Dairy Records Processing Center Change Announced

 

The Minnesota DHIA Board of Directors has selected Dairy Records Management Systems (DRMS) of Raleigh, North Carolina to take over processing of DHIA records for herds affiliated with Minnesota DHIA. DRMS also has offices in Ames Iowa.  DRMS started in 1957, and is the busiest DRPC in the U.S. with over 1.8 million cows processed monthly from over 14,000 member herds.  DRMS is a noted innovator in hand held computer technology (Pocket Dairy) and has a well developed web site that is used by producers and consultants, as well as DHIA organizations.  DRMS has pioneered research into new data that now flows into the USDA Genetic Evaluation Program, such as fertility and SCC.

 

During the last year, DRMS has processed 98% of the herds using their service the same day as the data was received.  Their staff is experienced not just in computers, but also in Dairy and DHIA.  They have handled data from Ftech and a Loop system for over 10 years.  This means that the program that Field Reps on sample day will change very little, and the data handling system will remain the same.  Consultants and producers will still access their data the same way from the same place. 

 

DRMS has programming 5 Minnesota DHIA reports so far.  More will be programmed.  At the same time, DRMS has a host of reports that have been developed for their producers over time.  Those reports will be available to Minnesota producers as we make the transition

 

The change in DRPC came after the Board devoted much research into the abilities, performance, and people at each of the Dairy Records Processing providers in the U.S. Some herds have moved to DRMS already, and are receiving the DRMS reports.  More herds will move as things progress.  If you would like to have your herd processed at DRMS on your next test, please call us at 800.827.3442, or let your field rep know on sample day.

 

 

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Mixing is KEY

 

If you want an accurate sample result, you need an accurate sample for the lab to test, whether that be the creamery lab or the DHIA lab.  We have long known that you have to sample all the milk to get the proper result.  You also have to mix the milk properly before sampling.  This is only accomplished on modern high producing cows by pouring the milk back between flasks before sampling.  On high producers, shaking does not do the job.  Herd owners who take a sample to check cows at the creamery need to keep the following study in mind when you don’t use a meter.  This cow produced 45# of milk, not unusual.

 

Milk	Butterfat	MUN	SCC
First 15#	1.65%	21	188,000
Middle 19#	3.63%	15	252,000
Last 11#	6.03%	14	722,000

 

March 2007 Milk Quality Top 100

		SCC	Cows				SCC	Cows
DAN AND JOLENE SCHLANGEN	EDEN VALLEY	33	64		RUECHEL DAIRY FARM	ADAMS	87	79
KEVIN & SHEILA THARALDSON	GOODRIDGE	43	54		RON KEMPER	WAUBUN	87	24
DAVID SMITH	DENT	44	27		POXLEITNER DAIRY	KELLIHER	87	99
GERALD+LISA BURG	FREEPORT	50	36		AUSMUS FARM	HINCKLEY	88	80
MILKY WAY DAIRY FARM	HAYWARD	53	42		ADAMS CREST	COSMOS	90	24
ART AND JANE STUMPF	PIERZ	53	49		ALLEN AND STEVEN OTTO	LESTER PRAIRIE	91	58
ZUMBRO VIEW FARMS LLC	ZUMBROTA	53	47		STEVE SEARLES	PINE ISLAND	91	4
MARK KLEHR	BELLE PLAINE	53	56		SCHUELER FARMS	WILLMAR	91	240
BOB KUMMET	PIERZ	55	38		MATT BERKTOLD	LAKE CITY	92	173
BOB AND BARB PETIT	PLAINVIEW	57	57		DAVE CORBETT	CLAYTON	92	34
HABERER HILL DAIRY	HENNING	59	21		SELKE FARMS	DAKOTA	93	155
CIRCLE DRIVE HOLSTEINS	HUTCHINSON	60	16		JAMES AND PAUL GREGORY	BELGRADE	93	85
GARY BECKMAN	PENNOCK	61	75		MICHAEL AND KRIS BANSE	EITZEN	94	68
D & J  DAIRY	PAYNESVILLE	61	66		RONALD & SUSAN JOHNSON	LINDSTROM	94	59
SCHEFERS BROS	PAYNESVILLE	62	76		JOHN E SAUBER	LAKEVILLE	95	61
ROGER ALDINGER	WINONA	64	63		BOB & TERRI KETCHUM	UTICA	96	119
WAYNE AND WADE ATHEY	GRACEVILLE	64	43		DREHER DAIRY	MIZPAH	96	50
STEVEN ASHER	PINE CITY	66	29		JIM KULINSKI	LESTER PRAIRIE	96	47
KEVIN ANDERSON	BATTLE LAKE	68	49		MIKE + ROSIE ZEIG	SLEEPY EYE	96	31
GREG PAULUS	RICE LAKE	68	44		MARK & CARLA BRUNHOLZL	LAKE CITY	97	23
KIDMAN DAIRY	BALATON	68	102		WILL TACHIBANA DAIRY	UNDERWOOD	97	33
ROBERT SLATER	MAHTOWA	69	29		DEVOINE KRUSE	CALEDONIA	97	129
HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	PIERZ	71	72		LAKE SHORE FARM	HANSKA	98	10
DANIEL HALLBERG	KANDIYOHI	75	60		PAUL-JAMES-TONY MERZ	MAPLE PLAIN	98	65
STANLEY MARTIN	BROWERVILLE	77	35		MANUEL JERGER& SONS	BARNESVILLE	98	126
BRUCE RUNDHAUG	CAMERON	77	55		BIRCH POINT FARMS PESHON	MINNESKA	98	222
MARVIN RADEMACHER	BELGRADE	77	59		BREEZY WILLOWS DAIRY	DOVER	99	36
MARK TITERA	BAGLEY	78	25		HAZEL-BUSH FARMS INC	RICE LAKE	99	47
PAUL & MARY ZIMMERMAN	BROOTEN	79	60		DAVID JONES	BELLE PLAINE	99	59
TRAVIS-RICHARD SCHLOSSER	MILTONA	79	33		HOWARD STUEBER	NEW ULM	100	28
CRAIG AND SHARON DAHMS	DODGE CENTER	79	31		MIKE HENDRICKX	NEW YORK MILLS	100	4
TOM FUECHTMANN	MELROSE	79	94		LARRY & CAROL MOEN	CAMERON	100	74
JEFF & JULIE KETCHUM	BARNUM	80	23		DON CHRISTIANSON	GREENBUSH	100	43
FRANK PATRICK	RICE	81	57		CANC	ELK RIVER	100	77
ROBERT RAMONA WIPPLER	PARKERS PRAIRIE	81	43		DENNIS + BETTY JOHNSON	WINONA	101	139
AL + MARK SCHMITT	RICE	81	93		SC0TT AND DENISE GATHJE	RICHMOND	101	67
PETER SKAJ	ST  JOSEPH	81	40		HY-RIDGE HOLSTEINS LCC.	RIDGELAND	101	298
MICHELS BROTHERS	PELICAN RAPIDS	82	26		SCHLIEP FAMILY DAIRY	ZUMBROTA	102	68
TIM & SUE HOESE	GLENCOE	82	32		KENNETH THURK	VILLARD	102	31
SCHREIBER BROS	RUSHFORD	82	82		PETERM&LYNN HENDRICKSON	MENAHGA	103	67
RODNEY KURTH	HUTCHINSON	83	34		NORTH VISTA HOLSTEINS	DALLAS	103	31
GLEN CHRISTEN	SAUK CENTRE	83	45		DONALD + DARLENE MATROS	PIERZ	103	72
JASON NYSTROM	LONG PRAIRIE	83	30		JEREMY E BEYER	UTICA	103	40
BRUCE AND JODI HEIM	LEWISTON	84	150		JASON T LANG	STEWART	103	33
KALMES FARMS INC	ROLLINGSTONE	84	113		JOHN WENNINGER	LAFAYETTE	104	41
MEADOW BROOK DAIRY	SARTELL	85	93		DALE + SUE SPANIER	PAYNESVILLE	104	47
DAIRY SPA LLP	FARWELL	85	104		BLENKER DAIRY FARM INC.	ALBANY	104	102
JULIAN + DAVID SJOSTROM	PELICAN RAPIDS	85	46		SCOTT FELDHACKER	HILLSDALE	105	57
ROBERT KALLEMEYN	LAKE BENTON	86	69		STEVE AND SANDY SIEGLE	COLOGNE	105	48
GILMAN HALBAKKEN	ST CHARLES	86	82		HOLLERMANN DAIRY	BURTRUM	105	256
GOLBERGS LAKEVIEW DAIRY	DEER CREEK	87	72		URBAN BROS	NEW LONDON	105	67

 

 

 

 

About Johne's Disease

What is Johne's disease ?

Johne's disease is caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, a slow-growing bacteria that invades the animal's small intestine causing a thickening of the intestinal wall. Johne's impairs the function of the digestive tract reducing nutrient utilization necessary for body weight gain, milk production, reproduction and eventually life itself.

How prevalent is Johne's disease?

Johne's disease has been found on 20-25 percent of U.S. dairy operations, affecting 5-10 percent of all U.S. dairy cows. Prevalence is assumed to be lower in the beef industry, however the beef industry has not been testing to the same extent as the dairy industry.

What are the affects of Johne's disease?

Johne's disease impacts the overall health and productivity of the animal. For dairy cattle, the loss of milk production is the most direct loss of income. However other economic factors such as premature culling, reduced slaughter value, treatment and cost of replacement animals also affect the economic viability of the dairy farm. In addition, researchers have shown a relationship between Johne's disease and reproductive performance, which leads to further economic losses.

How is Johne's disease spread?

Calves are the most susceptible to infection, especially during the first few weeks of life. The majority of Johne's infections in young animals are acquired by ingestion of M. paratuberculosis. This happens when calves consume infected manure or infected milk/colostrum. A third, but less common route of infection is by in-utero transmission.

How do you prevent the transmission of Johne's disease?

The National Johne's Working Group (NJWG) has identified specific management areas that should be addressed to reduce or prevent infections in a herd. Management practices to control Johne's disease are not complicated and are generally simple and inexpensive to implement. The NJWG recommendations include: manure management, colostrum and milk management, and identification and removal of infected animals and their offspring.

What testing options are available for Johne's disease?

There are nearly a dozen tests that can be performed to diagnose Johne's disease. Tests that detect antibodies to M. paratuberculosis, such as the blood or milk ELISA are most often recommended as screening tests to determine the herd-level prevalence of Johne's and identify high-risk animals. Tests that detect the M. paratuberculosis organism, like traditional fecal culture or the Rapid Fecal Test, are useful to confirm Johne's in high-risk animals and to identify the most problematic animals for transmission.

How often should Johne's disease testing be conducted?

Frequency depends on how aggressively producers want to reduce or eradicate Johne's disease. The Johne's disease picture in a herd will not change significantly from month to month and thus testing intervals should be closer to a year. Testing may even be discontinued in certain groups of animals that have been designated Johne's free with a high degree of confidence by testing negative over repeated testing intervals.

Is Johne's disease reportable?

Johne’s disease is a state mandated reportable disease, however it is not actionable, and the state regulatory agency is not out to remove the test-positive animals from the farm. Reporting assists the state in managing Johne’s by determining statewide disease incidence and location. Furthermore, through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reportable disease information can be requested, however information is released on a countywide basis only, and information pertaining to a specific operation is kept strictly confidential. This protects producers who take the initiative and manage for Johne’s and who are actively using smart management practices to protect their herd and the industry.

What is sensitivity and specificity?

Sensitivity refers to a tests ability to detect infected (positive) animals on a percentage basis. Since many diseased animals are in the early stages of Johne's, current tests are unable to detect these animals and thus, test sensitivity is approximately 50 percent.

Specificity refers to the tests ability to detect non-infected (negative) animals on a percentage basis. Specificity is high for Johne's disease tests (> 95 percent) and a single positive result in herds confirmed with Johne's disease is likely correct.

Does Johne's disease cause Crohn's disease?

More evidence is accumulating that Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is associated with Crohn's disease. However, a cause and effect has not been established. It is uncertain if Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in Crohn's patients caused the disease or if Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is just able to survive in Crohn's patients because of compromised immune systems. Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is found throughout the environment, not just in milk and meat from infected animals

What does certified, accredited or licensed mean?

Licensed tests are monitored for their consistency in manufacturing and their performance against specified claims. On the other hand, certification or accreditation refers to the laboratory conducting tests and it acknowledges the lab's ability to correctly conduct specific tests. USDA accreditation/certification is only available for serum and fecal Johne's tests. The USDA has not yet devised a certification/accreditation program for the milk ELISA.

Copyright © 2002 by [NorthStar Cooperative, Inc.] All rights reserved. Revised: 8/3/04

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Johne’s Testing: Compare the Options

 

Specificity – ability to identify non-diseased animals as negative

 

Sensitivity – ability to identify diseased animals as positive

 

Benefits to Milk ELISA (compared to Serum/blood)

·        Convenient – field rep already taking samples

·        Cheap – lowest lab costs and no veterinarian costs

·        As accurate as blood

·        Quick Turnaround – results back within a week