Farm safety message:
Safety Savvy - An Ounce of Prevention Saves...

Consider these maintenance items that could save your life as well.

n       Stick a new SMV emblem over the old faded ones so motorists can see you better on the road. It's cheaper than defending yourself in a lawsuit if a car runs into your unmarked equipment.

n       Apply the reflective markers that outline the extremities of your equipment.

n       Repair any lights that are not working on your tractor, combine or drawn equipment.

n       Check all guards and shields for proper function and replace any that are bent, broken or missing. Lubricate PTO spinner shields according to the owner's manual so they will telescope and spin freely.

n       Starting a tractor while standing on the ground kills a farmer nearly every year.

n       Order a ROPS kit and seat belts for your older tractors that don't have them. (Tractor roll-over is the number one killer of farmers—without a ROPS you have a 20% chance of survival; with a ROPS and fastened seat belt you have better than a 99% chance of walking away.)

n       Install a fire extinguisher on your tractors and combine. A first aid kit is a good—and inexpensive—idea too. Consider providing a means for two-way communication (a cell phone, CB, or business radio) so you can call for assistance from the field if needed.

Some think of preventive maintenance as a way to save time and money. Think of it also as a way to save the farm—and the lives of those that live and work on it. ©2004 NYCAMH.

 

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).   Minnesota DHIA offers the tags.  You can choose 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.

 

 

You can order RFID tags in tandem with management tags.

 

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

 

 

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People of DHIA Reach Milestones

Congratulations to Lois Van Beck, Stearns DHIA Field Manager who is celebrating 15 years with DHIA.  Also celebrating anniversaries this month are Ruth Siems, lead technician at the Zumbrota Lab and DeAnn Nelson who manages the Barron –Washburn Lab.  Both are celebrating 10 years of service.   Thank you all for your hard work, leadership, and dedication.

Measure of Accuracy and Service

 

Your DHIA Field Rep reports the last 3 milk shipments on each sample day.  The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure is to compare the milk produced on DHIA sample day to the amount of milk produced on the 3 or 6 days prior to sample day.  We don’t expect the data to match perfectly, because we are comparing different days and herds are dynamic.  Dynamic means you never have the same herd 2 days in a row.  Most cows are one day in milk more than they were yesterday, some have dried off, some have calved, some are in heat or off feed.  The beauty of this system becomes apparent when we look at the results. 

 

We take this sample day comparison and combine it with all the other sample days for the last year to give us an annual comparison to milk sold.  We find that over time, the numbers tend to balance out.  72% of Minnesota DHIA herds are at or under national average of 103% milk sold.  97.6% of our herds are at or below 108%, the level necessary for publication of records. 

 

Take the average herd with 100 cows and a 20,000 pound herd average.  If that herd is at 110% milk sold, it is producing an average of 10% more milk on each sample day than it is selling on the days ahead of sample day.  If our numbers are reported correctly, 10% of 20,000 pounds equals 2,000 pounds per cow per year, times 100 cows equals 200,000 pounds of milk being produced on that farm that is not being sold.  That amounts to $28,000 at $14 per cwt.  We have found a couple of herds again this year where the tank was out of calibration.

 

All Field Reps have a troubleshooting form that can prove helpful in looking at causes of abnormal milk sold.  Abnormal herds may have an on-farm visit to help solve the problem, after completing the troubleshooting form.  Milk shipment records should be available to the DHIA Field Rep on the form left by the milk hauler in order to be reported.

 

The most common cause of abnormal milk sold percents is the milking system used in combination with meters.  We note that on a huge portion of the herds we service, this is not a problem. 

 

If you want a comparison of how the meters performed compared to the tank on sample day, ask your Field Rep for that information on sample day. You will need to take a bulk tank reading before and after milking for the comparison. 

 

Lower your SCC - Advice from Dr. Jeff Reneau:

Find the causes.  If you really want to make sustained progress in both improving milk quality and reducing mastitis, then you must search and eliminate the root causes of the problem(s).  Since every farm is different, neither the causes nor solutions will be exactly the same.  Seek help from your veterinarian and milk plant field rep to do a detailed diagnosis of your herd mastitis problem.  Study your herd records (DHI and on-farm records) to determine which cows are affected, when during lactation infections occur, and the seriousness of the problem.  Do a bulk tank culture to uncover what bacteria are the most likely culprits.  Once this information is gathered, you will be able to formulate a specific plan that will work for your herd.  See the Dairy Extension website www.extension.umn.edu/dairy and click on “Quality Count$” for fact sheets providing detailed instruction on taking bulk tank milk samples as well as interpretation of culture results

 

 

Minnesota DHIA President recognized with Leadership Award

Larry Eggler was recognized at the National DHIA Annual Meeting in Phoenix AZ on March 9 as the winner of the NDHIA H. Victor Joachim Distinguished Leadership Award.  The award is presented to a DHIA leader who has impacted the program across the U.S.

 

Eggler is a well-known and respected in the Minnesota dairy industry, but his leadership has extended far beyond these boundaries in some quiet, unassuming and perhaps surprising ways.  Larry has been a director of Minnesota DHIA for over 20 years in 3 different stints, and has served as President since 1993.  He also served one term as an NDHIA Board member, has held numerous NDHIA committee positions, and has served as the Central Caucus chairman.

 

Making sure things get done for producers is the hallmark of Larry’s leadership.  He led the charge in Minnesota for providing Field Techs with computers and software, including the search for Field Tech data entry software.  Willing to look outside the system, Larry’s group explored several options that led to Minnesota DHIA working with Valley Ag Software to co-develop the “Ftech” front end for Dairy Comp 305 that allowed for a non-traditional way to enter traditional DHIA information.  The sound financial base that Larry and the Minnesota Board built enabled the organization to supply a notebook computer, printer, modem, cables, cases and Dairy Comp 305 software to every Field Tech in the system (almost 200).  Today, Ftech is also used all across Canada by Can West DHIA, all over New York, Pennsylvania, and New England by Dairy One, in Wisconsin by AgSource, and in some California counties.

 

Not afraid to make tough decisions, Larry’s leadership was involved in Minnesota’s decision to close the University of Minnesota records processing center.  Although he had to deal with a lot of negative publicity, Larry never lost site of the big picture for the organization and its members, and the need to look beyond the Minnesota boundaries.

 

Eggler (left) is pictured receiving a ceremonial gavel at the Minnesota DHIA Annual Meeting.  Making the presentation is new Minnesota DHIA President Julian Sjostrom.  Eggler retired from the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting.  Holly Thompson of Plainview replaces Larry from the South East District.

Congratulations to March Milk Quality Leaders

	SCC	cows			SCC	Cows
PRAHL DAIRY	34	28		JOHN ROBERS	90	20
DAN AND JOLENE SCHLANGEN	41	60		DONALD + DARLENE MATROS	90	65
SCHEFERS BROS	42	77		RICK HEUER	90	75
REUBEN AND JANICE STOMMES	43	64		THOMAS & RITA WOLBECK	91	45
NORBERT BROWN	46	47		DALE + BRENDA GOEBEL	92	61
KEVIN ANDERSON	47	45		RON HEMMESCH	93	118
MARK KLEHR	48	51		ROLLING W ACRES	94	24
DAVID BUCK	48	65		ZUMBRO VIEW FARMS LLC	94	47
JAVA FARM	50	51		TONY STAEBLER	94	69
KIRK BENGTSON	52	43		FRED VIERE	94	80
PHILIP HAUGE	53	45		JAMES M TESSMER	95	47
HAZEL-BUSH FARMS INC	56	49		JERON NATHE	95	233
FRANK PATRICK	56	57		DALE HOFFMAN	97	43
SCHREIBER BROS	56	83		ISIDORE+JANET LOEFFELHOLZ	98	97
GERALD+LISA BURG	58	38		THORMODSON FARMS	98	180
KEVIN & CARAL SCHAFER	59	33		JULIAN + DAVID SJOSTROM	99	12
JAMES C PFEIFER	60	61		AB ACRES	99	39
OAK GLEN JOHNS	61	32		F  LYLE SONDAG	99	42
MOLDANS HOLSTEINS	61	65		DANIEL HALLBERG	99	53
LYLE AND WANDA HONEBRINK	63	96		JERRY + BEV POHLMANN	99	66
PEDERSONS Y-ME RANCH	64	61		JEFF BLENKER	100	34
ART AND JANE STUMPF	65	50		DAVE STEMIG	100	52
BOB & TERRI KETCHUM	65	113		TRAVIS & GARY LEHNERTZ	101	35
JIM P BECK	66	53		PAUL & MARY ZIMMERMAN	101	59
DAVID SCHUUR	68	54		JAMES A. & BETH OLSON	101	61
SIBERT FARMS	70	46		ELDON MALWITZ	102	41
D & J  DAIRY	70	57		DEAN OELTJEN	102	70
CRONK DAIRY	71	38		JAMES AND PAUL GREGORY	102	84
PETERMARK HENDRICKSON	72	71		SHIR-MAN HOLSTEIN FARM	102	97
SELKE FARMS	72	150		RONALD HARFF	103	43
HERNKES DAIRY	72	306		KB HILLSIDE DAIRY	103	50
CIRCLE DRIVE HOLSTEINS	73	17		KIMM'S DAIRY	103	83
RICHARD+TRUDIE MCCONNELL	74	59		DENNIS + BETTY JOHNSON	103	128
LARRY AND SHARON WISTE	75	26		BIRCH POINT FARMS PESHON	103	197
RICHARD SCHNOBRICH	75	43		ROBERT + TERRI DAHLEN	104	51
HARLAN + KATHY LAPE	76	49		TOM GUNNINK	104	84
RAYMOND JONES	77	69		SCHERPING FARM	104	89
B AND C DAIRY	80	70		JOPPS CENTURY FARMS	104	92
DEAN RAUSCH	81	59		DENNIS VILAND	105	34
HABERER HILL DAIRY	82	20		GOODVUE AYR FARMS II	105	60
DEAN FRISLE	83	62		CLETUS MILLER	106	29
HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	84	65		TODD & KATHY JOHNSTON	106	58
GILMAN HALBAKKEN	84	79		PATRICK BRODEEN	107	45
MARK TESSMER	85	42		JOEL & NICOLE GROSS	107	47
LESLIE+TERESA BIERBAUM	85	43		RON+BRAD AUSMUS	107	52
DAVID AND DONNA ANDERSON	86	38		BRED & BUTTER DAIRY	107	63
SCHMITY HOLSTEINS	86	60		LARRY & CAROL MOEN	107	70
HCL FARMS	86	188		T J ZABEL FARM	107	96
GATEWOOD FARM	87	68		BREEZY HILL DAIRY	107	333
SAPA SKA FARM INC	89	79		ESPERANZA CATTLE COMPANY	108	49
JOHN+MARY RADEMACHER	89	87