Kentucky Dairy Notes. December Management Important for Achieving a 45,000 lbs. Average Herd Production By: Donna M.

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1 Kentucky Dairy Notes December 2017 Management Important for Achieving a 45,000 lbs. Average Herd Production By: Donna M. Amaral-Phillips As our understanding on how to feed and manage dairy cows improves, milk production per cow continues to increase. Just look at the last two national record holders for milk production. The most recent national record holder, Selz-Praille Aftershock 3918, produced 78,107 lbs. milk in a 365- day lactation. The previous record holder, Ever-green View My Gold, produced 77,480 lbs. milk, just 627 lbs. less than the current record holder. Both of these cows are housed within herds that can get cows to milk. My Gold and her herdmates outstanding production. Management Philosophy #1: Calves are the most important group on this farm. Calves represent the next generation for the dairy herd and management practices during the first two months of life directly and indirectly influence future milk production. Newborn calves were fed 4 quarts of colostrum within a half hour of birth and calves were warmed using heat lamps when necessary. Calves were housed individually and fed pasteurized whole milk using buckets, calf starter and water. The amount of milk was increased after the first 4 weeks of life from 2 quarts to 3 quarts fed twice daily. Calf pens were cleaned out when calves were 3 weeks of age and again when the calf left the calf barn. During the recent fall KY Dairy Development tour to Wisconsin, we had the honor to visit the herd which includes My Gold, the previous production record holder. I was excited to see this herd of cows and learn from their owners how they achieve this production. This herd consisted of 94 cows averaging 45,290 lbs. milk at 3.8% butterfat and 3.1% protein. Cows were housed in a tie stall barn built in Approximately 50% of the herd was 2- year olds. Just inside the door of the barn were three cows in a row which averaged over 60,000 lbs. of milk. I realize that this herd sells many embryos and cows to neighboring farms, but they still get cows that remain in the herd to milk well. From my observations and listening to the farmers discussions, I gleaned three management philosophies that I believe had a positive impact on Attention to detail and ensuring consistency in feeding practices was very evident during our tour of the calf barn. The amount of milk fed each calf was measured using a metering device to ensure a consistent amount was being fed. Calves were definitely fed on schedule. The owner indicated that calves were going to be fed at 4 PM and 12 minutes before feeding time, the calf employee was taking the pasteurized milk to the calf barn so that the calves would be fed on time.

2 Management Important for Achieving a 45,000 lbs. Average Herd Production continued... Management Philosophy #2: Nothing goes into the silo that is not perfect. Harvesting the highest quality forages was extremely important to these owners. High quality forages are more digestible and allow cows to eat more feed, resulting in more nutrients for cows to turn into milk. Forages were harvested at only the proper stage of maturity with nothing too old or too young harvested. Corn silage was high chopped (chopped at waist height) to increase the starch content of the preserved feed with a moisture content of less than 60% at ensiling. Brown midrib varieties of corn for silage were harvested. BMR varieties are more digestible than conventional varieties. Mr. Kestell stated they ran out of BMR corn silage last year but that would not happen again this year. Management Philosophy #3: It s not what you do right, but what you do not do wrong. Do not insult the cows. Throughout our tour, attention to detail and consistency for all aspects of management were very evident. Cows were fed approximately 65 lbs. of dry matter with cows averaging about 2 lbs. of milk for every pound of dry matter consumed. Cows were fed a one group TMR in the tie stall barn containing 4 lbs. of alfalfa baleage, corn silage, high moisture corn, and additional grain mix with the top cows ration topdressed with roasted soybeans. From year to year, the ration is tweaked to adjust for changing nutrient composition of the forages but no major changes are made. Consistency of feed delivery and implementation of management programs was very evident not only at the level of management but also employees caring for the cows and heifers. These owners had found management practices which worked for them and they followed them consistently. How does Ever-Green-View Dairy get cows to set milk records? The key management practices we observed included harvesting and feeding high quality forages to cows with the genetics to milk. Cows were treated like queens starting at birth and throughout their stay on this farm. This farm definitely made the best use of their facilities with the tie stall barn definitely showed its vintage. But, they made it work for their operation. For example, fans were used to move air in the summer. Attention to management details, consistency of executing management practices, and investigating when changes occur in production or quality expectations were important philosophies throughout all ages of calves, heifers, and cows. For example, one farmer asked what his somatic cell count averaged. The owner s answer: 100,000 or lower, however yesterday it was 130,000 and we need to look for the problem cow. So, the question becomes, can you have the next record producing herd? The answer is yes but you need to remember and follow these three underlying key management philosophies.

3 Lameness: Should it be a Priority for Your Herd? By: Karmella Dolecheck and Jeffrey Bewley Mobility is critical to a dairy cows success, yet lameness remains a major problem in most dairy herds. Of all studies reporting lameness between 2006 and 2017, mean lameness prevalence was greater than 20%. This means any time someone walks on the average dairy farm, 1 out of every 5 cows there is lame. Additionally, 5% of cows (1 out of 20) are severely lame (i.e. pronounced arching of the back, reluctance to move, and almost all weight transferred off the affected limb). In a single study that looked at 248 United States freestall dairies, lameness prevalence ranged from 5% to 70%, with an average of 27% lame cows and 3% severely lame cows. There is an obvious need to better recognize and prevent this problem. But why should you even worry about detecting or preventing lameness? After visiting 130 Canadian freestall farms where cow welfare assessments were conducted, researchers identified connections between lameness prevalence and different profitability measures. For example, for every 1% increase in lameness prevalence, average yearly milk production decreased by 24 pounds per cow and average calving interval increased by 0.22 days. This means that focusing on decreasing lameness prevalence could provide not only welfare benefits to your cows, but also financial benefits to you. So, what is the best way to begin improving lameness on your herd? A good first step is to evaluate where your herd currently stands. Visit for more information on lameness scoring and consider making this part of your farm s regular routine! Currently, much research is focused on earlier detection of lameness. If we can detect lameness earlier, we can treat it before it becomes severe and potentially prevent some of the negative consequences. One factor that can be evaluated to predict lameness is lying behavior. In grazing herds, researchers have found that lame cows are less adaptable to environmental conditions than non-lame cows. For example, when it rains, cows on pasture generally prefer to stand to avoid wet surfaces. However, lame cows will continue lying down even during rainy periods, likely to reduce pressure on their feet. Data reported in the article was collected from posters at the 2017 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting including Costa et al. (Abstract #M56), Robichaud et al. (Abstract #M55), Kutina and Huzzey (Abstract #M26), and Thompson et al. (Abstract #M57). Although promising as a lameness detection tool, we are still learning about how to accurately record lying behavior, what it can be used for, and how it varies between animals. For example, a recent study evaluating both Holsteins and Jerseys during the transition period found that Holstein cows have fewer lying bouts and spend more total time lying down than Jersey cows. This could be because Jerseys are smaller (making it easier for them to get up and down), that they feed more frequently, that they re more nervous, or for some completely different reason. Understanding differences between breeds, different ages of animals, varying stages of lactation, and other factors may help us better predict lameness incidence and other health and welfare issues related to lying behavior.

4 Organic Milk Production By: Carissa Truman and Jeffrey Bewley Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in knowing how and where their food is produced. In 1900, 50% of Americans lived on farms, and 33% of workers were employed on a farm. Now, only 2% of Americans live on farms and <1% claim farming as their occupation. This disconnect from agriculture creates confusion among consumers on typical farming practices. When surveying consumers on their dietary objectives, 44% reported they want natural and/or organic products and 63% percent of people viewed antibiotic use as negative. More consumers are purchasing natural or organic products and minimally processed foods. Within the past year, conventional fluid milk sales have decreased by 6.2% and organic fluid milk sales have increased by 5.6%, influencing more producers to consider organic production. Aside from the increased demand, producers pay price for organic milk is higher than the pay price for conventional milk. Certified organic US dairy herds have increased to 5.4% in 2016 from 3.0% in In 2016, Kentucky was in the top 20 states for number of organic milk production farms and value of sales, with nearly 5.7% of Kentucky dairies as organic and another 5.7% transitioning. Who oversees this? The USDA oversees the National Organic Program. It was first introduced in the 1990 Farm Bill but not fully implemented until What is and is not allowed for organic production? Restricted: Hormones for reproductive synchronization Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Growth influencing hormones Pesticides Ionophores Other synthetics (unless on permitted list) Permitted: Artificial Insemination (AI) Vaccines Parasiticides (only for emergency treatment and restricted for slaughter animals) Ivermectin is being removed from the approved synthetic substances list, current milk withdraw time is 90 days What are the basic requirements for organic livestock production? Organic cattle must be fed 100% organic feed and grazed on organic pasture. Cattle must have access to pasture at least 120 days/year, consuming 30% of their dry matter intake from pasture during those times. Cattle must have access to shade, shelter, fresh air, clean water, and direct sunlight. Their habitat must also allow for exercise and the exhibition of natural behaviors. How long does it take to become an organic producer? If an organic producer is purchasing cattle, they must be managed organically for the last third of gestation to qualify as organic. If a whole herd is transitioning to organic, the cattle must be under organic management one year prior to the sale of their milk products as organic. If a whole farm (land and cattle) is transitioning to organic production, there is a mandatory 3-year transition period prior to organic labeling. It is permitted that if the land and livestock are transitioning together, (whole farm) cattle may be fed the crops from the last year of land transition and still qualify as organic the following year, despite the crops being unable to sell as organic (have not completed the 3-year transition). During the 1- or 3-year transition, producers operate as an organic farm, regarding pasture and cow management, but are restricted to sell their products as organic until the end of the transition period. Therefore, the farm incurs potentially increased costs and lower milk production without an increased milk premium for an organic product.

5 Organic Milk Production continued... How do organic producers manage health without antibiotics? Genetics: Selecting superior health and fitness trait animals Choosing a breed to compliment the environment Proper nutrition Pasture is maintained to ensure high quality and high intake Appropriate and adequate supplemental grain, TMR, and/or hay Low-stress environment Exercise Low disease exposure: Biosecurity, sanitation, and pasture management Effective vaccination protocols Alternative non-traditional treatments What are some of the alternative mastitis treatments organic producers use? Whey-based Products (orally, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous) Garlic Tincture (orally, intravaginal or intrauterine) Aloe vera (orally, intramuscular, intramammary, intravaginal or intrauterine) Vitamin C (intramuscular, intramammary, intravenous) Aspirin (orally) Homeopathy (orally and intravaginal or intrauterine) The principle behind homeopathy is likes treat likes, for example treating a bee sting with bee venom. Homeopathy also states that the more diluted the treatment, the more potent the effect will be. Within multiple trials, antibiotics, homeopathy, and a placebo treatment have been compared. Although, antibiotics were better than both the placebo and homeopathy treatments, antibiotics were only statistically better than the placebo treatment. Multivitamins (orally) Vegetable oils (topical) Corticosteroids (intramuscular, intramammary) Electrolytes (orally) Microbial supplement (intramammary) Vitamin B (intramuscular) Essential oils (topical) Alternative, non-traditional treatments such as those above have not been heavily studied or proven to affect the recovery or health of the cows. Organic treatments may also cause adverse effects that have not been documented, particularly due to the lack of research. Of surveyed organic producers, 92% of these producers want more research on organic treatments and 91% want training for veterinarians on organic treatments. It is likely the demand for organic products will continue to increase as 60% of Americans think antibiotic use in livestock leads to human infections that are harder to treat. While organic production is limited on the conventional treatments it can provide, there are many organic alternative methods used although results are unproven. As with any other production type, prevention is the key to healthy cows and comes with proper management of the herd. This material was discussed at the 2017 American Dairy Science Association annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. Additional details were retrieved from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and USDA National Organic Program Handbook.