Grand Valley Fortifiers Ltd. PO Box 726, Cambridge ON, N1R 5W6
1006704
Dairy Grist
CENTRAL & ATLANTIC EDITION A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 | WINTER 2023
Dear Milk Producing Friends, After a generally wet mid summer and fall, we have been pleased to witness an abundant harvest for forages, grains and oil seeds across most of this province. With persistently high protein (soy) costs, and significantly increased interest rates, maximizing the use of forages in the diets, as well as home-grown and/or alternative protein sources will certainly impact bottom lines on dairies this year. Unfortunately, although corn crops have been high yielding, corn silage sample data this fall is showing an average of almost 4 ppm of DON and presence in 98% of the samples. Our Nutritionists and Dairy Specialists are ready to assist as producers navigate the economics, the quality and the performance of their rations as we soon head into 2024. I hope that you find the articles authored by Sarah Robson, Kathleen Shore and Henry Verhoog on this important subject informative and helpful. It has been wonderful see our dairy focused team continue to expand, in order to serve our dairy customers better, with the addition of Clay McWilliams, a recent MSc. graduate from University of Guelph, along with JP Thibault our new Business Development Manager for Direct Source Commodities, who also happens to be a Dairy Nutritionist. As we will soon all celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and enter the new year in 2024, I and the entire Grand Valley Fortifiers team want to wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas and much health, happiness and success in 2024. Thank you for the privilege of working with you in your dairy operations. Sincerely, Ian Ross, President & CEO, GVF group of companies
FACTORS AFFECTING COLOSTRUM YIELD
by: JEFF KEUNEN M.Sc., Ruminant Production & Robot Improvement Specialist
E
very year in late fall and through the winter months we inevitably hear from a handful of producers concerned with low colostrum yields on their most recent cows that have calved. Reasons for low colostrum yields in cows has been poorly studied and on most farms the problem tends to resolve itself with some small tweaks to the dry cow ration. Recently, a study done by researchers at Cornell University in New York, attempted to summarize the environmental and nutritional factors that influence the quality and quantity of colostrum. We will summarize the key takeaways from that study below. Monthly colostrum yields for the study are summarized in Figure 1. The median (range) colostrum yield was 4.1 (0.1-38.6) kg for primiparous and 5.0 kg (0.1-43.8) kg for multiparous cows. Average colostrum quality (Brix %) was 24.6 and 25.7 for primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively.
Fig 1. Monthly colostrum yield (kg) from 5,790 primiparous and 12,553 multiparous Holstein cows from 18 NY farms
When looking at the results of the study on an individual animal basis here are the factors that affect colostrum yield. Brix %: Higher Brix % leads to a lower colostrum yield, suggesting a dilution effect as volume increases the amount of total IgGs stays the same, thus leading to a lower Brix % reading.
1-800-567-4400 www.grandvalley.com
Ian Ross, President & CEO | David Ross, VP & CMO Gennadii Bondarenko | Mark Bowman | Lisa McGregor | Sarah Robson | Ola Skoczylas, Ruminant Nutritionists