ED ITION U .S. V O LU M E 3 N O 5 NO VE MBE R 2011
IN THIS ISSUE
H EA LTH
Heifer mastitis plays a major role in future herd productivity BREED IN G
Haplotypes: another way to keep breeding decisions on track FA RM REPO RT
British low-input producer switched to once-a-day milking CMUS05_Cover 2
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C ONTENTS
FEATURES
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Cow talk CRV breeding information Trouw Nutrition news Vet practice: Freestall management Shows and events FARM REPORT
10 British dairy farmer Rhys Williams milks once a day BREEDING
6 Haplotypes 18 The famous cow family behind Cookiecutter Hunter C O W H E A LT H
12 The big impact of heifer mastitis
Rhys Williams: “Once-a-day milking is not for higher yielding herds” 10
Jaap van der Knaap Low cost farming with healthy cows I had to frown when I first read about British dairy farmer Rhys Williams. To save labor and energy costs, Williams decided to milk his 1,000 cow herd only once a day. While in the United States many dairy producers now milk three times a day to get more milk and improve income, this British farmer switched to once-a-day milking. But reading his story on page 10 we learn Williams switched to once-aday milking for the same reason U.S. producers increased milking frequency: trying to find a way to make the most profit out of his operation. Of course, it’s hard to compare William’s situation with circumstances in the U.S., but it is interesting to read about his experience. High yielding cows are not his focus, but cows that produce and survive and profit on a ration of 97 percent roughage. In this issue, we focus on feeding and calf rearing as well. Overfeeding or
underfeeding has a huge impact on the development of your future dairy cow as we may read on page 16. The mammary tissue is most sensitive from two to three months of age until weaning. During this period the mammary gland is developing 1.6 times as fast as the rest of the body. Feeding a ration unsuitable to the needs will not only affect future milk production, but may also affect udder health. It is alarming to read on page 12 that researchers found that 50 to 75 percent of heifers around the U.S. are infected with mastitis prior to calving. Fly control, vaccination and dry cow treatment of all heifers prepartum in herds known to have problems are the best tactics to successfully manage heifer mastitis. There is a lot of challenge to reduce heifer mastitis, but if you want to focus on low cost farming like British farmer Williams, good (udder) health of your herd is the base.
Breeding Haplotypes
Health Heifer mastitis
Management Fertility and feeding
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USDA researchers have uncovered recessive “haplotypes”.
Heifer mastitis plays a major role in future herd productivity.
COW MAN AG E ME N T
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Keys to high conception rates in your replacement heifers.
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CRV’s Jersey breeding program TOLLENAARS DALE MAVERICK 836
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better cows | better life
03-11-2011 09:24:40
C O W
TA L K
2011 World Dairy Expo a record setter This year a record 2,587 head of dairy cattle were exhibited by 1,130 exhibitors in the cattle show. The trade show set new participation levels with 810 exhibiting companies on-site displaying everything needed for dairy cattle management and these commercial exhibitors represented 28 countries. Total attendance for World Dairy Expo was 68,006 visitors, with 2,699 registered international guests from 90 countries. Babcock Hall Dairy Plant of Madison, Wisconsin was named the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion at the Championship Dairy Products Contest and Gifford’s Dairy of Skowhegan, Maine was named Grade A and Ice Cream Grand Champion. A record 705 entries competed this year in hopes of using the title to promote their dairy product.
The World Forage Analysis Superbowl entries also set a new record with a 43% increase in entries from 23 states. World Grand Champion Forage Producer was Kelli Hinman, Wheatland, Wyoming and the Champion First-Time Entrant award went to Bappe Farm, Riverton,
New web resource helps dairy producers save money through energy efficiency
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recently launched the SaveEnergy online resource that connects dairy producers to financial assistance programs and educational materials to help them reduce on-farm energy use and related costs. The tool at USDairy. com/Save Energy is part of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, an effort established by dairy producers to reduce environmental impact and create business value across the supply chain. Through an agreement with the
Innovation Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) supported the development of the SaveEnergy tool to accelerate energy conservation and build awareness of the importance of on-farm energy audits, also known as Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMPs). SaveEnergy is part of the Farm Energy Efficiency project, one of 10 projects of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment. Source: Dairy Management, Inc.
Wyoming. Plans are already well underway for next year’s event that will be held Tuesday, October 2 through Saturday, October 6, 2012 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com for details
45 percent of US milk in FARM Program U.S. milk producers continue to demonstrate their commitment to producing safe, wholesome, nutritious products by enrolling in the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. In fact, since enrollment began in September 2010, 45 percent of the nation’s milk supply now comes from farmers, cooperatives, and proprietary processors implementing the FARM program. Developed in partnership with producers, veterinarians, and animal care experts, this comprehensive program incorporates the latest innovations in animal care from birth to marketing. A complete list of participants and all training materials can be found at www.nationaldairyfarm.com
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The power of new knowledge allows managers to con
Haplotypes: anoth e USDA researchers have uncovered recessive “haplotypes”, which can cause embryonic or fetal death syndrome. The haplotypes are undesirable, but there is no need to cull hetrozygous females. text JoDee Sattler
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voiding a biochemical train wreck that slices into profits is now as easy as switching bulls. Recent genetic discoveries by USDA researchers have uncovered recessive “haplotypes” that when lined up on the same mating track can cause embryonic or fetal death syndrome; a haplotype from a carrier bull, a haplotype from a carrier dam and the potential collision is underway. Now that the haplotypes are known, and most commercially available dairy bulls are tested for the haplotypes, you can make better informed mating decisions. When you weigh mating decisions for your herd, you can choose those sires free of the recessive haplotype. But before going on a strict program of trying to omit all haplotype carrier pairings used in your herd, researchers have some background worth considering. Five haplotypes that negatively affect fertility – three in Holstein, one in Jersey and one in Brown Swiss were found by the USDA team led by Paul VanRaden, a USDA research geneticist. The halotypes are designated as HH1, HH2, HH3, JH1 and BH1 and are believed to cause embryonic or fetal death when present in homozygous form (calf inherits haplotype from both parents). Researchers make this claim because they have not found these haplotypes in homozygous form among living animals. Animals must be genetically tested (via SNP50K Genomic Test) to determine if they are heterozygous. Test results label animals as heterozygous/ homozygous.
No need to cull for haplotypes While these haplotypes are undesirable, there’s no need to cull heterozygous females or stop using heterozygous sires. Eliminating these haplotypes is neither practical nor desirable. “Imagine the genetic progress in milk yield, milk composition, conformation, health and fertility that would be lost by discarding
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to consider fertility haplotypes in breeding decisions
h er breeding factor thousands of haplotypes that are favorable for these traits while trying to eliminate haplotypes affecting fertility,” stated Kent Weigel, University of WisconsinMadison dairy geneticist. Also, keep in mind that these haplotypes are accounted for in daughter pregnancy rate (DPR), sire conception rate (SCR) and Lifetime Net Merit (LNM$). If you use information about haplotypes alone to make selection decisions, you’re likely over emphasizing their effects on your herd. In fact, such a decision probably wouldn’t do much good. “Population conception rates would increase by less than 1 percent if these haplotypes were eliminated from the population,” VanRaden said.
Consider the economics To put this in perspective, Weigel provided this example. Assume one extra day open costs $2, homozygous embryos are lost at five to 10 days of gestation, and 20 percent of cows have a given haplotype. In 100 matings, 20 will be to cows with this haplotype, 10 of their eggs will carry the haplotype, five will encounter a sperm with the haplotype, and each of those five cows will have an increase of roughly 30 days open. The total economic loss for 100 matings will be $300 or about $3 per mating. If the bull’s LNM$ is +$600 and the producer buys semen from another bull that was +$500, the producer gave up $97 attempting to save $3. “Computerized mating programs offer a simple, inexpensive solution for avoiding affected matings. Producers should use these programs and follow through on mating recommendations,” Weigel stated. With genomic testing common practice for today’s AI sires, genotypes of service sires’ and dams’ sires are usually known. AI companies and breed associations modified their mating programs to include an adjustment for the approximate economic loss associated with mating service sires that are heterozygotes to genotyped cows (or daughters of Table 1: Summary of fertility haplotypes
haplotype HH1 HH2 HH3 JH1 BH1
frequency 4.5% 4.6% 4.7% 23.4% 14.0%
impact on impact on 60-day conception rate non-return rate –3.1% –3.0% –3.2% –3.7% –3.4%
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–1.1% –1.7% –3.1% –3.7% –2.5%
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Haplotype lists available online • www.holsteinusa.com/pdf/haplotype/hapbulcarriers.pdf • www.holsteinusa.com/pdf/haplotype/hapcowcarriers.pdf • www.brownswissusa.com/documents/g-r-docs/2011/bhi-identified-swiss-bulls.pdf • http://greenbook.usjersey.com/Portals/1/2011/August/811_GreenBook.pdf
genotyped bulls) that carry the same haplotype. Costs can vary greatly due to a variety of factors and a more strenuous view is worth considering. “Not every haplotype is responsible for a loss as soon after conception as in that example,” noted Roger Shanks, University of Illinois dairy science professor emeritus. Shanks shared an example using an HH1 sire on all animals in a herd using two options for extra days open. With five percent probability that the female is heterozygous and 120 extra days open from HH1 (also, 25 percent for probability of homozygous recessive conception and $2 per extra day open), the expense is $3 per cow. If the extra days open are closer to 240 days, the expense becomes $6 per cow. With HH1, open for 120 days and $5 per day, the expense of using all HH1 males would be $7.50 per cow. With HH1, open 240 days and $5 per day, the expense of using all HH1 males would be $15 per cow. Shanks offers two breeding recommendations – given the current understanding of these fertility haplotypes. The first option is to not run SNP50K tests on cows and only use homozygous (carries no undesirable fertility haplotype) bulls. The second option is to test cows and use the best bulls, based on a multi-trait index, such as TPI/genomic TPI. Avoid heterozygoteby-heterozygote matings.
Response of the industry At Alta Genetics, Gerbrand van Burgsteden, global product development analyst, said most bull dams they work with have been genomically tested with SNP50K and their haplotype status is known. The story is pretty much the same at Select Sires; the test is not required. Accelerated Genetics does not test all dams for genomics but nearly all are tested with at least SNP3K. Devan Funk, Accelerated Genetics vice
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president genetics, explained that all their contracts include the right to refuse a bull if he carries a known recessive or haplotype, or based on his genomic evaluation. Because a heterozygous dam will transmit the haplotype 50 percent of the time, progeny are scrutinized. Given what is known today about fertility haplotypes, Select Sires will be pickier about choosing dams of future sires. “However, we will continue to make contract matings to some cows and heifers that possess these haplotypes,” stated Chuck Sattler, vice president of genetic programs. “It’s important that we use the top females or uniquepedigreed females, regardless of their status, just like it’s important for producers to continue to use the top bulls, regardless of their status.” Alta lets the breeder/owner decide whether or not to flush a heterozygote. In situations of two comparable bull dams, they typically work with the homozygous dam. When choosing sires for contact matings, Alta, again, leaves the decision up to the breeder/owner. When there are comparable sires, Alta goes with the homozygous sire. “Accelerated Genetics has not rejected all haplotype carriers (heterozygotes) from entering our program,” Funk commented. “We are accepting those sires that have very high genomic evaluations, regardless of their haplotype results. Sires whose genomic evaluations are ‘borderline’ and carry a fertility haplotype are eliminated.” Researchers agree that haplotypes are in their infancy and it’s likely more will be discovered. It’s important to keep these “early” haplotypes in perspective. Weigel said, “It is expected that many top bovine males and females will be carriers (heterozygotes) of one or multiple haplotypes.” There’s no need to cull these females or stop using these AI sires. l
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H E R D
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Further streamlining reduces costs without compromising long-term yields
Once is enough We visit a large low-input-low-output herd, seven years after it began milking, to check on expansion and management progress and to find out why it’s being milked just once a day. text Rachael Porter
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ow cost just got even lower for the herd based at Cefn Amwlch, Tudweiliog in North Wales, Great Brittain. In 2005 the Britsh dairy producers David Wynne Finch and Rhys Williams started a dairy bases on New Zealand-style management with an 830-cow Jersey herd. Today’s herd is not only bigger – numbering 1,000 head – but it’s also black-and-white and there’s been a switch to once-a-day milking.
Cross breeding A move to milking New Zealand Friesian Jersey crosses was made to develop a more efficient cow to produce milk from grass, explains business partner and herd manager Rhys. “We decided to introduce some New Zealand Friesian bloodlines as the breed that’s been bred to suit our system and management style perfectly.” He adds that yields are slightly higher from the crosses – around 8800 lbs on twice-a-day milking – and feet, legs, fertility and other ‘longevity’ traits are also improved. “The first cross was New Zealand Friesian semen on our Danish Jerseys and now we use Kiwi cross sires on the herd. “The herd is still block calved in February and everything is dried off by December and over wintered on kale and silage,” explains Rhys, who recently returned from a 12-week study tour, that took him to New Zealand. Rhys won a Trehane Award – one of the Nuffield Farming scholarships – and was sponsored by the Trehane Trust to
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find out more about ‘wealth creation in equity dairy farm partnerships’. This is something close to his heart, since he now has a 50% stake in the dairy business, built up from a 7% stake in 2005. “I’m passionate about dairying and I’m proof that, with enthusiasm, commitment and drive, you can start with nothing and end up as a partner in large dairy business.” Building a sustainable business is something else that Rhys believes in emphatically and that’s why once-a-day milking caught his eye. “It’s something I’ve been looking into for the past three years. There are a handful of UK
Reduced costs Yields have dropped for the short-term, to 7100 lbs with 5.9% butterfat and 4.1% protein, but Rhys says that the herd is well placed to take that hit at the moment. And there are reduced
Once-a-day: morning milking at Tudweiliog
C OCW OM WAMNAANGAE GMEEMN ET N JT A N O UA VR EM Y /BFEERB R2 U 0 1 A 1R Y
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producers who have made the switch. They all run low-input-low-output New Zealand-style systems and the majority are doing it for lifestyle reasons. But that’s not my driver.” While travelling he saw several herds that had dropped a milking: “And it was working well for them. I had some time while I was travelling to think about it and how it might work on our unit.” He took the plunge on his return and, as the herd calved down in February and March, one of the milkings was dropped. As a result, the lifestyle of the unit’s three regular milkers has changed. But for Rhys it’s about driving more cost out of the business and running it as efficiently and sustainably as possible. “And because we’re already a lowyielding herd compared to more conventional UK units, it doesn’t mean less milk. Yields will ‘develop’ on oncea-day milking and get back to where they were in just three years. That’s the ‘adjustment’ time scale and we’re well on track to achieve that already.”
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Rhys Williams A scholarship and a switch to once-a-day milking has helped to fine tune one large extensively managed herd in Great Brittain.
Tudweiliog
Great Brittain
Herd size: Average yield: Unit size: Milk from forage:
1,000 7,100 lbs 800 acres 97% of total yield
costs and other benefits to help counter it. Next year the herd should see yields increase by between 10 and 12% and by year three it should be back to between 90 and 95% of what it produced on twice-a-day milking. Besides the obvious pluses of reduced labour costs – and electricity, water and dairy chemical usage – another benefit is the increase in milk solids. This is good news for Rhys’ herd because he’s
not on a ‘white water’ contract. His milk is processed into cheese. “But once-a-day milking is not for higher yielding herds or those that are paid for milk yield alone and not solids,” says Rhys. “And higher yielding herds don’t see the same level of ‘adjustment’ – yield would just be lost and not regained.” Other benefits that have emerged from once-a-day milking include improved udder and teat condition, better fertility and reduced lameness. “We’re not seeing much in the way of body condition score change and that’s helping fertility. Already we’ve seen an improvement in conception to first service rates. They were at around 60% and now they’re closer to 70%,” explains Rhys. “Signs of heat are stronger because we’re not ‘pushing’ the cows too hard. Cows only walk to the parlour once a day, so hoof condition is better too. We’ve a lower culling rate and, the cherry on the top, is possibly more young stock to sell as we don’t need so many replacements.” Udder health and milk hygiene have remained the same, with the herd’s average somatic cell count standing at 150,000 cells/ml – earning them a 0.5 pence per litre bonus – and a Bactoscan of between 25 and 45.
The herd is milked every morning through a Waikato 70-bale outdoor rotary. Milking starts at 5.45am and it takes three hours for three men to milk and just 30 minutes to wash down. “There’s no hard and fast rule about what time of day you should milk, but most of the units I’ve seen do it in the morning. It suits me because the rest of the day is then free to tackle other tasks.”
78 paddocks of 10 acres The herd is still run in two groups of 500 cows because 1,000 cows is ‘too big a mob’, according to Rhys. The unit spans 800 acre of a mixture of sand and loamy clay land. There are 78 paddocks with an average size of 10 acres. Just 150kgDM per head of extra feed is now fed in a 10-month milking period – back in 2010 this was closer to 1,000kg. Fine tuning like this, and management and breed changes, are all continuing to take cost out of the system, without impacting on long-term production, and ensuring that business continues to make a profit both now and in the future. “That’s exactly what David and I set the unit up to do and that’s what it’s doing and will continue to do.” l
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Heifer mastitis plays a major role in future herd productivity and profitability
Managing mastitis in dairy heifers
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Helping heifers develop to their full productive potential begins with good management in multiple areas and can be influenced by many diseases along the way. Heifer mastitis (prior to calving) is one disease that can be very influential in future productivity and may be easily overlooked. text Amy Ryan
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eifer mastitis has been a relatively popular topic since the mid 1980s, especially in the southeastern U.S. Dr. William Owens at the Louisiana State University AgCenter has been involved with various studies on heifer mastitis. This research has found that heifers as young as six months old can be diagnosed with intramammary infections (IMI) and infection is very common, but variable around the U.S. “The percentage of heifers infected with mastitis prior to calving varies geographically and may vary by breed,” says Owens. “For instance, Jersey heifers in the south ran an infection rate of 50 to 90 percent in at least one quarter, while Holsteins in the northwest may run anywhere from 20 to 40 percent infection rate.” Professor Stephen Nickerson also began investigating this topic during his time at Louisiana State University. Currently, he is at the University of Georgia where he is involved in several heifer mastitis trials. “When we started looking more closely at heifer mastitis issues in this area, we were amazed by the number of infected heifers,” he says. “These and other trials found that about 50 to 75 percent of heifers around the U.S. are infected with mastitis prior to calving with 85 percent being subclinical cases.”
Most infections subclinical Since heifer mastitis can be challenging and costly to identify, many producers may not take the time to look for it and don’t realize how many heifers could be infected. Nickerson says heifer mastitis needs to be a higher priority, especially with the current attention to lowering the SCC legal limit in the U.S. to 400,000.
The typical uninfected heifer SCC prior to calving ranges from two to five million cells per milliliter. While this may seem high compared to cow SCC, Nickerson emphasizes that little mammary secretion causes somatic cells to concentrate in the fluid and attributes to higher SCC. Infected quarters can run a SCC of anywhere from five to 20 million cells per milliliter. Most infections are subclinical and not seen until calving. Therefore, infections that develop in young calves can harbor in their systems for years before being detected and treated. These infections, coupled with the fact that most milk-producing tissue develops in the udder during the first pregnancy, have a detrimental impact on future performance. In fact, LSU research found that untreated heifers infected with Staph. aureus produced ten percent less milk through peak lactation than heifers who were treated for the disease.
CNS and Staph. aureus Most heifer mastitis infections are caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) followed by Staph. aureus and the environmental streptococci. “CNS accounts for 75 to 80 percent of heifer mastitis infections, while Staph. aureus is responsible for the other 20 to 25 percent,” says Nickerson. “Environmental streps can also cause infections, but usually they occur during the last month prior to calving.” Both William Owens and Stephen Nickerson agree that heifers are susceptible to mastitis due to increased contact with the bacteria and that spread it. Namely, bacteria grow on
their udders and wait to enter the teat canal. “The number one problem, especially in the south, is biting flies (horn flies),” says Owens. “Fly control is often not a top priority in heifers. Under heavy exposure, the flies bite, damage the teat ends, transmit the bacteria and ultimately, mastitis results.” Nickerson adds that immune system suppression also impacts mastitis infection. Namely, animals with a depressed immune system have less white blood cell concentration to kill bacteria that contacts their udders and teats.
Lasting impact after calving Heifer mastitis has damaging effects which last beyond calving, including lower milk production, spread of Staph. aureus to other cows, blind quarters and culling. Thus, diagnosis is very important. In herds with more than five percent of heifers showing clinical signs at calving, heifer infection is a definite problem. Working with your veterinarian to identify and treat this problem is important. Unfortunately, by calving time, the damage of infection is already done. Owens suggests producers observe heifers closely for fly bites and swelling and also culture secretions. “The gold standard is to culture about two or three months before they calve,” he says. “However, culturing the whole heifer population can be time and cost prohibitive, so close observation followed by periodic culturing is a good place to start.” Once a problem is identified, Owens says that a good dry cow treatment given eight to twelve weeks prepartum is very effective. Using lactating cow treatment two weeks prior to calving is also an option, but he stresses that milk be tested in all cases before entering the tank. Nickerson agrees, “Treating heifers for mastitis has proven more effective than treating cows with a treatment cure rate of close to 100 percent for Staph. aureus in heifers,” he says. “In addition, treated heifers produced 10 percent more milk than untreated heifers and vaccination can increase production by 10 percent.”
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H E A LT H
selenium and vitamin E are also worth considering as they showed beneficial effects to the immune system of the animals and increased resistance to mastitis.
Closely monitor heifers
Stephen Nickerson
William Owens
While the treatments above have been successful, prevention is a better option. Both Owens and Nickerson believe that fly control is the best place to start to prevent infestation.
Also, vaccinated heifers had higher production, higher milk fat and protein and lower culling rate than unvaccinated heifers. This vaccine, however, must be administered at six months of age and then every six months until calving. Blanket dry cow treatment is next. Nickerson stresses that this method must be done no sooner than 45 days prior to calving and that teat sanitation is of utmost importance to ensure no bacteria enter the teat. He also suggests combining this treatment with reproductive work or hoof trimming to combat additional labor. Finally, nutritional supplements of
Prevention the best option Next, the Staph. aureus vaccine, Lysigin, is available and has been successful. In fact, Nickerson’s research has shown that this vaccine can decrease the frequency of new Staph. aureus IMI at calving by 60.9 percent and can reduce SCC at calving by 50 percent, when comparing vaccinated versus nonvaccinated heifers.
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In closing, Nickerson reinforces the importance of heifer observation in ensuring future profitability. “Producers need to treat heifers like the milking herd and pay close attention to them,” he says. “Particularly look at their back and their udders. This close observation, coupled with fly control, vaccination and dry cow treatment no sooner than 45 days prior to calving are keys to minimizing the impact of heifer mastitis.” Willam Owens adds that along with the methods mentioned above, producers should consider periodic culture of some heifers to monitor for mastitis problems. “Fly control, vaccination, close observation, periodic cultures and dry cow treatment of all heifers prepartum in herds known to have problems are the best tactics to successfully manage heifer mastitis,” he concludes. l
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CRV
B R EEDING
N E W S
Sandie Custer joins CRV Sandie Custer, Madison, WI, has begun her new role as sales support administrator based in CRV’s USA office in Madison, WI. Customer relations, logistics, product inventory control and aiding the field staff are just a few of the responsibilities on her plate. Sandie brings 20+ years of experience in the dairy industry and an education in business administration. Prior to CRV, she was the customer service manager at BouMatic. “Joining CRV is a wonderful opportunity for me,” stated Sandie. “I’m eager to learn more about animal genetics as it’s a very important part of dairy and beef
operations. The milk quality education I learned at BouMatic gives me the foundation; now it’s on to genetics and learning how producers can best manage their herds’ health and productivity.” Gerwin Kerkdijk, CRV’s USA managing director said, “Sandie brings new dimensions to our team with a focus on internal and external customers, strong proficiency with protocol and new ideas.” When Sandie isn’t working to fulfill customer needs, she spends her free time with her husband Mitch, two daughters and first grandson. Her hobbies include Harley rides, photography and visiting her ‘other’ home in Door County.
Paramount becomes millionaire Delta Paramount had high expectations being a descendent of CRV’s great donor cow Delta Heart from the famous Art-Acres Tex B cow family. Now, over ten years later, he has succeeded in surpassing these expectations by producing over one million straws of semen. Paramount (s. Jocko Besne) received his first daughter proven breeding values in June 2006. His popularity
extends far beyond the borders of his homeland, the Netherlands. At the beginning of his career he was the highest non-US proven bull in the TPI ranking right from the start. Paramount has been used in a total of 50 countries and in 2010-2011 he ranked as CRV’s best-selling bull internationally. In the Netherlands, he still rates in the top 5 of the most used CRV bulls.
Ten years old Delta Paramount produced one million straws of semen
Thank you for two great years
Gerwin Kerkdijk, managing director
Since our start in September of 2009, we’ve had a huge opportunity to learn from the dairy producers and US agriculture industry. Taking into account your farming needs and challenges, our global cattle improvement organization has been able to sharpen our vision for the future. American dairy producers have many pressures surrounding the farm, community and general society that have an impact on your daily business. We see these challenges as obstacles to overcome – and it all comes back to the cow. Breeding and managing for better animals has influence on your farm results and livelihood, the environmental impact of your farm on the community, and even the nutritional value of milk for the end consumer. These better cows lead to a better life for you the farmer and those around you. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your business for the past couple years and finding out how CRV as a global cattle improvement organization plays a role of improving quality of life. Here’s to several more years of learning from and supporting the American dairy industry.
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F E E D I N G
Proper feeding of heifers will help maximize life-time production
Keys to high conception rates in replacement heifers
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A heifer’s rate of weight gain can affect age and weight at
breeding, lb (65% calving, lb (85% maturity, mature weight) mature weight) lb
puberty. Growth that is too slow will seriously delay puberty
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while growth that is too rapid will decrease life-time milk production. text Kate Jackson, Ph.D., Dpl ACAN
M
any dairy producers opt to keep heifers as replacements. However, problems can arise if those heifers do not weigh enough when they are bred. Those problems may include low conception rates at first breeding, high first calf losses and poor rebreeding. There are two important keys to achieving higher conception rates in replacement heifers. First, heifers must reach their target breeding weight. Second, heifers must be cycling prior to the breeding period. A heifer’s target weight is usually defined as 65 percent of her mature weight at the start of the breeding period. Heifers that do not reach target weights prior to breeding have lighter weight calves, greater calving difficulty, take longer to come back into heat, and reduced conception rates (See Table 1). Target weight guidelines for different size heifers are shown in Table 2.
Weight gain management Both age and weight influence the onset of puberty. In pasture-only feeding situations, heifers may be old enough, but may not weigh enough, for puberty to start. Therefore, body weight and rate of weight gain management
becomes much more important in high roughage systems. Heifers fed a higher energy diet reach puberty at an earlier age and heavier weight than their pastured sisters because of higher rates of weight gain. Breeds selected for high levels of milk production (i.e., Holsteins) tend to reach puberty at younger ages and at lighter weights, relative to mature weight, than breeds selected for higher milk fat production (i.e., Jerseys).
Effect on puberty A heifer’s rate of weight gain can affect age at puberty and the weight at puberty. A low rate of gain will seriously delay puberty, and those heifers will weigh less at puberty and breeding. As shown in Table 1, low breeding weight will have serious consequences. A study in Montana analyzed feeding heifers from weaning to breeding at low, medium or high rates of gain. Each increase in the rate of gain decreased the age at puberty about 22 days or the length of one estrous cycle. The heifer’s body weight at puberty also increased by 25 lb for every 0.5 lb increase in average daily gain. “The use of medicated feed additives
percent of mature weight at breeding 55 65
second breeding period (45 days) cycling day 1 (%) pregnancy rate (%)
74 600 834 71 52
74 683 897 73 29
15 85
33 93
(Rumensin, Bovatec, etc.) for growing replacement heifers will improve rate of gain in high forage situations such as pasture or high forage diets fed in dry lots. Consequently, medicated feed additives may help decrease the age at puberty and increase conception. In high grain situations, medicated feed additives may not affect age at puberty or conception rates.”
Mammary tissue During this period, the mammary gland is developing about 1.6 times faster than the rest of the body. Underfeeding the heifer at this stage hinders fat pad development. The fat pad anchors the secretory tissue. Without the fat pad, the secretory tissue won’t develop properly and milk production will be adversely affected. Feeding the heifer to gain too rapidly can cause too much fat to accumulate in the mammary tissue, inhibiting the growth of the milk producing cells. This decreases milk production in all future lactations. The rate of gain required for good mammary development is fairly narrow. Research indicates that heifers that gain between 1.3 and 2 lb per day have adequate development of the mammary gland for maximum milk production. Weight gain between seven or eight months of age and puberty does not affect milk potential, but does affect age and weight at puberty and subsequent reproductive performance. Before replacement heifers can obtain high conception rates they must be old enough and weigh enough to begin cycling before breeding. Proper heifer development means getting heifers to the right weight at the right time. Only by getting heifers to this target can conception rates and profits increase. l
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1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
Table 2: Target weights for heifers at different stages
Table 1: Effect of heifer development on subsequent performance
first breeding period (45 days) number of heifers breeding weight (lb) pre-calving weight (lb) birth weight of calf (lb) calving difficulty (%)
1020 1105 1190 1275 1360
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S IRE
r e p o rt
Numbers and pedigree all in one top prize bull
Cookiecutter M-O-M Hunter (Man-O-Man x Shottle x Goldwyn) Breeding value
Hunter is from an up and coming family that resides at Cookiecutter Holsteins. This bull came out of the woods of
milk % fat fat lbs % prot prot lbs NM$. GTPI PTAT 1,878 +.05 + 81 +.05 + 68 769 2.431 3.20 UDC: FLC: Prod. Life SCS Dtr. PG rate
Hunting season is open now Upstate New York to debut on the Top GTPI Genomic bull rankings at #5 in August 2011. With the strong maternal line
2.17 2.58 4,8 2.76 0.5
behind Hunter, there are high expectations for the future. text Danyel Hosto
With over 1800 pounds of milk and a combined 149 pounds of fat and protein he is an extreme production improver, similar to his sire. In addition, Hunter clears +2.00 on all type composites and has health and fertility factors on his side.
T
he well-known Snow-N Denises Dellia EX-95 2E is brood cow to many high performing families around the world – producing show style bulls like Durham and Dundee. Dellia can be found seven generations back from Hunter. One difference in his maternal line is that this Dellia continues to transmit through each generation. This is proven by the fact that each cow between Hunter and the famous Dellia, is a Dam of Merit (DOM), the third through eighth dams are Gold Medal Dams (GMD) and all scored high VG or EX. Cookiecutter ShtHollerwood, the Shottle
dam of Hunter is the most recent female in this solid family. Scoring VG-85 out of the gates her 2 year old lactation, she owns her place as the #8 PTAT cow of the breed in August. “This young cow has potential written all over her,” said Brett Haines, CRV breeding program coordinator. “When the opportunity presented itself to get a
Man-O-Man bull from this long line of successful animals, I knew we had something special.”
Developing the cow family Behind the Shottle dam is Cookiecutter Gld Holler-ET VG-88 with an excellent mammary system at three years of age. This score means that she completes
Goldwyn daughter Cookiecutter Gld Holler, granddam of Hunter
Cookiecutter Gld Holler (Goldwyn) Cookiecutter ShtHollerwood (Shottle) Cookiecutter M-O-M Hunter (Man-O-Man)
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Brett Haines: “Cookiecutter Hunter is a no-holes bull”
Snow-N Denises Dellia, founder of the family of Hunter
nine generations of excellent udders. She also produced 40,730 pounds of milk during the year of her first lactation. Deep in a small Midwestern herd with Dellia’s dam, Snow-N Dorys Denise EX90, this Bell daughter started it off by standing out in Snow’s barn. The family continues to shine – but in a much larger contemporary group.
To be noticed in the Cookiecutter herd, an animal has to stand out among her 700 milking barn mates. Denise Dickinson, breeder of Hunter mentioned, “Our cows have to prove themselves in the freestall with everyone else. Top animals like Hollerwood don’t have a box stall to be pampered in.” This management style only accentuates
Shottle daughter Cookiecutter ShtHollerwood, dam of Hunter
the results achieved in the family and proof of Hunter. Consistent management and the Shottle x Goldwyn golden cross rang true in Hollerwood. “Holler had a tremendous will to milk,” said Dickinson. “It was a logical choice to incorporate the components and balance of Shottle.” The cross that produced Hollerwood was a successful one, and her offspring are the same way. “We continue to flush and IVF the Shottle, and have merchandised all of the resulting offspring, mentioned Dickinson. “Hollerwood makes the kind of animals people want in their herds.”
A top sire True to the family’s continued transmission patterns, Hunter sets himself up as a sire to be beneficial to any breeding goal. “He is a true, no-holes bull,” stated Haines. “You look across his entire linear and production proof, and then comparing that against the cow family he is from, and he comes up solid through and through.” l
Dam of merit To qualify for DOM the cow must rank above the CTPI or GTPI cutoff of her birth year with three female offspring. The GMD recognition from Holstein Association USA takes the achievement one step further. Placing equal emphasis on production and type, a cow and three of her offspring must rank above these birth year cutoffs.
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T RO U W N U T R I T I ON NE W S
Texas’ Lone Star Trouw Nutrition USA releases a new aflatoxin binder Trouw Nutrition is proud to announce that Novasil™ Plus-TX has recently been approved as an aflatoxin binder within the state of Texas. This marks the first ever certification of an aflatoxin binder in the United States. Aflatoxins are known carcinogens, produced from mold growth. Aflatoxins can be found in numerous feed ingredients including corn, barley, wheat, milo, peanuts, cottonseed, sunflowers and the co-products from processing these ingredients. If ingested, aflatoxins enter into the blood stream causing a drastic reduction in animal performance and producer profitability. Molds that produce aflatoxins thrive in hot climates and dry conditions. When the growing season provides insufficient moisture, this increases the risk of aflatoxins in feed ingredients. In an effort to provide relief to farmers in Texas, the Office of the Texas State Chemist provided an avenue for well researched aflatoxin binders to become certified for sale in Texas. In order to meet the certification requirements, products must have laboratory data and proven results in animal studies. Novasil Plus-TX exceeds these requirements and was the first certified and approved aflatoxin binder in the State of Texas.
a proven solution for aflatoxin binding
Ten tips for managing mycotoxins • Employ techniques that minimize damage to the crop during harvesting. • Test all incoming grains and supplemental feed ingredients, and reject delivers of contaminated feedstuffs. • Employ proper moisture control procedures for grain and feed storage. • Use an effective mold inhibitor (prevention is key). • Protect feed and ingredients from the elements. • Keep feedstuffs fresh and turn over frequently, avoid filling feed bins to capacity. • Avoid caking and bridging of feedstuffs in storage and handling systems. • Clean storage, handling and transportation systems regularly. • Reduce poultry and livestock “stressors”, such as temperature extremes, overcrowding, etc. • Dietary modifications can help minimize mycotoxins’ harmful effects.
What’s happening in the industry? Trouw Nutrition is a proud sponsor of the dairy industry and is constantly looking for ways to sponsor and participate. Trouw
recently sponsored the AABP conference, World Dairy Expo, and Dairy Summit hosted by Dairy Nutrition Management Consulting
and Dairy Business International, LLC. At Trouw Nutrition we take pride in being known as your resource for innovative solutions!
For more information on products and services of Trouw Nutrition International: Tel. 800.328.8942. www.trouwnutritionusa.com 20
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F R O M
T H E
V E T E R I N A R I A N
D R .
R I C H
P R A C T I C E
V E E M A N
Dr. Rich Veeman from Veterinary Services of Oregon discusses how poor freestall design and mat management can cost thousands in lost production, treatment costs, decreased fertility and unnecessary culling. Intentifiying and fixing freestall issues can save these untold thousands.
Are your freestalls making or costing you money?
Freestall management H
ave you had or do you have animals with swollen hocks? Do you treat cows with swollen or infected hocks with antibiotics? Do you see more than 10 percent of your cows standing in the freestalls instead of lying down? Have you taken a cow out of the milk string and put her in the hospital pen due to a hock lesion? If you answered yes to any of these questions you can improve your freestalls and management. There are many excellent resources for proper dimensions and design of freestalls, (the Ontario Ministry of Agri-culture, Penn State Coop Extension, Nigel Cook & Ken Nordlund and Dairy Cow Freestall Design 2004). Overall, keep these two rules in mind: freestalls should be soft and comfortable with plenty of lunge space and you should be able to drop to your knees from standing without it hurting. If you have geotextile mats (cow mattresses, pasture mats etc.), they should have a curb and hold bedding. Look at your cows to tell if your mattresses are working properly. If you see bald or rubbed hocks, your mattresses are too rough and need bedding to keep legs from rubbing against the mats. Healthier, more athletic cows hardly rub at all, whereas older, weaker cows have more contact with the mat. Mats or bedding that are too hard cause swelling of the joint
and the hock may become infected with a variety of organisms. Regardless of treatment it is a poor prognosis. Thus cows give less milk, are more labor intensive, have a harder time conceiving and are culled sooner. Mattresses are not bad, but require management. If not managed properly, you can see a 10-fold increase in hock lesions over bedded freestalls. Smaller cows, like Jerseys, tend to do better on mats, where larger Holsteins with more weight and greater friction, have a harder time. Using bedding material (besides sand) softens the mat and reduces friction between the hock and mat minimizing lesions. A 4- inch curb at the back of the stall helps bedding stay in it. To sum it all up, the larger the cow the greater the problem. Regular freestalls can be just as bad if not bedded or sized properly for comfort and adequate lunge space. Research has shown that cows with lameness are harder to get pregnant and leave the herd sooner. In addition, lame cows do not make it to the feed bunk as often, have lower milk production and spend more days in the hospital pen. If cows or heifers with hock lesions, talk with your Veterinarian, and work with them to figure out your best solution. Often times, adding more bedding or bedding every few days will solve the problem and save you money.
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C O N TA C T S
SHOWS AND EVENTS
Next generation: tomorrow’s milkers have plenty of exciting potential Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen
C O N TA C T S Cow Management is published six times per year by CRV Publishing
Editorial team
Nov 4-13: Nov 10-11: Nov 5-18: Nov 14-16: Nov 29-20: Dec 1: Dec 6: Dec 8:
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council 2011 Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO North American International Livestock Exposition, Louisville, KY National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB) and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) Joint Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA Midwest Dairy Expo, St. Cloud, MN Northeast Dairy Producers Association Group Housed Calf Symposium, Syracuse, NY Dairy Heat Stress Road Show meeting, Okeechobee, FL Dairy Heat Stress Road Show, Camuy, Puerto Rico
2012 Jan 22-24: Feb 14-16: March 7-8: March 13-14: March 20-21: April 3: April 4: April 6: April 13-16:
National Mastitis Council 51st Annual Meeting, St. Pete Beach, FL World Ag Expo, Tulare, CA Northeast Dairy Producers Conference, Syracuse, NY Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Annual Business Conference, Madison, WI Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference, Visalia, CA Dairy Heat Stress Road Show, Stephenville, TX Dairy Heat Stress Road Show, Clovis, NM Dairy Heat Stress Road Show, Tulare, CA NY Spring Dairy Carousel, Syracuse, NY
COMING UP
Publisher Rochus Kingmans Chief editor Jaap van der Knaap Contributing writers JoDee Sattler, Danyel Hosto, Kate Jackson, Amy Ryan Editing, design and production CRV Publishing
G r a z i ng an d rep ro d u ct io n
Chief editor’s address
December – In the December issue we focus on Kiwi style dairies in Georgia. We interviewed producers who start with this New Zealand type of grazing in their herd. We will also continue with our series about reproduction.
P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 829 Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail veeteelt@crv4all.com
Subscriptions Cow Management is available free of charge to customers of CRV, 2324 American Lane, Madison, WI 53704. If you want to ask for a subscription or to cancel a subscription send an email to info@crv4all.us
Advertisements Andrea Haines Phone 301 514 2927 Willem Gemmink, Froukje Visser Fax 0031 26 38 98 824 E-mail advertisements.cmus@crv4all.com
Illustrations/pictures Photographs by CRV Publishing Photography
Disclaimer CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers. No responsibility can be accepted by CRV Holding BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Printer Schumann Printers Inc.
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NO VEMBER
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Windschermen • Pare-vent • Windbreaks • Windschirme
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BETTER COWS, BETTER LIFE With better cows comes a better lifestyle. This can be achieved through healthier animals that save you money and hassle; cows that produce more, garnering higher milk checks; or give a more nutritious product for your family and community to enjoy. It all comes back to quality of life. That’s why CRV is here. Whatever a better life is to you - CRV has the people, genetics, services, programs and unique solutions to help you achieve it. CRV, 2423 American Lane, Madison, WI 53704 P 608 441 3202, F 608 441 3203, TF 1 800 400 crv4all www.crv4all.us
better cows | better life
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