCC	Log SCC	Cows		SCC	Log SCC	Cows
TERRY KOLSTAD	44	1.0	27	RONALD AND SUSAN JOHNSON	72	1.9	60
ROBERT MILLER	84	1.2	60	GODE DAIRY	76	1.9	43
DAN AND JOLENE SCHLANGEN	44	1.3	63	JERON NATHE	80	1.9	247
TRAVIS-RICHARD SCHLOSSER	46	1.3	34	JOEL & NICOLE GROSS	81	1.9	43
BRUCE RUNDHAUG	85	1.3	57	ART AND JANE STUMPF	82	1.9	50
Kara-Kesh Holsteins	33	1.4	4	RUIS-ING SUN DAIRY	84	1.9	69
CIRCLE DRIVE HOLSTEINS	51	1.4	19	RAY+MARY FUCHS	86	1.9	64
FRANK PATRICK	53	1.4	56	PAUL & MARY ZIMMERMAN	87	1.9	64
CRONK DAIRY	58	1.4	35	PATRICK THOENNES	87	1.9	56
HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	52	1.5	75	SC0TT AND DENISE GATHJE	89	1.9	75
KEVIN & CHERYL KRUIZENGA	81	1.5	64	SELKE FARMS	90	1.9	169
DAVID BUCK	119	1.5	65	LYNN WAEGE	91	1.9	44
TOM FUECHTMANN	56	1.6	95	GERALD SEITZER	92	1.9	61
HIESERICH FARM	56	1.6	85	KIMM'S DAIRY	94	1.9	83
JULIAN + DAVID SJOSTROM	59	1.6	72	DARRIN STEIN&LYNN SCHULTZ	95	1.9	46
MARK KLEHR	64	1.6	60	CLETUS MILLER	100	1.9	28
WAYNE KOEPP	67	1.6	138	MIKE MOTL+KIM HARFF	101	1.9	79
KEVIN & SHEILA THARALDSON	76	1.6	56	PEDERSONS Y-ME RANCH	105	1.9	69
SCOTT FELDHACKER	140	1.6	64	BENGTSON FAMILY FARM	108	1.9	47
DANIEL HALLBERG	147	1.6	61	LARRY LEXVOLD FAMILY	121	1.9	66
Schreiber Brothers	53	1.7	85	LARRY AND SHARON WISTE	128	1.9	28
GREGORY P. ZILKA	63	1.7	32	ROBERT SWYTER	148	1.9	65
BOB AND BARB PETIT	63	1.7	64	BRUCE AND JODI HEIM	148	1.9	167
CURT + JACKIE BEKIUS	65	1.7	77	ZUMBRO VIEW FARMS LLC	67	2	46
JKG HAVEN DAIRY	72	1.7	20	BECHTOLD BROS	69	2	128
D & J DAIRY	83	1.7	109	PAUL+ANN%NIBBE	71	2	37
GEHL ACRES	85	1.7	74	DEVOINE KRUSE	73	2	130
BRUCE HANSON	97	1.7	31	DAVID SMITH	78	2	32
KEVIN SPLETT	99	1.7	48	KEVIN ANDERSON	79	2	47
JOHN WASNER DAIRY	116	1.7	32	TODD & KATHY JOHNSTON	84	2	60
LUX-URY HOLSTEINS INC.	122	1.7	130	DONALD YOUNG	87	2	53
JOHN ROBERS	124	1.7	20	UDDER VALLEY DAIRY	87	2	243
JIM KULINSKI	144	1.7	51	ALVIN H BURSCH	88	2	63
SIBERT FARMS	191	1.7	45	RICHARD SCHNOBRICH	92	2	44
LYLE AND WANDA HONEBRINK	60	1.8	96	DALE + BRENDA GOEBEL	97	2	62
RKB DAIRY	79	1.8	89	DUANE & KAREN TIMM	99	2	82
ROBERT + TERRI DAHLEN	80	1.8	55	MOGER FARMS	100	2	105
ACKERMAN FARMS	91	1.8	106	ROSEVEIW DAIRY	102	2	176