Is He the Right One?

You've seen the plethora of dairy articles about estrous synchronization, timed breeding, genomic testing, embryo transfer, and other neat things that can help you manage reproduction and genetic progress in your dairy herd.  There's a good chance you're even using some of those strategies, but it's possible you've also still found it helpful to use a herd bull or two for getting some of your heifers or cows bred.  You are not alone.  There are still a lot of dairy herds with bulls roaming around (and hopefully working) in select pens.  Other herd owners choose not to use herd bulls because of the risks involved, but it’s a decision you have the right to make.

If you’re using herd bulls, what factors go into choosing a bull to use in your herd?  Is he a result of convenience, or have you thought through the reasons he may or may not be the right one?

Let’s start with health issues.  If you are going to purchase a bull from another herd, hopefully he will have some sort of health screening done for diseases such as TB, BVD, brucellosis, and leukosis before stepping into your herd.  You might manage every female in your herd perfectly to minimize the incidence of disease, but one animal (that darn bull) can ruin a lot of those efforts.  Don’t let that happen.

There’s also another disease - Johne’s.  You can test for it too, but if this new bull you're adding to the herd is young, there's a chance he won't test positive for Johne's even if he's been infected.  It won't show up in a test until he is older.  The next best thing is probably to explore the Johne’s status of the herd he’s coming from.  Is it a clean, well-managed herd where some Johne's testing has been done, or are animals coming and going all the time with minimal management to prevent the spread of Johne's?

Remember, semen that is passed by natural service hasn't been tested and will vary in quality.  Quality changes as the environment changes.  Changes in the weather or the diet a bull is eating can sometimes have dramatic effects, so don't assume that the mere presence of a bull means that fertile breeding will continue 100% of the time.  You'll need to monitor his reproductive success.  He might simply get too fat from eating a loaded ration and need to move on.

Hopefully the genetic quality of your herd is moving in a positive direction.  There’s no reason you need to go backwards or even stay stagnant if you've identified particular goals for your breeding program.  So what is this bull doing for you?  Ideally, he would be able to do more than simply get a few females pregnant.  If a pedigree is available on a bull you're considering, take a look at it.  If not, ask for information about his parentage.  What was his dam like?  Who are his sire and grandsire?  Make sure he's a good fit for what you're after, and consider what effect he might have on inbreeding.

It probably doesn't need to be stated that safety is an issue with bulls.  There have been, and continue to be, nasty accidents with bulls.  In a matter of seconds, a bull that may have had zero history of any aggression towards people can abruptly change (or even eliminate) someone's life.  It's a serious issue that can affect even the most careful operations.  If you have bulls, or are ever working around them, please always keep this in mind.  An aggressive, "no nonsense" culling program is a good idea.

Maybe, after thinking through the various issues, you’ll decide to discontinue your use of herd bulls.  If that’s the case, I'm willing to bet that you'll be able to make up for them with other reproductive strategies and be satisfied with your reproductive success.  There are a lot of options you can consider these days.

If you plan to continue using bulls in your herd, just remember that you might be paying more than you first think, so be careful to think about the variables and don't sell yourself short.  You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot by getting a “dud” and regretting the fact that you didn't get the right one.

Here are some related articles:
Do Away With Him
Are They Necessary?
Costs & Risks

Photo credit:  www.anglindairy.net

Free Farm Energy Review

Are you interested in exploring cost saving opportunities for your Pennsylvania farm?  Are you curious how efficient your energy use is?  Are you willing to be part of a Penn State student project?  If your answer is "yes" to any of these questions and would like to have a FREE energy review done on your farm, Click Here.

Three Key Questions for Evaluation of Reproductive Performance in a Dairy Herd

What is the current state of reproductive management in your dairy herd?  Are things cruising along well, or does it seem like things could be better?  Here are the three main questions to ask that will lead you to an answer.

Question #1:  Is there a problem?

Asked differently, is there an area where further improvement may be possible?  You might feel things are going okay, but oftentimes there is still opportunity for improved efficiency.  And improvements to reproductive performance usually result in financial gain - a very good thing.

This question is a simple "yes" or "no" question, and it's possible you may have a quick answer, but it's also possible some work will be required to give an accurate answer.  If you use herd management software such as PCDART or Dairy Comp, you can easily generate and evaluate some reproductive reports to seek your answer.  If you don't have a particular software program, you'll still want to figure out a way to evaluate where you're at.  What are your current pregnancy rates?  What is the average age at first calving?  Average days open or days in milk?  Have these numbers been changing, or steady?  Compare where your herd is at to standard industry benchmarks or to other dairymen in your area.

Remember, if you have a small herd, you're bound to see more dramatic fluctuations because of a small sample size.  If only one out of five cows conceived to their first service last month, that doesn't automatically mean you have a disaster on your hands.  It could rebound and be five out of seven that will conceive this month.  If conception rates have been low for a while, then you probably do have a problem that should be addressed.

Another option for evaluating your herd's reproductive performance would be to contact an extension educator and have them take a look at your records or visit your herd.  They can provide a different, outside perspective on things.  There's a good chance they may have already seen similar problems in other herds and know of solutions that might work for you.

Question #2:  If there is a problem, what is causing it?

There are many different directions you could end up going after determining there's a problem area with potential for improvement.  Here is an example list of some of the initial questions to ask while exploring what might be causing poor reproductive performance:

• Are any herd bulls being used that might be contributing to the problem?
• How many different people are breeding cows?  If there are multiple people, is there a significant difference in conception rates between them?  If only one person is breeding, have the problems just been a recent occurrence, or has it been a long-term struggle?
• Where does the semen come from?  How is it stored?
• What breeding strategies are being used?  Do you breed based on detected heats, use a timed breeding protocol, or something else?  Have the protocols changed, or is it possible they aren't being accurately followed all the time?
• Are you catching good heats? How do you decide when to breed?
• What is the frequency of postpartum disorders?  
• Are cows in the herd excessively fat or thin?
• Are cows in the herd comfortable most of the time?  Are pens overcrowded?  Do cows like to lay in the appropriate bedding places?  Is there decent airflow?  Are there seasonal fluctuations in breeding success that might be due to weather?
• What kind of ration are the cows getting?  How often is the ration tested?

Question #3:  How can the problem be addressed?

There might be a number of different potential solutions.  Maybe you just want to tweak one thing, or maybe there are several things you feel should change.  But remember, making several changes might make it difficult to determine which changes were most effective in addressing the problem.  This may or may not be important.  You'll also have to accept the fact that you probably won't see evidence of improvement in your reproductive records for quite a few months.  You just can't see dramatic changes as quickly as you can with changes to a ration or milking routine.

Investing some time to evaluate where you're at with reproductive management in your herd and exploring any problem areas can be a challenging project, but it will probably be worth the effort.  If you run into trouble, there are ways to get help.  Click here for a troubleshooting guide which might help point you in the right direction.  Talk to your breeder or veterinarian, call an extension educator, visit with other dairymen, or look for related information online.  You'll be glad you did.

Automation Changes Your "To Do" List

With the growing use of automated equipment in the dairy industry, it is tempting to think the dairy farmer's "to do" list is getting shorter.  There's no doubt that the installation of automated equipment on a dairy changes the "to do" list, but that doesn't mean work responsibilities are evaporating.  They're just changing.

Once installation of new automated equipment has been completed, can everyone just walk away and consider the job taken care of?  Of course not.  There is regular monitoring, adjusting, cleaning, and maintenance that needs to be done.  If these activities don't happen, then what was invested in with the intent of convenience or improved management might actually turn into a nightmare.

Before new equipment, such as an automatic calf feeder, is put into everyday use, it is critical that the recommendations for how to program and use it properly are understood.  If the equipment was sold without an adequate introduction to its use, then it's likely that somebody wasn't doing their job.  Contact that person and request some training time to get a firm grasp on how everything works.

Using automated equipment usually allows for more time to be spent on other activities, but there still needs to be an investment of time with the automated equipment.  With the example of automatic calf feeders, someone needs to make sure they're being regularly cleaned.  With multiple calves sucking off of one nipple throughout the day, this is critical.  And with a likely increased intake by the calves, there will also likely be an increase in the quantity of "output" from the other end.  Attention to cleaning in the housing area is going to be necessary as well.

A watchful eye must continue to monitor the health of animals and ensure that the equipment is resulting in positive results.  There are probably a hundred different options that could be tweaked with the equipment programming to optimize its effectiveness in a dairy herd, and those settings might be different from farm to farm.  There is a lot to watch out for.

Automation can potentially improve the quality of life for both the dairy farmer and the animals being cared for.  Enjoy the benefits of automation, but remember to be proactive with how it's handled, rather than reactive to the consequences of a diverted "to do" list.

(Photo obtained from grobernutrition.com)

Gross Income Per Cow in Pennsylvania

A recent article published by Dairy Herd Management showed the gross income generated per cow in each U.S. state last year.  Michigan topped the list with $4,944 of gross income per cow, followed by Colorado and Washington.

Pennsylvania didn't have an impressive showing on the list.  The U.S. average was $4,391 per cow, and Pennsylvania was significantly below the average at $4,282 per cow, ranking 26th out of all U.S. states.  This number of $4,282 was calculated by multiplying the average milk production per cow per year in PA (19,822 lbs.) by the average milk price, which was $21.60.

Is there room for improvement in Pennsylvania?  I think so.  These numbers don't take into account factors such as breed, feed costs, or actual net income, but there are a number of likely ways that production per cow could be increased as we seek to maximize efficiency.

Click here to read the Dairy Herd Management article.

Voluntary Waiting Period: A Magic Number Doesn't Exist

If you've been breeding dairy cows for very long, you're probably familiar with what Voluntary Waiting Period (VWP) is and likely have some sort of VWP target that has been identified on your farm.  Your VWP is simply the designated number of days that must pass after calving before a cow becomes eligible for breeding.  Many herd managers can quickly tell you what their VWP is, but you'll probably notice that it varies from farm to farm.  In your herd, you might tend to stick to a certain VWP, but you're sometimes tempted to push the VWP later on some cows.  All of that is okay!  A magic, perfect number for VWP doesn't exist.

There are a number of factors in the early postpartum period that affect when you might choose to begin breeding.  First of all, the uterus needs a period of time to recover (involute) from pregnancy, which takes about a month.  There is also the negative energy balance struggle, when early lactation cows are usually expending more energy than they can take in, and reproduction falls low on their body's priority list.

If you wait too long after calving before cows are eligible to breed, you'll likely begin to struggle with cows that are over-conditioned and producing less on an annual basis (both milk and calves).  After about three months postpartum, maximum herd fertility is achieved and their is no further benefit of waiting.  It's even possible that first-service conception rates start to decline after 120 days in milk.

If you start breeding too early, you'll be throwing money into cows that haven't even started cycling yet.  You'll likely become frustrated with poor conception rates, and it's possible that you'll end up needing to dry off cows when they're still producing a significant volume of milk.

In your own herd (which is unique) you'll want to find the happy medium in order to achieve good, economical results.  And it might take a little research to determine where the best spot is.  If you've had the same VWP for a long time, you might consider thinking through what reproductive management dynamics have changed on your farm over those years.  If a lot has changed, you might be due to reevaluate.

In general, you should probably be working with a VWP that falls somewhere between 45 and 90 days.  Don't breed any cows before 45 days, and make sure that if you're going to wait until 90 days before breeding any cows that you're ready to manage accordingly, so that you don't lose prime opportunities for getting cows bred and maximizing production.

If you have a smaller herd and are keenly a each individual animal, there may be room for a more flexible VWP.  Lets say you've established a VWP of 65 days.  If there is a low-producing, healthy cow who has shown a good heat at 49 days, it might be worth breaking your VWP rule and breeding her with some inexpensive semen.  Or maybe there are a few high-producing cows that have had a tough start to their lactation.  It OK to say, "Hey, I'm not going to even start breeding these ladies until at least 80 DIM."

If you have a larger herd or simply don't have the ability to spend time altering management protocols for individual cows all the time, you'll probably want to choose a specific VWP which can be applied across the board.  If you're using a timed breeding protocol, you may want to aim for somewhere around 70-75 DIM to maximize first-service conception rates and offset the costs of the injections.

Here are three examples to show how different VWPs might work for different herds:

Scenario #1:  VWP = 50 days

• Good heat detection practices
• Not a high-producing herd
• Few postpartum disorders
• Low costs for semen / injections
• Wait to breed cows with "issues"

Scenario #2:  VWP = 60 days

• Average production & health
• Mixture of timed breeding and breeding based on observed estrus
• Use expensive semen on good cows

Scenario #3:  VWP = 80 days

• Large herd
• Weekly timed breeding protocol
• Aggressive resynchronization / pregnancy check protocol

I'm not proposing that anyone should choose one of these scenarios.  They just serve as a demonstration that different choices for a VWP can work for the unique situation on a particular dairy.

If you've found a system that works well for you, there is no reason you should feel pressured to change it.  There may be some slight economic benefits if you're willing to consider tweaks to the system, but there's no shame in finding out what works best for your individual herd and sticking with it.  Every dairy herd is unique, and there's no "magic bullet" VWP number that everyone must use to succeed.

Lastly, remember that VWP is not, in any way, an indicator of herd performance!

For more information about VWP, feel free to peruse the following articles:
What is the ideal waiting period? - Jeff Stevenson, Hoard's Dairyman
Reproduction Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations - USDA, APHIS

One hundred years of Extension

1963 - research farm 

The first county extension agent for Washington County was hired in 1912, more than one hundred years ago.  Then, from 1912 through 1917, county agents were placed in fifty-one counties around Pennsylvania, including all of the counties in the southwest corner of the state.  These activities were supported by the Smith-Lever Act, which was signed into law on May 8, 1914.  It established the cooperative extension system, directing federal, state, and county governments to partner with land-grant institutions, such as Penn State University, to translate and share scientific information with those who could put that knowledge to work on farms and in communities across the country.

How has the presence of Extension impacted you and your family over these past one hundred years?  There may be more impacts than you're aware of.  Programming has covered a wide array of topics and diverse audiences.  Here are just a few examples:

• County 4-H youth development programs
• On-farm workshops
• Master Gardener program
• Nutrition classes 
• Economic and community development programs
• Water quality research

Many impacts have been measured over the years, but many more impacts go beyond what will ever be captured on paper.

You can read more about the Centennial Celebration of Extension. There are many achievements to celebrate as we look back, though we also must be wise to evaluate how to effectively continue the work of Extension in the days ahead.  "As the extension system marks its centennial, its leaders acknowledge that it must continue to adapt and innovate in the face of such challenges as rising global food demand and hunger, natural and fiscal resource scarcity, and environmental risk."