Dairy Grist - Winter 2021

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Dairy Grist

A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS VOLUME 23, ISSUE 4 | WINTER 2021

Dear Friends, Christmas greetings from all of us at Grand Valley Fortifiers! We trust that you will enjoy the information shared in this edition of the Dairy Grist. Our dairy team members, Kathleen Shore and Mike Rutherford have excellent articles discussing the knock-on hoof health effects of the past hot summer months and herd reproductive tracking respectively. We are also pleased to include a great article from D. Clair Doan, Associate VP Agriculture for National Bank and from Lisa Wiens Simanton an Alberta based Dairy Specialist at our sister company, Fortified Nutrition. Recognizing the significance of feeding costs in 2021 and most likely again in 2022, we are committed to continuing to bring fresh ideas and perspectives on how to maximize your dairy operation’s profitability and success in these ever changing times. We trust that you will find this edition of the Dairy Grist helpful in this regard. As we near the end of 2021, all of us at Grand Valley Fortifiers are thankful. We are thankful for the opportunity to work so very closely with many of this province’s dedicated dairy producers. I know that I speak for our entire team when I wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas and a new year in 2022 filled with good health, and success in your farming endeavors. Sincerely, Ian Ross, President & CEO

THE MEMORY OF A HOT SUMMER LIVES ON IN A COW’S HOOF

by: KATHLEEN SHORE Ruminant Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers, Nutrition Direct

W

arm summer days and nights that are not much cooler means cows are standing and perching in stalls longer than they would when temperatures are more comfortable. That time spent standing puts a great deal of pressure on the hoof, but by the time we truly see the impact in the barn the warm summer air is often a distant memory, and we are troubleshooting on farm concerns without considering that the real culprit is in fact that beautiful weather 2-3 months ago (see Figure 1).

% of Cows Treated for Claw Horn Lesions

Figure 1 Incidence of lameness peaks at the end of summer – highest temperatures were in July. (Adapted from NB Cook, 2004) 10 8 6 4 2 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

The flare up of hoof health can be identified by walking through the barn and scoring cows for locomotion. Often, the cows we see every day are not the ones with concerns. Cows that are struggling with sore feet will be the cow whose budget to eat/drink/socialize (7 hrs), milk (3 hrs) and lay down (12 hrs) will be off and her production will suffer. Routine hoof trimming with a hoof trimmer that provides good feedback is a key element to supporting consistent hoof health. However, between those visits regular locomotion scoring GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS PO Box 726 Cambridge ON N1R 5W6 1-800-567-4400 grandvalley.com

on at least 10% of the herd can tell you when there is a higher-than-normal incidence of trouble, which means scoring the herd routinely (see Table 1). Table 1 Locomotion Scoring Guide (adapted from Sprecher et al, 1997). Score

Description

Back

1

Normal

Flat

Assessment Stands and walks normally with a level back. Makes long, confident strides.

2

Mildly Lame

Flat or Arched

Stands with flat back, but arches when walks. Gait is slightly abnormal.

3

Moderately Lame

Arched

Stands and walks with an arched back and short strides with one or more legs. Slight sinking in dew-claws in limb opposite the affected limb may be evident.

4

Lame

Arched

Arched back standing and walking. Favouring one or more limbs but can still bear some weight on them. Sinking of the dew-claws is evident in limb opposite the affected limb.

5

Severely Lame

Arched

Pronounced arching of back. Reluctant to move, with almost complete weight transfer of the affected limb.

When heat stressed, cows will also eat less feed (though often eat more per meal – slug feeding) and are more prone to sorting the TMR thus eating less forage. These eating behaviors and feed digestion realities increase the risk of acidosis with reduced butterfat and milk yield as well as impacting lameness and reproduction if not well managed (see Figure 2). Figure 2 Ruminal response to heat stress (adapted from Mishra et al, 1970).

Ian Ross, President & CEO | David Ross, VP & CMO Mark Bowman | Jeff Keunen | Josh Devos | Kathleen Shore, Ruminant Nutritionists Michael Peckover, Layout Editor


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