You can get maximum milk production only if you use maximum quality feeds. Now that this year's corn silage harvest is completed, consider the following factors
when feeding this winter.

Nutrient content: Make sure you know what to expect from this year's crop. In areas of Minnesota that received adequate moisture, well-eared corn silage will exceed 40% starch content. Protein and fiber levels vary with weather and hybrid type. Over- or under-estimating dry matter content may change milk production and herd health drastically when formulating a ration.

Proper fermentation: The proper pH of corn silage ranges from about 4.0 to 4.5. Lower pH may affect palatability. A higher pH indicates the silage did not ferment properly, which leads to mold growth, and sometimes clostridia outbreaks. A volatile fatty acid (fermentation) analysis may be helpful in defining the problem when pH is out of the optimum range.

Mold: Mold growth is frustrating, but far from unusual. Molds need adequate moisture, oxygen, nutrients, and an acceptable pH to grow. Harvesting corn silage when the moisture content is too low slows the fermentation process, and encourages mold growth. Improper packing during ensiling can result in air pockets, where oxygen permits mold growth. If you suspect you have a mold problem, do a mold count and identification. This will let you know how serious the mold problem is, and whether you have toxin producing molds or not.

Nitrates: In drought areas, nitrate levels in corn plants can accumulate to dangerous levels. They are concentrated in the lower portion of the stalk. The kernel portion of the plant will have practically no nitrate. The good news is, once corn silage has fermented, the nitrates are metabolized and shouldn't be a feeding issue. Allow at least three weeks for fermentation to break down nitrates in drought stricken corn.

Prussic Acid: Another concern in Minnesota is frost damage to standing corn. A hard frost can form the cyanide complex in growing corn, which is toxic to livestock. Prussic acid will naturally dissipate if the corn is allowed to stand for about three days following the frost.

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 (NEW): Nutrient content (including starch, pH and NDFd). 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*

"What our Members have to Say"
Bedding Management: How important is it?

Tim Stelling of Osakis, Minnesota says they used to bed freestalls twice a week, blowing enough bedding to the fronts of the stalls so that bedding could be "dragged back as needed". University of Minnesota research has shown that bacteria starts to grow in bedding while it is in the front of the stall, even if it looks fairly clean. Their recommendation is to scrape off the back 1/3 of the stalls and replace it with fresh bedding.

This past summer, the Stelling herd had an average SCC of around 450,000, and Tim started following that recommendation. Stalls are scraped and fresh bedding is added daily-and the results have been dramatic. Herd average SCC started to improve right after the change was made and is currently around 225,000. Tim reports that it doesn't take much more time to add fresh bedding than it did to scrape bedding back from the front of the stalls, and total usage is about the same too.

The reduction in costs and labor associated with mastitis infections, along with a better price for quality milk, have made it a management decision with a very good return for the Stellings. In fact they may start scraping and bedding the stalls twice a day.*

Somatic Cell Counts less than 100,000!

Congratulations to the following members - your October Somatic Cell Counts were under 100,000. Thank you for your quality to the dairy industry.

ROBERT SLATER	39,000	MAHTOWA	|	DICK ENGRAV	86,000	MABEL
ROLLING GREEN HOLSTEINS	43,000	OAKLAND	|	HARLAN KUGATH	87,000	COLOGNE
BEVENDALE FARMS 2	48,000	GREENISLE	|	RICHARD KIDMAN	87,000	BALATON
JEFF & JULIE KETCHUM	63,000	BARNUM	|	DAN MULLEN	88,000	RICE LAKE, WI
STEVEN ASHER	68,000	PINE CITY	|	CHARLES RUCKHEIM	89,000	PARKERS PRAIRIE
KEVIN ANDERSON	68,000	BATTLE LAKE	|	KEVIN SCHAFER	89,000	LAKE CITY
WALLY W. WIESE	69,000	VERNDALE	|	JONATHAN PENNER	89,000	MT LAKE
DEAN & LAURIE BUDENSIEK	76,000	GOODHUE	|	JASON SMELTER	90,000	SAUK RAPIDS
JEFF METZ BROWN COWS	77,000	RUSHFORD	|	SONN-BELL DAIRY	92,000	CHETEK, WI
DAVID BUCK	79,000	DENNISON	|	ROBERT & FAWN STAUB	95,000	MAZEPPA
KENNETH GROOTERS	82,000	VERDI	|	DAN & PEGGY OLSON	97,000	LEWISTON
ROD LORENTZ	82,000	JANESVILLE	|	DENNIS PLAETZ DAIRY	97,000	LUCAN
SELKE FARMS	84,000	DAKOTA	|	LOWELL BAKKEDAHL	98,000	SARGEANT
ARDEL DAIRY	86,000	ARLINGTON	|	GILMAN HALBAKKEN	99,000	ST CHARLES

Dairy Profit Teams

Dairy Profit teams have been a valuable resource for many Minnesota Dairymen and funding is now available for new participants.

Dairy Profit Teams use a teamwork approach to improve the profitability of Minnesota dairy farms. Teams are comprised of dairy professionals such as Veterinarians, Extension Educators, Industry Professionals, and other Dairy Producers, whom the dairyman chooses to be on the team. Team members assist dairy farmers in such things as developing short and long-term business plans for their farms, identifying areas in which improvements can be made, and assessing the impact of changes. In return the farmer must be willing to:

1. Work with the team to develop short and long-term plans for their farm.
2. Make changes.
3. Provide production records from their farm(records are kept confidential)
4. Network with other dairy producers to share ideas and information.
5. Participate in this program for at least one year.
6. Plan to continue in the dairy business.

The program cost is $200 to establish a team. The Minnesota Legislature is providing up to $450 to each dairy in addition. This $650 can be used to meet the team goals as described above. Many agricultural professionals will also be donating a considerable amount of their time.

Diagnostic teams can be formed to address, and money can be used for:
1. Signing up on DHIA, lease or purchase of dairy management software, Improving Milk Quality(can be used to cover culturing cost), Costs of informational meetings.
2. Modernization and Expansion.
3. Feeding and Nutrition Issues.
4. Farm Estate and Transfer Planning.
5. Overall Farm Profitability.
6. Farm Business Classes.
7. Environmental Quality Assurance.
8. Etc.

Each individual farm will be required to submit two business assessments. The purpose of these assessments will be to evaluate the profitability and the changes that have occurred since a diagnostic team was established on their farm.

For more information please contact one of the following Program Coordinators:

Central MN Dairy Profit Team Northwest Region
Sarah Volz Gene Krause
(320) 761-5502 (218) 634-1511
roerick@sytekcom.com kraus018@umn.edu

Southwest Region Dairy Profitability Enhancement
Wayne Schoper Robert Nelson and Tim Dolan
(507) 794-7993 (952) 442-3022
schop002@umn.edu dolan008@umn.edu
dpep@co.carver.mn.us

West Central Region Southeast Region
Jerry Kalinowski Jim Kelm
(320) 762-4503 (651) 388-9676
jerryk@alx.tec.mn.us riverlnd@pressenter.com

 Minnesota DHIA 2002 Annual Summary

It's time once again to publish the Minnesota DHIA Annual Summary. This year in addition to highlighting some of the many accomplishments of our members, we plan to expand our listings of dairy service and resource providers. Our goal is to make the Annual Summary a handy reference book for our customers.

If you, or someone you know, offers services or products that dairy producers would find useful please let us know. We'll be happy to help spread the word.
We are offering advertising space to any of the following resource providers:

Heifer Raisers	Hoof Trimmers
Cow De-horners	Relief Milkers
Custom Harvesters	Milking Equipment Dealers
Pest Controllers	Dairy-related Artists

Each listing will cost $50 per line with a maximum of 2 lines per listing.
All Minnesota DHIA members will receive a 50% member's discount.

In addition to the discount, we will give referring member producers $5 for each name that gets published. We also have full and 1/2 page ad space available for those with more to say. If you know someone who would like to be included in the Annual Summary, please call Barbara at 1-800-827-3442. Remember this summary goes to the top of the dairy industry, including the top producers, consultants and extension professionals.*

 Cows for Sale