April 2003
Milk Quality is always a Win - Win all around. It is a Win for the cows
(healthier), a Win for the farm (more profitable), a Win for the processor (more
efficient and profitable product production), and Win for the consumer (more
confidence and satisfaction with dairy products). --
Dr.
Jeff Reneau*
Somatic Cell Counts less than
100,000!
Congratulations to the following 35 members - your March Somatic Cell Counts
were under 100,000. We also had another 131 herds with 150,000 or less.
Thank you for your quality to the dairy industry!
| ROLLING GREEN HOLSTEINS |
-- 27,000 -- |
OAKLAND |
|
|
SILENT ACRES |
-- 80,000 -- |
VILLARD |
| WAYNE AND WADE ATHEY |
-- 48,000 -- |
GRACEVILLE |
|
|
LARRY LEXVOLD FAMILY |
-- 81,000 -- |
GOODHUE |
| BEVENDALE FARMS 2 |
-- 48,000 -- |
GREENISLE |
|
|
JEFF BLENKER |
-- 82,000 -- |
ALBANY |
| ROBERT + FAWN STAUB |
-- 50,000 -- |
MAZEPPA |
|
|
DANIEL SCHULTZ |
-- 82,000 -- |
CENTER CITY |
| STEVE AND SANDY SIEGLE |
-- 51,000 -- |
COLOGNE |
|
|
RICHARD SCHNOBRICH |
-- 84,000 -- |
NEW ULM |
| MERTON + TRUDY NELSON 2 |
-- 51,000 -- |
ELLENDALE |
|
|
BRYCE ANDERSON |
-- 84,000 -- |
BARRETT |
| ROBERT SLATER |
-- 51,000 -- |
MAHTOWA |
|
|
JASON SMELTER |
-- 85,000 -- |
FOLEY |
| LOWELL BAKKEDAHL |
-- 53,000 -- |
SARGEANT |
|
|
BUEHLER BROS |
-- 86,000 -- |
DODGE CENTER |
| JOHN WUOLLET |
-- 62,000 -- |
NEW YORK MILLS |
|
|
VEISETH FARMS |
-- 86,000 -- |
ZUMBROTA |
| CHARLES-DOUG ARVIDSON |
-- 65,000 -- |
VERGAS |
|
|
JOE AND ED WILLENBRING |
-- 86,000 -- |
RICHMOND |
| NORBERT BROWN |
-- 67,000 -- |
GREY EAGLE |
|
|
KEITH + KENNETH BOESE |
-- 89,000 -- |
MORRISTOWN |
| ROGER + WENDY SORENSON |
-- 75,000 -- |
EAGLE BEND |
|
|
MARK NEWTON |
-- 93,000 -- |
ROTHSAY |
| JIM KULINSKI |
-- 75,000 -- |
LESTER PRAIRIE |
|
|
WILLIS-MARY KRUEGER |
-- 94,000 -- |
ALEXANDRIA |
| SELKE FARMS |
-- 75,000 -- |
DAKOTA |
|
|
JERRY + BEV POHLMANN |
-- 96,000 -- |
GREY EAGLE |
| KEVIN ANDERSON |
-- 76,000 -- |
BATTLE LAKE |
|
|
STACY & JULIE MILLER |
-- 97,000 -- |
PLAINVIEW |
| PAUL & MARY ZIMMERMAN |
-- 78,000 -- |
BROOTEN |
|
|
JUDY EDSTROM |
-- 97,000 -- |
RIDGELAND,WI |
| LARRY + BECKY RABE |
-- 79,000 -- |
CHATFIELD |
|
|
MARK KLEHR |
-- 100,000 -- |
BELLE PLAINE |
| LARRY & CAROL MOEN |
-- 80,000 -- |
CAMERON,WI |
|
|
|
|
|
Replacements to Decline Slightly
Over the next five years, demand for high quality replacement heifers will
remain strong, while supply will continue to decline. The drop will be at a
slightly lesser rate than the decline in milk cow numbers, says Bob Cropp,
University of Wisconsin ag economist. The nation's milk cow herd is
estimated to decline at an average of 0.5% per year. During this time,
replacement supply should be sufficient to support normal turnover and
expansion. Source: Dairy Today Report -
March 28,2003 vol 2 number 13.*
Outstanding DHIA Service Award - Ray
Scherber
DHIA service is as good as the person who shows up on your farm each sample
day. They
represent the top 6% of the DHIA field staff.
Ray is our second longest lasting
Field Representative in Minnesota, he has been testing since 1961 and his herd
owners are glad he is still providing the same great service
he's been providing for all these years.
Ray has been
in Osseo testing cows in Hennepin and Wright counties. With the spread of the
Twin Cities, there are fewer herds for him to test, but he is still testing 26
herds with 2000 cows. When he has the opportunity to help test herds in his
neighborhood we
have been able to depend on him as well.
On average Ray's herds are tested
every 31.6 days, that is just fewer than 12 tests per year and not too many of
our Field Representative can brag about that. It takes an average of 2.2 days
for the herds to process. With as many years behind him, you'd think maybe he'd
start taking it easy, but Ray has been ready to tackle the new options and
features of DHIA whenever we have asked him to. One example is software, he
currently have 3 software users and has had more in the past, but due to selling
herds, is down to 3. He had even had a user
meeting in his home to help his members more fully understand the Scout program.
With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face every time
you meet with Ray, it is a pleasure to work with him. Congratulations
Ray!*
Factors Affecting Susceptibility of Dry Cows
to Mastitis
Several risk factors contribute to the variation in susceptibility to new
intramammary
infection during the dry period.
These factors include:
Bacterial populations on the teat end:
The cessation of milking hygiene practices, such as teat
dipping, allows bacterial populations on teat skin to increase. Staphylococcus
aureus and environmental Streptococci bacterial numbers on teat skin are
high immediately after drying-off. Coliform organisms are more prevalent
on teat skin late in the dry period and
at calving time.
Variations in the teat streak canal:
Studies suggest that the teat canal is more easily
penetrated by bacteria during the early dry period. Similarly, swelling of the
mammary gland, the increasing volume of secretion, and the leaking of colostrum,
contribute to the high risk
of new infection during the prepartum period.
Resistance mechanisms within the mammary gland:
Throughout the dry period, there are
marked changes in the composition of mammary gland secretions. There is an
increase in the concentration of protective factors such as leucocytes,
immunoglobulins, and lactoferrin. These changes influence the variation in
susceptibility to both environmental and contagious pathogens. When the
gland is completely involuted, resistance to new intramammary infections is
high. Source: From the NMC Newsletter
"Udder Topics", June-July 2002*
2003 National DHIA Scholarship
Twenty-one scholarships are announced at the national level, including Trent
Olson of Lewiston and Kristie Wiener of Sauk Centre. Over $10,000 is raised at
the scholarship auction, which means another 20+ scholarships will be offered next year.
Get applications for you or yours at the National DHIA website at www.dhia.org.
Applications
must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2003, for consideration of a 2004
scholarship.*
2003 Minnesota DHIA Scholarship
Recipients
Minnesota DHIA awarded five additional scholarships to students excelling in
scholastic achievement and leadership in school and community activities.
Students must be an immediate family member on test with Minnesota DHIA or an
immediate family member of a
Minnesota DHIA employee. $500 scholarships were awarded to all the recipients.
Congratulations to all!
Minnesota DHIA scholarship winners announced are:
Jolene Kelzer of Randall (John and Marcella)
Jessica Hart of Clayton WI (James and Sue)
Melissa Fortsch of Dover (Allen and Gloria)
Angela Kringle of Barron WI (Bruce and Mary Lou)
Kelli Baumgartner of Battle Lake (Kerry and Jane)*
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Jeff Reneau receives the Distinguished Service Award. Jeff has been a
practicing Vet, move to the U of M, where he developed the SCC reports used here
and in the Northeast. Jeff is past chair of the National Mastitis Council.
He has actively researched cause and affect of mastitis, including cow care,
bedding, and other management factors. Congratulations to Dr.
Reneau!*
News of the Organization:
At the National DHIA Annual Meeting in Reno Nevada
:
* Bylaws are amended to allow Managers to serve on the NDHIA Board
* 4 new Board Members (of
9) are elected, including Tom Sammon of Faribault. Tom is a former National
President and National Leadership Award winner. This represents a commitment
from MnDHIA to try to bring back all DHIA organizations in North America into
one voice as we begin to address the coming challenges to our dairy industry,
such as ID, higher quality standards, health and food safety tracking, and
genetic evaluation of more traits, cross breeding, and in-breeding.
* New National President is Susan
Lee, a veterinarian and dairy producer from Idaho who milks shorthorns and
holsteins. She is the first female president of NDHIA (about time!). New Vice
President is Mark Adam, DHIA
manager from Michigan (North Star), whom we work with in Fox Valley WI.
* Larry Eggler of Elgin MN is new chair of the central region caucus.
At the Minnesota DHIA
Annual Meeting in Sauk Centre:
* Resolution
supporting the proposed gradual lowering of the legal SCC limit is
overwhelmingly supported. One proposal going before the Interstate Milk Shippers
next month calls for the legal limit to be lowered to 400,000 by 2007. The other
proposal moves slower, with the limit at 400,000 by 2011. The discussion was
that whether legal limits change or not, dairy producers need to improve quality
for marketing purposes, for profit reasons, for animal health, and because it is
the
right thing to do.
* Larry
Eggler continues as MN DHIA president. Vice President is Jim Weller of Brooten.
Secretary Treasurer is Paul Fritsche of New Ulm. Gary Diers retires from the
Board and is presented with a Bonnie Mohr print. Gary has been involved in local
and state DHIA boards for 41 years and is considered the father of DHIA
management in MN, having successfully proposed and implemented management in
1978.*
Latest production data (see Hoard's
Dairyman)
* Average Minnesota production - 17,368 pounds of milk per cow per year
* 56% of cows on DHIA
* Average DHIA production - 19,529 pounds of milk per cow
* Average production per cow (non-DHIA) - 14,618 pounds of milk per cow
* DHIA advantage - 4,911 pounds of milk per cow
* Herd of 60 cows at $12 milk -
DHIA advantage is $35,359 more milk per year*