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Dairy Grist
Dear Milk Producing Friends,
With the passing of Bill C-202 in the House of Commons and more recently, the Senate, this bill that seeks to protect the Canadian Supply Management system is well on its way to Royal Assent when Parliament returns in September. With these new protections nearly in place, it is heartening to witness the growth in demand of chicken, eggs and dairy within the Canadian industry. Whether due to population growth (immigration), product supply shortages (due to disease, processing capacities etc) or growth in some specific export markets, it is wonderful to witness the growth and development of the Canadian “digestible” protein sector. Witnessing this growth in demand, while being asked to “mind the environment”, meat, milk and egg producers will continue to innovate for efficiency, productivity and profitability. With these realities in mind, a number of our Ruminant Nutritionists and Specialists have published articles surrounding the “efficient” maximization of herd fertility, and milk component production. I purposely state “milk component” production as more and more, the
Impact Fertility Through Body Condition: The High Fertility Cycle
by: Sarah Robson, Ph.D. Ruminant Nutritionist
A keystone of the dairy industry is the reproductive performance of cows. Currently, the average pregnancy rate across Ontario and Western Canada is around 17%. However, with top herds achieving rates over 25%, there is significant room for improvement. When aiming to enhance reproduction on a farm, it's important to consider the multiple factors that influence it, such as genetics, production, nutrition, disease, environment, individual cow characteristics, and the breeding protocol. The goal for producers is to have a cow produce a healthy calf, while having
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dairy industry is morphing into a dairy ingredient industry with “all of the growth” in demand coming not from fluid milk consumption but from butterfat and more recently dairy protein demand. Accordingly, milk formula pricing is changing in Western Canada starting this Fall, P5 pricing is shifting and producers and all of us who seek to support them well will need to continue to adapt to milk market demand changes in order to maximize producer efficiency and profitability while responding to these changing demands. With the size of the N.A. beef herd and the shortage of good dairy heifer replacements, all of us need to work together to meet market demands as effectively and efficiently as possible with the herds and replacements available. Milk production is a complicated, constantly changing business and we are privileged to equip and enable hundreds of dairy farmers across Canada in this regard. Working openly and collaboratively together, we are excited about the future of the Canadian dairy industry!
Wishing you a productive, profitable and enjoyable summer season.
Sincerely, Ian Ross CEO, GVF group of companies |
an uneventful delivery, a smooth transition period, and a timely pregnancy following the voluntary waiting period. What can impact the success of this goal? The answer is complex due to the multiple factors influencing reproduction; however, a good place to start is the body condition score (BCS) of your cows. The longstanding belief has been that cows will “inevitably” lose BCS after calving due to the dramatic increase in energy demands from lactation and the reduction in feed intake, resulting in a negative energy balance. However, we now know that not all cows lose condition after calving, and many cows maintain or even gain condition. Changes in BCS have been associated with health status, how well cows transition, and fertility. So, what happens if we narrow our focus to the change in BCS during the transition period? This change in BCS in the transition period is what the High Fertility Cycle focuses on. The High Fertility Cycle is a concept that describes how timely pregnancies in one lactation may lead to less loss of body condition, reduced health issues, improved fertility, and
Ian Ross, Chief Executive Officer | JD D'Elia, President
David Ross, VP of Customer Advocacy & Experiential Marketing
Ruminant Nutritionists: Amber Zupan, Gennadii Bondarenko, Kathleen Shore, Jer Plesman, Sarah Bruner, Emily Deklein, Sarah Robson | Layout Editor: Curtis Ebanks
reduced early pregnancy losses in the next lactation (Fricke et al., 2023). Figure 1 provides a clear visual representation of the feedback loop that makes up this cycle.
The goal for every producer should be to get their cows into this High Fertility Cycle and keep them there. The High Fertility Cycle stems from changes in BCS during the transition period. When cows lose condition in the first few weeks post-calving, they have reduced fertility, more health events, longer calving intervals, and then calve in with a high BCS, and are susceptible to increased BCS loss the following lactation as well. This puts them in a cycle of poor reproduction. In contrast, cows that maintain or gain body condition-also known as high fertility cowshave been associated with greater conception rates, less pregnancy loss, and fewer health events. Calving cows in at a suboptimal BCS doesn’t just impact that lactation; it carries over into the next, as they will struggle to get pregnant and ultimately gain more body condition than recommended prior to calving again. The High Fertility Cycle takes time to get your cows into, as it takes entire lactations to see the impact from one lactation to the next. However, once your cows are in this cycle, they will be set with optimal body condition and health status to stay in it.
How to get into the High Fertility Cycle
As described above, getting your cows into the High Fertility Cycle takes time, since what happens in one lactation will ultimately set her up for the next. However, you can take steps to move in that direction. Here are some suggestions for actions you can take to get your cows into the High Fertility Cycle: Monitor BCS for transition cows (3 weeks before calving, at calving, 3 weeks post-calving, and at insemination).
› Aim to have cows to calves at a BCS of ≤ 3.0 (Refer to Figure 2 for tips to body condition score).
• Look at fat-to-protein ratios at the first milk test to identify signs of ketosis or fat mobilization (i.e. cows losing weight).
› Ratio >1.5 may indicate ketosis and fat mobilization.
› If >40% of fresh cows are having a high fat-to-protein ratio, this suggests changes are required and cows are not at optimal condition at calving. Implement a structured fertility program (eg. Double-Ovsynch) to improve the chances of cows getting pregnant after the voluntary waiting period and by 130 days in milk.
• Avoid overbreeding cows. Set a limit on the number of inseminations and consider culling the cows struggling with fertility.
› Extending the days in milk before they conceive can result in cows becoming over conditioned.
• Explore nutritional strategies to prevent late lactation cows from gaining too much condition.
Consider adopting a high-producing or fresh group ration to support BCS gain in early lactation.
Rethinking BCS Goals
Remember, with the negative relationship between BCS loss and fertility becoming clearer, you may catch yourself thinking your dry cows are too thin. However, when cows calve in at a higher body condition (fat), they will lose condition post-calving, which negatively impacts their reproduction and health status. When cows calve thinner (2.7-3 BCS), they tend to maintain or gain condition, supporting their reproduction and health status, and ultimately becoming high fertility cows. A byproduct of the High Fertility Cycle is that you may find you are drying cows off while they are still producing a good amount of milk. This is actually a good problem to have! It indicates that you’re getting cows into this cycle, they aren’t having long calving intervals, and there is less opportunity for them to gain excess condition before their next lactation. Implementing good breeding programs and working towards the High Fertility Cycle will ultimately help improve your reproduction and cow health.
High Oleic Soybeans – an exciting new ingredient!
by: Kathleen Shore, M.Sc. Ruminant Nutritionist Manager
There are many choices when it comes to boosting protein in the diet for dairy herds. The price of protein is where the conversation gets a bit more complicated. When commodities are well priced, a Nutritionist does not need to be as creative, however, we still default often to the same proteins: soybean meal and canola meal. While these proteins have a place to play in the ration, they can create some inefficiencies because they are mostly used by rumen bugs (degrade in the rumen). A well-balanced ration that allows enough protein and starch to power the rumen is critical. However, the extra protein not needed by those rumen bugs can become milk urea nitrogen (MUN). That said, when MUN is high, does that mean cut back on protein? Not necessarilybecause while the rumen may have been fed, has the cow received enough protein? Having bypass protein in the diet means some may be used up in the rumen, but when the rumen is done, the remainder can pass through to get absorbed in the small intestine, where it is absorbed and used by the cow, helping to maintain her health and support the mammary gland.
What about fats?
We know that cows are very capable of making fat – these are called de novo and mixed fats. The ones that she needs from the diet are called mixed and preformed fats, and these come from silages, distillers, and any fats or oils added to the ration. Ruminants are programmed to manufacture 80% of their energy needs in the rumen and then the rest is supplied through the diet. These long-chain fatty acids enable the cow to maintain body condition, support reproductive efficiency, growth and development of the calf, and ultimately her needs throughout lactation. That need increases as demands from lactation rise from early stage to peak production. Ideally, the diet and environment help hold and sustain that peak.
High Oleic Soybeans
Roasting the bean to start creates a valuable source of bypass protein – as noted earlier, this allows the rumen to use what it needs and then the rest bypasses
Figure 2. Body Condition Scoring Chart, where 1 is severely underconditioned and 5 is obese (Adapted from Edmondson et al., 1989)
Feed
Milk Fat Rumen fermentation acetate butyrate de novo synthesis
Courtesy of M. Woolpert
Figure 1. The high-fertility cycle (adapted from Middleton et al., 2019)
FERTILITY CYCLE Pregnant by 130 Dim
to allow the cow to use what she needs. Furthermore, oleic acid is something that is not found in high amounts within corn silages or haylages. It is found in bypass blended fats (commercial names include Golden Flake, Vitali-T, Energy Booster to name just a few) (see Table 1). This will help fuel the cow through preformed fats. Some research does show us a nice, positive effect when cows are fed blended fats in the early stages of lactation to help meet her lactation needs. However, the challenge with palm fat or even feeding too much blended fat, is a cow’s dry matter intake will suffer during early lactation. So, while she continues to milk, she often eats less, digests less efficiently, and eventually hits a wall where her body cannot keep up. Is this new, innovative plant something that can fill that gap?
maintained the same level at 16%, followed by a decline at 24%. This trial was done with the beans fed raw, so imagine what we will find as we begin to repeat these trials using cooked beans.
Overall, this is an exciting new ingredient that still requires some more data to be confident in its inclusion in dairy rations. However, early research and the growing understanding of fatty acid and protein nutrition, makes high oleic beans worth exploring!
Scene & Herd
with: Devan Fielding, Dairy Specialist
A New Way to Think About Voluntary Waiting Periods
Typical roasted beans are a great feed option and can even serve as a secondary feed through the robot to boost bypass protein and energy needs to fresh and high producing cows. Although, proper roasting is critical to their feeding success. With conventional roasted beans they are highest in Linoleic acid (18:2) and that is also the fatty acid we find in corn silage, barley silage, and processed corn products that retain some oil, such as corn gluten and corn distiller products. Like all well-balanced diets, it is about achieving the right blend of nutrients. With high oleic (18:1) beans, you can feed preformed fatty acids alongside typical corn- or barley-based diets to create a more balanced fatty acid profile. Furthermore, it is believed that oleic acid supply to the small intestine improves fatty acid digestibility, which is especially important for fresh cows. This is an area that Academics are just starting to explore to better understand the role high oleic beans can play in a dairy ration when properly cooked.
The Research
A trial done by Bales and Lock in 2024 registered 24 mature cows over four 21day periods with an average milk production of 50.7 kg/d and an average days in milk of 122 days. The level of high oleic beans provided in the ration was one of the following 4 treatments: 0%, 8%, 16%, or 24% inclusion. Figure 1 demonstrates the outcome as it relates to dry matter intake (keeping in mind that often higher inclusion of dietary fats leads to lower dry matter intake in dairy cows).
There has always been a great debate on the voluntary waiting period (VWP). Is it too long, too short, or just right? Voluntary waiting periods are different for every farm—you can even get more specific and have a different number of days for each cow. A few questions to consider when establishing a voluntary waiting period are: What is my average conception rate? How hard are my cows milking? And how does my stated voluntary waiting period align with the actual timing of our first service?
Producers often claim that their voluntary waiting period is 60 days in milk (DIM), yet in reality, the first service typically occurs around 80 DIM. This means that cows are likely being bred between 60-100 days in milk, which is a wide and inconsistent range. We need to think about shortening this range to optimize breeding. This can be done through programs like double Ovsynch or by ensuring cows are cycling by 60 DIM. If cows are cycling by 60 days and our voluntary waiting period is 60 DIM, almost all cows should be bred by 81-85 DIM, making the actual days in milk at first breeding 72.5 days. A good rule of thumb to establish a proper voluntary waiting period for your herd is:
Voluntary Waiting Period (days) = Average Conception Rate (%) + Average Liters of Milk per Day.
Table 1. Voluntary Waiting Period based on conception rate and average production
Dry
remained stable at the 8% inclusion and then it went on the decline as inclusion rate increased. As with most fats the higher the inclusion, there was a decrease in NDF and total fatty acid digestibility. This means that there will be a limit to how much can be fed to ensure the cow remains as feed efficient as possible. Reducing digestibility means that it takes more feed to produce 1 kg of milk. Even with the expected reduction in digestibility, the increase in milk yield was quite nice and seemed to be the most effective at 8% inclusion based on Figure 2.
2. Milk yield results for each level of high oleic soybean inclusion in the ration. Fat yield also showed a nice climb by 0.16 kg with the 8% inclusion. The fat increase was most dramatic between the 0% and 8% yielding 1.67 kg and 1.77 kg, respectively. For protein, cows showed an increase from 0% to 8%, then
In Table 1, you will find examples of proper voluntary waiting periods based on your conception rate and average milk per cow per day. You will notice that lower-producing herds with low conception rates need to start breeding cows as soon as 40 days in milk.
So why does average conception matter? With a 20% conception rate, it will take an average of 5 services for a cow to conceive. If you have a 30-liter herd average and a 20% conception rate, this means that she will be a maximum of 155 days in milk before catching (if bred every 21 days). She will then need to milk for another 223 days before drying off, totaling 378 days in milk. If she is only peaking at 40 liters, by the time she is 378 DIM, her production will likely drop below 20 liters. On the opposite end, we don't want
Table 1. Fat supplements and Oilseeds Fatty Acid levels
Adam Lock Lab
Figure 1. Dry matter intake on the
inclusions of high oleic soybeans.
matter intake
Figure
high-conception, high-milking herds to breed before 100 days, as they will get dried off too early when they are still milking well. Why is average liters important to the equation? Cows with higher milk production may not be able to conceive as easily at their peak milk production. This is because they are already in negative energy balance due to not being able to eat enough to sustain their high milk production. These cows will need extra time to come back to a normal feed intake so they can consume enough nutrients to maintain production while supporting reproduction. While there may be lots of other opinions on the voluntary waiting period, these benchmarks have proven successful in my previous role as a Reproductive Management Specialist for Major Dairy AI Services. Using this benchmarking, I was able to manage dozens of barns achieving an average pregnancy rate of 35%. In conclusion, a voluntary waiting period isn’t one-size-fits-all and should be adapted to your specific operation, with your conception rate and production level driving your breeding timing.
Q&A
with: Henry Verhoog, Dairy Specialist
Strategies to Manage Supply the Next Few Months
As we head into summer, many of us are thinking about how to keep milk production strong, while also planning for fall incentives. Every farm will inevitably have its own unique situation, but here are a couple of strategies that I believe work best and make the most sense.
01. Cull the bottom end of the herd.
02. Reduce level of palm fat in the ration during the summer. Most farms were adding up to 300 grams or more of palm fat to try and fill fall incentives. Cutting this back to 100 or 150 gram level still adds extra energy for fresh cows and high producers, which easily saves 35 to 50 cents per cow per day. Reducing the overall fat level in milk right now also allows you to keep a few extra animals around for a longer period should extra milk be needed.
03. Lowering the level of crude protein in the milk cow ration. When we are challenging cows for milk, we will often balance rations as high as 17% crude protein. By slowly dropping this level down to 15 or 16%, we will again save as much as 40 cents per cow per day. Although, this may cause us to lose some peak milk; therefore, this strategy works better for mid and late lactation cows who don’t have that same need for extra protein. Good quality forage will really improve this cost as well.
04. Exploring more cost-effective protein sources. As the old saying goes, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to top quality protein and energy sources. I am by no means suggesting we stop feeding our cows well, but for those of you who have options to mix or blend different protein sources, now may be the time to experiment with this idea. An example of this, if top production and extra butterfat are not priorities, consider feeding more corn distillers and less soymeal for the next several months. Cows will still milk well, but you can save a few more cents per day. However, keep in mind, summer weather is here, and distillers needs to be monitored closely to avoid butter fat depression.
These are just a few simple suggestions to think about and discuss with your feed rep to see which strategy makes the most sense for your farm. Overall, the end goal here is to still fill your quota and not cull too many cows. That way you can simply turn up the dial and push for milk from the cows that are still on the farm to fill fall incentives.
Commodity Outlook
by: JP Thibault Business Development Manager
After a spring without major problems, the USDA has just published two important reports that set the table for the rest of the summer. They confirmed the number of acres seeded and inventories at the end of June, again without any major surprises to change market prices.
On our side of the border, planting proceeded quickly for Western Canada and Ontario, while Quebec and the Atlantic’s Provinces, rain and cool weather slowed down field work. On the production side, for both canola and corn, total production is expected to be lower than last year. Soybean production is expected to be stable, but strong demand and exports are expected to be the second highest on record. However, we are keeping an eye on the drought monitors on both sides of the border, this could be a game changer. Finally, the Loonie reached levels not seen in more than 7 months (Oct 2024), all thanks to oil and the weakening US dollar. The next few weeks will be crucial in order to guarantee the expected yields, keep an eye on the markets.
Join us in Welcoming Our Newest Dairy Specialist!
Devan Fielding Dairy Specialist
We are thrilled to welcome Devan Fielding to our team as a Dairy Specialist. Devan brings extensive experience in reproduction management, including responsibilities such as heat synchronization, heat detection, artificial insemination, sire mating programs, and record keeping. In his previous role, he managed barns that achieved an average pregnancy rate of 30%—significantly higher than the Ontario average of 16%.
Devan’s deep knowledge of bovine reproduction and his dedication to improving herd health make him a valuable addition to our team. His innovative approach and commitment to excellence will help us continue delivering outstanding results for our customers.
Outside of work, Devan enjoys farming and engaging with producers, further enhancing his ability to connect with colleagues and clients alike. We are confident that Devan will be a tremendous asset to our team, and we look forward to the positive impact he will make.
Please join us in welcoming Devan to the team.
If you have any questions for our team, please feel free to contact Devan at: devanfielding@grandvalley.com
Join us in Welcoming Our Newest Ruminant Nutritionist!
Sarah Bruner, M.Sc. Ruminant Nutritionist
Grand Valley Fortifiers is pleased to announce a new hire, Sarah Bruner. She recently graduated with her Master’s from University of Guelph under the guidance of Dr. Trevor DeVries. Sarah’s research focused on whether anionic salts in DCAD dry cow diets affect palatability for cows.
In her new role, Sarah will be involved in ration formulation and farm visits, supporting both the Nutrition and Sales Teams in delivering exceptional customer service.
Please join us in welcoming Sarah to the team.
If you have any questions for our team, please feel free to contact Sarah at: sarahbruner@grandvalley.com
Thought of the Day!
“13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist – Ephesians 6:13-14a NIV
Paul begins his description of our spiritual armour with the belt of truth because truth is at the core of everything we do, say and believe. Truth is core, to who we are. Today in Western culture it seems truth has become optional or open to definition by whomever is asked. The Bible, however, calls us to a firm foundational truth – God’s truth – a truth that is objective and not up for debate. If we embrace our cultures definition of truth, we have no solid ground to stand on, but when we plant ourselves in God’s truth, we can stand our ground and be ready to face whatever comes our way.
(Luke 12:35; 1Pet 1:13)
