Minnesota DHIA News
A PUBLICATION OF MINNESOTA DHIA Volume 3, Issue 9	September 2003

Scholarship Applications Due

There is an October 1 deadline for applications for the National DHIA and Minnesota DHIA scholarship programs. Each scholarship is for $500. If your family has a dairy on DHIA, or if you are the child or spouse of a DHIA employee (or an employee), you are eligible. New post secondary students for the fall of 2004, as well as those continuing their college career are eligible. Each year, some scholarships go to 2-year and some to 4-year applicants. Get your application from Minnesota DHIA at 800-827-3442, or access the application at www.dhia.org under Reference Documents.

Quest for Quality

By now every dairy in Minnesota should have received a Quality Count$ brochure. Please take the time to look through it for information that may help you in your quest for quality milk production. One of the items available to the dairy industry people who attended the Quality Count$ meetings in July was a CD produced by Ecolab entitled "The Perfect Harvest is in Your Hands".

Here are some of the key points made in the video:

1. Handle cows gently. Calm cows will let down their milk better, and produce more milk than those that are under stress.
2. Using milking gloves, brush loose dirt and bedding off teats, pre-dip ~ preferably covering the entire teat, and forestrip to check for mastitis and stimulate let down.
3. Allow 20-30 seconds contact time before wiping teats. Use a circular motion to wipe teats, followed by flipping the towel and then wiping the teat ends.
4. Attach the unit within 45 to 90 seconds of the start of the prepping procedure, being careful to avoid letting air into the unit when attaching.
5. Remove the unit as soon as the cow has finished milking and post-dip, again striving for complete coverage.
6. Establish a consistent routine for all milkers that incorporates the above procedures.

Ask your DHIA Field rep, or milk processor Field Representative about the CD. If they don't have it you can call MN DHIA, or one of the other numbers on listed in the folder.

Field Reps Reach Milestone In DHIA Career

Our sincere congratulations go out to our hard working and dedicated Minnesota DHIA Employees who are celebrating anniversaries this month. Ernie Hillukka of Menahga - 30 years, Nancy Mason of Buffalo - 20 years, Val Schumann of Becker - 15 years and Bob Klopp of Cameron, WI - 10 years. Please extend your congratulations on to them and let them know how much you appreciate all the work they do providing great service to you, the customer.

Dairy Comp 305 and Scout Workshops Set

Don't forget the Dry Cows!

Nitrates in Corn Silage - Test your Corn Silage

With the widespread drought this year, higher than normal nitrate levels may be found in some corn silage. Fields most at risk are those that had high levels of nitrogen fertility and corn growth was severely limited by the drought, so the nitrogen was not used up by the plant. In some cases, heavy rains in June leached much of the excess nitrogen out of the soil. At least three weeks should be allowed after harvesting before feeding drought stressed corn silage, so that fermentation can break down the nitrates. Symptoms of nitrate toxicity include a rapid pulse, difficult breathing, muscle tremors and weakness. Animals typically go down and die suddenly, within 3 hours of the initial symptoms. Subacute or chronic poisoning can cause reproductive problems, including abortion. Chopping drought-stressed corn may also increase the possibility of the production of deadly silo gases. The greatest danger from nitrogen dioxide, a reddish-brown gas, and nitrogen tetroxide, a yellow gas, is 12 to 72 hours after filling the silo, but they can be a problem for up to 3 weeks after chopping.

Drought-stressed or immature corn tends to have higher crude protein levels than normal corn silage. The energy value of drought-stressed corn can range anywhere from 65 to 80 percent of the energy value of normal silage, depending on how much grain filling occurs, how digestible the fiber remains, and how much sugar remains in the stalk. Samples taken for analysis should be collected at least 21 days after ensiling to allow enough time for proper fermentation. Keep samples refrigerated and send to the lab as quickly as possible.

Most of the corn silage samples that were analyzed at the Stearns DHIA laboratory from late August have been in the normal range of less than 1,000 PPM for nitrates, but about 10% had levels of 2-3,000 PPM. Corn silage with those levels is still safe to be fed, but should be introduced gradually and limited to 50% of the total ration dry matter. Levels over 4,500 PPM is potentially toxic.

Stearns DHIA Laboratories offers the following tests on corn silage:
* NIR Analysis: Nutrient content (including starch and pH). 1-day service. $10
* NIR Analysis plus NDFd: Nutrient content (including starch, pH, Fat, Ash, Lignin and NDFCP. Also included are the Schwab-Shaver Milk 2000 calculations for milk/ton, TDN and NEL processed and unprocessed). 2-day service. $18
* Mold Count: Levels of Mold and Yeast. 5-day service. $15
* Mold Count and Identification: Levels of Mold and Yeast including types of mold. 5-day service. $35
* Nitrate: 2-day service. $8
* Prussic Acid: 10-day service $35.20 (Can be caused by chopping corn silage within 3 days after a hard frost and may be toxic to cattle).

Thanks to the Stearns DHIA Lab, and Jim Salfer and Dan Martens, Regional Extension Educators for information for this article.

Jeri Hanson Receives Recognition

The Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association recently recognized Field Representative, Jeri Hanson for her exceptional performance for 2002.

Jeri has been a Field Representative since November of 2001. Currently, there are 40 herds in her unit, which includes the counties of Brown, Jackson, Redwood and Renville.

Jeri has been involved with the Minnesota Dairy Industry for many years. She was raised on a dairy farm near Sleepy Eye where she worked closely with her family. This hard work would lead her to an education as a Veterinary Medicine Technician and a position at the Sleepy Eye Vet Clinic where she would serve many of the same dairy producers as she does now. Jeri is also involved in her community. She attended the Blandin Leadership Training in Grand Rapids, which helps her play an active role in the Bridging Brown County program.

Jeri, her husband children now reside in Comfrey where they raise corn, beans and some oats. They also contract feed hogs and raise a small herd of Registered Hereford cows and calves. Jeri and her family are active members with the 4-H program in Brown County where they exhibit cattle, hogs, poultry and pets. Jeri and her husband also serve as 4-H leaders and have done so for 13 years.

Milk Quality Leaders for August 2003 sample days, SCC listed in thousands