July “Guide” Report

 

“What has been the recent decrease or improvement in overall test day milk production?”  can be found under the Production Test Day Tab in on farm Dairy Comp 305 or in your Field Rep’s computer on sample day. 

 

This graph plots your test day milk for the last two years. Analyze where you were two years ago compared to where you are at now to see if you have increased or decreased your test day milk over time. Look closer into areas of large increases or decreases in test day milk that may reflect a management change you made recently, or something you were unaware of that had an impact on your cows. You have the option of looking all cows at once or narrowing it down to the lactation(s) of your choice. A table is also generated with the values for each for you to consider if you prefer that method of analysis. 

 

The Numbers

 

June average SCC was 331,533 compared to June 2007 at 352,600.

Median SCC for this June was 304,000 compared to 323,000 last June.

That represents a 6% improvement in milk quality – congratulations!

 

960 herds had their data accessed electronically by a consultant this June – up 40 from last June.

 

22 new DHIA members joined in the second quarter, and Field Rep Randy Rasmussen of Thief River Falls won the lottery prize of $550 for the quarter.

 

Reported milk price averaged $19.19 for this June compared to $17.46 last June.

 

262,791 cows were DHIA tested in June, representing 2,220 herds.  That makes average herd size 118 cows. Median herd size (middle size herd) is 68 cows.  This is up a little over 7,000 cows from a year ago, and up 11,000 from 5 years ago.  Thank you!

 

46 herds averaged over 90 pounds per milking cow in June.

 

During the last year, MNDHIA phone lines have been used an average of 78 hours per week.

 

You may have read in the Dairy Star that it is estimated that 25% of U.S. dairies have at least one cow with Johne’s disease.  DHIA has tested 18,534 cows during the first half of the year, with 5.23% of cows coming up positive.  June was the high volume month for the quarter.  Many Field Reps have herds regularly testing for Johne’s using the milk samples.  Cost is $5.75 per sample for lab and 25 cents per sample for data handling.  Results can be sent to your cooperating vet by mail or email, and results are added to cowfiles that folks you have authorized can receive.

 

 

 

June 2008 Milk Quality Top 100 based on Raw SCC

 

 

June Udder Health Leaders (ranked by Linear Score (Log) SCC

 

 

Coming Soon

1. Color print on some reports
2. Use of RFID to identify cows on sample day where herds have RFID tags
3. DHIA Internet tag ordering site for All Flex, Fearing (Digital Angel), and Z tags.
4. DHIA testing for herds with Robotic milking systems.
5. New reports and graphs on fresh and dry cows.

 

 

 

Keep Sample Day Bacteria Counts Normal

Occasionally, we hear about someone who has an elevated bacteria count that is traced to DHIA sample day.  We visited with our sister organization, Dairy One, headquartered in Ithaca New York, and found they had just done a study on the situation.  Thanks to Fred at Dairy One for sharing the following information and suggestions.  FYI, Dairy One is New York, Pennsylvania, the Mid Atlantic and New England DHIAs combined with DairyLea Milk Cooperative.  They utilized their full service milk lab to study the issue.

 

Various meter parts were swabbed after normal washing, and again after sanitizing for various lengths of time.  Organisms were grown and cultured.  Here are the conclusions:

1. Extra flask milk (milk left over after sampling, normally collected in a pail by the Field Rep’s sampling stand) in every case in the study cultured “too numerous to count” and must not be added to the tank by DHIA.  Dairies are discouraged from adding it.
2. The rubber vacuum shut off (VSO) seal in the meter must be removed, washed, and sanitized after each use.
3. The nozzle and cap O ring must be removed regularly, and rubber parts must be routinely replaced.
4. Meters should be sanitized just prior to the start of milking for at least 2 minutes, if they are not connected and run through the dairies regular sanitizing cycle (suggested for Owner Sampler herds before and after milking).

 

In addition, several Field Reps have remarked that they see many milker drop-offs on sample day in a few dairies.  That unquestionably would result in elevated bacteria counts as well.  The solution may be as simple as raising vacuum for just the sampled milking.

 

Like everything in DHIA, sanitizing meters needs to be a cooperative project involving the dairy and the Field Rep.  DHIA needs access to a sink with luke warm water in order to sanitize the meters, and if you do not see the need for sanitizing then please share that with your Field Rep.

 

 

Gas prices are at $4 gallon, and Field Rep time is worth something as well.  With this in mind, we kindly ask that Owner Samplers and Supervised herds cooperate to enable Field Reps to provide services on the same day to herds that are in close proximity.  Since OS herds provide their own labor, it would seem reasonable that they have a little more say in which day will be test day.