Dairy Management

I.Trends in milk production A.Top six states for milk production (2011) 1.California 3. Idaho 5. Pennsylvania 2.Wisconsin 4. New York 6. Texas 7. MN

Trends over the last 20 years

Concentrations of Dairy Cows 2007 Each dot equals cows

B. Dairying in Minnesota 1.Advantages 1. Plentiful water 2. Good Infrastructure 3. Cheaper feed 2.Disadvantages 1. Small farms 2. Housing more expensive 3. Resistance to large farms

C. Minnesota Dairy Trends Year # Dairy %Farms #cows Milk Total MN Farms milking /cow milk , ,664,000 5, B , ,000 10, , ,000 14, , ,000 16, , ,000 17, , ,000 18, Average number of cows per herd = 100 cows in Average = 116 cows; November 2012

II. Life cycle of a Dairy Cow A.Calf – Day 1 1.Dip the navel in tincture of iodine solution a. kills bacteria b. shuts down navel 2. Feed colostrum – provides antibodies 3. Give identification 4. Separate from mother – prevents spread of pathogens from mother to calf.

B.Day 1-30 (average calf weaned at 60 days) 1. feed milk – generally two quarts are fed twice per day. 2. grain mix available 3. fresh water available 4. dehorn Tube dehorner

Nasco lists 20 different dehorners

Electric dehorner Butane dehorner Barnes dehorner Dehorning paste

C.After weaning – feed grain mix and forage

D. Rumen is developing. 1. Advantages of ruminants a. Cellulose digested b. B vitamin synthesis c. Can utilize non-protein nitrogen

2. Disadvantages of ruminants a. Digestive upsets if feed is changed rapidly b. Less efficient utilization of high quality feeds c. Need fiber in the diet d. Can be indiscriminate eaters – eating metal can lead to Hardware Disease.

E. Yearling – 1 year of age – average weight = 700 lbs. 1. typical diet lbs. alfalfa hay 8 - protein and energy corn silage 25 - energy corn grain 1 - energy soybean meal.15 - protein dical – phos.1 - phosphorous TM salt.05 - minerals rumensin 200 mg. – inhibits gram positive bacteria in the rumen. Increases feed efficiency by 10% and decreases methane release.

2. Puberty is reached at 10 to 14 months. a.estrus cycle is 21 days b.gestation length is 280 days c.general goal is to calve first time at 24 months – means heifer must be pregnant by 15 months of age. How do known that it is time to breed Bessie?

d. Criteria for sire selection: Net Merit Dollar Value Trait Weighting in Index protein lbs. 16% fat lbs. 19 productive life 22 somatic cell score -10 daughter pregnancy rate 11 udder conformation 7 feet and legs 4 body size -6 calving ability* 4 *(includes weights on calving ease and stillbirths)

Over 500 progeny tested Holstein dairy bulls available to U.S. dairy producers.

>88,000 tested daughters in 24 countries as of April lbs. milk + $673 Net Merit

F. 2 years of age - weight 1300 lbs. – calving time 1.changes prior to calving a. mammary development b. ligaments over rump loosen c. animals try to find secluded area d. may start to drip milk

2.Typical diet for a 2 year-old producing 70 lbs. of milk per day ingredient lbs. alfalfa 14 corn silage 23 corn grain 16 SBM 3 Whole cotton seed 6 dical – phos.25 TM salt.22 Vitamin ADE premix.06 selenium premix.01 Total lbs Forage makes up about 50% of the ration dry matter. lbs. as fed

3. Nutrient composition of above ration Actual NRC requirements lbs. dry matter Mcal/lb % protein % ADF % calcium % phosphorus Vitamin A (I.U.)

4.Cost of ration: $ Feed cost / 100 cwt of milk produced: $6.50 /.70 cwt. = $9.30

G. Milking Procedure 1. predip teats - cleans 2. massage teats – stimulates milk letdown by release of oxytocin 3. remove two streams of milk – further stimulation and check for abnormal milk 4. wipe teats – use fresh paper or cloth towel for each cow.

5. put on milking unit 6. remove milking unit after milk flow stops – milking takes about 6 min. 7. dip teats in a sanitizing solution. – decreases new infections by 50%

H.Lactation Curves milk % fat Feed intake Body weight

Income 18,000 lbs. milk 650 lbs. fat 575 lbs. protein Value of milk at $22 / cwt. $3960 Value of calf 200 Total $4160

Expenses Feed cost $6.50 x 365 $2372 Direct costs 400 Indirect costs 600 Total expenses $3372 Return for labor and management: $788

J. Time to dry off 1.need 30 to 60 day dry period 2.at last milking, dry treat with approved antibiotic infusion 3.preventative medicine a. deworm b. vaccinate: IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV 5 way Lepto c. trim hooves

K. 3 yr. old – freshening time again Twins – 1 bull and 1 heifer Twinning in dairy cattle is undesirable. A heifer born twin to a bull is sterile 91% of the time. Anti-Müllerian hormone from the male fetus prevents the female fetus’s reproductive tract from developing. These sterile females are known as free-martins. Twin births can also be difficult for the cows.

1. Milk fever – hypocalcemia - parturient paresis – low blood calcium. Symptoms: Cows are too weak to stand up. Treatment: Calcium gluconate given intraveniously.

1. Milk fever – hypocalcemia - parturient paresis – low blood calcium. Symptoms: Cows are too weak to stand up. Treatment: Calcium gluconate given intraveniously. Expect full recovery. Costs $10 for calcium, $80 for vet visit if needed.

2. Retained Placenta – The placenta is not expelled within 12 hours after parturition. This happens about 90% of twin births. It is best to not treat unless the animal becomes sick – take temperature twice daily. Placenta will dislodge in about a week. Definitely, stressful for the Cow!!.

Mastitis – bacterial infection of the mammary gland. Milk has flakes in it from elevated white blood cells. Infuse infected quarters with antibiotics for three milkings. Discard milk for 3 days. Costs: $10 plus discarded milk.

4. Displaced Abomasum The abomasum and omasum belong on the right side. Surgery is used to put things back where they belong. Costs: $150.

5.Ketosis – low blood sugar causes the cow to have a poor appetite and be depressed. Treatment: drench with glycogen – a carbohydrate for quick energy. Niacin supplementation to help the liver convert fat to blood glucose. Vitamin B 12 injection to increase appetite. Costs: $20

L.Cow recovers completely and milks up to 120 lbs. of milk a day!!

M.Reproductive history of second lactation 1. 3 week vet check - some inflammation 2. 6 weeks – first estrus 3. 9 weeks – second estrus – AI bred weeks – return to heat – AI bred weeks – confirmed pregnant

N. Completes a 24,000 lb. milk record = 2790 gallons of milk ( 1 gallon of milk weights 8.6 lbs.

O. 4 year old – calves for the third time. 1. udder edema – excessive swelling in the udder which can cause breaking of the attachments.