Johne’s Test Now Available on DHIA Milk Samples

For the past several months, the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the DHIA Labs in Sauk Centre and Zumbrota have been gearing up to offer the Milk ELISA Johne’s tests to Minnesota dairy producers.  The test is now available.  It utilizes the same DHIA milk sample collected for butterfat, protein, and SCC.  Extensive research and testing show the milk test to be very comparable to the serum ELISA Johne’s test that has been a standard test for many years.  ELISA tests are looking for the antibodies the cow creates to fight a specific disease, not the disease itself.  Once sampled, the antibodies do not grow, research shows the small amount of milk that is left in a flask from one cow to another does not impact the result for a cow.

 

The test has been available for several years through Antel Bio in Lansing Michigan, and is also now available in DHIAs across Canada, Texas, Arizona, and Wisconsin.  The Milk ELISA test is the second of perhaps many ELISA tests that will be available for use on the regular DHIA milk samples.  MN DHIA previously offered Staph. aureus ELISA testing using the DHIA milk samples.

 

The obvious advantages of the milk test include that sampling is easy (and inexpensive) compared to taking blood samples, results will be fast, and that the data will be integrated into the DHIA database and reporting system for your herd.  We will provide the numerical result and positive or negative status.  Please see the following joint release for more information.  To order the test on selected cows or the whole herd, simply talk to your DHIA Field Rep on your next sample day.

 

We will send results to your Vet if you would like us to.  We urge producers to work with your Veterinarian on using Johne’s test results, and contact the Minnesota Board of Animal Health for more information about their Johne’s control assessment tools and programs. 

 

In compliance with the regulation that Johne’s is a reportable disease, we will also report results to the Board of Animal Health.  The Board of Animal Health and University of Minnesota will use the results for statistical and research purposes only.  Results will not appear anywhere in the public record, and no follow up on herds will be pursued as a result of the Milk ELISA Johne’s test.  We will submit the data under your herd’s Premises ID that you have probably received from the Board of Animal Health as a part of the developing National Animal Identification System that is designed to track animal diseases in the event of an Animal Health Emergency.

Producers who have vaccinated against Johne’s should not use the ELISA tests.

 

New Member Drive

Minnesota DHIA is seeking new members this fall.  There are special incentives for Field Reps, and discounts for new members.  Pass along any prospect names you may have to your Field Rep on the next sample day, or call them in to us at 800.827.3442.   We encourage all Field Reps to offer 12 tests per year to all customers, and we (and most consultants that visit dairies) recommend herds test every month.

 

Field Reps Reach Milestones

In the month of December, two of our Field Reps are celebrating milestone anniversaries.  Randy Rasmussen from Thief River Falls is celebrating 30 years of service with Minnesota DHIA. He services herds from Red Lake, Pennington, and Northwest Counties.  Bryan Whitney, from Kenyon, is celebrating his 20^th year.  Bryan services herds from Dodge, Goodhue, Steele and Rice Counties.  Please pass on your congratulations to these hardworking and dedicated Field Reps the next time they visit your dairy.

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November Milk Quality Top 100

		SCC				SCC
DAVID SMITH	DENT	43		ROBERT + FAWN STAUB	MAZEPPA	87
GERALD+LISA BURG	FREEPORT	48		MIKE + ROSIE ZEIG	SLEEPY EYE	87
DAVID SCHUUR	SAUK CENTRE	50		ZUMBRO VIEW FARMS LLC	ZUMBROTA	87
PINE LANE DAIRY	GLENWOODCITY	51		ROGER + WENDY SORENSON	EAGLE BEND	88
DANIEL HALLBERG	KANDIYOHI	51		BOB KUMMET	PIERZ	91
PETER & MARK HENDRICKSON	MENAHGA	53		WILL TACHIBANA DAIRY	UNDERWOOD	94
KEVIN & SHEILA THARALDSON	GOODRIDGE	54		AUSMUS FARM	HINCKLEY	94
OAK GLEN JOHNS	EAGLE BEND	55		DENNIS BOYENGA	ELLSWORTH	95
DON WITTE-COREY GROSHENS	ATWATER	55		DARAN AND CHRISTY BORTH	MENAHGA	95
KEVIN ANDERSON	BATTLELAKE	60		HAPPKE HOLSTEIN FARM	PIERZ	95
JERON NATHE	MELROSE	63		JEFF & TINA VINKEMEIER	NORWOOD	95
SIBERT FARMS	HEWITT	64		JOPPS CENTURY FARMS	MAYER	95
JON WINTER	HOFFMAN	66		RUIS-ING SUN DAIRY	MILACA	96
LARRY & CAROL MOEN	CAMERON	66		DAVID BUCK	DENNISON	96
ROBERT SLATER	MAHTOWA	67		ART AND JANE STUMPF	PIERZ	97
F  LYLE SONDAG	APPLETON	67		D & J  DAIRY	PAYNESVILLE	97
MARK KLEHR	BELLE PLAINE	68		SARAH L POLYOCK	CHETEK	97
JAMES AND PAUL GREGORY	BELGRADE	68		JIM KULINSKI	LESTER PRAIRIE	98
BOB & TERRI KETCHUM	UTICA	68		BRUCE AND WENDY HILKE	ALTURA	98
PETER SKAJ	ST  JOSEPH	69		ADAM DANIELS	LANESBORO	99
RALPH SWIGGUM	UTICA	69		EARL FELLING	ALBANY	99
CIRCLE DRIVE HOLSTEINS	HUTCHINSON	70		GLEN CHRISTEN	SAUK CENTRE	100
ROLLING W ACRES	CHETEK	70		DAVID JONES	BELLE PLAINE	100
BASHAW LAKE HOLSTIENS	SHELLLAKE	70		KEVIN & DELORES CARLSON	WANNASKA	100
MAYNARD SCHUMACHER	PLAINVIEW	71		TIMOTHY-MAYLA KLEMEK	HENNING	101
MARK TESSMER	ROGERS	72		DON C MEECH	SEBEKA	101
NORBERT BROWN	GREY EAGLE	72		BRUCE AND JODI HEIM	LEWISTON	102
GARY BECKMAN	PENNOCK	74		HOLLERMANN DAIRY	BURTRUM	102
RICHARD SCHNOBRICH	NEW ULM	75		AL LISSON	STAPLES	104
MORRIS + JEFF CHAMBERLAIN	HASTINGS	76		HARTHUN DAIRY	DENT	104
HABERER HILL DAIRY	HENNING	76		THOMAS & RITA WOLBECK	WAUBUN	104
JAMES M TESSMER	LORETTO	76		STEVE MARTIN	FINLAYSON	105
RONALD HARFF	WATKINS	78		STONY CREEK DAIRY	BELGRADE	105
JOHN WENNINGER	LAFAYETTE	78		GARY L LEGARE	LAFAYETTE	105
BRUCE AND CHERYL MOHN	LAKEVILLE	78		HIESERICH FARM	BELGRADE	106
SELKE FARMS	DAKOTA	78		TOM AND TAMMY MURSU	NEW YORKMILLS	107
TONY STAEBLER	MORRIS	79		DENNIS GRANSEE	SANBORN	107
JERRY + BEV POHLMANN	GREY EAGLE	79		PRAHL DAIRY	SUNBURG	108
CLETUS MILLER	ALBANY	81		ROGER HEMMESCH	PAYNESVILLE	108
MITCH CLOW	BARRETT	83		STEVE NIEDZWIECKI	LONG PRAIRIE	109
RANDY GRABAU	SPRINGVALLEY	83		LARRY AND SHARON WISTE	SPRING GROVE	110
WAYNE AND WADE ATHEY	GRACEVILLE	83		JIM KLAPHAKE	SAUK CENTRE	110
KEN & AARON VOGT	SAUK CENTRE	84		GILMAN HALBAKKEN	ST CHARLES	110
DARREL + LISA MAUS	FREEPORT	85		DAVID POPOWSKI	IVANHOE	110
LARRY BRAEM	SACRED HEART	86		PINE OAKS DAIRY	COLFAX	111
JOHN AND STACI SCHERBER	ROGERS	86		AIMEE FINLEY	ST. CHARLES	111
SCOTT HIPPEN	BROOK PARK	86		WILFERD STREHLER	HAMEL